Getrag gearbox issues anyone ?

Hi thanks for posting this problem!
Glad to hear that your will be getting a new box with hopefully no problems

Can you tell me what year/ production number of your your Cali.

I have an early production US car-got it last November. I haven't noticed any problems yet with 13K miles on the clock.

 

There was a post from somebody who had a problem shortly after delivery and the gearbox was replaced. I did not know that the box could be opened. I thought it is permanently sealed and supposed to last forever. Forever.

 

I had a total gearbox failure at 700 miles, I lost all gears and coasted to a stop. Ferrari sent new gearbox unit and I never found out what happened. Thread here.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=262148

 

Curious......I've had my 2nd California for about a month now. I've put on about 600 easy miles. The other day, just starting the ride, 'puttering' out of the subdivision the shift from 2 to 3 was like a 'boom'. I looked at my daughter and asked if i hit something in the road. The transmission is alot crankier on this one than my last. I had 2k miles on that one. I thought maybe this car needed more 'break-in' to loosen it up.

I know each F-car is going to seem a little different. Though i absolutely love new Cali in almost every way better than my last it does seem to have a couple curious things. The above tranny issue is one. The other is the throttle seems way to sensitive. @ 70-80 mph it seems that the slightest movement of my foot causes too much change in gas. It seems i'm ALWAYS accelerating and decelerating. It also seems I'm turning a higher tach @ 80 than i used to. no data as i cannot remember, but it just seems so.

 

Curt, I picked up my Cali in mid-August (very early July '10 production), and have about 1100-1200 miles on it. The very first thing I noticed when driving away was how very 'sensitive' the throttle seemed to be. Granted, I was coming from having owned 2 Maserati's (Coupé and GranSport), both that seemed to have what I would call a 'normal' throttle response. I wonder if this is a Ferrari software change from your early Cali to your latest one? Have you asked the dealer? I would love to reduce the 'sensitiveness' of the throttle as it is especially noticeable when leaving my neighborhood (20 mph limit) in low gears. It makes the Cali seem very 'jerky' because just the slightest touch of the gas pedal causes acceleration or deceleration. Other than that, I am extraordinarily pleased with the 'every day driven' California - I love it!
Leo

 

Leo,

As I remember I also thought it a bit sensitive but it seems quite good when the rpm is low, one reason that I shift into 2nd going down the driveway before I hit the street that I live on. Our little town has a 25 mph speed limit so I keep it on 4th or 5th which makes it very smooth. I also set the cruise at 25-27 to keep the local police happy. After a few thousand miles I have gotten quite used to it though making a drive in my S550 quite tame.

Rick

 

Thanks for the tip, Rick - I'll give that a try and see if it helps..... Leo

 

Sounds like the beginnings of a recall program. Stay tuned on this one, I suppose.

 

At least US owner's are covered under the three year factory warranty. So drive your Cali's and shakedown the gearboxes!

 

Is it 3? For some reason I had 2 year warranty in my head for my Cali. My F430 was 3 years...but I thought my 2010 Cali was 2 years. Not near it to look right now.

 

It is three ... with unlimited miles.

Rick

 

I have yet to ask them. I was going to see if they still have my old one in the showroom and take it out again for grins to compare. My 'sensitivity' issue seems to be doing between 65 and 80 where the tach gets up to around 3k. I'll ask the service folks as well over the next few days.

Regarding some of the other 'cold car jerkiness', i'm finding the more frequently I take it out the less cranky it is. I guess this 'Prancing Horse' is screaming to be run !!!!!

 

That's the wrong kind of break in.

 

I will take another look at mine at those speeds. I often use the cruise control at those speeds just to keep the ticket count down. But I do not think mine is real sensitive in 7th gear at 65-80.

Rick

 

Curt, I will sure be interested in what your service department has to say ... if anything, and also whether or not you're able to drive you previous Cali for comparison. Please let me (us) know if you find out anything.... Thanks, Leo

 

FWIW, There are a few things that can affect cold weather shifting . First is Campaign 310 Which is a reflash to suspension settings specifically when in comfort mode.(this can make the car feel a little jerky when cold). Second is a high pressure fuel pump problem , This can be recognized by the familiar howl of the pumps at startup when cold. (although all California fuel pumps are loud, it will literally set your neckhairs on end with the noise they make when they're goin bad) , Lastly, IMHO, would be the need for clutch run-in ,(meaning it will get better as you get a few miles on the trans ,remember always that the Ferrari clutch is learning your shifting styles for the first 1000 miles).

Rick, you are getting close to that 20k mark, congratulations.

-Larry

 

Thanks Larry ... yep over 17,000 today.

 

Congratulations Jo! I think you will be much more happier with the Murcielago. Its in a different league than the California. I would call my cali's transmission more 'nervous' than 'sensitive' especially when accelerating or decelerating fast.

 

congrats on the new car!!!

you are a very brave man to be driving a murci in norway!

 

I may agree with you now. I just started to push it alot harder, now that i have 600mi under the belt. It seems to like it alot better. the more frequently i drive it, and when i drive it like it is supposed to.......it is much less cranky the next day (or the next weekend).....
Curious.

 

Concerning the reliability of the Getrag gearbox, I think you do not need to be that worried.

As BMW is using the same type of gearbox for the M3, reliablity issues would appear on the intranet, sooner here than for the Calfifornia, as the BMWs normally cowers more mileage. A google search for this does not give many hits.

 

I agree, but I also find it much more cranky when it's cold.