Manual transmission cars are more common in Europe and Japan than the United States, but knowing how to safely use neutral with a stick shift is important.
The neutral (N) gear in a manual transmission vehicle is not exactly a gear like first (1), second (2), third (3), or reverse (R). Placing the shift lever in neutral means the transmission is not engaged in any gear, as if the clutch pedal was fully depressed. You’re not going to use neutral often in any car, but it’s important to know when shifting into neutral can help. With a stick shift vehicle, you’ll want to follow similar guidelines to using neutral in an automatic transmission car. Neutral fully disengages the transmission from the engine and should be used when the car is stopped, moving very slowly, or when you’re turning the car on and off.
If it’s parked so you can change the oil yourself or replace the brake pads, shift it into first or reverse and set the parking brake before putting your hands anywhere near it.
