F1 at a stop light?

I know its been covered before, but searching the threads for F1 brings up way too many posts, so I'll asked for the simple answer. When at a long red light, are you better to put the car into nuetral, or leave it in gear? At what length of time are you better to put it into nuetral?

Thanks

 

Makes no difference to the car mechanically.

 

I don't understand why it wouldn't. When I stop, in gear, the clutch stays engaged (I read in the book somewhere, but can't remember for how long) does it not? If its engaged, and I'm able to sit still, then it must be slipping the clutch, right?

 

If you are stopped and in gear the clutch MUST be disengaged or you would be underway. If you put it in N on an F1 system the clutch remains in the disengaged position. It stays in that position in all situations except:

1 When the motor is not running.
2. When the car is in gear and is underway.


The clutch is not slipping and is recieving no wear if it is disengaged. It is no different than sitting at a light with your foot on the pedal holding it to the floor. It is putting pressure on the crankshaft thrust washers and the throw out bearing but the clutch is suffering no ill effects. Maybe not an ideal situation but the system is designed that way and you and I cannot do anything about it.


It has been a long time since I checked but I do not recall if the 355 was programmed that way (I don't think it was) but later units were. I made the assumption at the beginning we were not talking about 355's.

 

Is there a time when you want to put the car into N or is this just like driving a SMG car from BMW (pretty user friendly you don't have to put the car into N ever).

best regards,
Jerry

 

What I like to do and Brian correct me if I'm wrong on this but if I'm just driving around say I'm in 3rd gear, instead of downshifting through each gear individually and putting more wear on the clutch I'll just throw it into N and come to a stop.

 

rifledriver--

can you comment on how to get a maximum start with the f1 from a standstill? i have heard, keep your foot on the brake, and rev the engine to 3-4 grand, and release brake. ("launch control" does something like this, which is not available in the u.s. for the 430.) does this fry your clutch?

the reason i ask, is that i run some slalom/autocross events, and i need a good hard start. my 430 at start doesn't even come close to scratching/spinning the tires from a standstill start.

thanks for your help.

 

I definetly put car in Neuatral at stop lights.... I have read long lights in gear F-1 will heat up and automatically put car into Neutral. Talk about a surprise, light turns green you accelerate only to have RPM's shoot to the moon, then you frantically start grabbing paddles!!! Yikes!

 

Of course this will fry your clutch. You are revving the engine and engaging the clutch but not letting the car move. The only point to give is the clutch. Or I guess you could break something as an option.

If your 430 won't spin the tires there is something very wrong. If you punch the gas with ASC turned off you should smoke the tires. With stability control on you won't spin them much if at all. The steps in between should allow some wheel spin, depends on the setting you have selected.

 

This is my way of launching my CS without activated the LC:
Switch to Race mode, put in 1st gear and just punch the gas quickv... maybe around 50% ... (not 100% throttle) ... find the sweet spot ... also depend on the surface condition.

Result ... my CS will start very nicely with my rear wheel going/pull left and right before can going straight. Did it couple of times ... if too much the tires will spin too much and hit the rev limits.

If you do it right ... the clutch just grab quick and the wheel will start spinning ... not too much ... or your F will run slower time.

With the bigger torque & HP and less grippy tires, I think you can do it easily in F430.

Try it .. feel it ... you'll enjoy it.

 

This was what I was told by my mechanic at the dealership a couple of years ago. It makes no difference.

Regarding long lights and it going automatically in neutral, I do not think that is possible if your foot remains on the brake. Take your foot off the brake and w/i 10sec it goes into neutral.

 

Wouldn't one want to have the throwout bearing unloaded by putting it into neutral. I have a 6-speed and I try to avoid holding the clutch pedal down for any significant amount of time. I try to use it for shifting only like the manual recommends.

One would think that it would wear on the seals to have hydraulic pressure on the throwout bearing as well as the actuator unnecessarily while at a red light.

 

I always put it neutral at the stoplight. Long time ago, a mechanic told me about unloading the throwout bearing to save wear.

Just put it in neutral if you're going to be at the light for awhile.

 

I am totally uneducated on the subject but I thought (even in N) that when the car is not moving the clutch is in the disengaged position meaning there's ALWAYS a load on the TO bearing except when the car is moving and off?

Therefore there's no real difference between being in gear or neutral just if you're at a stop light and the car is in gear make sure you're firmly on the brakes to avoid small amounts of clutch wear.

EDIT- Just to clarify, I thought that when an F1 transmission was stopped (whether in N or in gear w/ foot on brake) it's the equivalent of having a regular manual tranny car stopped with the clutch depressed.

 

Reread #4

 

Reread #4

 

Reread #4

 

Someone actually read #4

 

For all you guys that did not read the first time the F1 system does not let off the clutch when in N. IT JUST DOESN'T.

Put it in N at a stop if it makes you feel better but it ain't gonna let off the clutch unless you turn the motor off.

It can be read on the SD2 if you know what to look for.

 

I do the same thing. When I sold my 360, I had 13,600 miles on the clutch with 12% wear.

 

LOL!! Somehow that time it came across clearly

 

hahaha RIFLEDRIVER you are a valuable asset to this forum. ;-) Thanks for clarifying, what's most dissapointing is I read your post TWICE and still felt the need to basically repost the same info. ;-)

Sorry to irritate at least I was right, this forum is awesome!

 

sorry Rifle still not clear, i thought if you put car into nuetral at a stop it would disingage clutch , so as not to wear it and if you were to sit at lights for a while car would go into neutral. does this not protect the clutch. i understand your saying clutch is always slipping? sorry?

 

Same here.

 

Neutral.