How do you teach a 16 year old son to drive a stick shift?

Question

I've started to teach, but everything ends up as a HUGE explosion! How can I teach him without getting into a huge fight about it? You know, I still kinda like him and wpould like to keep a good relationship with him.

Answer 1

first teach him what the clutch does and how stick works then he'll understand why he's doing certain things. Just calm down and think about when you were that age. Im sure you had problems to. Take him somewhere where there are no cars or even people to watch him so he can realax. Hope this helped.

Answer 2

Just stay calm when teaching him. When I learnt I was taught the clutch first and found this very useful when learning the gears - my instructor told me not to touch the gearstick but to ease the clutch out until the car starts moving. Once at a steady pace, accelerate then try change gears. Have him study the gear positioning in his spare time, even practice while the car is off. My advice anyway, hope it helps.

Answer 3

What helped me was when they explained to me how the inner workings of the car made it go. My mom took me into a small subdivision with lots of stop signs and rode with me and just watched. Radio off and talked when I had questions. I learned in a few tries, no big.

Answer 4

well, thats very dangerous. its always a smart thing to teach first timers with an automatic. if not, then i suggest a driving school so you dnt have to stress about it.

plz answer my question

thanks

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Answer 5

I don't know. My parents were never able to teach me to drive a stick shift, and neither was anybody else.

Maybe you should make sure you don't sound like you're nagging. Being 16 is kind of hard and maybe learning something new like that makes him feel a lot of pressure.

Answer 6

My dad took me out into a big field. Then he told me how to push in the clutch and move the shift lever at the same time. It takes patience to teach someone to drive a stick. I tried to teach my son how to drive a stick, but I didn't have the patience at the time.

Answer 7

enroll him in a driving school that teaches stick shift.  You try to teach him you guys will be at each other's throat before he hits second gear...also saves your clutch (added bonus!)

Answer 8

enroll him in a driving school that teaches stick shift. You try to teach him you guys will be at each other's throat before he hits second gear...also saves your clutch (added bonus!)

Answer 9

Go to an empty parking lot and just practice a lot! Try to be patient, he's just learning. You might want to think of how you felt when you were learning to drive stick shift. Plus, because you are in a parking lot, nothing or no one can get hurt (or at least it would require a lot more for that to happen).

Before you go driving explain to your son that if you do yell or anything that it's not because you are mad at him. You want him to be a good driver. And when you are driving be reassuring and believe in his ability to drive!!

I hope this helped you.

Answer 10

just when you get mad, calm down and dont yell that doesnt help learning and you can rreally "teach" stick you jsut have to do it and get the feel for the clutch and let it out and adding gas in the same amounts

Answer 11

I don't know stick shift and I'm sure if I were to learn I would get frusterated too, and I've been driving automatic for years. Maybe an idea to not get in the arguements and save your relationship would be to take him to a driving school. It may cost a little bit, but because he will be more calm he may learn it even faster and maybe even be safer.

Answer 12

Patience!! and, a lot of time! Thats all I can tell you. Don't keep telling him that he is going to ruin the clutch... he heard you the first time you told him. He will get it eventually. I wish  that I learned how to drive in a stick and not an automatic. My boyfriend taught me a couple years later... and I just remember goin around and around the blocks in his neighborhood. The calmer that you are the less nervous he will be so the smoother the transition between the gears will be. When i could tell my b/f was aggravated or frustrated with me  it  was like my brain went to mush and I would just keep stalling. So the better attitude that you have... that better attitude that he will have.  Good Luck!!

Answer 13

I support your teaching him to drive a stick I think everyone should know.  The hardest part for everyone I know is just learning to get it rolling in first gear.  My grandfather taught me how by putting me in a 4 wheel drive put it in low gear and then we had at it.  That low gear makes it virtually impossible to kill the engine even when you pop the clutch and you can't teach the proper way to clutch if the car isn't moving.  Once I knew how to shift learning on a 2wd took a little more work but I was comfortable.  Also, if he is like most 16 year old boys he's getting p.o.ed because he is  having problems in front of someone else so cut him a little slack and just take your time.  Good luck with it but stick to your guns no man should be stuck driving just an automatic and if learns on an auto he may never learn a stick.

Answer 14

I suggest taking him to the middle of nowhere and letting him be the one in charge. Don't say anything he might just feel tense around you. I am sure he will figure it out on his own if you let him. After all no one learned how to walk with a set of instructions or in one day either.