Jay Leno on Ferrari maintenance

Interesting perspective, but no. I can't think of ANY brand made in the last 15 years or so that doesn't require specialized equipment/tools to service every system on the car. Modern electronics are no longer diagnosed with a simple VOM. CAN buses are now commonplace and require knowledge and highly specialized tools to repair. This is NOT unique to Ferrari.

In terms of a "profit strategy" I'm failing to see your point. From your profile, you are a dental specialist. Undoubtedly, you have purchased expensive, highly specialized equipment and training to perform your work efficiency. How is this any different that what I do? Or, is DIY dentistry being compromised as both training and specialized equipment are now required? I think not, as I am still able to do the basics....as can you.

 

I'm not sure I think it's a planned strategy. But, obviously with a lower number of units, lower number of service facilities, that drives the cost of the equipment up from a pure economy of scale perspective. Developing the software and hardware and producing the hardware is done at a much smaller scale than say tools for GM, etc.

Also, Ferrari's have advanced functions so there is more to the system.

So, that all probably plays into the the $30K ish cost of the SD stuff and I've never seen other models have anything close to that expense but I pay very little attention to those also.

But, like any business, we all have cost of equipment, training, etc. And most of us in business have employees, dedicated facilities and the costs associated.

In my main business I have millions invested and one would think it's the machines but while those are the big ticket purchases, it's all the little stuff that really adds up along with yearly calibration of gages, etc.

But, if a guy want to machine some parts in his garage for his own use, I say have at it

 

Jay loves Lamborghini. Please explain to me how Lamborghini has lower maintenance and diagnostic tool costs.

When I had my shop back in the 80's one of my customers bought one of the few Maserati 430s. The last stuff before Ferrari bought them. (IMO: the very best of the bi-turbo period)

He had a Fuel injection problem with cold start. So we looked and instead of finding a common Bosch FI under the hood, it was Marelli. So we called around for a diagnostic tool for it. The cost? $11,000.

Only two cars imported into the USA then used Marelli FI.

The Maserati 430 and the Lambo Diablo.

So there Jay....

Btw we figured out it was a temperature sensor and replaced it for like $100. Another happy customer.

 

How can ANYONE here question Jay Leno's car guy chops? Just because his collection does not include one, rather obscure, Italian brand? Believe me, (I've had the privilege of visiting his collection) it contains everything from soup to nuts in just about all flavors.

Other than Harrah's original collection, I can't imagine anything as eclectic, and Jay's cars get driven. If you have an itch, he has a car that will scratch it.

 

Thanks Nuno. What did puzzle me (like a few others here) was his equating 'collectors cars' with being able to afford a handheld diagnostic to repair them yourself. Leno mentioned Ferraris from the 50s to 70s, which didn't have this requirement. I know a few people who have collected Ferraris since back then and most of them do not work on their own cars, while some of them do. Not sure how doing so makes your car more collectible, though. For someone like me who doesn't work on his cars, there are plenty of good professionals who can (as people mentioned) buy the tools and work on the modern cars for their customers.

This is not to cast any aspersions on his credentials. This was a throwaway article for a mechanics magazine written seven years ago, and I'm sure not meant as a reference. Here's a link to the whole article. We've all written stuff we have regretted and maybe this is not his opinion now, or was written in haste.

Jay Leno Predicts Future Collectible and Classic Cars

 

Jay is biased just like all of us to some degree or another.

 

Also be bought that car for one million, today it is worth TWELVE Million.
.....according to Donald Osborne who was on his show.

 

Only one of the cars you mention matters at all.........so there Mayor.

 

Mr. Leno takes his bias to a ridicoulous degree - I wonder if a Japanese sushi chef slighted him once also.

All of his silly excuses like maintenance etc and tool cost, he should just man up and admit:

"Ferrari said NO to me once - I have never had that happen to me before, so my fragile celebrity ego carries this life long vendetta against the finest car manufacture in the world"

One would have to look long and hard to find a more intense and pure "car guy" - all the enjoyment he could have had with ferrari - His loss.

 

Well said. Isn't pride one of the seven deadly sins?

 

I can't believe that with that high a price, some enterprising geek hasn't reverse engineered the diagnostic tools...which might...might contain $40 worth of technology and brought em to market cheaper. Is the "expense" in the software?
.

 

In the US the DMCA is a convincing legal threat against such activities.

Also, there just aren't enough cars out there that could use this software/hardware package. Sure, those few owners could pay well. But how do you establish a business that people do trust and let work on their cars?

It is a software/hardware package since the OBD2 port contains CANbus and can contain a whole variety of other busses. Those other busses are connected to semi-randomly chosen pins in the connector (hence the common requirement to bridge pins). The car manufacturer has to put some regulation-relevant control on CANbus. For the rest of the stuff they can use whatever bus they want that they have floating around in the car.

 

On the CAN or other bus they support the required SAE codes for OBD2 and even then it is pretty flakey/basic. But then they add some custom codes even with a different format. To reverse engineer that you need access to a few F-cars and owners would not let you play with their cars. I tried it with mine some years ago and saw that .. did a little board and wrote some software , back then I had a cool mechanic from the dealership helping me compare to the SD, but the owner of the dealership didn't like it as I was taking his time. The mechanic was more interested in pulling off the mapping and mod'it and flash it back. I did a little progress but left it there as I've got really busy with something else.

 

Been there, done that. Even if you're successful in your endeavor, it'll never will be a commercialized product because of the DMCA, unless you situate yourself in a country that doesn't give a hoot about these things such as China or North Korea.

 

I think his lambos are older generation.

 

JayLeno does seem to like Ferraris just does not own them, he's got a couple of clips on his Garage channel in youtube where he test drives and talks about the ferrari driving experience I found F40, 275 clips ... he does seem to get what these cars are about.

 

Jay Leno seems to be a BIG Lambo guy when it comes to the Italians. He's said in interviews that he likes the more analog feeling of them, even the modern day ones. Ferraris, he feels, are becoming less and less connected to the driver with every generation. At least this is what I've seen. But it seems like he DOES respect the old 330s, 365s, 250s, etc. He just would rather own Lamborghinis. It's funny because I was given the opportunity to drive a Hurucan the other day and it felt completely different than past Lambos. VERY controlled, easy to drive, comfortable. Has anyone seen any response of his to the Hurucan? I'd be interested to hear.

 

It's definitely a challenge, as the SD2/3 tools are hugely pricey for the enthusiast to buy. Even the alternatives like Leonardo aren't cost effective. But just as with anything, there are enterprising owners who have expertise in different areas that because of forums like this can help each other, so that us DIY enthusiasts can actually work on the newer cars without having to be subjected to the confiscatory (and often incompetent) dealers.

 

I think Jay is a great enthusiast and great for the hobby. But this particular comment doesn't make much sense by itself. The percentage of 488 owners who do their own work is miniscule. And if you can afford $300k for the car and you really love doing your own work and want to make it part of your ownership experience, you can afford an additional $22k reader. You probably spent far more than that in frivolous options!

Jay's grudge seems to be with the basic point that Ferrari is the most arrogant carmaker in the world. The company, the dealers and even many of the owners/collectors. That's what seems to turn him off, and it's a valid point if we're being honest. It just so happens they also make a great product!

 

I think Leno just sides with Ford going back to the old rivalry. He definitely has a sour taste for Ferrari as a brand.

 

Western Europe is also not affected by the DMCA preventing US Americans from legally looking at their car software.

The FTC has announced that there will be a DMCA exception for car software research. But it only lasts 3 years and is unclear on whether people are allowed to share tools. Both issues would make the exception useless.

IMHO the only question is whether we want the good guys (security researchers) or the bad guys (breaking into cars, blackmailing, holding car hostage) to be the first ones to access newer cars fully. If it is illegal in the US then the Russians will have a field day. And not one to our advantage.

 

Sounds like you might want to get back on that---there must be many, small shops that do good work who just cannot afford the real thing.