gears

how do you know when to shift up to the next gear
if u are at a stop light should u shift down to gear one??

no you start from 4th gear from a stop, of course you shift to first. wtf are you thinking? You dont have to downshift at all, just push the clutch in, put the car in neutral, and brake to the stop. When traffic starts moving again, put it in first, and go.