1997 F355 Will not start. Calling all Ferrari doctors

Dear F355 Ferrari Doctors,

I apparently have the same problem and symptoms I had back in October 2010 when my car would not start. It was resolved back then by what I believed, but not fully sure of, when a service representative told me to reset computer/alarm:

1. get in car and beep the alarm twice.

2. turn ignition to the right all the way without starting the car. Allow time to pass and a lot of lights will go out.

3. get out of car and lock it.

4. proceed to unlock car by beeping it twice.

5. repeat step 2 again and then starting car from the on position after waiting for most of the dash lights go.

Current dilemma:

I started it yesterday from about a week and a half of resting in the garage. When I started the car it hesitated prior to it starting. This was the same symptom I had back in October as I was a little suspect but decided to take it out regardless. Took the car out to cars and coffee and parked it for 2 hours after about a 35 minute ride and the car refused to start.

I tried the same 5 step sequence above to no avail. I tried shutting the car off using the kill switch in the hood area for about 6 minutes, that did not work. Tow truck operator tried jump starting it that did not work. He stated it is not a battery issue because when he looked at the reading it went from 13.6 to 13.2 (amps or volts?), when attempting to jump it. A fellow cars and coffee Ferrari person indicated the car is getting fuel when it was viewed by him.

Symptoms:

1. When I put the key in the on position there is a high pitch whistling noise which was the same noise I heard back in October which sounds like a jet engine. All the lights go out except the battery light and check engine light. The check engine light I'm aware of, which is for having test pipes on my car as luckily my vehicle is omissions except in the state of Pennsylvania with putting less than 5,000 miles/yr. 4 Codes are bank 1 and 2 efficiency below threshold and oxygen sensor bank 1 and 2 response too slow.

2. Car cranks but will not start.

3. Car has always had a battery tender hooked up to it 24-7 as it sits in my garage. Surprising part now that car was towed back home yesterday I hooked battery tender back up to car thinking it may help and it got really warm. I disconnected it all together fearing something may be wrong with it.

Diagnosis?

1. Could alarm be the culprit? Can I disconnect alarm all together?

2. Does computer need to be reset? How is this usually done?

3. Do not think it is starter or alternator because my non Ferrari dealer mechanic tested it when I had problem in October and it was fine at the time.

4. Why does battery light stay on when key is in the on position with a fully charged battery? Everything in the car driven by the battery works like radio, putting top up etc.

5. Have these symptoms happened to other F355 owners and what was the problem?

Just trying NOT to replace a million dollars in non defective Ferrari parts in trying to get car properly and efficiently repaired. Thanks in advance to all that impart their Ferrari wisdom, as it will be greatly appreciated prior to me towing my car to the repair shop in order to get me back on the road again in achieving a clean and not too expensive bill of health.

Sincerely,

A Clueless F355 Ferrari owner

 

Thanks for the advice as I will try this out and see if it works. Any fuse that I should concentrate on? What about the injection or fuel pump relays? When you state switching battery off you are saying to shut down car using the kill switch or just disconnect the battery? Please advise. As you can see I'm a novice in the Ferrari repair how to do club.

 

The battery is a little over 2 years old. Can get mechanic to check to make sure. It is interesting though that when I put the key on at the last point prior to starting it that the battery light stays on and does not go out. As a Ferrari owner, the only flatbed we enjoy having experience with is definitely from the Sealy Posturepedic line enabling one to have a good nights sleep.

 

Thanks for your professional help, Jim. I went out to the unlocked car and I noticed that light was blinking. Clicked alarm button on key pad like I always do prior to starting attempt Results: Light it stays lit without blinking for about 4 seconds and eventually turns off while car is still in the cranking attempt. Car never started. I never set the alarm or locked the car and noticed when I went back out to the car that the light is blinking again. Does the car automatically put the alarm back on after a few minutes? I never did study the blinking red light, as I always would hit alarm key pad button every time prior to starting car. Maybe I screwed something up and confused the alarm? Can an alarm be disconnected and is this advisable? Thank you!

 

Jim, Why does my car make an uncharacteristic high pitch vacuum cleaner noise located around the area of the passengers side rear tire back bumper vicinity. Near the solenoid valve (hope I have the right name for this part) and the depression accumulation tank area (looks like a black oil filter when I look up from ground vantage point), whenever I turn my key to the on position without attempting to start it? I used the Ricambi site to possibly locate parts vicinity and proper names. On both times when my car would not start this was the same noise I heard and made me aware that my October 2010 problem was back. Is the alternator located in this area? Does this symptom better describe for you a possible bulls-eye to the problem? Thanks in advance.

 

Please do post. Thanks, as information I'm able to learn will help me even in the future. Looks like a trip today or tomorrow to my local Radio Shack

 

I will heed your advice and have my mechanic investigate. Thank you.

 

After taking a week off with my car not starting and a busy week with work I was using today as a day to move to the next level and formulate a plan to get it working. In my prior week's research, I was thinking starting problems were due to either fuses, ECU needing to be reset, fuel pump relay, injector relay or a failed crank sensor.

I went out to the garage after letting about 7 days go by and having the battery tender disconnected from car and she started right up. This resolution was similar back in October 2010 when I had the same symptoms of the car not starting when I let car sit for about a week off of the battery tender and it started right back up.

What does this tell me? Could it be the crank sensor, and or relay? Maybe my Ferrari has angry engine ghostly spirits that act up every once in a while? Since this issue leaves me stranded and in need of a flat bed, I just want to fix this on again off again issue. Not sure what the best course of action other than seeking Ferrari Chat assistance and or a Ferrari Exorcism. Please let me know what you think and Thanks!

Perplexed Ferrari F355 owner.

 

Unfortunately when I was stranded waiting for the flat bed I wanted to see if I were to shut down the car using the battery shut down switch and power it back up thinking it would reset and start, this may have lost the codes showing a possible problem.

 

I'm in the process of ordering another battery tender to replace the one I currently have just in case, as the day in question I noticed it got rather warm. I will be replacing it with the same one that came with the car when I purchased it 2.5 years ago, which was a CTEK 3300. Also when car was towed back in my garage and I hooked the tender up it became very hot to the touch. Leaving it off the tender for a week may have allowed my car to start? I'm thinking on very prolonged hot days with the tender being hooked up may cause a temporary starting dilemma with an overheated relay due to weather and tender? Very possible! That week when car was idle in the garage since its last start prior to my problem we had a record heat wave in Pennsylvania.