Mukilteo007
New Member
- Messages
- 5
Happy New Year, everyone. I think I have a unique problem with my F1 gearbox. I had a bit of a system meltdown about a month ago. My GS failed to shift out of third while coming down a long hill near home. Gearbox light came on at the same time. I was able to lug the poor girl up my driveway where she died about 20 feet short of the garage. Stuck in 3rd gear, unable to shift to neutral and unable to start. Wheel dollies and the whole family pushing saved the day. I've poured over this forum and M/L, hoping to find a DIY solution and avoid having her towed to Ferrari of $$$eattle. So far, none of the common fixes have made a difference. My current theory is that I've got air in my system, which I'll get back to in a bit.
The most I can get the transmission to do now is shift back and forth between 3rd and 4th, and it will only manage that once in a blue moon. 99% of the time, it sits there in one of these gears, refusing to do anything. Pulling both paddles results results in a faint hum from the area of the solenoid block and what I believe is something engaging at the forward end of the transmission... clutch, perhaps? These sounds last as long as I'm pulling on the paddles. That engagement sound is sort of like a very muted thud when I first pull the paddles back and another soft thud when I release them. The pump is behaving normally, although it was a bit erratic before I swapped the motor out today.
Here is what I've tried (in order):
- Reset battery multiple times, ranging from seconds to hours, and repeated as I've tried other things.
- Replaced relay twice.
- Confirmed fuses are good.
- Inspected/tested hood latch, door micro switches and trunk latch. All appear to be functional.
- Inspected/tested brake light switch. Brake lights operate normally. Since my car was in motion when the fault occurred, I don't think this is to blame. I've ordered a new switch to be safe.
- Topped off F1 fluid (it was very, very low... empty).
- Replaced F1 pump (hoses were disconnected).
- Replaced relay again for good measure.
It was a bit disheartening when the pump replacement didn't solve the problem. I think the transmission shifting between 3rd and 4th is a good sign that the clutch is okay and at least part of the actuator mechanism is working. I think my next move is to attempt to purge the system of trapped air. If there is air in the system, would it make sense that I can get an occasional gear change, but not a consistent change or a shift back to neutral? Looking underneath, I see one bleed valve facing aft to the left of the transmission. For the life of me, I can't find the second. I'm pretty handy and have rebuilt motors in my garage, but this F1 system and the limited access have me a bit baffled.
Any input or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Tryg
The car is a 2006 GS fitted with Formula Dynamics ECU and DBW.
The most I can get the transmission to do now is shift back and forth between 3rd and 4th, and it will only manage that once in a blue moon. 99% of the time, it sits there in one of these gears, refusing to do anything. Pulling both paddles results results in a faint hum from the area of the solenoid block and what I believe is something engaging at the forward end of the transmission... clutch, perhaps? These sounds last as long as I'm pulling on the paddles. That engagement sound is sort of like a very muted thud when I first pull the paddles back and another soft thud when I release them. The pump is behaving normally, although it was a bit erratic before I swapped the motor out today.
Here is what I've tried (in order):
- Reset battery multiple times, ranging from seconds to hours, and repeated as I've tried other things.
- Replaced relay twice.
- Confirmed fuses are good.
- Inspected/tested hood latch, door micro switches and trunk latch. All appear to be functional.
- Inspected/tested brake light switch. Brake lights operate normally. Since my car was in motion when the fault occurred, I don't think this is to blame. I've ordered a new switch to be safe.
- Topped off F1 fluid (it was very, very low... empty).
- Replaced F1 pump (hoses were disconnected).
- Replaced relay again for good measure.
It was a bit disheartening when the pump replacement didn't solve the problem. I think the transmission shifting between 3rd and 4th is a good sign that the clutch is okay and at least part of the actuator mechanism is working. I think my next move is to attempt to purge the system of trapped air. If there is air in the system, would it make sense that I can get an occasional gear change, but not a consistent change or a shift back to neutral? Looking underneath, I see one bleed valve facing aft to the left of the transmission. For the life of me, I can't find the second. I'm pretty handy and have rebuilt motors in my garage, but this F1 system and the limited access have me a bit baffled.
Any input or suggestions will be greatly appreciated!
Thanks,
Tryg
The car is a 2006 GS fitted with Formula Dynamics ECU and DBW.