Hi guys....I am looking to buy my first ferrari ..... I saw one.. a 2001 360 F1 few days ago and test drove it. Just to explain, this car has been rarely used and has been sitting for 3 years without a service. It needs a service and cambelt change... On the test drive I found the gear change very jerky especially 1-2, 2-3,3-4...This happens on both Automatic and paddle shift mode....... Its done roughly 6500 miles and is a 2001 car....but sitting idle( done like 1000 miles in last 3 years) I was just wondering if you guys can advise me on this. I really liked the car and have agreed to buy it.....need you expertise on this issue please...is the jerky gear change due to a badly needed service or is the clutch on its way out???
Could be both. Most likely the throwout bearing and flange are not operating smoothly. F1 service, actuator centering, and a clutch bleed + whatever due service. ( I think there is a clutch update as well as a TCU update as well. Someone confirm...) Wouldn't recommend driving the car until it gets some love. BTW - if you've agreed to buy this car without a qualified expert doing a PPI, you might not have the experience that you are looking for. Good luck. Hope you saved up enough to buy the car and then another 25% of cost to cover the "surprises."
Sounds as though the clutch needs a service. Even if the clutch isn't worn, often (on my car as well) the clutch slip setting (PIS) needs to be adjusted using the service computer. From past reading and discussion with the dealer, the early throwout bearings also had a tendency to bind on their shaft. An authorized dealer should also be able to look up the car history and tell you if the car is up to date on service campaigns. Lou ps: The clutch will likely never be silky smooth, and there were numerous upgrades to the transmission control unit both before and after the 2001 model year, but it shouldn't jerk as much as you described.
I test drove a 2000 F1 a month ago (currently own a stick) and it was 'jerky' in manual mode and it just had a new clutch put in about 500 klm ago from the Ferrari dealer. The private sales dealer suggested modulating the gas pedal when you shift gears with the paddles (sort of like you do with a manual clutch car) to smooth things out. Sure enough when the salesman drove the car it was a little better ( but jerkiness was still there at crawling speeds) but I do not know if there was a problem (adjustment?) with the car or not.......or if this is how the car is designed to perform. In any case I was not impressed and passed on the car. I have been told that the 430 F1 is light years ahead in smoothness and precision to the 360 or 355.
the jerky feeling was worse in auto than manual f1 changes( i might b wrong). the car was also warm as it was driven for 45 minutes prior to that.
Soundn't be as you describe. I have a 2000 F1 w/ original clutch (11K miles) and it shifts very smoothly. Best shifts are under high power. But it's not bad at any point once you get the hang of it.
My 2001 shifts very smooth under normal setting and sport mode. Under "Auto" it is pretty smooth as well, although it tends to slip the clutch for a longer time duration before full engagement. When I first test drove the car, I noticed the system was jerky, but it smoothed out over a very short period of time. I was guessing that this was due to the car sitting at the dealer for a while and not being driven. I think all of the ECU's and TCU in the car have to go through a "Re-learn" period if the car has sat for a long time without operating.
Jerkyness can also be contributed to an inexperienced driver the first time driving an F1 car.. Took me a few days of driving to get it real smooth in my 355....
Totally agree. Each car is just a bit different, but some light throttle feathering + a warmed up car makes for a VERY smooth experience. When I had my QP, the dealer actually showed me a release from F/M on how to properly drive and shift the car. Apparently, there were a lot of complaints and they found out that most of the salesmen were telling people to just keep their foot still on the accellerator instead of treating it more like a manual. Caused some trouble with people who bought the QP for their wives as a Merc alternative. Husbands LOVED the power of the car and the Duo-Select (or F1 or Cambiocorsa...) but when it was handed over, it didn't go over so good... Hence the "true" (heh...) automatic that still has the paddles as an option.
