5 yrs for me
I've no real experience w/ Ferrari dealerships, only generalizing from other experiences. I've had to tell my local Porsche dealership maintence dept. what kind of engine was in my 997S, they didn't know (and I'm sure they've forgotten). Don't even know how much oil it holds. The problem is, they just don't care. They are not "enthusiats", they just all seem to be there for the paycheck. Don't know if the same holds true for Ferrari or not. I would think that they're not as up on 3x8's as an independent that works on the them all day, every day. Job titles and cost of service rarely correlate with quality of knowledge and workmanship...that's why I have reservations and questions when I don't know a mechanic on a more "personal" basis.
And that's why I'll have my belts done 3 yrs this time. I don't know who checked my bearings (or even if they were checked), even though the work was done at a Ferrari dealership.
As I said, I agree with the 3 year interval for belts and bearings...and yes, having older bearings in my car definitely "heightens" the driving experience to another level. However, I can tell you that I have been around and around with this bearing issue with a lot of really top flight mechanics, and they have all said the same thing...its OK, with the caveats I listed earlier. Of course, the big issue is, do you trust the sellers mechanic and were the bearings not replaced as a cost saving measure or because they were really in good shape. In my case, it's fairly obvious because the repair order said "fix anything you can find," the engine was out of the car, the bill was quite impressive, and the workmanship, from what I can see, was exemplary on everything else. However, if you have any reservations about the mechanic or quality of the work performed on your car, than obviously I would be changing the bearings sooner rather than later. Something that should be considered is that from what I have been told from EVERY mechanic I have spoken to, including at Algar, bearings will give you some warning of their impending failure. They will squeal. Of course, with many older Ferraris, start up always includes a complete sound effects soundtrack of whistles, etc. So it is important, IMHO, to pay strict attention to any unusual sounds and to be able to isolate one sound from another. A lot of people don't and then are surprised when something fails...from what I have been told. I agree with the sentiment that Ferrari's should be approached with the same level of care as an airplane. All that being said, I am contemplating doing my belts/bearings earlier than necessary (2 1/2 years), because I am becoming neurotic in my quest to find any unusual sounds.
I am servicing my car this winter and am replacing the belts, along with the tensioner bearings (from Ricambi) no matter how good the bearings appear (the bearings were also replaced at the last service 4 years ago) , gaskets, accessory belts, hoses, fluids, filters, ect. I will also be inspecting the waterpump and deciding at that time if the bearing s/b replaced. Regarding the hydraulic tensioners, I will only change them if they need to be changed. The dealer nw recommends a 3 year belt change interval (when the 360's came out/previously the interval for 355's was 5 years)......but I am going with 4 year interval based on my driving however would not have a problem going with 5 years either.
Whether to have a major done every 3 or 5 years is nothing but a matter of opinion for those who have never had a failure. Maybe a better way to assess this would be to do a poll of how many owners actually did have failures and at what milage/year after their last service. I would bet that very, very few owners, who use their cars for normal road use, have had failures wi/ 5 years of a good service . Just a thought.
Various variations on this theme have already been done, and i actually recall a very similar pole having recently been done. In the end, this issue will always go around and round because it really can't be quantitatively examined without a very significant sample. Also, the people who do respond to polls are those with a vested interest, which tend to skew the result--and people who have had belts blow at 4 years after advocating for longer periods may be less likely to respond, as would be those who fear that their position may cast their cars in a negative light should future purchasers search this site for information on their car. For a poll to be truly accurate it would have to be random and truly anonymous--like JD powers or Comsumer Reports, and not targeting a specific group--IE those who have staked out positions on the timing belt thing. The closest thing we have to that kind of sampling, are well respected Ferrari gurus like Brian and Dave, both of whom I believe suggest a 3 year service interval and both of whom have seen a significant volume of Ferrari's and have seen enough failures beyond the three year mark to warrant their recommendations. I am not cynical enough to believe they are doing this to increase their business because they service a relatively small region and their reputations are beyond reproach. Heck, I heard of Dave, who operates across the country from me, before I even heard of F-chat! Of course, people can do their servicing at whatever interval they are comfortable with. It all depends on your risk tolerance. I know a guy with a TR who hasn't changed the timing belt in 19 years but still drives the car regularly...I would never risk that in a billion years, but it has been done.
There's one other element to this discussion. A previous poster mentioned aircraft-like maintenance. In aircraft, in which I have considerable experience, the maintenance obviously can not only save your life as well as the machine itself. Almost as important are the logbooks; in the case of our Ferraris, the service records. I, for one, would pass on buying a Ferrari if I felt the previous owner(s) had skimped on the maintenance. There's no question that a three-year interval may be very conservative but in addition to the piece of mind gained by actually complying with the manufacturer's recommendations, you have all the i's dotted and t's crossed with respect to the service records. Just my two cents.
I totally disagree with you as an advanced DIY'er. In aircraft guys get a license (And P?) and everything is signed off. In cars there is a wide range of running and maintenance. Forexample how do you value a wider belt change interval done with a degree wheel and dial guage vs. frequent interval with paint marks on the cam cogs? What about 3000mile dino oil changes vs. 7500miles on synthetics? There is wide lattitude in cars and wide range of mechanic talent and wide range of time the mechanics will invest. In planes you do it one way and the FAA is right there supposedly to make sure you do it right. I have seen some very timely maintained POS ferrraris out there.
My point is that the records are something people consider strongly, at least I do, when buying these cars. Again, as I said in my original post it's just my two cents but I think that if the manufacturer's recommendations have not been followed and if documentation of maintenance is not available that it impacts the resale value of the car. DIY maintenance is more likely than not better than simply ignoring maintenance and my original post meant no offense to those who perform their own work. It was simply intended to point out the value of the records. Again, IMHO. Best, R.
Does the old addage "If it ain't broke don't fix it" not apply to anything anymore? I disagree that putting belts and bearings in a Ferrari is the same as an annual on an aircraft. Annuals are greasing wheel bearings, greasing hinges, checking ad compliance, putting fluid in a whisky compass, ETC. My guess, and it would be interesting to know for certain, but, it wouldn't suprise me one bit if the greatest risk for failure of belts after a belt/bearing change is with 5 min. of operation, not after 5 years of operation. In other words the longer works, the more confidence you can have that it keeps working. If a comparison's gonna be made to a/c maintence..I'd compare belt/bearings more to a/c engine overhaul. If it's gone 2000 hrs w/out failure, I feel alot better about the engine than during it's first flight after an overhaul.
In aircraft maintenance, the inspection of the various components is the key. Parts are not replaced just for the heck of it although certain time-life items are replaced regardless of hours flown. A good example are five-year items on King Airs such as various actuators, hoses, etc. Engine manufacturers recommend a time between overhaul based on their experience. Do engines last well beyond these recommended TBOs? Sure. Do they all? Nope. Because of my background in aviation, I'll be the first to admit that it is likely that I over-maintain other things I own whether it's my Ferrari or my boat. I just feel more comfortable adhering to manufacturer's recommendations even though some are admittedly very conservative and perhaps needlessly costly. That's just me. Again, my point is not to criticize people who make different choices in that respect. My only other point, which seems to keep getting lost in this discussion, is that most people buying aircraft or Ferraris insist on well-documented maintenance histories and frequently won't buy either an aircraft or a Ferrari without them.
I hear what you are saying but the problem is not whether work is done by diy or pro. The problem is that even the pros take shortcuts when you think they are doing everything right. We see it all the time like the 348 guy with the 0 compression or the 550 guy that the pro bent the valves both cases within the last month on Fchat. It goes on and on. Records may make you feel good but you have a false sense of security unless you know the guy doing the work.
Can someone tell me from what VIN (or year) the new belts and tensioners where installed on a 575M? And why would you still need to replace them every three years if you would install the new belts and tensioners on a 575M before assembly number 43847? That does not make sense does it? Thanks, Ton
I am looking at a 575M with engine number 76557. It is a 2003 car. Would this mean that the car has the new tensioners and belts?
Check out the downloads in the 575 section - assembly number thread - Taz listed pretty much everything For some reason the European recommendation has NOT changed from 3 years - there is no equivalent to the US 5 year TSB
