Automatic Transmission The electronic shift lever replaces the
conventional mechanical lever and has
no mechanical connection to the
transmission. The transmission is
operated by electrical actuators on the
hydraulic system and all commands to
the control system are transmitted by
the CAN network.
The automatic transmission has six
forward gear ratios and one reverse
gear. The gears can also be engaged
manually once you have shifted the
transmission shift lever to the sector
provided.
CAUTION!
In order to properly use the automatic
transmission, it is essential that you
read through the whole chapter, so
that you can understand right from
the start what the correct and
permitted operations are.
Damage to the transmission may occur
if the following precautions are not
observed:
• Shift into P (Park) only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop.
This is the default position of the
lever and should be used every time the key in the ignition switch is
turned to STOP (OFF) position.
• Shift into or out of R (Reverse) only
after the vehicle has come to a
complete stop and the engine is at
idle speed.
• Do not shift between P (Park), R
(Reverse), N (Neutral) or D (Drive)
when the engine is above idle speed.
• To effect any change from vehicle
stop to R (Reverse), D (Drive), 1 st
or
2 nd
gear, it is necessary to keep the
brake pedal fully depressed.
WARNING!
• It is dangerous to move the shift
lever out of P (Park) or N (Neutral) if
the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and when
your foot is firmly pressing on the
brake pedal.
• As with all vehicles, you should
never exit a vehicle while the engine
is running. Before exiting a vehicle,
always apply the electronic parking
brake, shift the transmission into P
(Park), and turn the engine off.
• When leaving the vehicle, always
remove the key from the ignition switch and lock your vehicle.
• Do not leave the key in or near the
vehicle.
The transmission system is equipped
with
"Shift-Lock" and "Key-Lock"
safety functions.
Shift-Lock
This safety function allows you to shift
from P (Park) to another position only
if the brake pedal is depressed. This
prevents the vehicle from involuntarily
jumping forward or backward.
Key-Lock
This function allows you to remove the
key from the ignition switch only
when the transmission shift lever is in
P (Park) position and within a
maximum time of 30 seconds. When
this time has elapsed, the key can no
longer be removed.
Automatic Transmission Lever Automatic transmission is operated by
a lever with unlock button to engage
R (Reverse) and P (Park) located on the
central console.
By using the transmission shift lever it
is possible to select following
positions, indicated on the gear display
at the side of the transmission shiftDriving
5
150
(Drive) to R (Reverse), and vice versa,
by pressing the unlock button on the
transmission shift lever.
• Vehicle moving: switching to N
(Neutral) from D (Drive) requires the
unlock button on the shift lever
pressed.
• From D (Drive) selected mode it is
always possible to switch to
MANUAL mode by shifting the
transmission shift lever to "+" or "–"
position.
The gears will be engaged in relation
to the traveling speed, engine RPM,
accelerator position, speed with which
the pedal is depressed as well as the
traveling conditions (uphill, downhill,
curves).
The system has been programmed to
classify all driving styles, in relation to
the above mentioned parameters, and
to associate them with the various
vehicle settings, which go from
extremely comfortable and economic
driving to racing-style driving. The
setting is selected automatically.
At extremely cold temperatures
(-30°C/-23°F or below), transmission
may be affected by the low
temperature of the engine and
transmission. Normal operation will
resume once the transmission temperature has risen to a normal
level.
Transmission Strategy in
Particular Driving Situations Downhill Driving
When the accelerator pedal is
released, the transmission system
detects that the vehicle is moving
downhill and deactivates upshifting.
When the accelerator pedal is
depressed, upshifting is reactivated
but will be delayed by a few seconds.
When the brake pedal is depressed,
the transmission system downshifts to
provide enhanced engine braking
power.
In other words, when driving
downhill, the transmission system
operates so as to avoid upshifting and
shifting gears when the accelerator
pedal is released, and delays gear
engagement by a few seconds when
the accelerator pedal is depressed.
In addition, when the brakes are
applied, it engages the lowest gear in
order to provide enhanced engine
braking power.
This strategy is aimed at making
downhill driving safer. Driving in Curves
The system detects when the vehicle
goes into a curve through the lateral
acceleration and the steering angle.
Detecting this condition, it controls
gearshifting using a specific mode.
This mode is exited when the vehicle
comes out of the curve, at a distance
that varies depending on the vehicle
speed.
Fast-off Strategy
When the accelerator pedal is fully
released, the system deactivates
upshifting.
The next time the pedal is depressed,
upshifting will be reactivated only
after a few seconds.
Upshifting is also deactivated when
the accelerator pedal is partially
released; the system waits the time
necessary to evaluate if the release
action is completed.
Hot-mode Situations
In the event that the engine oil or
coolant temperature is too high or
both, the transmission system reduces
the maximum engine speed to 4000
rpm.
Therefore, upshifting will occur at this
limit.
This strategy does not apply to
downhill driving, so as to always have Driving
5
155
the efficiency of engine braking
together with the standard braking
system.
ESC System Operations
In order to prevent unstable driving
conditions, the ESC system may request
the transmission system to deactivate
gearshifting. The system handles this
request depending on the gear
engaged and on the rpm, and decides
whether to accept it or not.
Driving with Cruise Control
With the Cruise Control function
activated, the transmission system
selects such settings as to provide
enhanced comfort and fuel-economy.
MC Start Strategy (for MC version
only)
With the aim of optimizing standing
starts for performance driving (only
recommended for use in areas closed
to traffic and in accordance with the
Highway Code), the automatic
transmission system is equipped with
quick start strategy.
This strategy is activated when the
following conditions occur
simultaneously:
• AUTO and SPORT modes active;
•
ESC mode off;
• brake pedal depressed. In these conditions, the driver has the
possibility to accelerate and, keeping
the brake pedal depressed, keep the
vehicle standing until reaching an
engine speed between 2300 an 2500
rpm. Then, upon releasing the brake
pedal, have the best standing start
performance.
WARNING!
This strategy must only be used on
vehicles in areas closed to traffic, in
accordance with the Highway Code
and only by skilled drivers.
Transmission Malfunction and
Overheating Conditions Transmission Failure
Transmission function is electronically
monitored to detect abnormal
conditions. If a condition that could
result in transmission damage is
detected, Transmission Limp Home
Mode will be activated. In this
situation, the transmission may
operate only in certain gears, or may
not shift at all.
CAUTION!
In these conditions, we recommended that you stop the vehicle and turn off
the engine for at least one minute.
When restarting the engine, the
self-diagnosis system may cancel the
malfunction, which will in any case be
recorded by the ECU.
A message and the
warning light
in the instrument cluster will inform
the driver about the transmission
failure.
In failure conditions, the transmission
shift lever can however be shifted to R
(Reverse), N (Neutral) and D (Drive)
position.
When shifting to D (Drive) position,
only a few gears will be available,
depending on the malfunction found.
CAUTION!
If a transmission failure is signaled,
take your vehicle to the nearest
Authorized Maserati Dealer as soon as
possible to have the problem
corrected.
If the failure is signaled when the
engine
is started, it means that the
transmission ECU detected a fault
when the vehicle was last used. Also in
this case, take your vehicle to the
nearest Center of the AuthorizedDriving
5
156
can be activated at any time and the
system limits the engine speed rate to
3000 rpm in all gears except for the
6th, unrequested gearshifts could take
place.
In any case, it is advisable to
deactivate
SPORT mode before
selecting ICE (low-grip) mode.
When sequential manual gearshifting
is active, regardless of the mode set
(NORMAL / SPORT / ICE), the
transmission will automatically upshift
or downshift when reaching the
minimum and maximum rpm. This is
to prevent engine overrevving or
underrevving.
(ESC Off) Mode
The ESC system is designed to
automatically activate every time the
engine is started and can be
deactivated by pressing
(ESC Off)
button on the central console for
about 2 seconds. The
(ESC Off)
amber warning light illuminates on
the instrument cluster as well as on
the display, where it is accompanied
by a specific message.
The ESC (Electronic Stability Control)
antiyawing system incorporates all of
the vehicle control systems: ABS, EBD,
ASR and MSR (see "Brake and Stability Control System" in this section for
further information).
The system is fitted with a unit that
predicts the vehicle behavior with
extreme accuracy. The system can
detect when the driver is about to lose
control of the vehicle. In this case, it
can activate the brake calipers
individually and engine control, in
order to create a torque sufficient to
resist the vehicle’s yawing moment.
Press
(ESC Off) button again to
reactivate the system.
The
(ESC On) amber warning light
on the instrument cluster flashes
during all the operating phases.
, the system is automatically disabled
and cannot be re-activated. While
driving, this condition is signaled by
the
(ESC On) amber warning light,
that illuminates both on the
instrument cluster as well as on the
multi-function display, where it is
accompanied by the message “ESC
unavailable go to dealer”.
When the engine is started, the system
malfunction is indicated by the
illumination of the
(ESC On) amber
warning light. CAUTION!
• In the event of a fault, and with the
ESC system disabled ( (ESC Off)
button pressed), the vehicle behaves
as if it were not equipped with this
system: however, we recommend
you contact the Authorized Maserati
Dealer as soon as possible to have
the system checked.
• If you have to tow the vehicle with 2
wheels raised, make sure the key in
the ignition switch is in the STOP
(OFF) position. Otherwise, with the
ESC system active (
(ESC Off)
button not pressed), the control unit
will store a malfunction with
consequent illumination of the
(ESC On) amber warning lights on
the instrument cluster and on the
display. Should this occur, contact
the Authorized Maserati Dealer to
have the system repaired.
• In low- and medium-grip conditions
(e.g., rain, snow, ice, sand, etc.) it is
advisable not to activate SPORT
mode, even with the ESC system
active (
(ESC Off) button not
pressed). Driving
5
161
(Continued)
• Driving on parabolic curves will
deactivate the system.
PARK OFF Mode
T
o deactivate manual operation of the
parking brake, with the engine on,
press the "PARK OFF" button on the
central console. The words “PARK
OFF” appear on the instrument cluster
display for 5 seconds, after which they
remain displayed but in smaller size.
To reactivate automatic operation,
press the "PARK OFF" button once
again, the words “PARK ON” appear
on the display for 5 seconds.
CAUTION!
• In certain conditions when the
battery voltage is low, the electric
parking brake system may
temporarily be deactivated for safety
reasons. Therefore, typically upon
starting the engine, when the
battery voltage drops, the message
“PARK OFF” may temporarily be
displayed on the instrument cluster,
indicating that automatic operation
is temporarily disabled. • In the case of performance starting,
check that the electric parking brake
is disengaged.
For further information see "Parking
Brake"
in this section.
Sequential Manual Operation
(MANUAL)
In this mode, the transmission interacts
with the driver in order to allow
manual shift and ensure increased
control of the vehicle. The current
mode allows the gear system to
optimize the engine brake action,
remove undesired shifting into higher
and lower gears and improve the
overall performance of the vehicle.
With automatic transmission selected
(D (Drive) position), shift the
transmission shift lever to position “+”
o “–”.
When this mode is selected, the
symbol “+” or “–” illuminates on the
gear display, based on the position of
the transmission shift lever, and the
gear engaged is shown on the
instrument cluster display.
WARNING!
When sequential manual operation is selected, upshifting or downshifting
must be performed manually.
To engage the gears, shift the
transmission
shift lever to one of the
following two positions:
"+" (UP) to engage a higher gear;
"–" (DOWN) to engage a lower gear.
CAUTION!
• However, some conditions will
remain automatically controlled, for
example, when the engine is
overrevving or underrevving, the
system automatically engages a
higher or lower gear.
• If you request a gearshift in
conditions where the engine is
overrevving or underrevving, the
system will not accept the command.
• The ECU is programmed to control
one gearshift at a time, therefore,
fast and repeated actions will not
necessarily result in a gearshift. A
higher or lower gear is engaged only
if the previous procedure requested
has been completed.
When the system refuses to engage a
gear
, an acoustic signal will sound for a
few seconds.Driving
5
162
Sequential manual operation can only
be selected from the D (Drive) position
whatever the function (SPORT,
NORMAL) active at the time of the
request. The gear selected by the
automatic transmission will remain
engaged when the transmission shift
lever is moved.
Shifting the lever back to D (Drive),
automatic operation will instantly be
resumed, and a gear will be engaged
based on the driving style and mode
selected.
In the event of a failure of the
sequential manual gearshift system,
the transmission ECU will select
automatic operation.
Gearshift Paddles Operation
In sequential manual operating mode
(MANUAL), upshifting and
downshifting can be controlled not
only with the transmission shift lever
but also with the two paddles
positioned behind the steering wheel.
"+": (UP): upper gearshift paddle.
"–": (DOWN): lower gearshift paddle. Also in automatic transmission mode,
when the transmission lever is in
position D (Drive), you can shift to a
different gear by moving one of the
paddles. This action will temporarily
switch the system to sequential
manual operation.
If you then keep to a constant driving
style (low longitudinal and lateral
acceleration), the gearbox
automatically switches back to
automatic operation.
Gear Shift Indicator Light
In order to improve fuel economy, we
recommend that you shift gears when
the system prompts you to do so. This
will help reduce fuel consumption
without significantly affecting vehicle
performance.
The arrow icon beside the displayed
gear will light up to indicate the
moment the gear change is required. This indicator lights up just before
reaching the required speed for gear
change.
When the new gear is engaged, the
indicator turns off. If the shift runs
late or is not performed at all, the
indicator remains lit for a few seconds
then turns off. As soon as new
conditions requiring further gear
change occur, the indicator light will
illuminate again.
NOTE:
The gearshift indicator will only work
when the transmission is set to manual
sequential operation (see paragraph
"Sequential Manual Operation
(MANUAL)" in this chapter). Driving
5
163
If you attempt to disengage the
parking brake without having
depressed the service brake pedal, a
message will be displayed to warn
you to do so.
• The EPB command activation while
running, generates a deceleration of
the vehicle with strong deceleration
(Dynamic Braking). It is therefore
recommended to use of this feature
only in case of emergency. The
stability of the car is guaranteed by
the action of the activated ESC
system.
Deactivating Automatic
Operation To deactivate automatic operation of
the parking brake, with the engine
on, press the "PARK OFF" button on
the central console. The words “PARK OFF” appear on the
display for 5 seconds, after which they
remain displayed but in smaller size.
To reactivate automatic operation,
press the "PARK OFF" button once
again, the words “PARK ON” appear
on the display for 5 seconds.
CAUTION!
• In certain conditions when the
battery voltage is low, the electric
parking brake system may
temporarily be deactivated for safety
reasons. Therefore, typically upon
starting the engine, when the
battery voltage drops, the message
“PARK OFF” may temporarily be
displayed on the instrument cluster,
indicating that automatic operation
is temporarily disabled. • In the case of performance starting,
check that the parking brake is
disengaged.
Failure Indication In the event of electric parking brake
system failure, the
warning light
on the display will light up.
Depending on the message displayed,
it signals the following failures of the
EPB system:
• “Parking brake failure: go to dealer”
If the message warning you to go to
the nearest Authorized Maserati
Dealer is displayed, drive slowly and
remember that the electric parking
brake device is not functioning.
• “EPB is overheated”
If the vehicle has been stationary
(key in the ignition switch to STOP
(OFF) position) for about 15 minutes
without using the parking brake,
and the warning light illuminates
again after restarting the engine,
slowly drive to the nearest
Authorized Maserati Dealer .
• “EPB failure only manual unlock
allowed: see handbook”
In this case, follow the manual
emergency deactivation procedure
in order to release the parking brake
(see “Emergency Release of the Driving
5
165
engage the parking brake, but also to
shift the transmission shift lever to P
(Park) before leaving the vehicle.
When parking on hill roads, it is
important
to turn the front wheels
toward the curb on a downhill grade
and away from the curb on an uphill
grade.
Apply the parking brake before
placing the shift lever in P (Park),
otherwise the load on the
transmission locking mechanism may
make it difficult to move the shift
lever out of P (Park).
In certain conditions, it is however
advisable to disengage the parking
brake manually and slightly apply the
service brake for starting off. This is
advisable when there are obstacles
very close to the vehicle in the
direction in which you intend to move. Brake and Stability
Control System The vehicle is equipped with an
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
anti-yawing system, which helps to
maintain directional control in the event
of loss of grip of the tires. The system is
able to detect potentially dangerous
situations for the stability of the vehicle
and automatically sets the brakes on all
four wheels in a differentiated manner,
in order to provide a torque settlement
of the vehicle.
ESC includes the following subsystems:
• ASR (Anti-Slip Regulation)
• ABS (Anti-lock Braking System)
• EBD (Electronic Brake-force
Distribution)
• HBA (Hydraulic Brake Assistance)
• BOS (Brake Override System)
WARNING!
• These systems cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from
affecting the vehicle, nor can they
increase traction, braking or steering
efficiency beyond that afforded by
the condition of the vehicle brakes
and tires. • These systems cannot prevent
collisions, including those resulting
from excessive speed in turns,
following another vehicle too
closely, or hydroplaning.
• The capabilities of a vehicle
equipped with these systems must
never be exploited in a reckless or
dangerous manner that could
jeopardize the driver’s and the
passenger’s safety or the safety of
others.
Electronic Stability Control
(ESC) This system enhances directional
control and stability of the vehicle
under various driving conditions. The
ESC corrects over steering and under
steering of the vehicle by applying the
brake to the appropriate wheel.
Engine power may also be reduced to
assist in counteracting the conditions
of instability and maintain the right
direction. The system is also able to
reduce the engine power.
Through sensors fitted on the vehicle,
the ESC system detects the driver’s
chosen direction comparing it to the
one maintained while running. In case
of discrepancy between the required
trajectory and the current one, the Driving
5
167