458 2012 458 crazy jerks/tugging during Upshifts and Downshifts

Hello Friends,

Happy 4th. Hope everyone is safe and healthy. My 458 Spider has been occasionally exhibiting a weird behavior during upshifts and downshifts...in any mode - Race, Sport, etc. The jerking is really strong and almost feels like its locking the rear wheels....this behavior happens in the lower gears and lower rpms: 1 through 5 at 6k rmp and under, below 50mph speed

Scenario : first start of the day...car runs fine, shifts through all gears like butter, no issues whatsoever, I drive for a while 40-50miles going through all gear, rpms and under 80mph...no issues at all. I park the care for more than 30mins and then head out, it starts this behavior when I upshift from 1 through 5...its jerks like crazy..it kinda jolts me from my seat..mostly from 1-2 and 3. During downshifts, in lower gears specially 3-2-1, it almost feels like the tires are locking up...nothings displays in the dash, no error codes, not traction control messages..nothing! but once I get into high rpms and gears, it runs fine. it usually exhibits this behavior when I am doing in town speed limits, runs totally fine on the highways. It shifts through the entire range and does not skip gears during upshift or downshift - like odd or even. I tried diff rpm ranges during shifts - low and high but it still does it...once it revs upto to 6k+ and speeds of over 50mph, its runs smooth again. This behavior usually happens when the car is under 50mph and in lower gears, 1 through 3 mostly and sometimes 4 and 5. may be I should always drive it over 60mph lol

Research : read through the forums for similar behavior and reported diagnosis/fixes were...DCT full gear box/transmission replacement, issues with speed sensor relays, software update, transmission fluid not topped up, gearbox speed sensor failure, paddle shifter module failure, old battery, 2010-2011 Cali and 458's had transmission issues, 2012 on wards the issue was corrected by FNA for the most part.

My car : 2012 458 Spider, 13K miles, factory warranty expired last year, daily driver, I baby my car and not an aggressive driver, never tracked it..been on a few spirited drives but nothing abusive. This is my 3rd Ferrari, 360 Spider & 430 Spider both F1. Been to many training courses on the track so knowledgeable with rpm vs gear vs speed dynamics and paddle shifter usage. Always drive in Race mode with soft suspension on. Car had its annual service done at an Indy shop in March and I put close to 1500miles since. Plugged in the ODB tool and no error codes. Brand new Michelin tires.

Car will most probably go into the same shop next week for diagnosis and repair...fingers crossed!! Hopefully nothing major. Will keep you all posted.

Stay safe!

James

 

Both my AMG GTS and 458 could occasionally be clunky on downshifts at slow speeds, which makes me think it is just the transmission. They use the same box. But if it is clunky on upshifts in auto mode, then I'd take it in. If it is clunky in manual mode, that makes some sense. You've hinted that you want faster shifts by being in manual mode.

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Clunky is fine but it really feels like tugging and definitely doesnt feel normal. I know the jerkiness folks talk about on the 458’s...this feels weird [emoji17]

 

Did you extend the power warranty?

Say ten Hail Enzos! I've heard prices of $14-16k to fix a DCT or mid $30ks for OEM replacement.

 

No power warranty...gotto see what the diagnosis comes back as [emoji1694][emoji1694][emoji1694]

 

Okay, try this. Take the car out (in sport mode) let it warm up in auto mode and then switch to manual (stay in sport), and shift as soon as you see the arrows. If it shifts perfectly, it is very likely not the transmission.

 

My FF was 17k and it’s basically the same


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I wonder if there's something else in play here. Both the 458 and Cali engines have been knows to get carbon build-up and dirty injectors. I know of situations where this has caused bucking in shifts. Might be worth considering running a couple of tanks with CRC injector cleaner and then have the oil changed after. Not saying it is 100% the case, but it is worth a try on an eight year old 458.

 

I second this. All in all, even with a gearbox in mint condition and minimal wear, these cars just hate slow speeds and city traffic in general, no matter what. They just weren’t built for that.

Kind regards,

Nuno.

 

Carnut - tried the steps you laid out brother...shifts like butter no issues in sport when switched from auto to manual. However during the same drive...when I downshift/upshift at low speeds/rpms any mode - race, sports, ct off etc..it gets very jerky specially 3-2-1...thanks for the steps bro [emoji1360][emoji1688]

 

Co-Pilota - will def give this a try..thanks much [emoji1688][emoji1374]

 

These cars have touchy throttles (mine has been programmed to be linear), which probably does not help, but there is also something to what AB and Nuno said. These cars like to be driven in a certain way, they like to be shifted early in 1st (been like that since the early cars that 1st was just a rolling gear like a 512), and even in 2nd. I drive my cars with all nannies off, and had mine out yesterday. I was able to duplicate what you experienced with a combination of pressure on the gas pedal and shifting at different RPM's. People tend to lift of the gas pedal during shifts as well, something else these cars do not always like. I have an AMT GTS and a 911 with PDK, they too can get a little jerky if you try hard enough, but they are not as easy to get to duplicate what the 458 does.

 

Update : SAP - Shift Actuator Plate for odd gears is faulty. Attached is the screenshot from Leonardo Diagnostics Tool

Diagnosis : cleared all the codes, software reset, removed the battery and let it sit over night. Fired up in the morning and when started to drive, experienced the same low gear/rpm jerky behavior but a few mins into driving got the tranny light and was immediately followed by odd gears not shifting

What stumps me is, the car was shifting all gears before without any issues except for the jerkiness part...but after clearing the codes and resetting to factory software, it started to loose odd gears and throwing all errors for SAP

Anyways, car is going under the knife soon. Will
keep you all posted.

Stay Safe!

James Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Ah bummer matey. At least you have it diagnosed and it wasn't returned to you as "normal behavior."

 

I experienced jerky shifts when I got my 458. I changed the battery and the transmission has been smoother since then. Perhaps something you can try before trying anything on the transmission itself.


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Battery checked out fine mate...issue escalated from jerky shifts to loosing odd gears and throwing SAP error...no option but to split the baby open

 

As a potential 458 buyer I’ll be curious to hear what the issue is

 

SAP needs replacement..total cost anywhere between $13-$15k...fml!!

 

Ouch. Sorry to hear that.

 

All good perks of owning exotics lol...they are pretty robust but I guess I am the lucky one

 

What did I win, Roddy?

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Prize - wanna pay for it? Lmao

 

Wow.....very sorry to hear that.

 

Is it possible to get a rebuilt unit as a direct replacement?

Honestly that DCT issue alone is the #1 reason I went with a CPO car (my service mgr was insistent)... even if it costs the same to keep renewing the warranty over 4-5 years its peace of mind that anything else major might be covered too.

 

Yes, there is a oem replacement and an reinforced replacement which is a bit more robust and prevents this from happening again. I am goin with the latter.