Changing Transmission Oil | FerrariChat

Changing Transmission Oil

Discussion in 'California/Portofino/Roma' started by Anthony Troy Taylor, Oct 26, 2019.

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  1. Anthony Troy Taylor

    Mar 23, 2019
    22
    Full Name:
    Anthony T
    I had a quick question, on the transmission, there are 3 drain plugs on the passenger bottom side of the transmission, and one slightly different drain plug, that's facing down, but higher up on the driver side.

    Do these all drain for the main compartment? I got a shift actuators code on the transmission after the gear oil change. Wondering if thats something to do with draining something I shouldnt have.
     
  2. Motob

    Motob Formula 3
    Professional Ferrari Technician

    Nov 11, 2003
    2,238
    Frederick, Maryland
    Full Name:
    Brian Brown
    The middle plug on the right side is the drain for the DCT oil. The plug on the left side is the DTC fill plug. You drained out the DTC oil and did not refill it. Do not start or drive the car until you fill the DTC portion of the transmission, or you risk damaging the transmission!

    Get a repair manual or the pages of the manual covering the drain and fill procedures on the gear oil and DTC oil so you know how to correctly perform these procedures.

    Brian Brown
    San Francisco Motorsports
     
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  3. Anthony Troy Taylor

    Mar 23, 2019
    22
    Full Name:
    Anthony T
    Is the oil plug at the end (rear facing) not the fill plug?
    I took out 3.75 liters, and put back 3.75 liters in, so im sure I have enough in there.
    I filled it on the rear cover.

    Do you know where I could find the manual for service.
     
  4. Motob

    Motob Formula 3
    Professional Ferrari Technician

    Nov 11, 2003
    2,238
    Frederick, Maryland
    Full Name:
    Brian Brown
    The Getrag 7DCL750 gearbox that is used on your car is basically like an automatic transmission and a manual transmission combined into one unit. You drained the gearbox lubricant (from the front and rear plugs on the right side of the housing), which lubricates the metal parts of the mechanical portion of the gearbox (gears, synchros, shift forks, bearings), and then refilled just mechanical portion of the gearbox through the fill port in the back of the rear cover with gear lubricant (hopefully 75W-90 Ferrari/Shell DTC gear oil).

    The automatic portion of your gearbox uses basically a special hydraulic oil/ATF to operate/lubricate the clutches, shift solenoids/actuators, pressure sensors, etc. You drained all of this oil out when you removed the middle plug on the right side of the gearbox, but did not refill it through the plug on the upper left side of the gearbox. This portion of the gearbox is now empty and will be damaged if you try to operate the car with no lubricant in it. It take roughly 9 qts of Ferrari/Shell DTC-F3 oil which is filled through a stand pipe inside the plug on the left side of the transmission using a special fill tool/pipe (which you will need to fabricate)

    Both the gearbox and DTC oil levels must be checked with the engine running, the gearbox in reverse (brake pedal depressed) and the engine coolant temperature between 40-50 degrees C.

    You can purchase a service manual from Ferrari, or find a copy of one on the internet (ebay?).

    I would not even start your car until you fill the hydraulic portion of the transmission, otherwise you are going to damage it.

    Brian Brown
    San Francisco Motorsports
     
  5. Anthony Troy Taylor

    Mar 23, 2019
    22
    Full Name:
    Anthony T
    Hey Brian,
    Thanks for the info, I'll 100% look and try and find a service manual.

    So the middle portion I need to fill from the left side, that higher up plug with ATF fluid. Which takes care of the Automatic section of the transmission.
    I'll do that tomorrow and see if that corrects my issue.

    I've driven the car, only about 500 feet then it was stored. Im hoping I didn't do any damage.
    I'm not sure how much I drained out, as with all 3 plugs on the right, it wasnt more than 4 liters all together.

    So Im sure I didnt take out all 9 qts of teh ATF fluid.

    Just want to thank you again for your help.
     
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  6. Anthony Troy Taylor

    Mar 23, 2019
    22
    Full Name:
    Anthony T
    Follow up question until I get shipped my service manual, how do you drain all 9 qrts of the ATF fluid.
     
  7. Anthony Troy Taylor

    Mar 23, 2019
    22
    Full Name:
    Anthony T
    Was able to buy the Shell DCT-F3 oil, I bought a Ferrari Service manual, and they show how to fill the ATF fluid, but it doenst tell you how to try and drain the system.
    Could you give me any advice to purge most of the 9qrts out of the System? I'm assuming the non drip quick connects are the ATF fluid for the system.
     
  8. Motob

    Motob Formula 3
    Professional Ferrari Technician

    Nov 11, 2003
    2,238
    Frederick, Maryland
    Full Name:
    Brian Brown
    You have already drained the ATF from the transmission when you removed the middle plug on the right lower portion of the transmission housing. The is no need to disconnect the cooler line disconnects unless the fluid in the car is contaminated. I would just fill the transmission at the fill plug/stand pipe at the left side of the gearbox.
     
  9. Anthony Troy Taylor

    Mar 23, 2019
    22
    Full Name:
    Anthony T
    Well the reason I asked is, I dont know when last it was ever changed or topped up with fluid, and I was doing fluid changes on everything.
    I bought the car with a blown transmission and was in the process of fixing it up.

    After your recommendation, I went out and bought Liqui Moly Top Tec 1200 just to fill and check to make sure it was a fluid level issue, vs a host of other problems being a previously damaged transmission that was rebuilt.

    So after I topped up with the Top Tec 1200 ATF, the warning went away and everything was working much be, so my plan was to drain the Top Tec 1200 + old ATF fluid combo, and fill it with Red Line DCTF.
     
  10. daytona355

    daytona355 F1 World Champ
    BANNED

    Mar 25, 2009
    12,655
    London
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    Sid Korshak
    fantastic piece Brian, even a dummy like me could follow that (well, nearly!)! It never ceases to amaze me how much knowledge is on this site, and how nice people are that they share it so readily with other owners... thank you.
     
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  11. 488gtbb

    488gtbb Rookie

    Aug 6, 2022
    23
    Full Name:
    Blackice
    Which oil is recommended for DCT and DTC?

    Does Shell makes both DCT and DTC oils?
     
  12. Mhoram

    Mhoram Karting

    Apr 15, 2009
    62
    #12 Mhoram, Feb 16, 2023
    Last edited: Feb 16, 2023
    I used Motuel 109464 that FCP Euro recomend for the mercedes SLS since it has the same transmission and I couldn't find the Shell fuild Ferrari specs in the workshop manual anywhere.

    It seems like SLS owners have good experience with that fuild.

    FCP also has the fill adaptor. It's just threads into the fill port and has a smaller hole that nearly fit the hose on my bottle pump. I used a little mastic tape to create finish a seal. But I suspect a rubber stopper with a hole would work similarly.

    You can search my posts for a link to the workshop manual that walks you through the procedure. The trick is you over fill it and get the transmission up to temp and then let fuild run out to get to the right level and you really need a computer that can display the temperature to do the job correctly.

    Sent from my SM-G973U using Tapatalk
     
    488gtbb likes this.
  13. 488gtbb

    488gtbb Rookie

    Aug 6, 2022
    23
    Full Name:
    Blackice
    Thank you ~!!!! much appreciated!
     

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