What Does 'C' Mean On A Manual Gear Shift?

Manual gear shifts can be confusing. That confusion isn't just reserved for those who usually drive automatic cars, either. Sometimes, gearboxes can also have unexpected additions far beyond the regular PRNDL or 1-2-3-4-5-R layout. For example, you might've spotted a mysterious G on some cars' stick shifts, or an E gear while driving another. It's not hard to picture half the alphabet on there.

If you've driven a manual Ford Bronco before, you might've noticed its gear stick has another option that some other vehicles don't have. That's the crawler gear, denoted by a C on the stick shift's left-hand side as you face it. Ford's crawler gear gives you the option to cruise at lower speeds compared to other gears while the clutch is fully engaged. It's designed with traversing rough terrain and maneuvering around obstructions or hazards at low speeds and from a starting gear in mind.

You might have come across a similar concept to the Bronco's crawler gear before in the form of the so-called granny gear. Usually, a granny gear is a low gear that allows you to drive at very low speeds while trundling around in a utility truck or off-roader.

You won't always be able to drop into the crawler gear while driving a Bronco. At least, you won't be able to without risking some damage to your vehicle. That's in part because the crawler gear is intended to make it easier for you to start your car in poor or adverse conditions. Because of this, Ford advises that you aim to only engage the clutch in this position as a starting gear. That means that your Bronco should be at a stop when you use it, if at all possible.

Engaging the crawler gear is pretty much as easy as entering any other gear. One of the only differences lies in the built-in lockout feature, which might catch you as you try to shift into it. The lockout feature acts to prevent you from accidentally shifting into the crawler gear when you try to change to second instead. So, when you're ready to crawl, be sure to fully engage the clutch and raise the gearstick's collar upwards before moving into gear.

Once you reach a higher speed, you should also switch to an appropriate higher gear instead. If you do use the crawler gear while moving by dropping down from a higher gear, the automaker also advises that you should ensure that your engine is already running below 1,500 revolutions per minute, or RPM. Otherwise, you run a real risk of damaging your transmission.