| Author |
Message |
Jean-Louis (Jlm348)
Member
Username: Jlm348
Post Number: 588
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 10:52 am: | |
Todd, a lot of people thatI have talked to that have 348's have simply unplugged their ECU's. It is a constant problem- that the sensors malfunction and continue to give the slow down light. Mine are still plugged in. However once every 300 miles. it comes on. What has worked for me is simply turing the car off and re-starting it. The ECU's reset themselves and I do not have a problem.
In regard to maintaining the car I have put 5000 miles in the first year. the car has 10,000 miles now. I did a major becasue it ahs never had one, but everything has been absolutely perfect. It is a dream car.
jlm |
j scott leonard (Jscott)
Member
Username: Jscott
Post Number: 500
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 09, 2003 - 12:37 am: | |
Tod: Many threads on "Slow Down Light's". May just be a bad sensor. I have a 348 now but my 328 had the same problem. If it is the same as the 328, the lights indicates a heat problem in the Cat. Does the light come on right after startup? Or, when the car is hot? Check the sensor befor getting too far into the ECU's. |
Dr. Ken Lee (Kenster888)
Junior Member
Username: Kenster888
Post Number: 134
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 10:56 pm: | |
Todd, does sound like a ECU problem. A ~$1500 fix for both ECUs at a dealer. Goodluck. |
todd montandon (Sllade)
New member
Username: Sllade
Post Number: 9
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 10:17 pm: | |
ijust bought a 91 348ts i love it but the warning light that tell you to slow down constantly come on what the hell is that i am not driving rough or fast at all is this a ecu problem or what please help |
todd montandon (Sllade)
New member
Username: Sllade
Post Number: 8
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 10:14 pm: | |
ijust bought a 91 348ts i love it but the warning light that tell you to slow down constantly come on what the hell is that i am not driving rough or fast at all is this a ecu problem or what please help |
Ernie (Ernie)
Member
Username: Ernie
Post Number: 750
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 1:12 pm: | |
Anthony,
When I got the car, the guys that sold it to me gave me the manuals. How ever the manuals don't tell you how to remove the engine. Matter of fact there is alot of stuff they don't have. It is just the bare minumum that you need to know. That and it is mostly specs, and what to do after the stuff is out. Very poorly written in my opinion. |
Anthony Griffin (Redjeeper)
New member
Username: Redjeeper
Post Number: 34
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 8:33 am: | |
Hey Ernie, were you able to purchase some shop manuals for the car so that you would the procedures. If so, where did you get them? |
Charles Barton (Airbarton)
Member
Username: Airbarton
Post Number: 662
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, July 08, 2003 - 7:51 am: | |
Ernie, you are definately the man! I have been looking for a way to do this myself. Thanks for the info. Looks like I will be doing the next major this way. My wife is going to love this! |
Ernie (Ernie)
Member
Username: Ernie
Post Number: 743
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Monday, July 07, 2003 - 3:57 pm: | |
Charles, I went to Home Depot and bought a $19.00, 1000lbs moving dolly to set the subframe on. It has been on the dolly for three weeks now, and has been holding the weight no problem. To get the motor out you have to remove the rear bumper. This way you don't have to have the car way in the air. No biggie, it is just 8 bolts that come loose, and slide the bumper off. Also you need to remove the rear fender wells on both sides, so you can get to 4 of the bolts, and it give you more room to work. You will need two floor jacks that have a lift height of 20" - 21". I bought a super nice one from Costco for $75. Also your gonna need some jack stands. Those are about $20 - $30. So for about $200 bucks you can take the engine out yourself. |
Charles Barton (Airbarton)
Member
Username: Airbarton
Post Number: 660
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Monday, July 07, 2003 - 8:58 am: | |
Ernie, I just had my major service done and wish I could have done it myself. How did you get the engine out? I agree with you about these cars. I do most of the work on mine. I assumed the cam belt change was one of the things I could not do myself. I have already done the clutch conversion myself, the front and rear brakes, fixed the slow window problem, and solved the poor shifting issue. These cars are not all that tough to work on. I would give the Doc one bit of advice though. If your budget is $50K you should get a car that costs $35K. No matter how well you check out the car, you will find something you have to deal with after you get it. It would be wise to have some cash in reserve for these things when they come up or you may have a car that sits in the garage. |
Dr. Joseph Diaz (Drjosephdiaz)
New member
Username: Drjosephdiaz
Post Number: 8
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 04, 2003 - 6:54 pm: | |
Ernie,
You are "THE MAN" not just "A" man, or "ONE OF THE" men... but "THE MAN". Excellent advice, and I appreciate you sharing your experience in the area. I owe you and everyone else for your time and help.
Joseph |
Ernie (Ernie)
Member
Username: Ernie
Post Number: 737
Registered: 11-2001
| | Posted on Friday, July 04, 2003 - 6:47 pm: | |
Ok Doc, you asked for it so here goes,
I have a 1990 348ts. My roof does leak like a U-boat going down, but that can be fixxed with up graded rubber trim, or not driving in the rain. So if you wanna drive in the rain stay with the tb/gtb. One of the most common problems you will come across is the exhaust ECU going bad. I don't care what year it is '89-'95 those go bad. You can change them your self with a screw driver and wrench, no biggie. Also the 02 sensors on the cats will go bad. Another common problem is slow power windows, which is ususally the result of a poor electrical connection, that proper cleaning and connecting normally fixxes. The coating on the door handles, air vents, control pannel cover, ashtray cover and dash gets gummed up. But that is more an asthetic pain in the butt, that can be fixxed by scrubbing them clean. The clutch on the earlier models , like mine, is expensive. The fly wheel cost me $3k and the clutch was $1500, and that was just in parts. However there is a single clutch up grade, that I wasn't aware of at the time, that cuts the cost of replacement in half. The alternators can go bad, but a proper rebuild at any reputable shop can fix that. Now for the timing belts. Here is were the boys are separated from the men. This is an engine out job, which is why the dealers make out like bandits. The dealers will charge anywere from $5,000 to $6,000 to do this job. Parts are about $1,200 to $2,000, depending on if you get the water pump new or rebuilt. So that means you are paying at least $4000 in labor, which is about 40-50 hours @ $100/per hour. This is complete bullsh!t. I currently have the engine out of my car and did it myself. After I drained all the fluids, and disconnected the lines, it took me only 4 HOURS to get the engine out. I have never done this before and did it without a lift. It was a one man job. I used two floor jacks and did it all by myself without another person. What I'm getting at is that the 348 is made out to be an expensive car to keep up. This is true if you go to the dealer to have your money stolen. But if you do the work yourself it really isn't that bad. If you aren't mechanically inclined, don't sweat it. I have paid over $7000 to have a mechanic work on my car, before I wised up, bought myself some tools, and started doing my own work. This has saved me THOU$AND$ of dollars. It isn't that hard just takes time and patience. So don't be scared get the 348. The boys here at FerrariChat look out for one another and can help you out with technical questions. I know cause they have helped me. |
Dave328GTB (Hardtop)
Member
Username: Hardtop
Post Number: 623
Registered: 1-2002
| | Posted on Friday, July 04, 2003 - 11:29 am: | |
Dr. Diaz,
One of my former cars was a '94 348 TB. I now have an '89 328 GTB. I have had both on tracks. With 17 inch wheels and wider rubber, the 328 handles better. On the street, the 328 just plain feels better. 348's do have a lot more power.
The main problems you will hear about 348's are electrical in nature which can be expensive and frustrating. Some cars never have troubles, others seem to suffer all the time so it's a bit of a crapshoot. The other downside is the cost of major service. At 50K you are probably looking at an 89-90 model with some mileage. A number of upgrades were done over the years including engine management system, alternators and clutches. I think you can find a good car at 50K but you will want all the documentation for service and upgrades as well as a thorough inspection. You will probably need to be paitent, but patience is greatly rewarded in used Ferrari buying.
Dave |
Chris Seeley (Chrisdataclinic)
New member
Username: Chrisdataclinic
Post Number: 12
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 04, 2003 - 6:56 am: | |
I got a rare GTS version of the 348 6 months back and it's wonderful. I could have bought a 328 but decided against it as
1) It looks like a 308
2) They are probably quite slow compared with a more modern 348.
In the 6 months I've had it I fitted new Pirelli PZeros back and front and new brake disks and pads back and front. The acceleration, noise and overall 'feel' of the car is great. I've had it up to roughly 150mph (240kph) before I lifted my foot and there was plenty more available if I'd have had the nerve... handling was fine all the way...
I'm after a 550 and was originally thinking of trading the 348 in to get one, however now I don't think I will.
So, my verdict is a 348 |
adrian low (Audionut)
Junior Member
Username: Audionut
Post Number: 237
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Friday, July 04, 2003 - 5:28 am: | |
I totally relate as I went through this exercise just a couple of months ago. Bought a Dino 246 GT, a car I have wanted for over 10 years, then got a 1989 328 GTS a month later to drive regularly.
I love the style of the 348, but did not find one that I felt great about. All the ones I saw had stories, lacking history and service, and were priced high. I then came across the 328. It was previously owned by an older gentleman, who fussed over and serviced it to death! The car is mint...well, WAS mint. I've driven it so much it now has stone chips the size of Colorado. Drives perfectly, NO issues.
If this is your first Ferrari, my best advice is buy the car YOU fall in love with. When you need to service it, you won't be TOO upset, and will in fact probably look forward to repairing it properly. I am planning to do so with the Dino this winter.
Good luck. |
Dino Micalizio (Ingenere)
Junior Member
Username: Ingenere
Post Number: 64
Registered: 12-2001
| | Posted on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 9:27 pm: | |
I have an 89 348 that I have had since new and I still love it. It has some upgrades...Challenge stuff, serie Specialle enhancements, computer chips, Tubi exhaust, F40LM brakes, etc.
As far as problems go....there really hasn't been anything major. It has been a great car. Just keep it serviced!! Buy a car with a known history...very important!! At that sub $50K price point you might run into some sketchy cars...but you get what you pay for. My brother just bought a 1 owner 90 348 (20K miles...books, records, tools, etc) for $67K.
From a performance standpoint the 348 is a better car than a 320/308...more HP, better handling. There is always stuff written about the on limit handling characteristics of the 348 being scary. First off those limits are so high that you would rarely reach them on a public road and second if you spend some time with the car and learn what it will do in certain situations you can be prepared....or you can eliminate the problem with a set of Challenge wheels!! This absolutely took away any handling quirks!
Mine is an S and my roof has never leaked!
So if I were you...I'd get a 348 (I had a 308QV...it was a great car but the 348 moved the game on)... Best of Luck...Ciao...Dino |
Dr. Joseph Diaz (Drjosephdiaz)
New member
Username: Drjosephdiaz
Post Number: 5
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 8:45 pm: | |
What problems does one find with a 348? I am trying to decide between purchasing a 328 or 348, and want to know what problems I might find with a typical 348. So you know what I will be buying, I won't be spending more than about $50,000 on the 348 (if that tells you what I will be buying).
Also, I prefer the Berlinettas rather than a spyder, so that might remove the leaking roof issue on both cars, if that is a problem with those cars. Is it? |
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