F1 Question

Robert
In a nut shell everything you have said is pretty much correct.

Downshifting is using the engine to brake the car and is not as preferable as using the brakes. The F1 transmission is so much fun to use that you probably downshift more than you would with a 3 pedal car.

I believe the car's manual suggests not to leave the car in gear for too long at stops. If I remember correctly, the transmission has a feature that kicks it into neutral if it was left in gear too long. Out of habit I always have the car in neutral at stops. I'll leave it in 1st only when I know it will be a very short time--like making a right turn on red and I know there is no other traffic coming.

Parking on a steep hill is always a concern with me in any car. I try to avoid that situation. When I do park on a hill I leave the gear in neutral and pull the hand brake as hard as I can. Even a 3 pedal car can pop out of gear.

I've had three F1 cars and one 3 pedal car. I had a ton of transmission problems with the 3 pedal car and zero problems with the F1s. I enjoy the F1 so much that I wouldn't go back to the 3 pedal in a new Ferrari. My other non Ferrari cars are 3 pedal cars so I get my fix making the perfect shifts with them.

I have to add that I rarely keep my cars more than one year before I move on to the next Ferrari. So I am never concerned with down shifting too much or having something break that is costly to repair. My cars are always in the warranty period.

 

With the F1 the computer matches the revvs and there really is nothing for you to do. I agree with Jeff regarding downshifting as a braking technique.Not a good idea. Also, you cannot downshift to any gear manually if your at too high of a speed. The computer will not allow it.

At stop lights, it make no idfference whether you put it into neutral or leave it in gear. The wear on the clutch and its parts are the same.

 

Is this definitely true? More specifically, when in neutral, does the car still keep the clutch disengaged?

 

I just got my 99 F1 last night...so I am definitely a novice at this as well. When I downshift after pressing the brake the engine revs more and shifts harder, but if I slow down and keep the foot on the gas it shifts smoother...which is better...? Is it better to keep one foot slightly on the gas and one on the brake then downshift?

 

What?!?!

Isn't a huge bonus of the F1 system downshifting/revmatching?!?!

 

The clutch is in the disengaged position at ALL times when the motor is running and the car is not moving.

 

You are correct and if the car is not doing it well on its own, under all circumstances, something is wrong.

 

Just got my F1 this week...so when coming to a stop I should just use the brakes and let the cars computer downshift automatically?

I was sitting at a light yesterday waiting to turn left ...took a long time. The car went to Neutral..took me a while to figure out what happened...I felt like an idiot. Anyway, if I want to manually put it in neutral...how do I do that?

 

[QUOTE Anyway, if I want to manually put it in neutral...how do I do that?[/QUOTE]

Pull back on both paddles at the same time.............car will go into neutral.

 

Mine's never selected neutral by itself. Normally neutral is selected by holding up both up/down paddles at the same time.

I let mine downshift automatically when coming to a complete stop, it does a good job.

I would personally not recommend selecting neutral at a traffic light, or pretty much any other time when waiting -- the F1 system does a good job of keeping the clutch completely disengaged until the brake is released and the throttle applied. By leaving the selector in "N" you run the risk of forgetting to select first, and expose yourself to the possibility of rolling backwards and simultaneously overrevving the engine -- not cool.

 

If you are stopped without your foot on the brake the car will go into neutral in about 4 seconds. James

 

That is exactly what happened. Thanks for all the responses.

I agree, I had no intentions of having it in N at a red light...scared the hell out of me.

 

When we got the Maserati QP, they explained that you do not leave it in gear with your foot off the brake when at a stop, it will burn out your clutch, that's why after 4 seconds its automatically clicks you into N. It is also not necessary to pop it into N when at a stop or while stopping. When I first was driving it, out of habbit from a stick shift, coming to a red light rather than down shifting, I popped it into N at speed and used the brakes only to slow to stop. This gets annoying because if the light turns green before you get to it, you have no control of what gear it puts you in when you click back into it. Anyway, back to the Maserati people, they said the best way to do it with minimal wear to your car (what it was designed for) is to just break normally when coming to the light and let the computer downshift for you, then while you are sitting still, you MUST keep your foot on the break........ haha, I just reminded myself why the 360 is a 6-Speed....

 

When they were explaning the car to you they did have one small thing wrong. The car going to N without a foot on the brake was a safety issue. They were afraid of someone forgetting the car is in gear and accidently hitting the throttle. It is also a fail safe in the event of a failure of the clutch hydraulics. I did once have a client with that and the clutch would engage itself but with a foot on the brake and the motor at idle all that happens is the motor mysteriously dies.

 

Good point. I've never let my car sit in gear without my foot on either the gas or the brake, so I was blissfully unaware of this safety feature. It's just good practice to have your foot on the brake at all times, for the reasons that you point out, and also in the event that you get rammed from behind ... (I'd personally prefer to only have to repair one end of the vehicle).

 

The client you are talking about here: when the clutch would engage itself but with a foot on the brake and the motor at idle all that happens is the motor mysteriously dies.

Did he happen to be driving an 05 Maser Coupe Cambiocorsa? I have read on a few maserati boards that people who had 05 maser coupe cambiorcorsa equipped cars would run into the engine stalling at stops.

 

360

 

So, if I read correctly, when I park the car on a flat surface...put it in N...if it is on an incline, put it in 1st gear?

 

Don't bother. Just keep your foot on the brake whenever at a stop; consistent -- nothing to worry about, safe, and easy on your car, clutch and transmission.