DCT Failure

Well was driving yesterday and suddenly could not engage 1/3/5 gears and the transmission warning symbol was illuminated.

After letting the car sit and cool down, was able to shift gears again but changes were rough sometimes violent and got a few weird warning messages.

Looks like another DCT failure-- the new box will be #4!

 

Time to Lemon law it, or get another one

 

4 gearboxes? It's obvious that the problem is not in the gearbox.

 

Agreed. Can't see how it's needed 4 gearboxes. Sounds like a case of misdiagnosis?

 

IDK. The experts make the decision alfter conferring with the factory and Getrag.

I do have some miles around 47K

 

Still it is a mystery. My impression is that the DCTs were failing in Californias and 458s because of internal wiring issues that messed up the shift signals. This was rectified in later generation DCTs so it does not seem reasonable that you would get so many failures.

 

Yes that is what I was told. My last box lasted around 20K miles.
Anyway, hopefully the new box will have some improvements to this weakness

 

Problems like this and my current dealers reluctance to fix problems make me want to sell the car before the warranty ends

 

Holy crap; number 4??? Didn't know. Yeah, it's obviously an electronic issue. May I ask what year is your car? And how hard you drive it? Less than 20K on ANY transmission is just ridiculous.

No **** man. And having closest dealer over 400 miles away makes it even worse. Have until November to decide. When does yours expire?

 

My car is MY2010.

I think that the problem is the replacement boxes have the same design flaw. Hopefully I will get a newly designed box (hopefully such a version exists) and not a ' new' but older designed box with the same flaws.

 

If you keep the car you should strongly consider the extended warranty

 

Same here. An early build 2010, unfortunately. That's worrisome. By the way, if you had 1-3-5 out, also 7th. DCTs are designed to shift one gear at a time, jumping from one cltuch to the next. You didn't answer my other question, but I doubt you drive your car hard all the time. Hey, do you remember how it happened? Maybe trying to shift super quick in succession, confusing the computer? Wish there was a clear indicator, to try to avoid it. Take care.

 

My understanding is that the flaw had been addressed in later generation boxes. I suppose it is possible that your particular replacements were all earlier generations, which would be bizarre in another way.

 

I don't usually buy extended warranties but will probably do so for my early '11 458. It seems like the probability of failure risk times the cost to replace may be larger than the cost of the warranty. I wish we had some data on frequency of failure. We tend to hear about the failures but not the ones that go for a long time and don't break.

 

I don't think I was driving hard at all.
But the box was doing some weird things for a few weeks. In first gear, sometimes I though the clutch was slipping-revs went up a bit but not much feeling of acceleration .
Then I got a weird warning from the left TFT " Operation not Admissible". If you see that flash on your screen it is a bad sign--you will need a new box soon!

 

Hard to say. Getrag doesn't tell the customer what went wrong. They just take back the old box and authorize Ferrari to get a credit on a new box. Ferrari then gives the customer what they have in stock at their local parts distribution house which for the US is somewhere in the East Coast maybe NJ. I don't know if Ferrari even knows which boxes are which older vs newer stock. My second new box only lasted 6,000 miles.

Your 458 may have a different box than the Cali because the power of the engine and the actual gear ratios are most likely different.

But if you don't drive a lot then you may never see a failure. Some Ferrari owners put only a thousand miles a year on their car.

 

What I hope is not true is that Ferrari just drew down its existing inventory of generation-1 transmissions and just reloaded the cars with the same failure-prone box. We just don't know.

Yes, the boxes on the Cali and 458 are different. They are geared differently and the shift software is much different, resulting in a different sensation during shifting. The common problems suggest a common source that is not connected with the actual gears or the operating software.

 

Yes I think your analysis may be correct.

HEAT and VIBRATION and FLUIDS may cause electrical wires connections sensors and IC's tto fail.

 

At the VERY least I would insist Ferrari North America offers a written undertaking (transferable to the next owner) that covers unlimited future gearbox failures, particularly when the car is no longer covered by the express warranty

Whilst specific laws in relation to warranties varies by state and country, this broad statement is generally correct

Goods and services need to be "fit for purpose", ie they need to perform as one would reasonably expect

So in the event that the manufacturers "express" or statutory warranty expires, there is a good chance your gearbox would still be covered under an "implied" warranty

If it were me I would engage a friend that is a lawyer to ensure your rights are protected

If you we're having trouble with the cupholder I wouldn't suggest you bother but go can be sure once the car is out of "new car" warranty they will do a good job at attempting not to cover 100% of the repair costs

I think it's time to start to minimise your potential exposure

4, FOUR!!!!!!! Gearbox failures is terrible

I can't believe you are so calm about it, I wouldn't be I hate to say

I suggest they fond you a gearbox that was produced in the last 6 months and give you that statement in writing of the date of manufacture

I would also raise the hypothetical

"In the event that a fifth gearbox fails what remedy will be offered

I hope it all works out

 

If it were me I would get rid of the car . I do not believe the later cars have these problems although you will take a hit trade it in on a 2012 model or better yet a 2013..
Just me and my 2 cents

 

That car should be lemon'ed to prevent some poor future owner from inheriting the problem unknowingly (with car out of warranty)...
Jes

 

4 gearbox failures isn't bad...it's ridiculous. I have had chronic roof system problems but they keep getting corrected. It really makes me worried about keeping the car past the warranty date. It had always been my intention to keep the car long term but I am a bit afraid. I was never afraid of my Porsches but this is a diff ball of wax.

 

Agree. Ferrari has made great strides in reliability and reduced maintenance costs. They need to address the transmission issue head on, lest they risk this improved image.

 

Improved image? You are kidding me right? Ferrari since the 70's (my involvement with them) has never really improved anything except to throw in another bad part and kick you down the road. Eventually you will tire of this and sell the car to the next poor sole. The Ferrari retirement plan is to fix and fix these cars until they are crashed. They will get you at the dealer or through parts. More and more the indys are being screened out. Just wait until the future SD's all run via the web and indy's don't get to play at any price.

 

First I'd like to thank everyone for their advice.
I've tried to keep a calm head and try to understand the problem.

The suggestion to find out what version or date of manufacture for the next DCT is a good one.
I recall that I asked about that before and found out that it was a current serial number.

Involking the lemon law is a good idea-- my only question has to do with the fact that the car is 60 days away from expiration of the 3 yr factory warranty ?

Selling /trading the car is also an idea. I would probably get another Ferrari though. And they all use DCT. But still I could end up with a better situation or about the same?

One other possibility is to keep the car and get the extended warranty but at a discount!