Specifically on the PDK cars, is it recommended to be in neutral to minimize clutch wear? In my stick car I often put the tranny into netural while waiting for the light. Would the same apply in the PDK? tks

 

Long red lights, yes.

 

The clutch isn't going to wear sitting with the the car in gear and the clutch is disengaged. There is a slight chance that you could wear the throwout bearing but not enough to wear it out prematurely or before you wear out the clutch. That being said, if I think I'm going to sit for a long time, I will take it out of gear and take my foot off the clutch just to take the presure off the throwout bearing even though it probably isn't going to make a difference in wear.

I would also like to know what some other members think. Maybe if we have a technician that could enlighten us.

 

This thread is about PDK not manual clutch...

 

I am well aware that the thread asked about pdk. I think the pdk still has a clutch. Matter of fact pdk has two sets.The Electronics are disengaging the clutch for you when you come to a stop. Whether the clutch is being disengaged electronical in a car with pdk or mechanically by a clutch pedal, it's still disengaged. I doubt there could be any clutch wear in either car as long as you are not creeping forward in the pdk car with your foot on the gas. Then the clutch could be engaging partially and cause wear. Just my opinion. I could very well be wrong

 

Is this true? You stated the for PDK car, "The Electronics are disengaging the clutch for you when you come to a stop" Is this a fact or opinion? I have a PDK, I would like to know about this.

 

Yes it is true. PDK stands for doppelkupplungsgetriebe (German for dual-clutch gearbox). One clutch engages 1,3,5 and 7th gear and the other engages 2,4, and 6th gear. I'm not an expert on pdk nor do I own one, but I did stay at a Holiday Inn last lol.

I did own a M3 with a smg transmission. It's not the same but, it did have a clutch with no clutch pedal. The clutch engaged electro hydraulically. That is why I have an interest in pdk transmission. Oh yeah, a lot of people that owned smg tranmission m3s, did not like them. They tended to shift a little clunky at slow speeds. The new dual clutch systems like pdk and the dual clutch system in the new M3 elleviate that problem.

 

He does not have a PDK, but he surely knows it, NOT. On a PDK (I have one) if one releases the brake the car creeps (even without applying any gas) - therefore the clutches are slipping all the time. I do move the lever to N on long red lights.

 

Wow. I stand corrected. You would think it would fully desengage at a stop. Sorry for the misinformation. I would put it in N at a long red light also. I will be more careful in the future on doling out information. I shouldn't have assumed pdk fully disengaged like my M3 smg did.

Once again I apologize.

 

There's a caveat also in my statement. I know it creeps when the brake is released. However, can it be that when brakes are applied the clutch is disengaged and that when the brake is released it lightly engages? I do not know.

 

I would guess that the PDK might not be the best trans if you drive a lot in "bumper-to-bumper" or "stop and go" traffic? It sounds like a lot of clutch slippage and wear. Could it get too hot also?

 

Not more wear than on a normal manual clutch under the same conditions. Maybe less, since these are wet clutches. And I can see far more wear on manuals with certain drivers.

 

Buy a 6 speed and you won't have to worry

 

Yes you do. On long reds you should shift to N and disengage the clutch to relieve the clutch throw out bearing.

 

this actually leads me to a follow up question:
why isnt there a "N" in the manual mode??? its seems logical to me that one can go into neutral in manual mode while stopped, rather than moving the lever to the right (auto mode) and up 1 to neutral.