550 Test Drive Tomorrow

Hi everyone!

I'm looking to purchase my first Ferrari. I am test driving a 550 tomorrow and was wondering if there is anything I should look out for? I had a PPI done on the car and it came back clear. Thank you for any advice!



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Let it idle with the AC on and see what happens with the coolant temp. Should not go over 220 degrees. The first 550 drive will always be remembered... I had mine in Paris. Ran like a dream.

 

Thank you! I noticed in the PPI that the AC worked brilliantly so that is also good to hear. I'll keep my eye on the coolant. The car needs an oil pressure gauge sender unit? Or something like that. The mechanic said that this fails and is easy to replace. It is when the oil pressure gauge is pegged at high. I have seen this on some maseratis. Yes I'm quite excited and want to experience a gated 12.


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Oil pressure sending unit failure is usually due to collapsed engine mounts.

 

Hmm this is good to know. Any ball park in cost to replace the engine mount and sending unit? Thank you so much for the info.


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Unless I'm mistaken (hey, it's happened...) if the oil pressure sender fails because of the engine mounts it's because the sender has been sheared off causing a catastrophic loss of oil pressure and a major mess on the road surface. Oh, there's also the likely blown engine issue...

Or am I mistaken?

 

open the trunk and smell for gas, with full tank, faint gas smell can suggest bad seals..

 

First of all, excited for your impending 550 Maranello purchase. I went through this process several months ago and it was such a thrill to look for the right car, including test drives. What fun!!

So, the only issue from your PPI is the oil pressure sending unit? You said the PPI was "clear" so a bit confused here.

Anyway, assuming that's the only issue noted from the PPI, then do a thorough test drive. Make sure everything works as it should including all lights, HVAC (all settings), mirrors, seats, "Sport" suspension mode, trunk release, gas door release, steering wheel adjuster, window auto/express up/down, etc, etc, even if your PPI didn't note anything not working properly. Also any gasoline smell noted in the cockpit could indicate bad tank seals which these cars can be prone to.

Drive it in traffic, on the freeway, a twisty road if you can find one. And do a max acceleration run if you can find an appropriate place, running it up through all the gears if possible (make sure the car is warmed up first to at least 150 deg F coolant temp). Acceleration should be smooth and it should pull like you lit the afterburners all the way to redline. This will also give you the opportunity to test the brakes under heavy braking, including ABS function.

There should be no warning lights. Beware the suspension dampener warning light which shows up on the small message display between the tach & speedo as a pictogram of a car with little triangles under the wheels. This indicates a problem with the adjustable dampeners, a common issue with these cars that some owners choose to ignore due to potential high repair cost. (Note: if the adjustable dampeners are working properly, no suspension warning light and when you switch on the Sport dampener mode a "Sport" mode light will come on in the instrument panel and you might feel a slight difference in suspension firmness, although can be hard to tell especially on a smooth road.)

If your PPI didn't cover this and you have or can borrow one, take a professional digital paint thickness gauge with you to measure paint thickness on all body panels. Factory Ferrari paint should be approximately 4.5 to 6 microns thickness. Anything much more indicates a repaint.

Most of all, enjoy and savor the singular experience of piloting one of the great GT cars of the modern era, maybe any era. Good luck!

 

Regarding the oil pressure gauge pegged high: this is not always the sender... in many instances, this is due to just dirty connectors to it which increase resistance and drive the oil pressure high. Cleaning the connectors should do the trick... at least a good thing to try with no cost.

Enjoy and report back please!

Ruben

 

And then buy a Maranello Skunk Works oil pressure sender boot from Ricambi so the trouble does not reoccur. Replacing the motor mounts (2) with the improved 575M versions is usually around $1K, unless you do it yourself.

 

Sorry this is a little late, but attached is a PDF with some of the known issues of the 550 that you should look out for. Others here have already mentioned the fuel system issues, and the cooling system issues, which you "may" not see in a cooler climate, but which haunt us in the warmer climates.
View attachment 550 Maranello Checkover.pdf

 

Great thank you so much everyone. This is exactly one of the reasons why I will be purchasing a Ferrari, the community. You are all a valuable resource.

I will most definitely inform you all what I find today.

The car has "higher" miles a 45k but has been really well maintained. We will see!


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Hi Cribbj,
I am not able to view that attachment. Any way you could send it to me in a pm?

Thank you


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Attention Everyone! Thank you sooo much for all of this help. Special thanks to Bill for sending me a thorough check list. The 550 community seems to be a great group of people who are helpful. I will be most definitely using you all in the future for any advice, tips and to express my 550 adventures.

I BOUGHT THE CAR! I am beyond excited. There is something so special about the 12 and gated. I was hooked. I will upload pictures when I pick her up next weekend. Yet again, thank you thank you thank you for all the support, new friends and the wealth of information.


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Congratulations

The Maranello is under-appreciated still in my opinion. It's the perfect blend of old world Ferrari DNA mixed with modern power delivery.

 

I agree! I love the elegant simplicity. I'd driven plenty of DCT, turbo, supercharged cars with tons of high tech electronics and they just don't do it for me. The 550 is truly something special. I'm beyond thankful to be able to experience a gated 12.


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Congrats!


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Thank you! I have messaged you on IG about your 355 experience. Thank you for all the advice and guidance! This community is very informative and welcoming. I'll message you on IG.


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Anytime! Come down from CLE anytime for a visit


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Congrats! 550's are awesome Ferrari's

 

Just a footnote here. All I did was make sure that John Cribbs list got to Morgan. John did the hard part
Morgan congratulations on a fine ride!
Seven years later I'm still looking forward to my next drive.
Enjoy!
Bill
FL

 

Congratulation. I bought my 2001 550 10 years ago and 25K miles later had only one CEL issue, which was minor. These are great cars and I am always looking forward for the next long drive. BTW. The wife loves it too.

 

Congrats! Sounds like a great car. Heck, at 45K it's just getting broken in. The "higher" mileage just means you can actually drive & enjoy your 550 the way it's meant to be. Best regards and please post pics soon!

 

Congrats! They are indeed very special cars - enjoy in good health and please post some pics soon!

Ruben

 

Congrats....love mine....dream! Post some pics!