Check Engine Light

I recently got the p1448 code on my 355, I think I solved it by fixing my air intake hose by the engine as it had a huge hole also check all the connections of the air intake and see if there is any leaks. I'm not sure if that's the solution but it's worth the try.

 

I have repaired the P1448 code on more than one F355 by cleaning the contacts of all of the connectors going to the various cat ECUs. Two on the passenger side, one on the drivers side. Also clean the contacts to the two vacuum solenoids in the same area as the cat ECUs on the passenger side.

 

Well I went to Ferrari yesterday and they checked it out on the SD2. Found the same codes I did. They tested all the systems out: bypass valve, exhaust temp, air pump, vacuum circuit and both actuators all functioning normally. Only thing they found was the battery voltage at 11.1v. Maybe that is what caused the CEL to go on. Scratching my head about this one. They cleared the codes and CEL is now off. So I got off with only $150 charge...whew!

 

Is this the place that just did the major on the car?
If so, I don't think you should have been charged.

 

If the code comes back, I would still clean the connector contacts. If you pull the connectors off of the solenoids and check them (one at a time), you might see that they are completely corroded and/or black. Clean them with contact cleaner and a wire brush. As I mentioned, I have seen this on multiple F355s. Also, do the same with the cat ECUs.

 

Yes they did the major. Took the mechanic two hours and they charged me for one. If I have to bring it back again related to this issue he will not charge me for one hours labor. Seems fair enough.

Loser - any chance you can send me a pic of what these cat connectors look like and their location? The vacuum solenoids are located passenger side accessible behind the wheel underneath - correct? I just want to be sure I'm cleaning the right things!

 

Yes, those are the vacuum solenoids. Clean the electrical contact to both of those. Then, the Cat ECUs are mounted on the same metal plate as the vacuum solenoids. They are large rectangular blocks with two connectors each. Clean each connector one at a time, then plug it back in before moving to the next so that you don't get them mixed up. Then there is another Cat ECU on the drivers side that you should clean as well.
Also, if you can see the surface of the ECU with a flashlight, you should be able to tell if it is black or olive green. If it is black, it is the old style and may have cracks. If the cleaning doesn't work, and the ECUs are black, I would order a replacement ECU and swap it around to find the bad one and replace it. I will try to take a photo later and post it.

Tom

 

Great info Tom....thanks so much! Photo's would be greatly appreciated. How much to CAT ECU's go for?

 

It looks like it's about $330 from Ricambi

179278 [179278 CATALYST TEMP. ECU] CATALYST TEMP. ECU (Replacement from old item 173533)

http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?products_id=208023

I didn't get to the photos this evening. I will try to get them tomorrow during the day.

 

Found my Cat ECU's...they are both olive green. So I guess that's a good thing. Now what is the best way to clean the contacts?

 

Here is a photo that shows both ECUs on the passenger side (top center, bottom left) along with the vacuum solenoids (bottom right and bottom center). The connectors that I had the issue with are the long three pin connectors on the ECUs, not the two pin ones that are shielded with yellow and braids which go to the thermocouples. I have also had issues with the connectors that go to the vacuum solenoids. My connectors have solid boots because I installed Dave Helms gold connector upgrade kit. Yours will probably have the accordion boots.

The best way that I have found to clean these connectors is to remove the metal plate that holds all these ECUs and solenoids to get good access to all of the connectors. To do this, first remove the air intake hose from your filter box to get it out of the way. You might want to remove the filter box as well.

Next, remove the mounting plate bolt in the center, right of the photo. You will have to do this from below the car with a deep socket on the ECU side of the plate and a wrench or normal socket on the back side. As you can see, I didn't replace this bolt so I can get easier access to this panel as I need to later.

Then remove the hose from the vacuum control valve as shown in the second photo. There is also a small vacuum hose that connects to the metal tube which goes to the bypass valve. You will need to remove this hose. Be careful, because the connecting tube is metal and you don't want it to bend.

Once all of the hoses are disconnected, remove the two mounting plate bolts on top shown in the second photo. Now you can carefully maneuver the entire plate up to where you can get easy access and good visibility for all of the connectors.

Remove the connectors one at a time, spray electrical contact cleaner into the contact areas of both the connector and the receiver. Clean them with a small wire brush (they make one that looks like a small paintbrush). Once they are clean, use a can of compressed air to blow any liquid and debris out. Cover it with with a rag while you do this so the cleaner doesn't get on your paint. Reconnect the connector and move to the next one. Do all of the connectors this way.

Reassemble everything. Reset your computer using the GDSII reader and see if the P1448 shows up again. If not, go for a drive and see if it shows up. If not, then it was probably a dirty connection and didn't cost much to fix. If it does show up, then this thread will continue with the next step...
Image Unavailable, Please Login
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

Tom....Thanks so much for this info. The codes have been cleared by Ferrari so the CEL is off. I will still clean all the contacts. Where can I get the electrical contact cleaner?

 

I bought mine at Kragen. But any hardware store probably has it. Maybe even WalMart.

 

Good advice! The reason is that water from driving in the rain (heaven forbid! ) or from washing the car, will run down the cable to the connector. The boots do not seal out the water very well. Get new boots and pins from Dave Helms! His boots fit super tight, and really seal out the elements.

 

Dave Helms?

 

See this thread for info on my Dave Helms connector upgrade project:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=239159