Should You Pull the Handbrake or Shift Gears First When Starting a Manual Transmission Car?
2 Answers
When starting a manual transmission car, you should shift gears first. Below is an introduction to manual transmissions: 1. Composition: Gear shifting is achieved by switching between different gear sets. As the key component in distributing power, the transmission must have two major parts: a power input shaft and an output shaft, along with the gears that make up the transmission, forming the most basic components of a manual transmission. 2. Principle: The power input shaft is connected to the clutch, and the power transmitted from the clutch is directly passed to the gear set through the input shaft. The gear set consists of gears of different diameters, and different gear ratios achieve completely different power transmission effects. The gear shifting during normal driving refers to changing the gear ratio.
I've been driving manual transmission for over a decade, and parking procedures are crucial. When starting the car, you must first depress the clutch and shift to neutral, then start the engine while pressing the brake, release the handbrake, and engage the gear. For shutting down, first press the brake and shift to neutral, firmly pull the handbrake and release the foot brake, and finally engage a gear to prevent rolling. This operation protects the transmission gears and prevents the car from rolling. Once, I forgot to engage the gear on a steep slope and nearly rolled into the car behind me with just the handbrake, which gave me a cold sweat. Now, it's a habit to always engage a gear after pulling the handbrake, especially in rain or snow when shifting into reverse is more secure.
