Comformatic - different way of using it

[Aspenshaw]

Do you leave your foot on the pedal when the Comfortmatic van changes gear or do you take your foot off when your Comfortmatic changes gear (a bit like we do when driving a manual car)? And why.

The question arose in a group of motorhomers I was in and which became some what heavy. There were other arguments about the way we drive the Comformatic and Fiats in general.

 

[dunnah01]

No point trying to predict when it will change gear, it's all controlled by the TCU, ECU and throttle pot anyway so makes no difference what the clunk holding the steering wheel does

 

[Guigsy]

No. Drive it like an auto. It controls the throttle during shifts.

If you try to lift off during shifts, you'll probably confuse it's tiny brain and it'll think you've stopped wanting to accelerate, so it'll probably try to go up two gears instead of one.

 

[robnchris]

It's made to be driven like am automatic so lifting your foot off the accelerator is the opposite from what you should be doing.

 

[RV-AL]

Whilst generally just driving it like an automatic makes sense there are times when I have been accelerating that I want the van to change up a gear which it does if you lift your foot off the accelerator for a second. Obviously if you then accelerate hard again it will change down but there are times when this can be useful.

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[TheMachMan]

You can manually change up or down in auto if the box isn’t reacting as you want. The biggest challenge is going down steep hills I find. If you touch the brake it drops a cog and then revs it nuts off! I often put into manual though it will still drop eventually if you are in too high a gear, but it is better.

 

[WESTY66]

I always predict the change and back off on the throttle, shifts as smooth as silk

 

[Rogerwyn]

I just point and go not failed me yet

 

[Kannon Fodda]

No point in trying to outguess the Comfortmatic as to when it might change and lift the throttle. It does it for you anyways. Learn to live with that little jerk as the clutch re-engages in auto mode. Otherwise go for manual mode and lose lots of the benefits of driving as an auto. If you try and lift throttle when it's going to change you confuse it's brain and it's not sure if you are still accelerating so now might not change up.

I've thrown every driving condition at mine in the last fortnight, hairpins, very steep up and downs, steep hill starts on single track part gravelled not really passing places. I've made use of the descent button to help crawl down narrow windy twisty lanes, and the up button is always on. I guess you can say mine was properly repaired. Sometimes there can be a long delay holding 2nd and 3rd gears but that is usually that I've not been that clear in my own driving if I'm braking or accelerating on weird hilly corners.

 

[TheMachMan]

No point in trying to outguess the Comfortmatic as to when it might change and lift the throttle. It does it for you anyways. Learn to live with that little jerk as the clutch re-engages in auto mode. Otherwise go for manual mode and lose lots of the benefits of driving as an auto. If you try and lift throttle when it's going to change you confuse it's brain and it's not sure if you are still accelerating so now might not change up.

I've thrown every driving condition at mine in the last fortnight, hairpins, very steep up and downs, steep hill starts on single track part gravelled not really passing places. I've made use of the descent button to help crawl down narrow windy twisty lanes, and the up button is always on. I guess you can say mine was properly repaired. Sometimes there can be a long delay holding 2nd and 3rd gears but that is usually that I've not been that clear in my own driving if I'm braking or accelerating on weird hilly corners.

I’ve never used either the up or down buttons as wasn’t sure what they do even after reading the manual!

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[Lenny HB]

The biggest challenge is going down steep hills I find. If you touch the brake it drops a cog and then revs it nuts off!

If you have the UP button (which you will after ascending a steep hill) now that's when it really does it's nuts.

 

[WESTY66]

I’ve never used either the up or down buttons as wasn’t sure what they do even after reading the manual!

Me neither, just gently drive the box, don’t rush it, lift the foot, it’s never Not gone up a gear or two gears, if I’m in the alps, switch to manual! 45k and never had a spanner on the comfortmatic or any fluid changed, not had any adjustment of anykind, and drives flawless, I’ll stick with that

 

[TheMachMan]

Looking in the handbook it doesn‘t even mention the down button.

 

[Lenny HB]

Looking in the handbook it doesn‘t even mention the down button.

It's an option so not all vans have it, I think it's called hill descent.

 

[Aspenshaw]

Thanks for the quick responses.

The question arose because two motorhomers had clutch failures out of warranty but within a smidgen over 10,000 miles. The 'experts' in the group quickly blamed 'lifting the foot'. I shall put on my hard hat when I met them again.

Mine has just failed after 48,000 miles and ten years but not because of 'lifting my foot'. Don't ask me why it failed, I didn't understand the technical causes other than my clutch and engine stopped talking to each other (I think) when I wanted 3rd gear coming down a steep hill. First warning was 'Hill Holder failure' and the next one was 'Transmission' failure - we'd reach the bottom of the hill where there was a lay-by, thankfully.

It took Britannia nearly 7 hours to find a tow truck to take my 6m 3,850 plated motorhome (they were trying) to take us home. At 1 am, a recovery truck came and we set off to Sandbach Services on the M6. Arrived at 5am and within ten minutes another breakdown truck appeared to take us home to the Wirral. Finally, a local firm took the van to Fiat Professional in Speke (Liverpool). And its all fixed now!

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[Larrynwin]

I always drive in auto but if I need a bit more punch up an incline I flick the downshift and if on the level at just on 50mph in 5th I sometimes flick the shift up.

 

[DBK]

Thanks for the quick responses.

The question arose because two motorhomers had clutch failures out of warranty but within a smidgen over 10,000 miles. The 'experts' in the group quickly blamed 'lifting the foot'. I shall put on my hard hat when I met them again.

Mine has just failed after 48,000 miles and ten years but not because of 'lifting my foot'. Don't ask me why it failed, I didn't understand the technical causes other than my clutch and engine stopped talking to each other (I think) when I wanted 3rd gear coming down a steep hill. First warning was 'Hill Holder failure' and the next one was 'Transmission' failure - we'd reach the bottom of the hill where there was a lay-by, thankfully.

It took Britannia nearly 7 hours to find a tow truck to take my 6m 3,850 plated motorhome (they were trying) to take us home. At 1 am, a recovery truck came and we set off to Sandbach Services on the M6. Arrived at 5am and within ten minutes another breakdown truck appeared to take us home to the Wirral. Finally, a local firm took the van to Fiat Professional in Speke (Liverpool). And its all fixed now!

What was the cause of the fault? Mechanical or electrical?

 

[WESTY66]

Not that it matters one bit, but out of interest is it a 2.3 or 3.0 engine?

 

[Aspenshaw]

DBK - The work carried out was "to carry out a gearchange hydraulic diagnosis and the internal fault to the clutch mechanism." The biggest cost, apart from labour, was for a clutch kit. I didn't need a new fly wheel. To me, it was a mechanical failure identified by the sensors.

Westy66, I have a 2.3. The two that had clutch failures, which sparked the debate in the group, had clutches failing just out of warranty at between 12,000 and 14,000 miles in the 3 litres.

 

[Bustup15]

Does anyone really put pedal to metal and put up with the surge, noise and strain on the drivetrain under normal driving conditions?

Driving the Comfortmatic you can feel and hear as it approaches a change up. Slightly ease off the throttle, allow an almost indiscernible gear change and continue with acceleration.

It's not hard

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[IRHP]

I don't think it makes any difference, the revs drop off whether your foot is down or not. A bit annoying sometimes when you have a change of gear coming up but you decide you have a change of mind and want to accelerator harder. By the time the brain has decided its changing gear there's no stopping it. The revs drop off even if you put your foot to the floor. You have to wait for the new gear to engage before the throttle responds.

 

[DDJC]

Drive it like any other automatic. The times when I have tried to be clever and lift off (or kick down), not much happens and I get the feeling that the Comfortmatic looks at me with disgust and says, "Just stop messing about." It isn't a racing car, so it's pull-away is something you get used to.

I have one button that might be a down or an up. I have never used it. What does each button look like?

 

[enark]

Slight variation, but does anyone use left foot braking especially when holding on a hill start?

 

[Lenny HB]

I have one button that might be a down or an up. I have never used it. What does each button look like?

Up button is in front of the gear leaver, holds lower gears longer, well worth using if you are over 3500kg.
The hill descent is next to the traction plus button, holds low gears on steep descents only works below 25kph.

Slight variation, but does anyone use left foot braking especially when holding on a hill start?

Won't work hit the brake and throttle at the same time engine cuts out.
What's wrong with relying on the Hill Holder?

 

[enark]

Up button is in front of the gear leaver, holds lower gears longer, well worth using if you are over 3500kg.
The hill descent is next to the traction plus button, holds low gears on steep descents only works below 25kph.

Won't work hit the brake and throttle at the same time engine cuts out.
What's wrong with relying on the Hill Holder?

Hill holder is only for a couple of seconds, left foot brake removes the need to reach down for the clunky handbrake, not had the engine cut out yet….

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[Lenny HB]

Hill holder is only for a couple of seconds, left foot brake removes the need to reach down for the clunky handbrake, not had the engine cut out yet….

Been driving Comformatics for 9 years never used the handbrake on hills, the hill holder works fine it often holds too long when you take your foot off the brake.

The engine will cut out if you press the throttle with the foot brake on.

 

[WESTY66]

Been driving Comformatics for 9 years never used the handbrake on hills, the hill holder works fine it often holds too long when you take your foot off the brake.

The engine will cut out if you press the throttle with the foot brake on.

Hillholder??? Do I have one? I always use the handbrake

 

[enark]

Hillholder??? Do I have one? I always use the handbrake

Yes we do, but my understanding it’s only for a couple of seconds, any more than that and you need to apply the hand brake, or the foot brake, or you will roll back. I will go and try this shortly….not known it cut out yet…and been left foot holding the brake for a while…

 

[Lenny HB]

Yes we do, but my understanding it’s only for a couple of seconds, any more than that and you need to apply the hand brake, or the foot brake, or you will roll back. I will go and try this shortly….not known it cut out yet…and been left foot holding the brake for a while…

You are using it wrong you are supposed to hold the van with the foot brake then the hill holder holds the brakes on while you transfer your foot to the gas peddle. Same as on most cars.

 

[Lenny HB]

Hillholder??? Do I have one? I always use the handbrake

It's a no cost option with the Comformatic from Fiat but it has to be specified not all converters specify it.

Your Carthago has it, you are hopeless son, how long have you had that van?