Hi all, believe this is my first post here. Ive been racking my head over the 575 vs 550 debate. I love the body style of both cars. Now I know both are very different cars given their gearbox setups but I really wouldnt mind a manual or the F1. Now reliability issues on the 550 have been well documented here (electronics, sticky buttons, suspension bushings,etc.) but I cant seem to find much about the 575's reliability. Does the F1 trans bring issues with it? Any threads you can refer me to? How often am I going to find myself at the shop for service Ultimately I want the more reliable of the two cars as I want to enjoy it as much as I can. Thanks!!!!
2004 575 f1...82k miles....been very reliable. f1 clutch w 60k miles on it. great car. no suspension issues other than bad sensors. most fcars w sticky/leather issues.
I think they both are very reliable. The F1 seem to work well, but it is a quite complex system, so several things that can stop you. And when the car have a problem, you need to go to a specialist... A manual box with a clutch is pretty much bullet proof. The 575M has six or eight lambda sensors! While the 550 has only four. And the 575M have six catalyzers.. more stuff that can break. Also, xenon is more expencive to fix than a standard halogen bulb. But gives better light etc. High beam is still halogen. And beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
If the F1 system is serviced every 3 years, they are very reliable. From the 599 maintenance schedule, where Ferrari finally realized the system needed regular service. Image Unavailable, Please Login
The 456 and some 456M cars have problems with the windows, but the 550/575 cars don’t have much problems with the windows.
My guess (I have only owned the 550) is that there is no overall difference between the 550 and the 575 on reliability and the real choice you have to make is between manual and F1, which is a matter of personal choice and the sort of driving you do. No other difference is anywhere near as significant as that one.
The decision to be made is do you want a stick shift or an F1? The 550 shocks were more problematic and if I bought one I'd probably find a good replacement and throw them away. That said most liked the overall ride and handling of the 550 over the 575. At this stage of life overall reliability will have far more to do with use and service quality than any engineering differences.
Siddh- The 550 maintenance schedule is in the owners manual. You can pick one up on E-bay for very little money and it will be a handy document to have. Ride and handling of the 575M vary widely depending on what shock ECU is used and whether FHP is fitted. Lots of information on that in this forum. Pretty much all the 550 issues have known fixes and updates, so not much to choose between there. The coil on plug ignition on the 575M tends to last longer than the coil impulse through ignition wire/lead system on the 550. The 575M also came with sintered steel valve guides, which have proven to be very tough. The 550 has titanium connecting rods, while the 575M went to steel. Whether a reliability upgrade or a cost saving measure is open for discussion.
And in PDF, but it's too big to upload here. However, these are the pages you want. If you DM me your email, I can send you the whole thing.
Im also having the 575 debate i have a 348 spider now. When you say serviced every 3 years how much $$$ are we talking ?
Interesting Do all the F1 cars use the same kind of oil or is it vehicle specific? I assume it’s just Pentosin CHF 11S? I wonder if it’s a good time to also replace the pump relays with a fluid change. Hmm
I’ve been using my 2004 F1 575M as a daily driver since I bought it in May 2019 including 2 track days at Barber. New belts in March 2020 and an annual in April of 2021. Lousy Image Unavailable, Please Login Radio but no other issues.
A- No, 575M's recommended F1 fluid is Tutela CS Speed, now made by Petronas. Designed for Selespeed systems. Expensive, but available on Amazon for around $55/liter. I probably have 6 or so stashed. Amazon.com: Petronas Tutela CS Speed Trans Automatic Oil - 75W 1L : Automotive
Thanks Taz, Do you happen to have a service guide handy for the F1 system? I am trying to plan out how many Liters of Petronas I will need and buy (6?). I will plan to also replace the F1 4pin (aka 50Amp) Pump relay at the same time (I assume there is only one relay), correct? Anything else I should change while doing the fluid? Pressure sensor? Relief valve?
A- Unless you have an SD2 or equivalent, best to let a pro do it. Requires removal of the actuator to reach the bleed screws. Aldous Voice's site has a good description of the change for the 360, which is pretty much identical to the 575M system. The F1 system only takes one liter of fluid for most fluid changes and service. There are two F1 pump relay types, one for early (pre-AN 52556) and one for late. The 4 pin is for the late models and has proven to be pretty tough. 233100 is pretty cheap, so no problem swapping in a new one. I would not preemptively change anything except the pump relay. V8s have problems with accumulators, but have not seen much of that on the V12s on FChat. Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
My 3 pedal 575 has been super reliable also. I am aware that's a sample of one. Or two, with yours. And also that I am tempting fate. When I bought it I thought bills would be massive, and the value of the car would shoot up. Neither has happened, bills are flat and so is the value.
Did 3800 miles this driving season. Nothing but bliss. I did get a flat- thankfully I have the spare tire option
When I bought the 550 I thought it would lose 30%-50% of value and bills would also be massive... got those both wrong also.
thread revival, has anyone put 10k miles on a 575 in a year in the last couple of years, thinking about doing something crazy. I have had a few exotics, mclaren, aston dbs, 911 turbo, lotus esprits. I have done this mileage in a 996 turbo but not in the others and wondered if it would bankrupt me?