This article was co-authored by Tom Eisenberg. Tom Eisenberg is the Owner and General Manager of West Coast Tires & Service in Los Angeles, California, a family-owned AAA-approved and certified auto shop. Tom has over 10 years of experience in the auto industry. Modern Tire Dealer Magazine voted his shop one of the Best 10 Operations in the Country. This article has been viewed 424,435 times.

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If you need to push start a manual car, insert the key in the ignition and turn it to the on position. Press down the clutch with your left foot and slide the gear selector all the way to the left, then down toward you to put it in second gear. Release the parking brake and press the brake and clutch pedals down, then release the brake as your friends start to push the car. When the speedometer reaches 5 mph, pull your left foot abruptly off the clutch. If the car doesn’t start, press the clutch all the way to the floor and try it again. Keep reading to learn how to charge the battery once the car is running!