I've read through the forum and spoke to a few owners and heard a few different things. I got my F430 this week. Rain everyday in Tennessee most of this week, so I've yet to take it out for a proper drive. Starting the car: -I've heard that it needs to sit a warm up. -Then I heard it's best to crank it, immediately cut it off after 1 second, let the fluids disperse for 10 seconds and start it again. Clutch/driving: I read through an extensive topic on the forum about the F1 trans and how to conserve the clutch. And while there are different opinions, the main reoccurring points were: -slowly creeping up a hill (like parking garage floors) is terrible for the clutch. -reversing is rough on it. Reversing uphill is even worse. -stop and go traffic is bad on the clutch. -don't drive it in "Auto" -when sitting at a light, put the car in neutral -let off the gas a bit when shifting. Please share your experience on the above and all tips are any other tips are appreciated. I've literally been dreaming of a Ferrari since i was 12, and now I have one, I want to care for it the best way possible and maximize the driving experience. Thanks guys!
It does need to warm up as it takes forever to get all that oil to temp, but you don’t need to do any special turn off procedure. It’s still a regular engine at the end of the day and Ferrari does a pretty good job. Just treat it like any other car and you’ll be fine. Just wait for your check ok light before cranking and then wait for the check engine light to turn off before shifting. I would imagine re-cranking after a second could do more harm than good. Certainly not great for your starter and I’ve yet to read about anybody losing a block due to insufficient oiling on startup. For the clutch, if you’ve driven a manual before, you know what it feels like when the clutch is engaged versus slipping. Not everyone knows that so saying traffic or going slow up a hill can wear your clutch is nonsense. Constantly slipping is what does it, and if you’re always at a point where your clutch is not fully engaged, then that’s a problem. You should be able to feel that though. Reversing usually has more slip, but don’t overthink it. You’ll need to replace your clutch eventually and I doubt anybody has worn theirs down super early because they reversed a few more times than the next guy. Driving in auto just plain sucks. Very low shift points which can lead to more shifting/slipping of the clutch. There’s really no need for that at all unless you hand it to a valet or someone else that doesn’t know how to shift with paddles. I’ve never ran into an instance where I wanted Auto to be on and cursed that they made it the default setting for the 2008+. Don’t worry about letting off the gas when shifting. Even the manual states to shift in throttle down position. The F1 is fast enough to bang out the gears quickly and engage the clutch instantly. Don’t worry about putting the clutch in neutral. There’s lengthy discussions about this. The car sits with the clutch free when at a standstill. Putting it in neutral doesn’t do anything for you unless you want to roll freely. The more you get to know the car, the more you’ll feel what’s right and what isn’t. It has its quirks but it’s not a delicate flower.
I usually wait until I get to 160F for oil. The coolant tends to warm much faster than the oil, so by the time the oil gets to 160-170F the coolant is already where it needs to be. Takes a while to get all that oil warmed up.
Handy reference https://www.manualslib.com/manual/467129/Ferrari-F430.html Image Unavailable, Please Login
That is a mistake in the F430 OM and should read oil temperature, not water temperature, like it does in all the other Ferrari OMs.
I always hear people talk about cold starting and letting it sit warm up, in the end thats the worst way to heat up an engine, its better to put distributed heat into it just by driving it around and putting some light load onto it.
I thought that sounded a bit odd too (water, not oil temp), I checked my actual paper OM, said the same exact thing, albeit in a different font.
Yup, those college students they have writing all those documents fouled this one up. From the 575M OM: After ignition, do not exceed 4000 rpm until the engine is sufficiently warm (oil temperature 149–158 °F / 65÷70 °C).
Also remember that the launch mode actually eats the clutch like cake. Probably the only thing to be careful that can have an actual impact on clutch life, other than normal usage.
i'm pretty sure my car doesn't have launch control. Although, it's been sitting in the garage under its cover since it's done nothing but rain since i got it. I'm planning on spending a bit of time with it this weekend since the weather clears up. I hope the A/C is healthy. High 90's in Tennessee most of this week....
