Foot off the gas when paddle shifting?

[HennyAM]

Dear Pistonheads,

Been searching the net dry for this answer and I get contradictory answers to this.

When accelerating in "manual" (with flappy paddles) mode, do I take the foot off the gas when upshifting or do I keep the foot down? Currently I've been lifting my foot when upshifting in the hopes that I won't tear the clutch apart.

And please leave the bit out of what is "smoother" (as discussions turned to this on other forums) - I'm more interested in the "wear & tear" of what is the best solution when upshifting.

Thanks

[Diablos-666]

Not an AM owner (yet, fingers crossed) but from what I've read what your doing is fine and will prolong the clutch life.

[V8 Animal]

I lift off slightly as this is the correct method. And it is a smoother change.The only considuration i have for clutch wear is i put it in neautral when not moving.

[mikey k]

ASM1 Yes
ASM2 No

[johng39]

HennyAM said:

Dear Pistonheads,

Been searching the net dry for this answer and I get contradictory answers to this.

When accelerating in "manual" (with flappy paddles) mode, do I take the foot off the gas when upshifting or do I keep the foot down? Currently I've been lifting my foot when upshifting in the hopes that I won't tear the clutch apart.

And please leave the bit out of what is "smoother" (as discussions turned to this on other forums) - I'm more interested in the "wear & tear" of what is the best solution when upshifting.

Thanks

When you say lift your foot off, do you mean a slight 'feathering' of the throttle or do you lift off completely like most people do in a manual shift/clutch ? At best all you need is a slight lift 'feather' the throttle to keep the change smooth and increase the life of the components as full throttle shifts will inevitably create more wear due to the fairly heavy kick when the clutch re-engages. That said when I was driving in a spirited fashion I always full throttle shifted and this was how the AM technician said to me it should be driven. Without doubt less wear will occur with a slight lift, but for the amount you probably full throttle shift I would not worry. My ASM clutch lasted 28K and was not badly worn when replaced under warranty (faulty clutch plate springs) and I would say that it was driven often with full throttle changes.

[mikey k]

BTW don't forget the clutch learns & avoid "creep" mode for better clutch life

[HennyAM]

johng39 said:

When you say lift your foot off, do you mean a slight 'feathering' of the throttle or do you lift off completely like most people do in a manual shift/clutch ? At best all you need is a slight lift 'feather' the throttle to keep the change smooth and increase the life of the components as full throttle shifts will inevitably create more wear due to the fairly heavy kick when the clutch re-engages. That said when I was driving in a spirited fashion I always full throttle shifted and this was how the AM technician said to me it should be driven. Without doubt less wear will occur with a slight lift, but for the amount you probably full throttle shift I would not worry. My ASM clutch lasted 28K and was not badly worn when replaced under warranty (faulty clutch plate springs) and I would say that it was driven often with full throttle changes.

I take my foot fully off the throttle when shifting. And I usually change when the revs are above 3000; that's how I found out that it doesn't become jerky.

[johng39]

HennyAM said:

I take my foot fully off the throttle when shifting. And I usually change when the revs are above 3000; that's how I found out that it doesn't become jerky.

Then try a slight lift i.e. about 2cm of movement and that will be smooth and quick with no noticable kick on clutch re-engagement. To be honest the clutch learn is very important (as mentioned by mikeyk)on these to keep the change nice and sharp. I definately never lifted off completely.

[mikey k]

mikey k said:

ASM1 Yes
ASM2 No

I should probably clarify this

ASM1 on the 4.3 was the first version and by all accounts is the hardest to get smooth but I only drove it briefly.
ASM1 on the 4.7 (which I had) is good all it takes is a slight lift, always clutch learn, avoid reversing up hill, never use comfort mode and try to avoid creep mode. I avoided Auto mode unles in cruise on the M way.
ASM2 on the Vantage S (I have this now) is very different, no lift needed, auto clutch learns, no creep mode better reverse gear. I tend to leave the giggle button in (sport) and only use auto on M Way.

[Diablos-666]

Off topic slightly but does the clutch last longer on a manual or an auto?

When the clutch does need replacing I assume it's more expensive on the auto?

[V8 Animal]

Diablos-666 said:

Off topic slightly but does the clutch last longer on a manual or an auto?

When the clutch does need replacing I assume it's more expensive on the auto?

If you mean the Vantage its a manual with a automated facility.
IF driven properley i guess they should be the same but in real life i would expect less with the ASM cars.
Again i guess replacement cost should be the same for both types.

[Mr Aston Martin]

Just lightly lift your big toe rather than lift your whole foot off.

[mikey k]

Diablos-666 said:

Off topic slightly but does the clutch last longer on a manual or an auto?

When the clutch does need replacing I assume it's more expensive on the auto?

There's no real evidence either way.
I'd suspect a badly driven manual would suffer more than an ASM1 car car that has clutch learns done.
No difference in costs as they are exactly the same gear box, ASM just has an actuator on it (maybe different on ASM2)

[Speedraser]

There may not be a lot of evidence for V8Vs yet, but there is a lot of evidence elsewhere, such as with Ferraris -- clutch life is significantly greater for a true manual assuming it's driven properly versus a comparable paddle 'box. With a clutch pedal, the driver dictates the amount of clutch slip, how aggressively the clutch is engaged, etc., rather than a computer trying to "decide." Also, synchro life seems to be far greater with a true manual as the shifts aren't always forced through as quickly as possible.

[KarlFranz]

mikey k said:

I should probably clarify this

ASM1 on the 4.3 was the first version and by all accounts is the hardest to get smooth but I only drove it briefly.
ASM1 on the 4.7 (which I had) is good all it takes is a slight lift, always clutch learn, avoid reversing up hill, never use comfort mode and try to avoid creep mode. I avoided Auto mode unles in cruise on the M way.
ASM2 on the Vantage S (I have this now) is very different, no lift needed, auto clutch learns, no creep mode better reverse gear. I tend to leave the giggle button in (sport) and only use auto on M Way.

Wow! All this just makes me more convinced that I really prefer the manual gearbox. Too bad they don't make an "S" with it.

[M5 Mark]

I don;t pick up my DB9 until tomorrow, BUT I can comment on others I've owned with flappy padle - Makes NO difference to wear in M5 or a Fezza 360. Foot hard to floor and pull a flappy or lift off and pull a flappy. Obivously it is quicker without lifting but obviously not as smooth. So pull ya paddles however you enjoy it the most is my advice