Neutral vs 1st gear at red light?

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There is no need for neutral although there is a suggestion of very slightly less bearing etc wear if at lights from high gear you go straight to neutral

 

Max- Just do the same thing you did with three pedal cars. If you are a neutral at stoplights driver like me, then do that. If you are a leave her in gear and hold down the clutch kind of driver, do that. The throw-out bearing on Ferraris is a constant contact type, so no difference in wear and whenever you are stopped in an F1 Ferrari, in neutral or in gear, the clutch is open, so again no difference in wear.

 

Hey Terry, explain that a little more...my 3 pedal car I leave in neutral at stop lights, won't holding in the clutch have the bearing pushing on the plate which keeps the disk on the motor/flywheel essentially wearing on the disk?

 

I leave it in gear because when I shift to neutral I always forget to shift when light turns green and I just rev the engine.

 

I've seen this asked several times and a still cannot understand why NEUTRAL doesn't equate to the same NEUTRAL as in a manual. In a manual neutral means that the gearbox is not in any gear and the clutch is disengaged -- i.e the pedal is not depressed. In the F1 it seems as if the gearbox is not in any gear but the clutch is disengaged but the "pedal" is still depressed. Post me confused.
Alan

 

I leave mine in gear most of the time. I don't think it hurts anything. If it's a long light, I may put in in neutral. As others have mentioned, it embarrassing if the light changes to green and you forget to put in gear.

 

Max- Whatever you do, best to do the same thing all the time so you get your habit patterns down pat. I personally see no need for me or the system to downshift through all the gears when coming to a stop. So from 3rd or 4th, depending on speed, I pull back on the paddles and coast to a stop. Have to make sure you have the brake pedal depressed when stopped, too, or she will not go back into gear when it is time to go. Most of us discover that the hard way. Many will disagree with this, but I have been doing it that way for over 50 years and frankly...

If traffic starts moving, hit either the upshift or downshift paddle to get back into gear. Be ready for a quick downshift, because that gear will likely be way too high. So I use the downshift paddle so my fingers are already there.

Brett- The throw-out bearing is in contact all the time, but probably sees more pressure when the clutch pedal is down. On yours, the clutch obviously is closed when you are in neutral and let out the pedal.

 

I've done that a number of times too (F1)... THEN you try to shift and nothing happens because your foot is not on the brake, then you nearly get rear ended stepping on the brake to shift....

 

As always, great information in this thread.

 

I shift into neutral in both my M5 and my 360. Unless, for some reason, I'm in like second gear. It makes for a smoother stop without the engine drag.

And, for the neutral / revving issue, I make it a point to shift into gear immediately after I stop, and keep my foot firmly on the brake pedal so people behind me make note. Brake lights go off when I'm ready to move along.

Haven't been rear ended yet! Fingers crossed!!!

 

You don't seam confused at all Alan.

 

+1 Oh my this happens often, very embarrassing especially because you know lots of people are looking at the car.

 

Max- I have had my F1 575M, with the same hardware system as your 360, for nearly 6 years, so never forget to put her in gear now. Habit is built in, probably helped by 50 years of driving three pedal cars, where I did the same thing, except I did not need to keep my foot on the brake. With F1 and stopped, your foot should always be on the brake.

One big difference between the 360 and 575M is the short amount of time, 4 seconds according to the 360 OM, between taking your foot off the brake (or relaxing pressure too much) while stopped in gear, and having her select neutral for you. That surprises a lot of new owners.

 

He's not. He is exactly correct.

If the motor is running and the car is motionless the system holds the clutch compressed.

Simple.

 

Brian- He got it, but just did not understand why that was done.

 

Because the F1 programmers felt like it?

It is what it is and we can't change it. Lets just use it and not devote a lot of thought to it.

 

Brian- Actually, I heard they got their start on golf carts, so there you have it.