CS Front End Clicking - Any updated fixes?

Sorry to hear your CS is still afflicted with clicking noises. I've experienced them and they are very disconcerting in a car you expect to be tight as a drum.

You've probably read my posts conveying I went through the same thing until I requested the dealer replace the 360 shock pins with the 430 teflon coated shock pins. Since doing so, I've kept a keen eye on the problem, continued to put miles on the car, chalking up about 5K miles in the last 6 months, many on rough road trips. During that time with the 430 shock pins, I've not had ANY return of the clicking noises. I'm pleased with the outcome insofar as I know the treatment has gone to the source of the problem. 5K miles is not an insignificant test. But, as forewarned by another CS owner who also installed the 430 shock pins, the noise may come back suggesting the teflon on the 430 shock pins doesn't stand up.

Installing the 430 shock pins isn't standard therapy as far as the dealer is concerned. They did all the other things you are talking about under warranty. So I paid for it myself, costing around $600. They agree the treatment has solved the problem thus far and so, surely, that must put everyone on a more focused approach to solving this problem on a lasting basis. Why not try the shock pins and if you dealer won't pay, cost-share.

Hope this helps; good luck!

 

i brought my car in today for a fix. seems like it is achilles tendon of the cs!

 

The ball joints tend to have problems on the CS.

 

Does this remedy also apply to clicking suspension noises on 550's ??
Ron

 

I dont want to hijack the tread but on my 550 I have a clicking noise from the front when I turn the steering wheel hard, e.g. reversing out of garage. More apparent when cold. With the front jacked up there is no noise when I move teh steering wheel. I had the front realigned and the noise may have started to be more apparent then.
Is it a related problem to the CS?
Ron

 

Sorry, can't comment anything of value on the problem in your 550. What I can say from my CS experience, and from others with the same problem, is the clicking and creaking noises announced themselves most distinctly when ALL three of the following took place (i) going relatively slow, (ii) turning, and (iii) going over an uneven surface. Example, slowing down, turning into a driveway, over an uneven surface, would produce annoying creaking and clicking noises. To a far lesser extent, I'd hear noises on rough, uneven roads. But I don't recall hearing any noises at high speeds on relatively good roads, cornering or whatever. Good luck.

 

That was the same problem on my CS, front clicking/knocking noise that sounded to come from the cabin, somewhere under the dash. Finally, it was the front lower shock bolts. The dealer took them off & lubed the with Molykote lubricant. As you said, it took about 30 minutes & the problem was solved.

AS PER WWW.FERRARITECHINFO.COM, DO A SEARCH ON CHALLENGE STRADALE & this is what you get.


Screw Fastening Shock Absorber to Suspension Lever TI Challenge Stradale 172
______________________________ Ferrari North America, Inc. Technical Department Page 1 of 2 FERRARI NORTH AMERICA, INC. TECHNICAL SERVICE DEPARTMENT TECHNICAL INFORMATION Area Model Bulletin n° Date Pages 6 1257 October 2004 2 SUBJECT: Screw Fastening Shock Absorber to Suspension Lever For your information as of Assembly No. 51430 new fastening screws coated with Molykote spray on the area where the screw and shock connect together (A – Fig.

 

I would like to try this suggestion for the 550, how do I remove the front lower shock bolts - apart from jacking up the car do I need a separate jack under the shock arm to relieve the tension?
Thanks,
Ron

 

Yes you do. Once the tension is relieved, the bolt comes out easily.

 

I had the local dealer replace my lower shock bolts with the 430 bolts, as suggested above. Turns out there is a campagn for this, so all creaking CS owners should get there car down to a dealer for the fix.

 

Hi, my CS also has the clicking thing going on, if someone is able to provide me with some sort of documentation for this campaign I will greatlly appreciate it, here in mexico with only 1 of 3 CS still in one pieces... trust me they dont care.

David

 

As per my previous post #12!!!

 

John,

Simply lubricating the bolts and reinstalling them will not fix the problem. Drive a few miles or track the car and it will be creaking again. The new campagn specifies replacing the bolts with 430 bolts.

 

I just talked to my dealer. The service manager is aware that CSs have this problem, but he said it isn't a service campaign, but thinks it is a technical bulletin.

The difference being a campaign says that the dealer fixes the car irregardless of a customer complaint. The bulletin is *if* the owner mentions it.

So my issue is this...my warantee is up in 4-5 months. I have no idea if the bolts have been replaced as I bought mine used. Do I make up a story to have a problem I have yet to have fixed? Have them check no matter what? or wait to see if it ever actually does happen at all??

 

Thanks TOC for posting this. As you know, several of us tackled the creaking/knocking noises on our CSs by replacing the 360 shock pins with the teflon coated 430 shock pins AT OUR OWN EXPENSE. And, while there is cautious optimism this will be a long-term solution, it seems to work immediately to eliminate the problem over the short term. On my CS, for example, it has eliminated the problem for the last 5K miles.

On reading the Ferrari technical advisory note that you post, I'm not sure if it identifies exactly the same problem area that the teflon coated 430 shock pins seem to solve. I will surely ask my dealer. If it does address the same problem area, that is good news for two reasons. First, it will facilitate CS owners to receive corrective action if they experience a problem -- which I believe will manifest in all CSs eventually. Second, if/when the evidence builds among CS owners, it should set the stage for us to strongly request a RECALL so our, otherwise, impeccable CSs can be restored to glory.

Why Ferrari doesn't do this NOW is beyond me because (i) all CSs are still under warranty and will be in the shop for one minor reason or the other over the next 12 months, and (ii) the cost and installation of the 430 shock pins in chicken feed (<$500).

Please keep this post alive with new and relevant informtion until we nail down a lasting, corrective intervention from Ferrari.

Cheers.

 

Thanks TOC for posting this. As you know, several of us tackled the creaking/knocking noises on our CSs by replacing the 360 shock pins with the teflon coated 430 shock pins AT OUR OWN EXPENSE. And, while there is cautious optimism this will be a long-term solution, it seems to work immediately to eliminate the problem over the short term. On my CS, for example, it has eliminated the problem for the last 5K miles.

On reading the Ferrari technical advisory note that you post, I'm not sure if it identifies exactly the same problem area that the teflon coated 430 shock pins seem to solve. I will surely ask my dealer. If it does address the same problem area, that is good news for two reasons. First, it will facilitate CS owners to receive corrective action if they experience a problem -- which I believe will manifest in all CSs eventually. Second, if/when the evidence builds among CS owners, it should set the stage for us to strongly request a RECALL so our, otherwise, impeccable CSs can be restored to glory.

Why Ferrari doesn't do this NOW is beyond me because (i) all CSs are still under warranty and will be in the shop for one minor reason or the other over the next 12 months, and (ii) the cost and installation of the 430 shock pins in chicken feed (<$500).

Please keep this post alive with new and relevant informtion until we nail down a lasting, corrective intervention from Ferrari.

Cheers.

 

Hi: I am new here, but maybe I can help,

All CS's are not still under warranty, I have found some that were not in the past couple of weeks.

A campaign is a goverment mandated (from the EPA, NHTSA, etc.) recall to repair a safety or non compliance defect in motor vehicles directed at the vehicle manufacturers, it is to be carried out by their agents (new car dealers) at no cost to any vehicle owner of any included vehicle, at any mileage or age of the vehicle, also the vehicle VIN's that were updated or repaired must be reported back to the agency that issued the recall.

A bulletion is for dealer information only, there are many types of bulletions, (including "restricted do not reproduce or distribute" confidential bulletions that are hand delivered to upper manegement personal by the manufactors representatives) A technical service bulletion may describe a condition that is not explained in service manuals to help technicians diagnose and repair vehicles, or it may be about updated parts or revised service procedures. It also can be about a part number change or any other information a dealership may need to know about to service vehicles.

A bulletion will only be done under new car warranty at no cost to the owner if the vehicle is included in the VIN and or the build time stated in the bulletion and the customer has a verifiable service request that the bulletion will fix.

 

I forgot to mention in my previous post that sometimes a manufacturer will often do a voluntary recall to keep from having an investigation done by the NHTSA, EPA etc, that way the manufacturer can come up with a cheap patch fix to save costs and look like they care after issues are "under reveiw" by NHTSA because of complaints, and they know it is going to cause a forced recall campaign anyway.

When an governmental agency gets involved, it has to be a real engineering study and a proven fix, that can be costly, not to mention other vehicle defects, cover ups and hidden issues that can come to light during the investigation.

As the user rifledriver references to in his signatures, The general rule vehicle manufacturers live by is "treat everybody like mushrooms, keep them in the dark and feed them manure"

 

Hi Motion

Sorry about that. I wasn't aware that they changed the fix for this problem.

Thanks
John