Maser Clutch Slip
Discussion
Hi all,
Once again I need to pick the brains of the Maser owners out there. The clutch on my 4200 CC has started to slip on upshifts when in a hurry. i.e. if going from 2nd to 3rd under hard (ish) acceleration it slips for a moment as it engages in 3rd, I back off a little and it engages OK. Done the usual tests for a knackered clutch i.e. hard acceleration in 4th in low to mid revs and it seems fine.
Scanning through previous threads it seems the clutch may just need adjusting - I hope. Graypaul suggested it was 30% worn at 18k miles now it's done 22k, so my logic says it's not worn out just yet!
Anyone out there suffered a similar problem or got any thoughts on what the problem might be?
Thanks
Tex
Once again I need to pick the brains of the Maser owners out there. The clutch on my 4200 CC has started to slip on upshifts when in a hurry. i.e. if going from 2nd to 3rd under hard (ish) acceleration it slips for a moment as it engages in 3rd, I back off a little and it engages OK. Done the usual tests for a knackered clutch i.e. hard acceleration in 4th in low to mid revs and it seems fine.
Scanning through previous threads it seems the clutch may just need adjusting - I hope. Graypaul suggested it was 30% worn at 18k miles now it's done 22k, so my logic says it's not worn out just yet!
Anyone out there suffered a similar problem or got any thoughts on what the problem might be?
Thanks
Tex
My Business Partners GranSport developed an annoying 'churp' from the clutch at 4k miles just after the car had had its first gearbox change, so a new clutch was required. Then when his gearbox lost 4th gear at 9k miles so the gearbox was changed again, the clutch started doing the same thing. Dont ask me what happened after 10k miles as he sold the car after a rather interesting moment when the drivers seat came off its rails when accelerating hard in 3rd gear one day!
Edited by Mosi on Tuesday 6th March 21:01
s3200h said:
Maserati warranty say 12,000 miles is a reasonable life for a clutch on the 4200 and also should be replaced at 45% ware, i have seen people state that they have done 30000ish on a clutch, so i suppose that it depends how you drive the car.
Tony,
Don't be unduly alarmed. I started a thread a while back, as I was really rather pee'd at the negative comments on the 4200 re: the CC clutch wear... seemed to me a lot of the negative comment was more based on heresay than actual fact..
What I can say - as an owner of a 4200 CC having done more than 20,000 miles in the last 18 months is that I still have the same clutch - in fact, over 14,500 miles of my miles, my clutch wear went from 35% to 50%.
I certainly have never seen in ANY Maserati warranty document that the clutch should be replaced at 45% wear - absolute poppycock..
See my earlier post of.... www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=307418&r=4019825&hm=25370#4019825
feel free to PM me with any questions, there is far too much 'folklaw' on these things...
John
johnnyboy225 said:
s3200h said:
Maserati warranty say 12,000 miles is a reasonable life for a clutch on the 4200 and also should be replaced at 45% ware, i have seen people state that they have done 30000ish on a clutch, so i suppose that it depends how you drive the car.
Tony,
Don't be unduly alarmed. I started a thread a while back, as I was really rather pee'd at the negative comments on the 4200 re: the CC clutch wear... seemed to me a lot of the negative comment was more based on heresay than actual fact..
What I can say - as an owner of a 4200 CC having done more than 20,000 miles in the last 18 months is that I still have the same clutch - in fact, over 14,500 miles of my miles, my clutch wear went from 35% to 50%.
I certainly have never seen in ANY Maserati warranty document that the clutch should be replaced at 45% wear - absolute poppycock..
See my earlier post of.... www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=307418&r=4019825&hm=25370#4019825
feel free to PM me with any questions, there is far too much 'folklaw' on these things...
John
One more thing, I regularly wring the neck out of my car.. seems to me, it has nothing to do with how you drive it... just my humble point of view...
Thanks all, looks like another session at Graypaul to diagnose the issue...
On a totaly seperate note - had a strange experience last week. My trip computer used to read 14 to 16mpg no matter where or how I drove, then on Wednesday I filled up with Esso super unleaded and did a 100 mile motorway trip - the average mpg shot up to 18 to 20 and has remained there... filled up with Shell vmax (or whatever it's called) today and it seems to have started dropping again, but not by much. Anyone else seen anything similar, I am most perplexed. I must add that I have filled up at the same Esso station before and not seen any gains.
At least the car has some character!!!
On a totaly seperate note - had a strange experience last week. My trip computer used to read 14 to 16mpg no matter where or how I drove, then on Wednesday I filled up with Esso super unleaded and did a 100 mile motorway trip - the average mpg shot up to 18 to 20 and has remained there... filled up with Shell vmax (or whatever it's called) today and it seems to have started dropping again, but not by much. Anyone else seen anything similar, I am most perplexed. I must add that I have filled up at the same Esso station before and not seen any gains.
At least the car has some character!!!
johnnyboy225 said:
s3200h said:
Maserati warranty say 12,000 miles is a reasonable life for a clutch on the 4200 and also should be replaced at 45% ware, i have seen people state that they have done 30000ish on a clutch, so i suppose that it depends how you drive the car.
Tony,
Don't be unduly alarmed. I started a thread a while back, as I was really rather pee'd at the negative comments on the 4200 re: the CC clutch wear... seemed to me a lot of the negative comment was more based on heresay than actual fact..
What I can say - as an owner of a 4200 CC having done more than 20,000 miles in the last 18 months is that I still have the same clutch - in fact, over 14,500 miles of my miles, my clutch wear went from 35% to 50%.
I certainly have never seen in ANY Maserati warranty document that the clutch should be replaced at 45% wear - absolute poppycock..
See my earlier post of.... www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&t=307418&r=4019825&hm=25370#4019825
feel free to PM me with any questions, there is far too much 'folklaw' on these things...
John
John, I really hope your right as I have my heart (and wallet) set on a Gransport this Autumn when the used prices have dropped to the low 40's.
I'm not entirely convinced with the "it's how you drive it" train of thought. Yes if you drive like a complete numpty, regularly use auto or reverse up hills then indeed that'll kill the clutch.
However, had I followed all the advice in the various threads on PH and other sites I would have a different driving style for every day of the week. My point is that whilst there is some general concensous (for example the reverse issue above) lots of people advocate differing styles / approach, which all appear to work for them.
So for me like any wear and tear item, it's down to how mechanically sympathetic you are and where you drive.
Anyway, mine is in to Graypaul a week today for diagnosis, my wallet is twitching with fear already!
However, had I followed all the advice in the various threads on PH and other sites I would have a different driving style for every day of the week. My point is that whilst there is some general concensous (for example the reverse issue above) lots of people advocate differing styles / approach, which all appear to work for them.
So for me like any wear and tear item, it's down to how mechanically sympathetic you are and where you drive.
Anyway, mine is in to Graypaul a week today for diagnosis, my wallet is twitching with fear already!
On a hill (F1) I hold it stopped with left foot and come on the gas as I release the brake. In stop and go I engauge gas firmly but grab N if I have to slow down. At rest I leave in N. I try to reverse cleanly and not let clutch slip.
Seems to work.
Hopefully an adjustment will help.
Cheers
Seems to work.
Hopefully an adjustment will help.
Cheers
napolis said:
On a hill (F1) I hold it stopped with left foot and come on the gas as I release the brake. In stop and go I engauge gas firmly but grab N if I have to slow down. At rest I leave in N. I try to reverse cleanly and not let clutch slip.
Seems to work.
Hopefully an adjustment will help.
Cheers
Seems to work.
Hopefully an adjustment will help.
Cheers
What has all this done to the longevity of your clutch?
Too early to tell on F1 Maser as I've only 19K miles but so far no slippage at all. I drove my 308 85K without having to change clutch and my TR 125K miles before I changed that one. P 4/5 only has 2K miles but 700 were hard track miles and so far so good.
I do believe that slow speed semi engaged is what fries F1 clutches esp. on and off reversing.
Cheers
I do believe that slow speed semi engaged is what fries F1 clutches esp. on and off reversing.
Cheers
As an aside to this debate, when I collected my 4200 Cambio I was "taught" how to drive it - to avoid clutch wear. I was told to always slip it into N when stationary for longer than 10 seconds, to always drop down to 1st before pulling-off, and to avoid full-bore up-shifts in sport mode from 3rd - 4th... Has worked for me over 18,000 miles. Apart from a slight burning smell on really steep gradients, when parking - the clutch is as good as new.... (After this posting it will now disintegrate 
)... I understand from hand-book, that if stationary for longer than 80 seconds, in 1st, the clutch automatically dis-engages to prevent wear and overheating..!!
Incidentally, car is in for service & found front tyres "bald" on inner tread. New tyres ordered, but there is a back-log on Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's. 1 week to wait...
)... I understand from hand-book, that if stationary for longer than 80 seconds, in 1st, the clutch automatically dis-engages to prevent wear and overheating..!! Incidentally, car is in for service & found front tyres "bald" on inner tread. New tyres ordered, but there is a back-log on Michelin Pilot Sport PS2's. 1 week to wait...
Finally found the time to take the car in to Graypaul. They have confirmed that the clutch is shot, or nearly shot anyway. Apparently the clutch wear reading is "not accurate", no s**t shirlock - 30% worn at 19k miles, worn out at 23k miles. Hmmm. My advice - ignore any clutch wear reading, especialy if buying a CC.
Anyway, they quoted me £1499 incl VAT. Does that seem reasonable to people, anyone spent significantly less? Any recomendations on where to get this job done.
Cheers
Tex
Anyway, they quoted me £1499 incl VAT. Does that seem reasonable to people, anyone spent significantly less? Any recomendations on where to get this job done.
Cheers
Tex
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