Clutch Life Poll

17269 Views 70 Replies 48 Participants Last post by Lorenz-06MT, Oct 12, 2010

demoe

Discussion Starter · Apr 4, 2006

My car is at the dealer for a failed CambioCorsa F1 pump. The dealer told me my clutch was 70% worn and is coming up with option for me to replace it now while the system is dismantled to save on future labor costs.

My jaw almost dropped when I was told the clutch was 70% worn. I expected maybe worst case 50%...I pulled out my prior records and the clutch was last replaced in June of 2005 @ 18,000 miles. The car now is a tad over 26,000 miles, so in 8000 miles the clutch is 70% worn.

We have discussed clutch life before, but never touched on where you may live and the type of driving you do. Ok, granted, I live in a the Bay Area which has fairly heavy traffic, however I do not commute in the traditional sense for work.

I would say I use the car mostly for around town driving, and do 70% city, 30% highway driving. I do not drive the car hard. I may have smelled burned clutch when backing up 8 times in the 10 months after the clutch was replaced. The odd thing is the prior owner who got 15,000 off the original clutch, drove the car like a madman. I still recall our test drive, he smoked the tires, and almost made me shat in my pants, after our drive, I asked him, "do you always drive like this?", he said, not always, but he liked to drive the car like it was intended. I have never pushed the car anywhere near the limit he took it.

So, my questions:

1. % of City/Highway
2. miles out of your clutch
3. where do you live, do you have heavy stop and go traffic where you live?
4. how do you drive the car?

1 - 20 of 71 Posts

kbrookings

· #2 · Apr 4, 2006

05 QP

West Coast
28500 miles before new clutch
Heavy highway driving; 80% Highway
Drive hard, 100% in manual/sport mode
Had clutch set to more aggressive shift program at 4000 miles.

marko

· #3 · Apr 4, 2006

I purchased car with 8,000k on it and clutch had been replaced at 3,000k. At 18,600k second clutch was replaced and with 40,000k up third clutch has started to slip although it is not gone yet. My driving is about 60% traffic 30% freeway and open road.

Once I was on the third clutch I tried a variety of clutch saving techniques and you can see the result, 15,000k for second clutch and 21,400k so far on third clutch.
The techniques that appear to have helped extend clutch life;
Sititng in neutral waiting in traffic.
Not reversing up slopes.
Allowing clutch to engage on takeoff and then accelerating.

I have to admit I do drive the car as it was intended although I don't smoke the tyres. Rarely drive in auto and about 60% of driving in sport mostly with MSR off.

chris7469

· #4 · Apr 4, 2006

Something does not seem right?

At 6,000 mile serive. Clutch wear was at 18%.

I drive 60% highway. 40% city. Only in sports mode. I hardly down shift all the way in traffic. Just pop into neutral and coast to a stop. I figure brakes are much cheaper than a clutch. Never smelled clutch burn? What causes that?

Talked to the service guy at FM, these cars should get between 20,000 and 35,000 miles on the clutch? However, after reading the prior posts I am getting worried. My next service is not until 18,500 miles. I will let you know.

Good luck. I hope they give you a good discount. CM

hmbgransport

· #5 · Apr 4, 2006

I also live in the Bay Area. Maserati Factory representative...

rode with me in my car for another instance, but he told me the best thing to do to save clutch is to drive in 100% Sport mode. The auto and regular mode "Ride " the clutch more. You can feel this when actually looking for it. Also he said never downshift into first, never reverse uphill if possible and let cars clutch engage before stomping on it.

I only have 4000 miles on my 06 GS and my clutch is fine for now....

I'll drop a Clutch forum when i do hav to replace.

demoe

Discussion Starter · #6 · Apr 4, 2006

I should have added...

the I too have driven the car 100% of the time in Sport Mode, often with the MSP off. the things which I haven't done which I imagine would have some bearing on clutch life, but question if this drastic is I do let the car downshift on it own....I do often sit at lights in 1st gear. Being at a standstill, wouldn't there be no wear if the clutch is engaged while not moving?

I just looked at my prior clutch invoice and the costs were $2100 labor, $1200 in parts for the June 2005 replacement. I will wait and see but I expect it should cost $1200 to replace my clutch now seeing that the F1 pump under warranty has absorbed the labor to remove the transmission.

Avantgarde

· #7 · Apr 4, 2006

hmbgransport said:
...the best thing to do to save clutch is to drive in 100% Sport mode. The auto and regular mode "Ride " the clutch more. You can feel this when actually looking for it. Also he said never downshift into first, never reverse uphill if possible and let cars clutch engage before stomping on it.

Appreciate for the great pointers! Thank you.

demoe

Discussion Starter · #8 · Apr 4, 2006

chris7469 said:
At 6,000 mile serive. Clutch wear was at 18%.

Never smelled clutch burn? What causes that?

Talked to the service guy at FM, these cars should get between 20,000 and 35,000 miles on the clutch? However, after reading the prior posts I am getting worried. My next service is not until 18,500 miles. I will let you know.

Chris,

you and I are on the same wavelength.....when shopping for the car, I read through this website and spoke to current owners and got the strong impression, clutch life was around 15,000---20,000 miles. I figured I should expect to replace a clutch once every 2 years...no big deal. ...I also found that people had been paying $2200 for replacement....

reality check ---
Clutch replacement, at least in CAL is $3400-$3800.
I am not getting anywhere near 15000 out of clutch and I drive the car "normally", i have my moments of driving hard, but for the most part drive it as I would any other vehicle, very civilized.

why is there such variation on clutch life? why the variation in price? Some report close to 40,000 miles, while extreme, are we all getting the same clutch?

In regards to clutch burn, it is similar to burning a traditional clutch, you will smell a weird smell....try backing up in Reverse on the slightest of inclines, you will surely smell the burn....I was parked in front of a Safeway grocery store at the slightest of angle, and each time I leave, i get burn.....if you were to walk the same part of roadway, you would not even likley notice the gradient, but I still cannot avoid clutch burn.....

Sorry to all for the venting, I am just puzzled on the short life I have got from my clutch....I was considering selling the car yesterday ....but really could not find something comparable...a F355 Spider is not practical to use as a Daily driver, BMWs bore me, I have a Merc, ..the newer Saabs look OK, ...and the Lotus Esprits are not converatables....

hmbgransport

· #9 · Apr 4, 2006

Reverse ALWYS slips

When i spoke with the Factory guy, he said the clutch will always slip while in reverse. THe engineers did this on purpose as to avoid accidents. Can you imagine if all 400+ponies were inline while going in reverse, that would be quite catastrohic.

And for us in the Bay Area, we have quite a few more hills/inclines versus some other rural areas, and this burns our clutches much faster. Especially in San Francisco, and some East Bay cities. I smell my clutch all the time, you just cant feather it like you can a true manual.

I have learned how to not ride the clutch too much by using the E-Brake while on inclines, when I feel the clutch engage, this seems to help the slipping of the clutch.

I think also letting off the throttle while doing city driving while changing gears. I think the dealers when they sell us this car, they tell us dont lift our foot off the gas. But the fact of the matter is that the clutch is like tht of a true manual and there is that instance when the gears are doing there dance that the clutch does ride it.

I think if we all drive our cars like a manual we will all get longer lifes out of our clutch.

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M!

· #10 · Apr 4, 2006

05 QP DuoSelect
1. 80% City, 20% Highway
2. 4000 km (!)
3. Vancouver. Not heavy traffic, but lots of stop and go.
4. 90% on Manual, 10% on Auto. 80% on Sport, 20% on normal.

i remembered burning the clutch badly once in my garage with a minimum incline of less than 1 degree while trying to reverse.
clutch slips around 1500-2000 rpm.

M!

· #11 · Apr 4, 2006

hmbgransport said:
...let cars clutch engage before stomping on it.

i agree with everyone's comments and suggestions.

but shouldn't maserati program this into the roboticized left foot?
kind of counterintuitive if you want me to be gentle with the throttle while i need to GO! and especially on a gearbox that is supposed to perform.

M!

· #12 · Apr 4, 2006

hmbgransport said:
I think also letting off the throttle while doing city driving while changing gears...

again, if this is critical, shouldn't Maserati program a slight fuel cut off while upshifting if they sees you driving gently?

even on more aggressive upshifts, i can agree that it seems smoother when tapping the UP and lifting the toes a little. this is also apparent in the SMG boxes. but then again, i always complain that they should program this into the car.

Toffe

· #13 · Apr 4, 2006

2004 QP

1. 50% City, 50% Highway (in miles)
2. previous owner replaced the gearbox under warranty at 11,000miles
3. UK. Heavy traffic, lots of stop and go.
4. 90% on Manual, 10% on Auto. 75% on Sport, 25% on normal

My theory is that clutch wear has nothing to do with miles covered, but is all about how many times the gear actually engages. A clutch only really wears out of hill starts, reversing and stop-go traffic.

Driving it hard is unlikely to wear it much, as the engagement might be violent but sudden. Once engaged a clutch doesn't really wear. For those that have driven manuals (CC is a manual box) the worst you can do is have high revs and then slowly let the clutch up or keep it halfway while moving. Don't try to pussyfoot the car to save the clutch, drive it like it was meant to be driven!

- Toffe

BrianS

· #14 · Apr 4, 2006

I live in SF Bay Area and do about 80% city diriving. At 4,500 miles I was told that the clutch was 40% worn, which theoretically should give me about 11 - 12,000 miles on it.

The gearbox was replaced at 4,500 under warranty and FMSF wanted about $2,200 for the incremental labor and parts to do the clutch.

demoe

Discussion Starter · #15 · Apr 4, 2006

BrianS said:
I live in SF Bay Area and do about 80% city diriving. At 4,500 miles I was told that the clutch was 40% worn, which theoretically should give me about 11 - 12,000 miles on it.

The gearbox was replaced at 4,500 under warranty and FMSF wanted about $2,200 for the incremental labor and parts to do the clutch.

Brian

Our circumstances are very similar, so I guess I need to re-program my expectations of clutch life to it being an annual thing.

I just got off the phone with Gino at San Fran F/M and to replace the clutch while the F1 pump is being done is going to cost $2100 vs the normal $3400. I am going to go ahead and replace the clutch now @70%.

He also confirmed that the harder you drive the car, ie, more violent shifts, in fact do extend clutch life. The shifts being more sudden, have less clutch engagement. So, I guess the moral of the Clutch Story is as others have said

"drive it hard like it was designed, and your clutch life will be extended"

chris7469

· #16 · Apr 4, 2006

Atleast you are getting a deal

Demoe:

I guess I have to bring in my expectations. However being centrally located between NJFM and PAFM, I hope one will be a little cheaper then the other for the clutch.... I know wishful thinking...... Whatever it is, I will just suck it up and pay for it. I love the car...

Does the year of the car and ECU version have anything to do with it?

I can't grasp why some cars get as little as 5,000 - 10,000 miles on a clutch and others can get 20,000 - 30,000? Is it really the hills? Reverse on the inclines? Is one car driving 100% city and the other 100% highway? Why can't we get a concrete average? Does the ECU have anything to do with clutch life? Can we have it adjusted?

What mileage is covered with a new clutch? Under 10,000?

Thanks. CM

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TT Carrera

· #17 · Apr 4, 2006

I can't grasp why some cars get as little as 5,000 - 10,000 miles on a clutch and others can get 20,000 - 30,000?

Give 2 little boys pieces of wood & sand paper blocks and tell them to sand the wood til the sandpaper wears out. Thinking that they'll both finish at the same time is unrealistic.

Clutches are supposed to wear out. How soon depends on how often, how long and how hard you rub the friction plates together. No two drivers will ever be able to replicate each other's driving characteristics.

RickBullotta

· #18 · Apr 4, 2006

"drive it hard like it was designed, and your clutch life will be extended"

Then mine will live forever!

skcam

· #19 · Apr 5, 2006

2005 QP
clutch replaced at 3800 miles!!
90% stop start around town (london) in manual sport
Don't get much of a chance to let loose so normal urban driving style

new clutch replaced a few weeks ago but needs tweaking as car now not as controllable at very low speeds as last clutch.

guess i need to move out to the countryside to prolong the life

stuart

SJP63

· #20 · Apr 6, 2006

11,000 miles and 23% worn, mixture of driving, lots of gear changes

1 - 20 of 71 Posts

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