458/488 Brake Recall

The brake fluid cap is such a PITA to take off because the plastic surrounding it is so high up.


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Got the letter the other day and it all makes some sense to me now.. If the brake fluid and air above it in the reservoir heat up and expand, the cap is supposed to allow the excess pressure out, but if it doesn't, then the pressure could force some fluid past the seals into the booster.

 

This suggests that overfilling the reservoir could be a problem.


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Indeed overfilling would hurt

 

I received my letter today; Whoooo!

 

Really? I had no issues at all....

 

Fingers crossed that part availability is WAY better than the great airbag recall. I think that took 5 years to get all the cars.

 

With the current supply chain issues, it may take way longer than 5 years to get to all the cars.

 

So are we to infer that Pista, F8 etc. have a different reservoir and/or cap? And that’s why they’re immune? Or that it’s the combination of our “old” cap and MC/boosters that creates the issue?

I feel a bit skeptical of any solution that just happens to be the simplest and least expensive.

 

So for those of us with a hard pedal that Ferrari has said is normal, will they replace the brake booster?


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Got my letter today as well. :-(

 

The letter states that Ferrari will reimburse you if you've already had to do the repair. I plan to send them my parts receipt, since I did the work on my own and see what they say...

 

Yeah. I still haven’t received the latest letter.


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Nothing in our letter from Ferrari states not to drive the car until the replacement part arrives and software update are completed. I plan to continue driving my 13 458 spider keeping in mind using e brake if a failure does occur.

 

I found the same thing.
My work around was to take off the plastic cover to the right of the brake reservoir (the one covering the A/C line fittings) , then stick my fingers in there, and under the tank and push up, while unscrewing cap with the other hand. When you push up on the tank, it is much easier to get torque on the cap, and easier to actually grab the cap.

 

Good question. There may be a number of different problems and causes.

I once had an M3 that ran ok in most driving but seemed short by 100 HP when pushed. It went back to the dealer several times. They checked plugs, ignition, all sorts of things.

I figured out that the likely cause was an underperforming fuel pump. They refused to change it because there were no codes indicating a failure. I told them to do it anyway, and that if it’s not the problem, I’d pay for it (car was under warranty). They did. And it was. So I got it free.

You with a hard pedal know that your problem isn’t a bad reservoir cap. It’s either a bad booster or bad check valve or line that deprives the booster of the vacuum needed for power assist. It’s also possible it’s debris in the line like one of the posters above. But changing the cap isn’t going to fix lack of boost.

Since it’s a safety issue not a “convenience” issue like my M3 pump, I’d do what it takes to fix it, and argue with Ferrari later about who should pay. Lack of good stopping ability is not normal.

Don’t buy the bs that these are racing brakes that only stop well when hot. I run OEM pads and rotors. They have always had good initial bite, even when cold, and with only moderate pedal pressure. The key is not to let a car wash or detailer use spray-on silicone tire dressing that might contaminate the rotors.

Those whose brakes are functioning normally, yeah, wait for the new cap. Maybe there’s really nothing wrong with your car anyway.



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It might behoove us all, to open the cap before each drive, to let out and previously built up pressure...

 

Every time you open the reservoir you introduce humidity into the system which is the worst thing you can do to brake fluid.

 

Maybe on a DD capacity it can truly be detrimental, but most of us I assume, drive the car sparingly...

 

Do you also brake sparingly from triple digits before entering a corner?

 

They will argue that what they would pay for is only the cheap plastic cap since according to them, it's where the problem is

So far I've been lucky with my car (braking from 166 mph less than 500 ft before a corner on track), I hope it will go on that way.

In France (and I suppose it's the same elsewhere in Europe) there is still no news of the recall (for the Takata airbags, the news also arrived long after in the US, which seems to be more sensitive specially when there is a risk of legal action).

 

And folks here often lament our legal system…

 

I didn't say I brake sparingly, I use the car sparingly, so cap won't be opened a number of times like a DD. And I don't track the car.
IMO, I think releasing pressure in my situation by removing the cap, if not every time / now and then, is better than a potential brake failure.

 

2019 488GTB here and got my letter today.

 

A little off topic, but do you know how we can clean contaminants, like silicone spray, off of the rotors? I would like to get maximum efficiency, just in case a prior owner along the way contaminated them.