355 Sport Mode: Couple Questions

1) When you activate the sport mode, does it lower the ride height at all?

2) Is it OK to turn off the car with the sport mode still on?

3) What actually happens with when you hit sport mode? I know the shock actuators turn the gear at the top of the shock. Do they just pre-load the fluid so there is less compression & rebound or does that gear compress the shock?

Thanks in advance.
-Aron

 

1) No

2) Yes

3) Seems to only effect rebound damping, not compression. It is not compressing anything, it is adjusting a valve, I believe.

 

helpful - I'd been wondering too.

 

I notice a big difference with rebound when activated. I'm just not sure whether it feels more harsh compressing over bumps.

Thanks for the input. I wasn't sure if I'd have more problems clearing speed humps if I left it activated by mistake. Also wondering if there was an impact to the shocks or actuators if just left in Sport all the time (even when garaged for days at a time).

I was also thinking to photograhing some action to see whether body roll, dive, and squat is affected at all. Seat of the pants tells me less roll for sure. Jury is out on the dive/squat.

 

Read the owners manual and workshop manual, there is a lot of good information on how the suspension works.

I notice the same in sport mode, more rebound damping only...not compression damping. If I go out of sport mode on the freeway I immediately notice the suspension gets more "loose" and "floaty", but the ride appears to have the same firmness.

 

Great info!! I was unsure about this as well. Thanks for the input.

 

Oh.. the polite RTFM. So, I did. The manual is just high level blab, but the workshop manual was great.

For others tracking this, in summary pressing the Sport switch does nothing directly with the actuators. The ECU is programmed with 2 maps: Comfort & Sport. The ECU uses a myriad of sensors (including actuator position sensors) to determine the speed, brake input, and various g-load on the car which it then applies to the appropriate setting map to affect each shock individually using the actuators. The actuators turn a valve that varies the rate of fluid flow (i.e. stiffness) between the upper and lower portions of the shock. The valve can be open, closed, or any minor adjustment in between. The map for Sport mode is obviously more aggressive with regard to shock stiffness.

As for turning off or starting the car in Sport mode, it implies there should be no issue since the system runs a self test by opening and closing the valve via the actuators at start up and I think the idle settings are essentially the same (valve open).

whew....

 

Personaly, I never managed to see any difference between the two modes. I however clearely ear the actuator working when the turning the key. So the system seams working, but the difference is IMO so litle that I can't notice it ...

 

That's odd---mine is def. different in feeling----a big difference...

 

I don't notice much difference either, though there is a barely noticable reduction in harshness over city bumps/cracks. I think it has something to do with a previous owner adjusting my car to the minimum or at least close to minimum ride height. Anyone else have their car dropped on the stock suspension and have this experience? 285, is your car at factory height?

 

It was noticable when mine was in the sport mode. I only used it pool table smooth roads.

I sold my 355 and miss it.

 

I have not noticed much difference at low speed...I only noticed a difference over 50+ mph. Again, it seems to only effect rebound damping, and the car overall just felt more "floaty" at speed.

 

I'm sure this is a dumb question. Is it in comfort mode when the switch is down and the light is on the dash? I see in some cars it says sport on the switch. Mine just shows a shock. I looked at the manual and it looks like the switch is down for comfort mode in the picture but doesn't really explain it. I've had it in both to see if I could tell the differece, but they seem the same. Although I've never drove it hard with the swith down and the light on.

 

I have no clue if my sport mode works; never see the light come on. I usually drive around with it on, but really dont notice a difference either in shock stiffness or F1 shift speed. One of these days Ill take out the console to check if my dash light works...

 

Bump! Anyone?

 

It varies by version. I know on the 6 speed manual Spiders it is always in sport, and is "soft" when you flip the switch on, which turns on the light on the dash.

 

With my '98 6-speed, the Ferrari dealer told me it was in sport mode when the light is off, and comfort mode when I switch and the light is on. He said most people think the opposite. I also have a difficult time telling the difference in the ride stiffness.