Shock Absorber Malfunction Light - F355

You can still drive your car, I just wouldn't do it for much longer. I think that pesky little gear on top of the shock has cracked like on so many other 355s .

Daniel and Dave a Ricambi have the fix .....

 

Mine came on the day at startup and stayed on for about 5 minutes, then went off...

 

If your speedometer is working, then the first thing to check is to remove each actuator on the top of each shock and inspect them. Look at the plastic gear on the top of the shock, and ensure it is in serviceable condition. Check the mating surface of the actuator with the gear. Reinstall, and secure with the wire clip carefully, and treat the electrical connector with Stabilant 22A.

If any of the gears are damaged or suspect, order replacements from Daniel at Ricambi ($30 each).

 

Seems like 355 has it right to me... I had the exact same issue, and it was the cracked gear on top of a shock. Hope it's one of the rears, they are easy to access. If you look for my threads about it, they are easy as pie to replace(I mean it, anyone can do it, only the part about getting the retaining pin back in is even vaguely hard.)

Ricambi has the replacement gear for $30. If you want more info, PM me. BTW, the dealer wanted $3500 to fix it -- said they could not source a replacement part anywhere& had to buy a set of new shocks & install. 99% of FCar owners probably would have paid it. Cost me $30 + shipping.

If it turns out not to be the gear but an actuator, I have an extra one I bought just in case. You can have it at my cost if you want it.

Anything else... good luck!!

 

I have the same problem with my 1999 F355 F1. Would you mind posting more info (Ricambi part number, etc.)? The idea of saving money is great but am not very handy so any tips would be appreciated.
Thanks.

 

http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?products_id=261324

 

Under the engine cover there are two round red shock actuators, one on each side of the bay. They are showing through cutouts in a shroud. The first step is to remove the shrouds, which are attached by two hex bolts, one at the rear, and one at the middle (there may be a third at the front, but mine were not installed.) Once those bolts are off, release the actuator control wire from the white plastic guide, and the shroud should come out pretty easy, though they are kind of wedged under the lip.

Once the shroud is off, I would first check each actuator to see if it is working. (You need someone to start the car to do this while you are looking at the actuator.) First, remove the actuator by pulling back the locking clip that is at the base. Note how it goes back in, seating in the two grooves on the sides of the actuator. Once it is off, you can remove the red actuator body by pulling straight up. If there is not enough slack in the wire, you have to unscrew the retaining clip that mounts to the side of the bay. With the actuator off, have someone start the car, and watch the interior gear. if it spins, just as the car starts, it is working. Now, examine the small chrome-colored gear sticking up out of the top of the shock. See if it has any teeth missing, or is cracked or deformed. If it is, that's your culprit. If it is not, you can check the other one now. Same procedure.

If the gear is broken, you need to order one from Ricambi. They are $30, and readily available on the website (see above).

To replace the gear:

First, you must remove the tiny locking pin that is seated in the small hole on the side of the gear. This requires a small wire nail or driver. REALLY small. I simply tapped the pin out with a small hammer and a wire brad. DO NOT LOSE the pin. I put a piece of white tape on the other side to catch it JIC. I am told the replacement pin from Ricambi is too long, and it does look a couple thousandths longer than the OEM. Once the pin is out, the gear will pop right off.

Now, get a 2" or so long needle -- a sewing needle--- or a tailor's needle is better - one with the pearl or plastic ball on one end so it won't just fall through the hole.

Line up the holes in the replacement gear with the hole in the shock shaft. I used a small flashlight behind the hole to make it easy to see when they were lined up exactly. Pass the needle through the hole. Now, take the old locking pin and slide it onto the shaft of the needle.Slide it down until it lines up with the holes. You may be able to get it seated by hand. I had to retract the needle a bit then tap the pin with a small hammer to get it started in the hole. Once it was in enough to hold itself, I used a pliers with flat jaws to squeeze the pin in the rest of the way -- using the back of the gear for puchase and slowly working it in. If you can get enough room to use the hamer, you could probably just tap in in, though an off center strike could send the pin flying. WARNING - getting the pin in can be pretty frustrating. I tried 10 other methods for about an hour before I tried this way. It worked the first time! If you drop the pin, I suggest having a magnet probe handy to find it on the floor -- it's really tiny.

Once the gear is on and the pin in place, put the actuator cap back on, replace the locking clip. Give a gentle tug to make sure it's locked in. remount the wires. If you're feeling lucky, replace the shroud (or do it after you're sure the problem is solved!) Now, start the car. The light will still be on. I took mine for a 1/4 mile drive, and cycled the sport/comfort setting a couple of times (light stayed on). Turned it off. Restarted, and the light stayed OFF. I believe the system rotates each actuator independently when the car is started, so it takes a couple cycles to get them synced. I'm not sure changing the setting did anything, but I couldn't resist trying.

GOOD LUCK!!

PS: I ordered a couple of gears, just in case another one goes. Seems to be common.

 

Fantastic post Mike !!!!

 

Excellent writeup--I will take a look at mine very soon...

 

Just happened to me as well, evidence below (driver rear). Fortunately this is the $31 Ricambi part SAG355:

SAG355 - F355 Suspension Actuator Gear : Ricambi America
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Ken - This is a great photo! May I use it on our website, and in exchange provide the SAG355 from your weekend order at no cost?

 

I had a problem where the plastic gear was broken inside the actuator. I resolved this by sending it to Captain Z's (Corvette fx3 shock actuator rebuilding and repair) to be rebuilt. They replace the internal plastic gears with metal ones. I believe there is also a Corvette equivalent to the F355 shock actuator.

- Tom

 

That's a nice offer Daniel.

 

Daniel - that would be awesome if you threw my photo up on Ricambi! What a generous offer...

And Tom, you are exactly right, that internal plastic reciever gear inside the actuator was broken as well. It's already packed and ready to ship to CaptainZ. I hope that in the next year or two, 3d scanners & printers may provide some of these tiny parts that can cause large bills.

I checked all other actuators and this was the only one with issues. Getting the clip back into the passenger side front actuator is a PITA.
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Just note that the actuator will have a white plastic ring around it when you get it back. They have to cut it open to get to the gears inside and then glue it back together with a plastic ring on the outside. It works great, but if you want a stock look, you will have to replace the actuator with a new one. Another option is just to switch it with a front actuator which is not visible.

 

I have a bunch of actuators I plan to send to CaptianZ but had a quick question. The units seem to be attached by this grey/white clip. They seem to be single-use. Do you know what the procedure is to remove them? Or buy replacements?

Cheers
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The units are held on with metal spring clips.... or are you talking about some kind of cable tie?

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There may be a metal bracket for supporting the connector:

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Th

Thanks for chiming in! It seems to be like a plastic clip/pin , I’ll take a better picture. I guess I can just bend it and pull it out, it looks like doing so would make it lose is firmness.

 

Ah, now that I think about it, my actuator harness has a plastic "c" clip, but no ties. It's just held in with friction.

https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/posts/146413572/

 

The plastic clip you are speaking of just pulls out. And you slide it back in when reinstalling. I have never seen a source for them, so be careful not to break them.

 

Great, thank you so much!

I appreciate you.

Cheers

 

Very informative thread, but it’s missing info about accessing to the front actuators…