The Right Gears..

sarahd19

Despite doing 30 driving lessons , my dad still thinks I put my car into certain gears at the wrong speed. My instructor told me 20 - second gear 30-third gear etc etc

I was wondering is this right ?

Davy

Really you need to listen to the engine to know when to charge, their is no set speed when to change. If you listen to the engine and get used to it, it will come natural to you

Reloc8

^ this.

Also conditions - going up hills at lower speed you'll want a lower gear/stay in a lower gear at higher revs, going down hill you can stay in a higher gear for longer (this has nothing to do with speed but everything to do with the revolutions the engine is generating).

All cars are different too - if you're driving a different car with the instructor versus with your dad, you can't just take the instructor's guidance for his car and apply it to the other.

Experiment a little - see what happens when you change up too early and too late - you want a nice smooth transition with no screaming of engine - that's the sweet spot.

Compton

all cars are different aswell, i like to get good revs out of the engine in 2nd and 3rd gear.

you should be able to know by the sound of the engine. you should feel the speed of the car.

sarahd19

Thanks for the reply guys , funny thing is i know about all that stuff you said and i do all that! Yet my dad still tells me im wrong.

Once he gets in the car , all my driving goes out the window and i get myself in a twist!! especially the gears and i cut out alot

LookBehindYou

Change up gear when revs are approx 2000 to 2500 rpm max.

stevenmu

LookBehindYou wrote: »

Change up gear when revs are approx 2000 to 2500 rpm max.

What, why?

It's very dependant on the specific car. It's also very dependant on the type of driving you are doing at the specific time, if you need to pick up speed quickly then you go much higher before changing up, if you just need to pick up speed slowly and/or save fuel then you change up much lower.

dudara

The engine will tell you when gears need to be changed.

It's tough driving with parents. They can have years of driving experience, but they can have no idea how to communicate it to you (that's why you get a driving instructor).

Compton

stevenmu wrote: »

What, why?

It's very dependant on the specific car. It's also very dependant on the type of driving you are doing at the specific time, if you need to pick up speed quickly then you go much higher before changing up, if you just need to pick up speed slowly and/or save fuel then you change up much lower.

this.

elbee

OP, no doubt your dad means well but you're right about listening to the engine. I did a pre-test a few days ago and my instructor told me I was driving way too far right and I failed on it (twice, actually). My mother (who also means well but is not a driving instructor!) insists that when I drive with her I'm way too far LEFT and need to be practically on the white line!

I have started telling her that she's right, and when I pass my test I will do it her way (which I won't!) but that in order to pass the test I have to do it my instructor's way.

No idea what I'll tell her when I pass the test but for now she's accepted it!

Thoie

sarahd19 wrote: »

Thanks for the reply guys , funny thing is i know about all that stuff you said and i do all that! Yet my dad still tells me im wrong.

If it's your dad's car you're driving when you're with him, ask him to give you a signal when it's time to change gear. I taught a friend how to drive and to get her used to listening for the engine noise, I used make a vroom sound to match the engine. It added a bit of fun and got her used to listening for the "right" noise.

elbee wrote: »

My mother (who also means well but is not a driving instructor!) insists that when I drive with her I'm way too far LEFT and need to be practically on the white line!

Mine used do that as well - it's because she's not used to being on the passenger side and parked cars etc. can look scarily close from there.