Preemptive FF PTU Rebuild Experience/References

I have recently purchased a 2012 FF, 17,xxx miles, perfect shape and condition (Ferrari Dealer did a detailed PPI, and the car came through perfectly).

However, about 2 weeks after my purchase, one afternoon doing a cold start, a warning light came on saying "4WD failure, go to dealer", and at the same time, "Manettino failure". The car drove fine for the short trip I had to make (about 5 miles, with a 1o minute stop). After the 10 minute stop, the lights did not come on again, and the manettino functions worked as they were supposed to. In speaking to my local ferrari dealer, they suspect this may be an early sign of a pending PTU failure. I would rather avoid spending $35k on a new PTU (especially if it is prone to the same wear/failure in the future).

It would be helpful to hear from anyone else who has rebuilt their PTU:

1. Which re-builder?
2. How was the experience?
3. Would you recommend your re-builder to others?
4. What is the post re-build mileage now?

I assume it may take some years/miles to know if any particular re-build is stronger and a long term solution. I am familiar with the Porsche 996 IMS issue, and it appears the FF PTU issue may be a chapter out of the same book. Hoping to find more info on what makes a good re-build, and which rebuilder has a strong reputation for quality and longevity.

I would like to preemptively "rebuild" mine to a higher standard if that is possible, and avoid an all out failure.

Thanks in advance

 

I havent had to do mine but id go gte if i had to

 

Happened to me before. For me it seemed after a long time not on
Battery tender. Id do like TTforce if I had issues !


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When was the last time the car had been driven and what sort of ambient temperature are you experiencing? (No mention of your location in your profile).

The first suspect in these cases is usually the battery. Have it checked and if it isn’t in great health, replace it with a Varta (Europe) or Interstate (US).

 

And get a Noco higher amp charger for the faster reconditioning and charging! The CTEK is a bit low on amperage

 

had the same and even more failure lights. Turned out, the battery had a bad cell. Replaced it with a Varta battery. No lights going on any more.


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Thank you for the replies. In response to the questions:

• The car is in Toronto, Ontario
• I have been driving it regularly since I purchased it in September (maybe 1,000 km over a month)
• The car was not connected to the trickle charger the day the light went on (I had it out the night before); however, if I have it sitting for more than a day or two, I do connect it
• Ambient temperatures 10 to 20C (50 to 70F)
• I can install a new battery as the service records do not show a battery being installed (I am pretty sure it is not the original one, but there is no record of a battery replacement in the folder I have with the car)

 

definitely start with a new battery

 

when you do install a new battery, take the best make there is. It will pay off.


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And sometimes Ferraris throw a temporary odd code just to give you a momentary scare.

 

Thank you all. I ended up buying the extended warrantee. Expensive, but peace of mind.

Also, there are 2 outfits in NJ who have capabilities to rebuild PTUs.

Exoticars USA (Mike) was very helpful. Mike in summary explained the internal seal between the hydraulic compartment (clutches) and gearcase (gear oil) sometimes leaks and once the 2 different fluids mix, the clutches and other parts start to slip and deteriorate (my word; he can explain better himself). As per Mike, Ferrari does not offer the internal parts but their shop has a machine shop where they can custom fabricate some parts while other parts the source.

From Mike's limited experience (I think he said they have rebuilt 6, none recently, and none have been back) there is no relation to mileage, age or driving habits (they have done FF, Lusso, low mileage and high mileage cars all)

The other outfit seemed very vague and kept answering my questions with either "you already answered your own question" or that he is "an engineer and cannot answer questions that are illogical or without data" (question was what is a ball park price to rebuild, and is the rebuild they do any better than the original set up, or will have the same potential issue at some point in the future).

I think if anyone is to go down the rebuild road, they should do their own investigation.

 

Also, another unverified point I learned today from the service team at my local Ferrari dealership. The part number for the PTU has changed. They advised that while Ferrari does not provide details on any running changes or upgrades, they led me to believe the newer part is likely improved. My dealer has only had a small number of failures, and none of the replacement PTUs have failed.

Again, not verified. Just sharing what I learned.

 

That's what my dealer told me as well recently, the factory PTU would be upgraded and stronger for now...
Giving a better sense at their warranty.

 

Wouldn't it be nice if the factory has a bulletin and repair package for the dealerships to solve the issue permanently?!

 

Hehe. I can only guess what you mean with "the other outfit" but have the feeling you spoke to the same person I did... Strange people out there

 

Those warnings have been showing up on my 2012 FF now and then for the last two years, but turning the ignition off and back on always solved the problem. So I got used to living with them, since the F shop told me it has got something to do with a weak battery (even if the battery of my FF is just one year old) and "Italian" engineering.
I was at my F dealer the other day because of a brake issue (ticking sound from the right front wheel when applying the brakes). A mechanic suggested a small test ride and got into the passenger seat with the window down to confirm my description of the problem.
When I turned on the ignition the same warnings came on (4WD failure, Manettino failure).
After solving the brake issue he also checked the oil level of the PTU just to find out that half a litre of oil was missing.
Since I don't know when the oil level was last checked I'll keep an eye on that from now on.
Could be the famous oil seal on its way to car parts heaven.

 

What oil do I need for the PTU?
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Is the PTU fluid level something that should be checked every so often or is it sufficient to look for puddles or other signs? Can someone share the process for checking for sufficient levels? I will be posting this same question on a similar post from another F-Chatter. Thanks in advance.