The constant advice for QP V and Coupe/GranSport drivers is to "always use Sport mode to save the clutch." I can't speak to every single car, but in my 2005 QP the chief difference between Sport and regular mode is that the gearbox shifting is much faster, so the clutch is disengaged for a shorter time during gear shifts. For takeoff, Sport mode maybe uses about 100 rpm higher to engage the clutch. I find that the regular mode shifts more at the speed of a person driving a manual, and I also like the softer suspension setting. It would be nice to use regular mode without having to worry that the clutch will self-destruct. After running 3 years on a clutch installed in 2017, I decided to do a little experiment. Clutch wear readings generally showed that I was using about 18-20% of the clutch per year (5000 miles) exclusively in Sport mode, for the first 3 years. I drive mostly in city traffic. For the 4th year (2020) I decided to drive mostly in regular mode, since I prefer the ride setting and the shifting speed, and I didn't much care if I wore my clutch out. When they checked the clutch last week, they told me it was "no spring chicken" but was operating well and would be good for one more year, based on visual inspection. This shows that the normal mode (shifted manually) does not necessarily wear the clutch at a much more rapid rate than the Sport mode, if you control the most important variables which are car, clutch, driver, and operating conditions.
Sport vs. regular mode clutch wear -- just a meme
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I certainly love internet stuff...I'm not disputing what you are saying in the least, but it hardly makes it a fact...That is your experience on your car...Others may have a different experience... There are so many variables it is hard to come up with a solid conclusion...Jason
I agree with you, but some of the stuff I've read about using these drivetrains in normal mode is beyond belief, and must be indicative of poor clutch adjustment. A recent conversation on Bring a Trailer included a Coupe owner who said his first clutch wore out in 7500 miles because of using Auto mode. My thought is that if your clutch wears out in 7500 miles, Auto mode is not the actual cause!
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I think you're right about clutch set-up. However, one of the principal differences between Normal and Sport, is that the latter has a more abrupt clutch closure after the shift is made... meaning that in Normal, it would tend to slip the clutch a bit... that is to say, if your resumption of throttle after the switch - is immediate. Of course there are many folks who would say NOT to moderate the throttle between gears. But quite a few others DO moderate the throttle between gears, to good benefit vis à vis smoothness.
Correct me if I am wrong, here, but assuming you "moderate" the throttle coincident with pulling the paddle (upshifting) then you can time when you resume normal throttle. If you resume normal throttle just as the clutch is nearly fully locked-up, you will not wear the clutch more in Normal mode than in Sport. Do I have this right? To summarize, it depends on proper PIS setting, and it depends on the driver.
Correct me if I am wrong, here, but assuming you "moderate" the throttle coincident with pulling the paddle (upshifting) then you can time when you resume normal throttle. If you resume normal throttle just as the clutch is nearly fully locked-up, you will not wear the clutch more in Normal mode than in Sport. Do I have this right? To summarize, it depends on proper PIS setting, and it depends on the driver.
I have never ever changed my gas pedal between gears, there's no reason to do that in this system and it just messes up the computer control, making everything worse. The smoothest operation of my car is to use a constant pedal, from take-off and through all gears.
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Well then, if that is how you drive, then for sure Normal will use up more clutch... but perhaps, based on how you drive - not all that much more than Sport.
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You're saying that based on nothing. I actually tested them both over a long period of time.
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It is possible, I will grant you, that starting-out with Sport engaged is harder on the clutch than starting-out in Normal... and it may be that the shifts, once underway, have more of a propensity to wear the clutch in Normal than in Sport... and so, depending on your driving patterns, it may be a wash (which is what you appear to have found, for your driving situation and your driving style).
As regards slightly moderating the throttle coincident with a pull of the upshift paddle - I can't argue with your having tried your 2005 QP-V in all different ways. You very likely have SOFAST3 software... and the later cars had SOFAST3+ software and that may make things somewhat different.
Brothers in the Ferrari world appear to differ with regard to F1/DuoSelect driving technique that results in the smoothest shifts, well, at least some of them. See attached. You will note that they speak of a moderation of throttle pressure, but certainly not an out and out "lift".
Carry on!
As regards slightly moderating the throttle coincident with a pull of the upshift paddle - I can't argue with your having tried your 2005 QP-V in all different ways. You very likely have SOFAST3 software... and the later cars had SOFAST3+ software and that may make things somewhat different.
Brothers in the Ferrari world appear to differ with regard to F1/DuoSelect driving technique that results in the smoothest shifts, well, at least some of them. See attached. You will note that they speak of a moderation of throttle pressure, but certainly not an out and out "lift".
Carry on!
Attachments
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"Good for one more year" is very subjective.
That basically means it can fail any time between now, and many years from now.
Also I doubt that its a big difference in wear between the modes, maybe like 5% a year, so one year change would be hard to detect the difference. But that 5% over 5 or more years adds up to what some people would consider a big difference. But everyone's experience will be different.
That basically means it can fail any time between now, and many years from now.
Also I doubt that its a big difference in wear between the modes, maybe like 5% a year, so one year change would be hard to detect the difference. But that 5% over 5 or more years adds up to what some people would consider a big difference. But everyone's experience will be different.
I conducted my experiment because numerous posts over the years have brought us to the point where the "conventional wisdom" is that using regular mode means that your clutch will wear out in 10,000 miles no matter what, while using it in Sport mode means that you can easily make a clutch last for 60,000 miles. This is what I have shown to be untrue.
I don't see why that should be the case. I've actually used Auto mode quite a bit, and indeed one of the years I mentioned running in Sport mode, it was actually Auto Sport mostly. There was no notable difference in clutch wear from using almost exclusively Auto Sport versus manual Sport, one year to the next. The main reason I stopped using Auto mode is that I felt it was bad for the engine, not the clutch, because it uses too high of a gear much of the time.
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I know there is lots of discussions/arguments regarding this issue. I have a Gransport with DBW from FD. I always run in sport as normal is just slow and feels more slippy—very technical term. If I do not “moderate throttle” my car will rev up a bit as I shift, whereas if I let up just after pulling the paddle it shifts much smoother, matching rpm. It would slip more with the bit of up rev between gears if I didn’t moderate. I will say that when I accelerate hard it shifts fine and quick without moderating. So.....FWIW, my car shifts much smoother and with seeming less clutch slip if I moderate throttle and help rpm match — at normal driving light throttle conditions. In normal mode it is a very slow shift with more slip from what I feel with my GS with DBW.
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Your comments appear to be corroborated by the screenprints I have attached; peoples' experiences vary, it seems, so I would say don't be afraid to experiment with what works best for you. I would say not to solely rely on Maserati's counsel to keep an unvaried throttle position, necessarily.
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I have driven a bunch of F1 cars..They all don't drive the same...M138 cars and M139 chassis...Most cars if you hold the gas steady on a shift will drop revs, but I have also driven cars that rev slightly between shifts...That cause a slip when the clutch grabs if you hold the pedal steady...You can feel it..Obviously, letting off here helps clutch life..I think it is kinda nuts to make bold assumptions about some of this stuff when the only car you have driven is your own honestly..Just saying...J
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