Hello: I am going to view a 599 that had a small fender bender and has been sitting for over a year. I would like to know what issues/functions I should check when inspecting the car. I am worried about the F1, as I have never used one. Bascially, I start the engine, press the brake, and PULL the RIGHT paddle and I am in 1st gear? What happens when I let go of the brake? Do I need to depress brake and press gas? Thanks
Check shock absorbers carefully for signs of leakage eg dirt and/or oil Have the owner/vendor drive it for you that way you can concentrate on how the car runs not on how to drive it
If you are going to eventually drive the car. Your drive procedures are correct for F1 however before you activate the right paddle for 1st gear I would select the "auto" button initially to assure that the auto system works. BTW the car doesn't move on it's own when you let off the brake in 1st gear. You have to apply throttle. If you need to back up after driving forward stop the car, hold foot on brake, pull both paddles towards you, "this puts the car in neutral", then press and hold for two seconds the reverse button.
The Magneride shocks have been leaking, usually after about 15,000 miles. Drive her just like a three pedal car with one pedal missing and you will be happy. Treat the transmission like an automatic and you will be unhappy. Every time you stop, the clutch will be open, regardless of whether you are in neutral or 1st. If you put her in neutral while coming to a stop, if that is how you drive a three pedal car, keep your foot on the brake or you will not be able to select 1st when you need it. She will also roll on you when stopped on an incline if you do not use the brake pedal, because the clutch is open, just like it would be with a three pedal. Ask for further tips as you get used to driving her. Takes a while to learn to be smooth, just like learning any new skill.
If I come to a full stop while in 2/3 gear, the clutch will "open" - but will it remain in that gear? Does it always stay in the gear I've selected? (while in non Auto mode)? Thanks again
Not necessarily. In either auto or manual mode, if the revs drop too much the transmission will downshift as required. If you are in a higher gear and brake to a stop, the gearbox will downshift through the gears to first.
John- Affirmative, she will auto downshift to 1st, but I never let mine auto downshift. I either downshift manually or, usually, put her in neutral coming to a stop. If traffic starts moving, hit the downshift paddle for a gear, probably too high, so it is usually necessary to downshift for a usable gear. If you sitting at a light with the brake on, you can upshift or downshift to any gear and the clutch will still be open, even if in 6th. Not a very useful application, though, but just to illustrate the clutch is always open when stopped, even in neutral.
Taz - generally I manually downshift to first as I approach a stop, mostly to hear the glorious sounds the car makes. Once stopped, both pull both paddles to neutral.
John, I do agree with the "glorious sounds the car makes", however if I know I will be coming to a stop, I just can't bring it upon myself to inflict all that extra wear on the clutch. I go straight to neutral rather than shifting through 5 gears.
A question related to the transmission. When I park a 3 pedal car on a hill, if heading downhill I put it in reverse & first if facing uphill. With the 599 what is the best as even if I pull the parking brake to the max it wants to roll? Afraid to park on a hill & there are a lot of them where I live.
On a 3-pedal car I always put it in 1st heading downhill, and in reverse heading uphill - opposite you. This is to prevent forces trying to rotate the engine backwards against its natural direction! With some engines this is no big deal, while with others it is a very big deal. Particular T-belt setups can be a bit sensitive to that, but not all. Anyway, with my 612 (F1) I do the same. Like others, I treat the F1 just like a 3-pedal car.
Thats a very interesting take on what gear to put it in. I read on F Chat a while ago, not sure about which model, that some of the F1 transmissions might sometimes experience a computer hiccup when parked and come out of gear. Because of that I always pull up the e-brake after I park and turn the motor off. Just in case. If its rolling even when you really have the brake lever pulled all the way then I think it just needs to be adjusted. Mine will hold on a hill but I also do leave it in gear. I let mine downshift when coming to a stop- this way if I need to get back on it at any point, its in the proper gear. My take on driving the F1 is its very much like a stick but its not 100% entirely like driving a stick. I wouldn't make all those little downshifts when coming to a stop, but with the F1 I let it do it. One other thought on these cars, they sound so good if you pull the exhaust flaps....
To me all those automatic downshifts are just extra, wasted cycles of the throw-out bearing, clutch plate and pressure plate, and synchronizers. But there is nothing wrong with doing it that way, especially with the tough, twin plate clutch and triple synchronizers in the 599.
What do u mean with "The Magneride shocks have been leaking, usually after about 15,000 miles." ? That u have to replace the shocks every 15k miles ? 0.o Also is that true that the F1 transmissions, unlike the new dual clutch of the F12 berlinetta, is WAY more prone to destruction and breaks down extremely often with the consequential need of replacement and 10k dollars minimum cost ?
Marmist- You need to do a little more reading. Some magneride shocks have started leaking, not all of them. Just something to check when buying one. Average mileage driven on a Ferrari is 1000-1500 miles a year. Many higher, many lower. Lots of info on F1 transmissions here. The 599's F1 system is a big improvement over earlier versions, and the maintenance schedule keeps it in better shape than earlier F1 Ferrari's maintenance schedules. If you read everything on the internet about Ferraris and then fret about it, you will never buy one. Anything that breaks on the F1 system can be fixed now and not replaced. If you bust a DCT, you better hope it is under warranty.
You should not be checking anything, a garage that specializing in Ferrari PPIs should. I would also get an itemized invoice in regards to the damage repaired.
This is relevant to my future interests. I have searched for infos about this, the differences tween the DCT and the previous transmission but I found really none talking about personal experiences with both of them. What do u mean I better hope it's under warranty ?
related thread opened http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/technical-q-sponsored-algar-ferrari/455161-great-thread-difference-troubles-tween-dct-f1.html
Are you trying to educate me or you? Right now nobody rebuilds DCTs with their two wet clutch packs. If it breaks, you replace the entire unit. All the big parts on a dry plate clutch F1 system can be rebuilt right now and Goodridge can do the hoses for a fraction of Ferrari cost. With a DCT, not too many options until someone starts rebuilding them, which they undoubtedly will do sometime in the future.
Yeah I get that. So it's still waiting time. Then again with the new units u can have the warranty renewed year after year, and if u have it cover the clutch and the transmission u are ok.
The clutches are not a separate unit on the dual clutch transmission like they are on the F1 system. F1 transmissions and clutches are identical to the 3 pedal versions of those tranmissions with an electro-hydraulic shifter and clutch actuation. DCT clutches are metal, wet (in an oil bath) and operate as part of the entire transmission unit. Google DCT and read up on how one works. It has some features in common with the old Wilson pre-selector transmission, but the operating principle is different.
Inspection at a authorized dealer is to recomended anyway, since they can read out all the sytems, including clutch status and total milage (also stored in gearbox electronics, if the clutch ist still the first). If the clutch is not the first at milages under 50,000 km, or if the clutch wear is over 30% at low milages, then the car has been abused or the driver has no idea as to how the F1 system is to be used in daily traffic. By the way, going into neutral at stoplights etc. saves $$$, since the clutch will last significantly longer. If in first, the clutch is actuated to slightly contact the "flywheel". In neutral it is completely disengaged and consequently without wear.
