458 - Ferrari 458 Trans gearbox DCT sensor issues fixed & info 11/2020 | FerrariChat

458 Ferrari 458 Trans gearbox DCT sensor issues fixed & info 11/2020

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by Tarek307, Nov 25, 2020.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Tarek307

    Tarek307 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 26, 2018
    1,294
    Long Beach, CA & Alexandria,Egypt.
    Full Name:
    Tarek Salah
    Sorry this is long- If you have DCT trans sensor issues / Gear light on i suggest you read entire post!

    Ok i will try to be as detailed as possible here as to help whoever searches for this issue. I just had the Gear light come on last month on my 458 and went through dealing with the Trans sensor issue & got it fixed.

    First of all it is a MYTH that 2010-2011 458 are the ones with the DCT sensor issues, the issue is spread across the entire run 2010-2015 There are plenty of members here if you search with post 2011 that had issues.

    I spoke about this in length with service managers and techs - So people spreading misinformation about extra trans coolers and this and that are WRONG! The issue doesn't effect every single car but as cars go up in miles and driven especially in hotter climates more and more are having this issue.

    moving on...and now my story.

    Intro
    - Last month, was driving in my 2010 Italia with 35,000 miles, and all of a sudden i saw the red gear warning light, car was driving normal though, i turned car off, it went away, but then came back , it would drive normal but would hicuup and lose its even gears, and the hotter it got the more it would do it, sometimes reverse would be hard to get into...leave the car for a little bit, cools down, restart and no light no error, it would come after about driving 15-20 miles (So beware when buying a 458, inspect the car ONLY when its been driven some miles and trans got hot)

    I scanned the car with a little $20 OBD sensor and had P1907 code which is a pressure sensor code..per ferrari bulletin pressure sensor is Level 2 fix..however since the speed sensor is known to go out, i decided i should do the speed sensor as well as pressure & temp sensors.

    Research
    I did tons of research on this issue, of course there is a lot of wrong info, and people saying you need a new gearbox, oh its $20,000 its $30,000 blah blah blah, i called every dealer in my area, called a few outside the area called some independent shops and learned as much as possible about the issue...

    During one of my google searches Ferrari of San Diego Gear Box replacement form came up..and peaked my interest, i'm in Los Angeles, Long Beach so SD is about an hour and a half from me..i figured give them a call , i did and i spoke with Dale Gagner who is a service manager there, Dale was also a tech there for over 15 years, a transmission specialist for their Challenge Team, i knew this was my guy..being that Ferrari SD have a challenge team that service the challenge cars and fly all over the country with the team they have access to spare parts & information other dealers may not..I had gotten some help at Ferrari of newport, they actually scanned my car and gave me the proper ferrari codes so Dale was able to look them up in the Ferrari system (once your car is scanned at an F car dealer its in their entire network)

    Diagnosis
    Dale was able to confirm its going to be the pressure sensor but advised on doing all sensors while in there, other dealers and shops i talked to said the same thing but said i would need to buy an entire new SAP OR CCP whatever the thing is that carries the sensors...but ferrari of SD since they have a challenge team are able to get individual sensors. The speed sensor kit is the only one that is expensive about $3800 from dealer however you can get it for $1150 from Scuderia parts and maybe convince the dealer to use it since its an oem part , some dealers will agree some wont- I was able to do this and still maintain the 2 year labor warranty on the work they were about to do (but if the sensor itself went bad of course i'd have to buy another sensor myself but they would cover the labor)
    the quote for labor will be anywhere from $7-$9K depending on what needs to be done

    In for operation
    My speed sensor kit from Scuderia parts arrived to my house then I drove the 1.5 hrs to Ferrari of SD and dropped off the car and the sensor kit, Dale and his team were great and showed me around the dealership, and showed me an open split 458 trans they were working on from a 2013 and went over it with me explaining what issues occur and how they fix them..They also had a couple of crates with transmissions from other DCT sensor victims such as myself sent to them from other states to work on.

    They started work on my car rite away, i was still skeptical not sure if i will really get this entire issue solved for under $10k ...within a week they were done, i went and picked up the car today and its all ok, speed sensor, pressure sensor & temp sensor done i ended up spending well under $9k including the speed sensor kit ( i won't say exact number because as people with a brain know every situation could be different) They of course also change all the fluids and clean anything out that needs cleaning, and they install and wire the sensors in a better fashion with better clamps or whatever than they came with originally.

    PS: I also had them lower the car on Novitec springs & add 11mm-15mm spacers while it was being worked on.

    Conclusion
    -If you get the gear box light, and its the dreaded DCT sensor don't freak out, you won't need to go get a new gearbox or spend $20-$30k
    -458's all years 2010-2015 can have this issue, so if you are buying one, budget for it, its not a "huge deal" in the big picture , and its about the only main issue 458 suffer from.
    -Do your research & find a proper dealer that is very familiar with this issue and better yet find a dealer that has their own Ferrari challenge team.

    Big thanks for Ferrari of San Diego, Dale Gagner, Nik Dwyer, Chuck the great tech who went over the car with me, and also Sebastian Vollaerts at Newport Ferrari for giving me tons of info / advise & pulling the Ferrari codes for me.

    Sorry for any spelling errors or grammar mistakes, i just hope this experience can benefit future members searching.

    Below are some pics of the gearbox when it was in surgery.
    Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  2. FFan5

    FFan5 Formula Junior

    Jul 7, 2018
    533
    Great post! Thank you! Is there any reason to believe this won't happen every so often? Is the new sensor any different?

    Sent from my Pixel 4 XL using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
    DefunctNeurons and WHipround like this.
  3. Tarek307

    Tarek307 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 26, 2018
    1,294
    Long Beach, CA & Alexandria,Egypt.
    Full Name:
    Tarek Salah
    From what i understood its the way some of the wires in them were bound together, after a while and so many heat cycles they would go bad - ithey told me the've never had anyone need to come back again after they changed out the sensors..is it possible, i'm sure, likely, no.
     
    DefunctNeurons and F485 like this.
  4. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 16, 2012
    3,543
    Long Island, NY
    Full Name:
    Chris
    Thanks for the write up! I'm wondering if it's worth spending $9k on repairing the old box. Because then you will have a tampered with, old transmission with new sensors. It sounds like for a little more than double you can have a, non tampered with BRAND NEW transmission with all new components and sensors. If and when this happens to me, I'm not sure that the decision will be so easy for me.
     
  5. Tarek307

    Tarek307 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 26, 2018
    1,294
    Long Beach, CA & Alexandria,Egypt.
    Full Name:
    Tarek Salah
    “tampered with transmission” ? You mean a trans properly repaired by the dealer ? A new gear box is $30-$35k and could end up having the same issues . Of course it makes sense repairing the sensors ..do you buy a new gear box when time to change the clutch in a manual trans? Lol
     
  6. FFan5

    FFan5 Formula Junior

    Jul 7, 2018
    533
    If the manufacturer would admit the original sensors wiring has issues and the new ones are fixed, then I agree. But I don't think that is the case, as such, I'd rather have a repaired box.
     
    Tarek307 likes this.
  7. Stams

    Stams Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Apr 30, 2020
    491
    Colorado
    Full Name:
    Sean
    Thanks for sharing that Info! Owning these cars is very exhilarating and also very stressful! I just got my 2015 458 a few months ago and did get a 2 year new power with it and I needed that to feel good about the risk. It is great to have this information on here and a plan in place if she decides to spit the bit.

    Thanks again!
     
    DefunctNeurons and Tarek307 like this.
  8. Need4Spd

    Need4Spd F1 Veteran

    Feb 24, 2007
    6,645
    Silicon Valley
    Thanks for sharing. Great write up and info. This is the most worrisome part of having a 458 and you’ve made it less worrisome!

    I’m also glad (knock on wood) that I didn’t buy the extended warranty. I have enough saved that a sensor repair, though not cheap, will leave me ahead at this point, should I need it.

    If I read your post correctly, not all cars will need the fix and it’s almost random which cars are affected, right?


    Sent from my iPad using FerrariChat
     
  9. RayJohns

    RayJohns F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    May 21, 2006
    7,398
    West Coast
    Full Name:
    Ray
    Awesome write-up!

    Ray
     
    Tarek307 likes this.
  10. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 16, 2012
    3,543
    Long Island, NY
    Full Name:
    Chris
    #10 up4speed, Nov 26, 2020
    Last edited: Nov 26, 2020
    You said a new transmission was 20 - 30k, now you are saying 30-35K. If it's 35 - 40k by the time I need it, then obviously better to do the repair, than to replace the whole thing. However, if it's "only" double, why not get all new gears, bearings, shafts, seals, etc. Plus much less labor, and much less room for error doing a full replacement than taking it apart?
    Apparently you have had better luck than me with mechanics touching your car. I honestly have a success rate of about 15% of a perfect repair. 85% of the times other problems are created. Just yesterday, I noticed on my Mazda CX-9, that after doing spark plugs at the dealer, they didn't use all the wire loom connections to hold the wire back into it's factory spot. While being something small, there is a reason those clamps are there. If I didn't catch that, I may have had an issue down the road with that wire getting damaged by touching hot engine parts. And before you say that it "isn't a Ferrari dealer" That Mazda dealer accounts for approx. 90% of the 15% successes I've had at dealer mechanics. They are one of the better and more careful shops in my experience.
    As far as replacing the transmission when needing a clutch. You can't compare because a clutch is very easy (I've done my own clutch jobs in the past) and you don't have to take the transmission apart into pieces.
    I am not going to lie, I am going to be VERY worried if/when they have to take my transmission apart to do this sensor repair. The dealer has even messed up oil changes on my car! And damaged the car in some way, or the paint, or lost screws, etc.3 out of 4X that they serviced my car in the past. At this point, since I purchased a 458, I do all the service on the car myself because my success rate has been 100% so far (knock on wood). Unfortunately, the transmission sensor replacement is way out of my capabilities, so I would have to hope that it lands in the 15% of successful repairs when/if I need it done.
    I guess I just have really bad luck :(
     
    Drewcati likes this.
  11. RayJohns

    RayJohns F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    May 21, 2006
    7,398
    West Coast
    Full Name:
    Ray
    You don't have bad luck. What you are describing is pretty typical in my experience.

    The fact of the matter is that anyone who is intelligent enough and detail oriented enough to be doing top level work on your car is probably also smart enough not to spend their life wrenching on other people's cars for a living. The top tier mechanics are working at companies like Tesla, Formula 1, MotoGP, etc. Good luck finding one at your local Honda or Toyota dealer.

    Now you see why I do all my own work on my cars, Ferraris, motorcycles, home, etc.

    If I can't fix it myself, I sell it.

    Ray
     
    Boomhauer, Rexcat458 and up4speed like this.
  12. Stams

    Stams Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Apr 30, 2020
    491
    Colorado
    Full Name:
    Sean
    I agree with that. I have put my car in someone else’s hands 3 times in 2 months of ownership and something, albeit small, has gone wrong each time.

    I just choose to let it go. She was flawed when I got her and she will never be perfect. It does create a bit of anxiety though when thinking about how other people will treat her in the future.


    Sent from my iPhone using FerrariChat.com mobile app
     
    up4speed and Drewcati like this.
  13. Tarek307

    Tarek307 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 26, 2018
    1,294
    Long Beach, CA & Alexandria,Egypt.
    Full Name:
    Tarek Salah
    This is exactly why i made this detailed thread, because when i was searching there was so much wrong info and pieces of info, i wanted to make a thread that would be first of all updated for 2020 and encompass as much info as possible regarding the sensors..

    As for others here aruging about how good or bad mechanics are, thats not what this thread is about, lets keep it simple & clear so down the road when someone is searching this problem they can have clear cut information not back and forth non topic specific chats!
     
  14. sampelligrino

    sampelligrino Formula 3

    Apr 16, 2017
    1,129
    Glad you took the time to document this and share your experience for us 458 owners, thanks man. Feel better knowing there are repair options available rather than only replace entire box. My 1 yr power warranty is expiring next month, and I think I'm going to self-insure moving forward (fingers freaking crossed)
     
    Tarek307 likes this.
  15. IloveGT

    IloveGT Formula 3
    BANNED

    Oct 17, 2015
    2,419
    best thread so far for the year!
     
    evo3, cool flash and Tarek307 like this.
  16. veilstylez

    veilstylez Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Jun 12, 2005
    756
    SoCal
    Great write up. This is great info for the future! Do speciale's have this issue too?
     
  17. Tarek307

    Tarek307 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 26, 2018
    1,294
    Long Beach, CA & Alexandria,Egypt.
    Full Name:
    Tarek Salah
    I've put close to 500 miles on the car since picking it up last Wednesday and no issues at all with the trans.(2 canyon runs already this week in malibu) .so far so good. The guys at Ferrari San Diego's service department are top notch!!!

    Pic from Canyon drive today..and yes i had the car lowered also while it was there for the trans, however its way too low, gonna have to get it raised up about 1/2 inch at least lol
     

    Attached Files:

  18. wthensler

    wthensler F1 Rookie
    Silver Subscribed

    Apr 27, 2015
    3,152
    Gator Country, FL
    Full Name:
    William
    Glad to hear your transmission issue appears to be sorted out. As many of us drive these and live in hot climates, it could eventually become an issue. But good to know it’s repairable, and given the cost of ownership, not a totally unreasonable expense.

    Regarding the Novitec springs, did you have your car lowered the full 30mm? I’m told by Vivid Racing that they are upwardly adjustable, almost to the point of not being lowered at all. Just wanted to confirm what you’ve heard. What is so wrong that you are wanting to raise it again?
     
  19. Tarek307

    Tarek307 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 26, 2018
    1,294
    Long Beach, CA & Alexandria,Egypt.
    Full Name:
    Tarek Salah
    lets not discuss springs in this thread & keep it on topic- Yes they are adjustable and i'm sure the car can be raised - i don't know how many mm they lowered it. i have another thread about the springs. I want to raise it because its too low, scraping and bottoming out on dips , i drive this car in the canyons hard so need more clearance
     
    wthensler likes this.
  20. kiryu

    kiryu Formula Junior

    Mar 28, 2016
    407
    Los Angeles
    yeah dealers suck i had similar experience as well. Ripped carpet, uneven dash fitment, no loaner and 4-5x the labor rate...what a hassle. A good, anal, careful, honest mechanic is worth his weight in gold. Go with the mechanic not the dealer/shop. I do my own service as well but it's just too much of a pain when it gets to suspension parts or drivetrain
     
    up4speed likes this.
  21. Tarek307

    Tarek307 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 26, 2018
    1,294
    Long Beach, CA & Alexandria,Egypt.
    Full Name:
    Tarek Salah
    Another off topic reply that has nothing to do with the subject, maybe if you'd even read the topic you'd see this was done at the DEALER for much less than quoted by independent shop in orange county...I always prefer going to an Indy as well, however not all dealer service dept's gouge you, and in the case of such a serious matter like the Trans the dealer is best avenue especially that you get a warranty , and when you ever decide to sell the car, having it done at the dealer with warranty adds value

    Now for the 2nd time, STAY ON TOPIC- This isn't to discuss dealers or indy's rates, etc..its to discuss the current issue & fix of the Trans sensors-
     
  22. Tarek307

    Tarek307 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 26, 2018
    1,294
    Long Beach, CA & Alexandria,Egypt.
    Full Name:
    Tarek Salah
    https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/458-tranny-issue.628502/

    here is another member with a 2014 MY that just suffered the same fate and became a tranny sensor victim..however, luckily he had a warranty and is getting it fixed for free with Ferrari. point is , its a 2014..once more debunking the stupid misinformation about the tranny sensor issue being only on early 458's
     
    DefunctNeurons likes this.
  23. sampelligrino

    sampelligrino Formula 3

    Apr 16, 2017
    1,129
    Out of self-interest I wonder if there any reported DCT issues with a Speciale...
     
  24. Sargepug

    Sargepug Formula Junior
    Rossa Subscribed

    Mar 23, 2020
    878
    NYC
    Hey Tarek, what does that light look like? My failure light, which led to Rarri giving me a new box, was the transmission failure light. It simply looks like a red box w/ a long stick shift coming out of it. Hey, what's this a porn?! LOL
     
    Tarek307 likes this.
  25. Tarek307

    Tarek307 Formula 3
    Silver Subscribed

    Sep 26, 2018
    1,294
    Long Beach, CA & Alexandria,Egypt.
    Full Name:
    Tarek Salah
    yup same light, you had exactly what my car did, i'm willing to bet when you inquire as to what exactly was wrong it will just be the sensors-
     

Share This Page