Driving an F1 box in AUTO

Many folks got tired of the clutch and leave in auto all the time. Smooth shifts and faster. The specs on the manual shift show it a slower car. You can shift with fingertips on the paddle when you want.

 

That is how you manually shift an F! trans in a 430. If you use the paddles a lot it will go into paddle only and you need to push the auto button again.

 

Hey Jon - Sorry to hear about the injuries - Get better soon! So is your question around the difference being in Auto mode versus Manual mode (using the paddles) in an F1 430? (Assuming perhaps the injuries impact your ability to use the paddles? - Not prying just asking). If that is the case then my experience FWIW when I was injured and owned a F1 360 was that Auto mode was fine - smooth and not super-jerky unless in that "odd" position where the car is trying to figure out which gear at slow speeds (which can be mitigated by simply upshifting in Manual mode but not in Auto) - otherwise it was fine - while not as engaging or entertaining as using the paddles it still allowed me to drive and enjoy the car until I was able to use the paddles. As far as clutch wear I hear different things and obviously the less stop&go the better but figure they were made/designed to operate in auto with reasonable clutch life so certainly would not expect clutch replacement every month. I had to use Auto in my 360 for close to 6 months and no issues.

The 430 F1s are obviously improved over the 360s so from my experience you would be fine with a 430F1 in Auto and you are still owning/driving a beautiful Ferrari and then whenever you are able to use Manual then you have the option.

Hope this helps - Cheers

 

I think you would be fine - 430 owners jump in but think you would be fine - Cheers

 

If I was doing F1 in Auto all the time I would switch over to a California or try to swing a 458. I was not impressed with the 430 in Auto and rarely ever put my 360 with CS TCU in Auto, the shifts just leave a lot to be desired.

 

I have a 430, I don't use auto much, but it works just fine. It tends to shift sooner than I would prefer and it likes to shift and keep the revs low under normal driving. It tends to try to run around 2k in auto when cruising, I prefer to keep it around 3k or so as it has better power in that range when you need it. So I'm typically one gear lower than what auto would select most of the time, which is why I run manual mostly. That being said auto still works fine, it will just likely have to downshift when you need to get on it. The shifting smoothness is the same in auto vs manual. I don't believe clutch wear would really be that much different between the two either, it shifts more than I do manually I'd say so maybe it would be slightly worse, but probably not going to change things too much. Shifting manually is pretty effortless, it will auto downshift even in manual mode, the only thing you really have to do for manual shifting is pull the right side paddle to upshift. Not sure if that would work or not, but if you can drive the car, you may actually be able to use manual mode.

 

I agree...do not like auto mode at all unless I'm cruising the freeway and want to "zone out" a bit or I am trying to also drink a beverage (sans cupholder). Not questioning you, but are you saying your injury permits using a steering wheel but not extending a few fingers to tap a paddle? Not prying, just trying to understand exactly your dilemma, as it seems to me that if you had an injury that prevented using a few fingertips to shift, that injury might also preclude using the steering wheel too!

 

As mentioned earlier, the F1s auto-downshift as you slow/stop so in manual mode you really technically never have to downshift and the right upshift paddle is a pinky or ring finger away with your right hand on the wheel so to me you could drive the car in either manual or auto mode - FWIW - Cheers

 

Ah, got it. Sorry to hear about your injuries. I had a tiptronic 911 years ago, and found it much smoother than the f1 in automode. That's because a tiptronic is basically a paddle shift-able automatic transmission that basically drives like every other automatic transmission (i.e., like a "normal" car), whereas the f1 in auto mode is a manual transmission (single clutch) with the option to have the computer do the shifting. It is no where near as smooth. But, and this is a big but, f1 single clutch in auto mode in a ferrari is better than no ferrari at all! So I'd say go for it...you will likely "learn" how to modulate and use the throttle so at to optimize the feel and performance. I just default to manual mode because I can. good luck!

And btw...Shorn makes a good point. you can leave it in manual mode and upshift like a madman and the computer will do all the downshifting for you...in fact, its way smoother when you let the car do the downshifting!

 

I would not buy any single clutch gearbox car that you have to leave in Auto, it will do your head in, slow, jerky and a mind of its own.

Best get a normal Auto or dual clutch.

 

Never found my 430 F1 slow or jerky at all. It is rated a good bit faster than the 6 speed. Mostly shifts at the time I want. Are there car brands that require an F1 to be in auto all the time? Never heard of that before.

 

Jon- An F430 should work fine in Auto, so I would not let worrying about relatively inconsequential, less than totally smooth shifts bother you. You know you want one and this is an easy way to justify it without making a huge price jump to a DCT 458. Another option is a 456M GTA, which has a good 4 speed automatic.

 

If you are using tiptronic now, they have either the rifle button for shifting up/down or a switch with both up/down on each side so you can do it single handed with either hand. I personally would not drive an F1 box without the ability to put the car in neutral by pulling both paddles, this is a safety thing. Also if you pull too high of a gear you can't easily drop down with one hand and some contortionist work.

Driving the 430 in Auto mode will solve some of this, but the 430 really isn't a car I'd do that as an everyday mode. It's more the exception rather than the rule kind of car. In your situation, I'd look at a California or FF unless you can move up in price to a 458. The California, FF or 458 are more like a 2005 to 2009 Porsche than a 2005 to 2009 Ferrari. Ferrari made a major change in their target audience with all the new models post California (circa 2008). That audience is expected to drive in Auto as the primary and manual mode as the exception.

 

This 8 days a week....

 

Exactly... An F1 box is a manual with less ability to screw things up since the computer prevents a "money shift". The Dual Cutch is really a much more efficient computer controlled automatic transmission that does not lose as much to drive train loss as a slush box automatic with a torque converter. All 3 these days have paddles to manually change the gears, so the "user interface" is the same, but only the DSG and slush box are designed to be kept in Auto mode all the time.

 

Hi !
I drive usually my 360 F1 spider in city and outside in full AUTO mode, with satisfaction. On the 360 it is not much slower than using the paddles, not easy to understand.
Me too had an injury, skiing in 2015, and cannot use the clutch. So I sold the 993-4 but I didn't sold the 328, asking to my F. assistance to install a special device
( they told me it is similar on which made for Mr. Gianni Agnelli on Testarossa)
that allow me to change the gears without pushing the clutch....so I can use, slowly, this device is slow, but it can become a car with 3 pedals....
I say this because I rememeber how much JON appreciated the 328.
I tested some years ago the F430, and with "manettino" and ( finally ) an ESP, it is really more easy to drive more aggressive...

 

That's quite interesting. Is it a Valeo kit like in the Mondial and Agnelli's Testarossa? Is it available to the general public? Works fine, reliability?

My left leg is already struggling and I don't know how it's going to work when I get older.

P.S. Probably your car deserves its own thread.

 

If it is a knee issue, I have taken to wearing thick neoprene sleeves.....not the goofy small stuff like copper fit.....but ones like weight liters wear when doing squats. Works very well.

 

Yes, it's the knee. I'll try it, thanks.