OK, Boston traffic sucks but I cant leave the 991 in the garage and Ive been driving a lot in traffic

I read the previous advise about the PDK essentially engaging a clutch so to treat it like manual car: be either on or off the gas but don't let the car creep (I assume since thats essentially burning the clutch)

however, this is incredibly hard to do in traffic. In a manual I would engage the clutch gas it up to speed then coast in neutral. Whats the equivalent in a PDK? can I let the car coast but avoid putting my foot just 'slightly' on the gas?

what exactly is the damaging behavior?

 

That's a REAL concern with SMG( Sequential Manual Gearbox) cars, such as in most Ferraris and many BMW's. And that's why you hear stories of Ferrari owners paying $ 10K for a clutch at 20K miles, they did the slow creep roll too many times at Cars and Coffee, really takes a toll on an SMG equipped car.

Dual Clutch transmissions are much more hearty (PDK) as they have completely different internals than an SMG. Still, avoid creep with it and change your driving habits - that can lead to premature wear. Think if it as driving a manual transmission car - would you keep it in gear and play on and off the engage point at a stoplight? No - you wouldn't. Keep the brake on when stopped.

 

I think its a bit overkill....bit to do what you describe, pulling on both left and right paddles at the same time will put the car in neutral....so you can coast. Then clicking either one will put the car back into gear. If you are stopped when you try to reengage the gear, you likely will need to have your foot on the brake to do so... not so if you are moving.

 

the problem is 5MPH traffic. when stopped, yes I can put the brake on. When its stop and go I can go and then stop.

when traffic is creeping at 5MPH if I stop and let a gap build up in front of me then either 30 cars will jump in front or the driver behind me will ram me in a fit of rage(Ive tried this)

so......if you have a manual you can 'creep' by rolling along in Neutral and only engaging the clutch ever few minutes. whats the equivalent of that?

would it be better to shift in an out of Nuetral in a PDK than to creep along ?

 

The PDK uses a multi-plate wet crutch that eliminates the things you are worrying about.

On the 991.2 models, the car itself will decided to purposely slip the clutch under certain conditions at continuous speed to create a "virtual gear" which would be much more demanding on the clutch than just creeping in traffic. If the engineers thought this was acceptable then I'd think that the slippage you get when creeping is of no concern.

 

Also regarding the coasting comments, if you use "Normal" mode in your heavy traffic scenario the car coasts for you automatically until you touch the brake signaling a desire for more deceleration.. There's no need to try to release the clutch yourself.

 

Gosh you drive in Boston traffic if it can be called that? Typically, traffic crawls at 5-10 mph on most city streets during the day. I can't understand why the PDK cannot be used like a conventional auto when needed such as in your situation? An SUV like the Macan also comes with the PDK. Even the new Panny comes with a PDK.

 

I will just add that beginning with the Ferrari California and 458, the transmissions are DCTs, much like our PDKs. Only the earlier F1 equipped cars have the burned clutch problems you describe.
Constant 5 mph creep is somewhat disconcerting, but I wouldn't worry about it. When you can stop safely, do it, and you can put it into neutral at extended lights. Remember you can do 50 repeated launch control starts with a 991.1 turbo with no problems, as demonstrated in a YouTube video.

 

 

 

For coasting to work, you have to have a lot of stars aligned.....

Preconditions for automatic gliding mode
– Driving in selector lever position D
– Gliding mode is switched on. Indicator light on the button is off.
– Sport and Sport Plus modes are switched off
– PSM is active
– Cruise control is not active
– Engine, transmission and battery are at operating temperature
– Calm/economic driving style
– Slight uphill or slight downhill gradients
Slowly take your foot off the accelerator.The engine is disengaged and runs at idle speed. The vehicle rolls with no engine braking effect.
Gliding mode is recognizable by the idle speed indicated on the tachometer.

Its the slight uphill or downhill gradients situation that seem as if it might be the determining factor in most situations. Sounds like things have to be just perfect to get any results

 

The rules changed in the 991.2, so I guess it depends on which year OP is driving. They are always dabbling with the tech. Here's the rules for a 991.2 in Normal mode (where it is no longer called gliding):
Prerequisites for automatic coasting mode

1. Driving in selector lever position D.
2. Cruise control function cannot be active.
3. Engine, transmission and battery have reached operating temperature.
4. No major inclines or slopes.

Initiating coasting mode manually
When adopting an anticipatory driving style, depending on the traffic, coasting can be initiated manually to increase efficiency. To do so use the gearshift paddle or the selector lever to manually shift up beyond the highest possible gear.

The same applies to the active use of the engine brake, for example driving up to a vehicle in front or a red light. More forceful braking or operating the gearshift paddle or selector lever can activate efficient engine overrun shut-off in these situations

 

I commuted in my 991.2 in Boston pretty much everyday. It took some getting used to, but now I'm pretty smooth with it and I don't feel like it's causing undue wear. The only sticking point is that it still feels kinda clangy right before it disengages as I'm going like 2mph and slowing down. Other than that, I think the PDK is pretty brilliant.

 

Curious as to why on my car & what is the engineered purpose, there is no clutch engagement after coming to a stop. It is the same as placing the car in neutral in a manual.

 

Just drive. Don't think too much. You're not hurting it.