Maserati - Prolong both clutch life and system reliability
Some sensible suggestions to prolong both clutch life and system reliability;
- Do not leave the vehicle running in first gear for long periods, the reasoning behind this concern is, whilst you are waiting the clutch is rotating very slightly and is not being fully released, thus it is slowly getting hot waiting for you to apply the throttle to move. The system cannot predict your intentions so it will patiently wait with the clutch very slightly engaged. It will result in premature wear and the clutch over heating.
- Avoid reversing up steep slopes, this makes it extremely difficult for the system to control the clutch so the easiest answer for the TCU (transmission control unit) is just to apply a small amount of drive and let the clutch slip, making it excessively hot, thus shortening the life of the clutch.
- Warm the vehicle up, this helps reduce the jerkiness that can occur when moving the vehicle out of a space or garage.
- Try and avoid pulling away to quickly (especially when the clutch is cold), as this forces the clutch to release quickly and can damage the plates and springs, which will result in clutch judder. Also, this sudden take up of drive will result premature wear of all components involved.
- Regularly have the clutch adjusted and have a self learn completed, this will improve the gear changes and help protect system life. These operations can only be completed by a specialist with a Maserati/Ferrari tester.
- Try and use the sport button appropriately, by the nature of the buttons operation, clutch life will be shortened as the changes are much swifter and the clutch will open and close much faster, however, dont ignore the button either as it can add fun to spirited driving. Sport is useless in traffic so switch it off!!!!!
- Regularly have the Cambiocorsa fluid replaced by someone who knows what they are doing. It has a service life of just 24 months, regardless of mileage. This removes debris from the system and is imperative to help protect against leaks and maintain system efficiency. Without a Maserati/Ferrari tester you cant bleed the clutch system effectively, thus not removing the old fluid from the system properly.
- Replace the pump relay regularly; this relay controls the hydraulic pump and it has to contend with a large amount of current passing through it. The consequence of this is the contacts burn out and get stuck together, resulting in the pump running continuously and burning itself out. The pump is very expensive to replace where as the relay isn’t. The relay's location is in the boot above the battery, there are two types, the latter being black and the earlier being grey, easy to find and change as there is only one relay there.
- Our recommendation when having a clutch replaced, is to replace a majority of the components in the bellhousing. This is simply because there is a position sensor below the clutch (they are not particulary reiliable), if you have a clutch and six months later the position sensor fails you will be into two large bills within a short period of time. We also insist that the catalytic convertor gaskets are replaced as well; some garages do not do this, which is bizarre as they are a collapsable gasket. The result is the catalytic convertors get excessively hot and fall apart, again very expensive. We fit on all our clutch replacements: Clutch kit, Clutch slave cylinder seals, spigot bearing, bell housing bearing,catalytic convertor gaskets including flange bolts, new clutch bolts and washers and also offer the option of the position sensor.Other chargeable items that get inspected is the flywheel, for wear and excessive heat damage and cracking, and the clutch slave cylinder for wear and noise.
- Tyres also have an impact because different tread patterns can give the car a wandering feel when changing gear, its an odd sensation i must add.
- Trust your instinct when the system doesnt feel right, invariably you are right, whether it is gear changing, clutch control, fluid puddles or strange noises.
- If you notice a warning light coming on, get it fixed as leaving it could result in a nasty failure and this will be expensive!!!!!
- Part of the clutch replacement procedure is to balance and configure the assembly, something that cant be done without a Maserati/Ferrari Tester. Failure to do this may result in premature wear and judder whilst driving. Configuring the clutch also requires the information to make the necessary adjustments, it all depends on model.
- Important: If the clutch is incorrectly configured there will be two problems that become evident, firstly the clutch will not work correct and result in premature wear and secondly; the wear rate calculation will be inaccurrate because the clutch original configuration was wrong.
