Hi, was wondering if you could give me your recommendation for my 2014 458 spider DCT which has about 47,000 miles. No issues but wondering if you recommend anything other than just checking the levels.
Both gearbox fluid as well as clutch fluid ( seperate fluids ) may be replaced at the Dealership. I say Dealership, because it does require special electronic equipment, in order to refill, monitor temps, fluid levels, and perform cycling procedures. Alot of our client have these fluids replaced annually , regardless of mileage, maybe that's why we have seen so few failures. If you , or your shop, need help with fluid part numbers , or spec's, PM me, I am happy to help! S
Thank you for the detailed explanation and recommendation. My car is due for an annual service soon where in addition to the engine oil/ filter change, it is due for power steering fluid change and replacement of accessory belts too. I think I will ask for a change of the transmission and clutch fluids. My dealer services 458 challenge cars and knows how to change these fluids properly, as you have explained.
I haven't been looking but I do spend a lot of time at my dealer, hanging with other Ferrari owners, tracking, driving, reading about Ferraris.. etc. Haven't come across any "well documented" issues with the transmission. The same transmission that happens to be installed in 100s of thousands of cars other than Ferraris. I just plain missed it I guess
The early 458s saw some transmission failures. I know because I saw them at the service center getting their DCT swaps. I know since my Getrag transmission in my Cali was replaced multiple times! I was obviously curious about the 458 DCT. I actually saw the insides of a 458 challenge transmission. The gears were in perfect shape. The problem had to do with the internal wiring harness. On the regular Italias the transmissions were just sent back to Getrag and replaced with refurbished units. (Not new but covered by the Ferrari warranty.) Since then Getrag has improved the reliability of these transmissions. One obvious improvement was enhanced cooling. In the Cali, they moved the single cooling radiator from the front of the car back to the rear closer to the DCT-- shorter pipe run. In the Italia, there are two radiators rather than one and they are close to the DCT--very short pipe run. The dual clutch transmission is a fantastic piece of engineering. As long as Getrag and other manufacturers continue to improve them, they are the state of the art for the foreseeable future.
Wondering why the distance of the radiators to the DCT makes any difference. I would think the radiators cool the fluid which then flows back to the DCT. As long as the fluid has been cooled when it enters the DCT, it wouldn't matter how far the radiators are to the DCT. Making the radiators bigger, adding more of them or flowing more air through them would drop the fluid temp. Where am I going wrong here? Perhaps the longer pipes restrict the flow.
I think that when you have a longer pipe run then the volume of fluid to cool is greater. Given equal sized radiators or heat exchangers the cycle time is slower in the system with a larger volume. When the transmission is generating moderate amount of heat there might not be much of affect on the cooling system. When heat generation is higher, the slower cycle time will cause an increase in the temperature of the entire system compared to a system with a faster cycle time? But anyway, there have been some improvements to the cooling of the early DCTs in the case of the California.
All the fuss about the 458 DCT makes for interesting reading. It's only a DCT for heavens sake! There are hundreds of them being built by dozens of different manufactures these days. Yes, the 458 packaging is a bit unique in that it houses both the clutch/hydraulic control activation plate and synchronizer activation plate INSIDE the housing (so nobody can play with them), has separate cavities and oils for both the DC and the gearbox/final drive (although the E-diff is part of the DC oil circuit) and consequently requires two pumps. The magic is in the electronics/programming which is all OUTSIDE the box. Since the solenoid/sensor plates are inside the housing there's a bunch of wiring running around inside those boxes. I believe the internal wiring, particularly crimp splices, were the cause of some early failures along with a few bad sensors. In any event, most of the smarter guys that rebuild these things replace the cheap crimp splices with more robust connections. Having said that, the hesitation to perform a service on one of these things is amazing, even by dealers. I guess when 20K miles is considered "HIGH" it's understandable. However, for those one or two with higher miles or frequent track days that want to do the DCT fluid change it's all in the Factory Manual and DOES NOT require any special tools. They hide the procedure under "DCT oil cooler replacement" where the premise is that when replacing the cooler or cooler line you'll need to drain the fluid first. That's one reason they have a DRAIN PLUG just for the DC fluid. The fear and all the "special tool" talk is directed at avoiding a low fill condition once you replenish the fluid. The oil must be checked with the engine running and in reverse (brake on) to fill the even clutch pack. The main requirement is to make sure you're at operating temperature so that the thermostat to the DC oil cooler will open and purge the cooler of any air which if not done could lead to a false reading. If in doubt, drive the car and recheck using the same procedure, any air will be expelled by then. It's not rocket science. Image Unavailable, Please Login
Hi there, I’m trying to source a bearing seal kit for this gearbox would you know where I could purchase this kit. many thanks Ash
Have you had a transmission failure? If so what was the mileage and what was the nature of the failure? Some of your rstatements suggest that hat you have some insiders knowledge. I’d like to know if you have formal training in the Ferrari software and tools to diagnose and perform service on the DCT. No offense. You have a late model 458 and no failures. I think you are good. We can always choose to worry about the future of our cars. Fortunately the Getrag DCT has become a very popular transmission and so there are the means to repair and maintain them at least for the foreseeable future. Close to 19,000 458 models with the DCT have been produced We need to see that In this light —the DCT s have been extremely reliable and durable. Probably more so than virtually any other sports cars. The Ford GT made the switch to Getrag DCTs.
+2. One of my customers just had his (failed) transmission replaced at FoSV for his 458 Spider not two weeks ago. >$20K.
One of our friends with an 458 Spider now gets a new / refurbed DCT … luckily under Power Warranty … One more broken ….
Hi Lee, am curious - do you still have your car? Did you experience any DCT issues? Did you regularly change your DCT fluid?
Would you be able to suggest some warranty companies that have been easier to work with for those of us outside the Ferrari envelope period (I have a 2014 458 Spider)? Thank you.
Hey Syd, What do you mean by "being outside the Ferrari envelope"? I took the Ferrari power warranty and when my transmission failed, they gave me a brand new box, installed @ my delear, to the tune of $40k! I suggest nothing other than that warranty.....
Thanks for the suggestion. I have a 458, but actually am not having any transmission issues, thankfully. But I'm case that I do, I was thinking of gettng an extended warranty. I am no longer covered by Ferrari, so it would have to be a non-Ferrari product. I was just looking to see if anyone had any recommendations, as there a lot of unsavory companies doing business out there.
Try your dealer. I’ve been out of warranty 3 years and buy extended from dealer every year Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat
Ferrari offers the Power15 warranty to - wait for it - all models 15 years old and younger Not every car will qualify. The Power15 warranty has its limitations for sure but a non-Ferrari product is not recommended. The Power15 does cover the transmission, which seems to be the major area of concern on 458. It also covers the turbos on the 488.
Thanks Todd. I have a 2014 that was bought from a non-Ferrari dealer, so my options have been limited. I was looking for a good third party warranty with exclusions only. So far, no luck. I'll definitely check to see if I might qualify for the Power15 product.
Take it in to Ferrari dealer and have them inspect it and make you an offer. I think it is around $5000 for 2 years but it is negotiable. Let us know what they come back with in terms of pricing. The inspection is the hard part. Any mods?
