Selecting suspension mode on a 355

You can change it at any time, as far as I know. I have done it while driving as well as when parked.

 

Yes you can press the button at anytime.

There are 4 small motors sitting on top of the suspension dampers (you can see them in the engine compartment, red round things) they rotate the damping adjusters constantly, relative to what the car is doing (speed etc).

Pressing the button simply changes the profile that these adjusters follow.

In my car (98 Berlinetta) normal is Sports/hard (Ferrari after all!) and when you press the button and light comes on it goes into Comfort/soft. Some 355's are the other way around (Spiders I think - as they have a "Sports" button rather than a "Shock Absorber" button).

 

I have a late 98 GTS and I have a sport button, pushing or rather flipping it will set the suspension in sport mode and a yellow indicxation will light up.

 

As far as i know "manual gearbox" 355s have the "shock absorber" button which firms up the suspension. But in the later "F1 gearbox" versions the button was changed as SPORT because it also controls the gear change sharpness within the suspension. Am i right ?

 

That is probably it! My car is an F1.

 

Makes sense re:F1 but my car (not F1 and in the owners guide) its definately stiff and flicking the switch makes it softer. I would say manual cars have a comfort button and F1 a sports button if you get my drift.

 

My 97 spider gets stiffer when the sport mode is turned on " illuminated".



Darrell.

 

Darrell,
Check the owner's manual, it should actually be the opposite when you flip the switch and the yellow light is illuminated...that is when it is in "comfort" mode. The normal setting with the light off is "sport".

Dave

 

I run my 96 355 GTS in soft mode for road use.
It will immediately stiffens up if it you get it loaded up by sporty driving.
Soft is more comfortable and easier on the bodyshell.

JP

 

1998 F1 berlinetta and:

- light off: comfort mode (soft suspensions)
- light on: sport mode (stiffer suspensions and quick gear change)

Vittorio

 

That is what I was told exactly.....

 

For an F1 (car with a "Sport Button")

For manual/stick shift its a "Comfort Button" and the opposite applies.

 

I am speaking to Darrell (DMOORE), and he does NOT have F1, so it works the opposite for him.

Dave