[Vincent Eng]

Ok, this might sound like a dumb question; however, the Duo Select CC transmission on my QP is the closest to a manual transmission that I’ve ever had. As per the owner’s manual, I change gears while my foot is on the accelerator. The other day, however, I was driving a Ferrari friend and he told me that I should release my foot off the accelerator for a split second when changing gears. He said if I continue to drive “as per the manual” I’ll need clutch replacement much sooner. Is there any merit to his comments?

 

[Vincenzo]

I have the F1 on an '06 GS and was wondering the same thing. I have gotten into the habit of doing what your friend suggests though I have nothing technical to back it up. I was also wondering about the downshifts when coming to a complete stop...in other words, when in Sport mode, is it best to allow the ECU to perform the downshifts [to first gear] for you as you come to a stop or, to manually shift down with the paddles? These questions are, as you indicate, all about preserving clutch life.

 

[F. Yu]

Most on the board as well as the Ferrari/Maserati mechanics I've spoken to will tell you that if the purpose is to extend your clutch's lifespan then you should not let off the accelerator during upshifting. Doing so will cause the clutch to slip more and cause more wear.

When it comes to downshifting to a stop, I personally shift to neutral most of the time; I reason that by not going through the gears I should save some clutch wear. Whether or not this is true, I don't know, although again, one Ferrari mechanic agreed with my reasoning. The downside of doing this, of course, is if you suddenly need to accelerate you'll need to remember to put the transmission back into gear.

 

[DeaneG]

If the clutch is not transferring any torque during its dis- and re-engagement, it will not wear at all for that shift. So it can make sense to work the gas like you would for a manual transmission through the shift, if low clutch wear and smooth shifting is your priority at the time. This will make the shift take a lot longer and you can get tired of waiting for it to finish.

The buggers are designed to have the gas held on while shifting, at some cost in clutch life. Like some say, get on it and go for the most fun. I hope that is why you bought the thing!

 

[MaseratiBoy]

I believe that you should actually keep the gas pressed firmly... what F. Yu said is right. letting go of the gas will make the clutch slip... which leads to wear.

It's really a win/win. Either keep the gas pressed and having harding shifts, or keep the gas pressed and have less clutch wear...

Or you can do the opposite, and get nothing fun ;]

 

[Vincent Eng]

OK - based on the last 2/3 posts, it seems that there is a difference on opinion on whether the owners manual or my Ferrari friend is correct. I asked two local guys in my neighborhood who both have F1s and I got two different answers. It makes sense, however, that a computer controlled F1 is going to try to minimize wear. I'm going to go with foot on the accelerator - one less thing I have to pay attention to. I'm still forgetting to downshift prior to entering/leaving a toll booth. Trying to accelerate in gear 6 isn't much fun.

 

[DeaneG]

There are two answers, both correct.

If you don't have a lot of experience with a manual, leave the CC in "sport" or "power" depending on your vintage, and give it the boot.

If you are used to finessing a manual, you can manage less clutch wear and smoother shifts (useful for commute driving) but at the expense of shift time and fun.

 

[M!]

imo it depends on which rpm range you are shifting.
if you are at high RPM, the computer is going to be aggressive anyways and it will shift quicker, so your backing off the gas is not going to be beneficial to the shift. so i would hold the gas pedal at high rpm shifts, and just let it go bam bam!
as for mid rpms, it seems to be smoother if you lift a little (as some with the SMG claims just lift your toes in your shoes like of motion). this reduces the jerkiness to the DS (not so much in the CC in my 90th), but this is where the clutch is allowed to slip more. so it is your pick on a smoother shift, or possibly more wear.

 

[GrndLkNatv]

According to the Maserati driving school instructors....

You should lift up slightly on the accelerator on the up shift and let the car do the work on the downshift without changing throttle position from what I remember..

Someone here will remember what was said and correct me if needed.

 

[Alfa_Tiv]

Best ask Schumacher whether he liked to lift while shifting! It is after all his F1 transmission we are using

Drive it like you stole it and love every millisecond. You are in an Italian performance car with oogles of spine chilling, head snapping, back breaking character

 

[Vincent Eng]

Best ask Schumacher whether he liked to lift while shifting! It is after all his F1 transmission we are using

That's a thought - especially since he's retired! As Top Gear James May said while driving the Bugatti Veyron "No wonder Michael Schumacher retired. He's slower than me!" Great you tube clip if you haven't seen it.

 

[DeaneG]

Schmacher may have had a different set of priorities in mind when using his F1 .

 

[Alfa_Tiv]

Darn! Here I was thinking Vincent was challenging for the next world championship! Oh well, maybe you can imagine being the pace car. It would be cool to see a Maserati pace car for F1.

Bugger the clutch life - its a $3K-ish replacement on a $120K car. You could do more damage at the Mondrian's Skybar or at the Lusty Lady and not get as much bang for the buck

 

[moltovino]

No One Mentioned This Point Re Cc Trans

I'm trying really hard to understand all of the theories presented regarding the best shifting methods for the CC trans. There have been many good points observed and offered. Through processing all of this, I have eaten the chicken and spit out the bones! Thank you all for excellent information. This site and it's members are a great resource and help line for fellow Maserati fans like myself.

One point missed by others on this subject is that while you can save clutch wear by allowing the trans to "bang through the gears" you are putting a stress on the trans, u-joints and various other moving parts by doing so on a regular basis. Some may argue that the trans was designed for this, but I assure these parts would last longer if not banged through gears 100% of the time.

Other arguments about decellerating in neutral that swore brakes would wear way faster than the clutch are not valid in my opinion. Virtually every car made today is an automatic trans. These do not downshift nor provide any real engine braking whatsoever. The brakes on all those cars with automatics are expected to last just as long as in the manual trans cars. So what is the point. It is ridiculous to think that you will BURN UP your brakes in no time just because you coast to a stop. This is a car, not a train or tractor trailer. Use your downshifting when you want or need it and save your wear on your clutch and trans when you don't.

Like so many things in life that are great, the answer may be in "moderation". Excess of anything always leads to problems. Think about it. When you drive a conventional manual trans, you shift it differently through different driving conditions matching rpms to trans movement / speed and minimizing jolting / jarring while in the "stuck in traffic or slow moving" mode. Shift hard when you want to have some fun, shift "softer" when you are just getting around, and always, always enjoy this finer thing in life that you have been so very blessed with!

Cheers to All,
Bob