Ferrari 458 DCT | FerrariChat

Ferrari 458 DCT

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by furshah, Oct 25, 2025.

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  1. furshah

    furshah Rookie

    May 22, 2019
    3
    Full Name:
    furhawn shah
    Hi,

    Is a transmission jerk at low revs when shifting up 1st to 2nd and down 2nd to first normal or a sign for a failing DCT. This is in sport not race mode. I experienced this during a test drive of a 2011 458 with 40k plus miles.

    Thank you!
     
  2. Racer_X

    Racer_X Karting

    Oct 20, 2017
    135
    MI
    Full Name:
    Tom
  3. FFan5

    FFan5 Formula Junior

    Jul 7, 2018
    556
    Was the car properly warmed up?
     
  4. furshah

    furshah Rookie

    May 22, 2019
    3
    Full Name:
    furhawn shah
    Yes. It continued to happen after 15 min of highway driving.
     
  5. vjd3

    vjd3 F1 Rookie
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 3, 2005
    2,838
    Massachusetts
    Full Name:
    Vic
    100 percent not normal … doesn’t sound like the typical DCT failure — warning light or loss of odd or even gears (sensor going bad), or fluid leaking from the weep hole when running (seal failure) — that sounds like a mechanical issue. You can manually downshift from 2nd to 1st rolling up to a stop sign and not feel a thing even in race mode.
     
    Sargepug likes this.
  6. Kent Adams

    Kent Adams F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 11, 2020
    3,543
    I usually just let the car do that automatically while in manual.
     
  7. Monteman

    Monteman Formula 3

    Feb 9, 2006
    2,353
    Santa Barbara, CA
    Full Name:
    Monte
    My car usually jerks slightly when it's cold. As soon as the car gets warmed up, it's fine.
     
  8. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 23, 2014
    5,494
    I would say yes. It's funny but the transmission does need to warm up for 10-15 minutes. Then it will give you a jolt if you shift under a load. Modern DCTs are so smooth they don't do this but you should get a little bang when you shift. Not as big as single clutch but you still should feel it. I typically do not shift from 2nd back down to 1st. This situation is usually at a stop sign and I just shift into neutral then back into first when I go. This was left over from my F430 which would burn the clutch if you shifted from 2nd to 1st. The 458 doesn't burn the clutch but I just don't like spiking the revs when going from 2nd to 1st.
     
  9. Kent Adams

    Kent Adams F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 11, 2020
    3,543
    There is no need to shift from 2nd to 1st in manual mode nor to go to neutral at a stop sign. I can't think of a situation where there is a need to do any of that.
     
  10. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Jan 23, 2014
    5,494
    If you are coming to a stop instead of leaving it in second and instead of shifting it to first you shift to neutral, stop, then shift in to first to go. Otherwise you are sitting there in 2nd and starting from zero in second which isn't great for the engine.
     
  11. LVP488

    LVP488 F1 Veteran

    Jan 21, 2017
    6,219
    France
    I think (in Sport mode at least) there is a control of the revs by the system; so while the speed decreases, it will shift automatically to first in manual when the revs reach the low threshold for second gear. IIRC the same applies when accelerating; in race the limiter would regulate the engine (stopping acceleration) but in sport the box would automatically upshift, even in manual.
     
  12. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Veteran
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    Jan 23, 2014
    5,494
    Interesting. I will check this out. I always drive in Race but I'll check out Sport on the way home.
     
  13. vjd3

    vjd3 F1 Rookie
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    Jun 3, 2005
    2,838
    Massachusetts
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    Vic
    If you are in Race and roll up to a stop sign, it stays in second for a few moments, if you want to just touch the brakes and go off in first, you either wait or downshift it to first. Otherwise you take off in second. But that second to first downshift, you can't even feel it in my car (13 Spider). OP asked about low revs. I'm sure if you are at 5k or something and shift from second to first, you will get a jerk out of it from the abrupt change in revs. But just rolling near idle, you shouldn't feel a thing.
     
  14. Kent Adams

    Kent Adams F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 11, 2020
    3,543
    My 458 does not work like that. If I'm in manual and coming to a stop sign, I will shift to 2nd to engine break a bit, but then the car will automatically shift to 1st at a certain speed and its imperceptible. Once I move from the stop sign, I'm in first. It never leaves me in 2nd gear. My car, a 2010, works differently than what yours is doing. Works the same for me in all modes (race, sport etc.)
     
  15. mikey64

    mikey64 Formula Junior
    Owner Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 26, 2013
    631
    TN
    Full Name:
    mikey
    Same as above for me in 2013 Italia. Manual mode auto-downshifts to first gear when below threshold speed almost stopped. In race, sport or wet mode. If I want to manually 2-1 I still wait until quite low speed to avoid over engine braking.
     
  16. Sargepug

    Sargepug Formula Junior

    Mar 23, 2020
    895
    NYC
    Same here on y '14, for the auto 2-1 @ low rpms, while in manual. I never shift manually from 2-1 and learned this back in '14. While I was renting a F430 Spider with an instructor in Monte Carlo, to drive part of the F1 circuit and then the surrounding French mountainside. I shifted manually from 2-1 and he said to never do this, that 1st gear is used only for starting off, from a full stop.....
     
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  17. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Veteran
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    Jan 23, 2014
    5,494
    I was also told on the F430 not to sit at a light or a stop sign in 1. Thus the carry over to the 458 of shifting to neutral at a stop. Not actually sure if its as hard on the DCT or not.
     
  18. vjd3

    vjd3 F1 Rookie
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    Jun 3, 2005
    2,838
    Massachusetts
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    Vic
    Paid more attention yesterday, mine will in fact drop to 1st by itself once the car is coming to a complete halt, but here in the land of rotaries (traffic circles), it's pretty common to "almost" stop in 2nd as you yield before you hit the gas again, which is when I shift it into first manually, but there is never any sort of jerk or vibration doing so.
     
  19. Sargepug

    Sargepug Formula Junior

    Mar 23, 2020
    895
    NYC
    My 458 does not shift automatically to neutral, yours does or am I misinterpreting what you are saying?
     
  20. 3POINT8

    3POINT8 F1 Veteran
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    Jan 23, 2014
    5,494
    My apologies, I mean I shift to neutral. Just an old habit I guess.
     

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