So after quite some time away I decided to give LFS another go with added Broadband. I quickly discovered that us unwashed demo masses have been allowed to get a go in the BMW Sauber. I had a couple of laps driving around and apart from some spinouts all was well until I went round another corner. As I came out of the corner (in 2nd) I floored it and hit sixth gear pretty quickly. Not bad considering that by time I hit sixth I was doing a mighty 82kph. Slowly after that the car just refused to gain any speed what so ever and I just pitted to save me from any further embarrasment. The fuel and everything was fine and I hadn't hit the clutch button by accident (I use auto anyway so should be no problems?) and I haven't a clue what happened.

So I ask you, what went wrong? How do I avoid doing it again? and what do I do if it happens again?

PCCD, I owe you an apology. The BMW Formula 1 car is not in the demo, but the Formula BMW is. This is the car that you've been driving, not the BMW Formula 1. I didn't make the correct association and banned you based on an assumption that I made that you'd obtained the BMW Formula 1 by "unconventional means" and met the BMW Formula 1's pit limiter.

It was over-zealous of me, I should have clarified with you before acting, and I apologise sincerely for not doing so, and for banning you instead.

In another thread, the conclusion about the top speed you're getting is that your clutch is burned out. We have clutches these days, and they can be short-lived. This seems the most logical and reasonable explanation for the problem you're having.

Good man sam, credit where its due, you admitted your mistake my friend. There are plenty of people in this world who would carry on regardless. Respect to you.

i would make some silly comment along the lines of "yeah you get to drive the f1 in the demo version, but it is limited to about 80km/h" as a joke... but i think it would not be funny

No, it wouldnt.
(Sorry, sam, for spam)

Oh yes, the roflcoptor, what a machine!

Quote from SamH :

PCCD, I owe you an apology. The BMW Formula 1 car is not in the demo, but the Formula BMW is. This is the car that you've been driving, not the BMW Formula 1. I didn't make the correct association and banned you based on an assumption that I made that you'd obtained the BMW Formula 1 by "unconventional means" and met the BMW Formula 1's pit limiter.

I didn't even know I had been banned. This is literally the first time I've been back since I posted the thread so er...

:huepfenic about a banning I might never have known about

So it's a Formula BMW I've been driving? Wondered why it was on slicks and the fin looked a bit odd. Basically I've managed to wreck the clutch then? Is there an option I can switch on that shows how hot the clutch is or is there a sound of some kind I should listen for to tell me to ease up?

Press F9 and then at the botom there's CT and a bar. When the bar becomes red watch out ur clutch will start slipping. Let us know if it happens again. And make sure that the bar is red when it happens. If it,s not then it's something else.

LOL! Yeah, you got banned and unbanned in your absence!

Pressing F9 - F12 will give you an indication of your clutch condition. It's at the lower left, marked "CT" for Clutch Temperature. If it's orange, it's good. If it goes red, it's bad news. Once it starts to go red you have to be really careful not to spend any time slipping the clutch. The more it slips, the more it gets hot, the more it slips.. it can spiral. Burn outs are clutch insta-kill.

Quote from SamH :

Burn outs are clutch insta-kill.

no they're not

are you talking about the 'pointlessly going round in circles' like they do at 'shows'? or starting with wheels spinning? at some times i find this to start the car with out any CT rise at all...

(are you exaggerating about the instakill?)

It's a slight exaggeration, but you can't do endless burnouts in FBMs unless you've got a really short 1st gear (assuming auto clutch). You can't do burnouts like you used to be able to, in any car since heating clutches came to be.

Welcome back, PCCD, we missed you!

To expand a bit further on the clutch heating issue....

I take your post as you are using auto gear change, can I correctly assume that?

Even if you use auto gear change, it is still not like an automatic transmission. It still uses the clutch. If you spin whether using autoclutch with manual gear change or with auto gear change, when spinning and if you hold the throttle on, the auto clutch will begin to disengage and "slip" the clutch if you are going backwards while leaving the throttle on. This is what overheats the clutch, the moving backwards while you are in a forward gear with throttle and the auto clutch feathering the clutch on and off.

That is my take of what was happening to you. If you spin out, do not hold the throttle while spinning or moving backwards.

Yeah I'm using the auto everything for anything involving the gearbox. So essentially I've got to be more careful with the throttle?

Only if you spin. If you're going straight keep it pressed! :P If you're at a complete stop and press on the gas slowly or with a high gear it'll heat up the clutch and it'll start slipping.