Did anyone here buy this eBay 550 VIN ZFFZS49A5Y0120829? | Page 2 | FerrariChat

Did anyone here buy this eBay 550 VIN ZFFZS49A5Y0120829?

Discussion in '456/550/575' started by Julia, Nov 24, 2018.

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  1. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 10, 2002
    26,288
    socal
    Yes, an important well informed owner. We have discussed this and potential mitigating factors that may have contributed to his cavitation. There are only 2 case on the 550 that I know of. Cavitation is not a concern over the fleet but it is ease enough to prevent with no real increase in cost over how the cooling system is normally maintained.
     
  2. Ferrari 308 GTB

    Ferrari 308 GTB F1 Veteran

    Feb 21, 2015
    7,716
    Tropical
    Christmas came early .hope you have a winner there.
     
  3. scowman

    scowman Formula 3

    Mar 25, 2014
    2,479
    Scottsdale AZ
    Full Name:
    Stu Boogie
    I’m jealous. I looked at some Canada cars but was concerned about import and registration. Please let us know how your experience goes.
     
  4. dennis_maine

    dennis_maine Karting

    Sep 11, 2007
    196
    ME
    Full Name:
    Dennis Haines
    Well, I'm sure some of are wondering what happened with this car. I guess I picked the wrong transport company, because it has taken them from November 2018 until now to get the car to me. Four months to ship a car 600 miles!

    My first thoughts upon seeing the car for the first time were that it looks better and sounds better than I have any right to expect, at the purchase price. That's not to say it doesn't have issues, because it does. Just that those issues can be dealt with by myself.

    One other detail to get out of the way: The bill of sale says the car would have all books and manuals, a car cover, and a tool set. It has an aftermarket cover, but that's all. No tools and no manuals. Be sure you do not ever buy a car from this dealer.

    Now for the most obvious and pressing issues. The shift gate is missing, as is the on/off button on the HVAC panel. The left side door threshold trim is missing. The gas cap is missing. Both side windows need adjustment. The left side interior door latch/lock is broken. The windshield is cracked. The CEL is on, as is the suspension warning light. It has a few paint scrapes.

    On the plus side, it sounds healthy, it starts and idles nicely, the clutch and gearbox feel good.

    Where I need your help: I have a Launch x431, but I cannot get it to connect to this car, or to my 360 Modena. It works fine with my 5 series. I can't get to first base regarding the CEL without a troubleshooting aid. Does anyone out there know how to make this thing work? I'm trying to use it with the Bluetooth connection. Should I be using a USB cable? Which one? D/K CAN? Any insight, suggestions, personal experiences etc. will be most welcome.
     
  5. henryr

    henryr Two Time F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Nov 10, 2003
    21,648
    Atlanta
    Full Name:
    Juan Sánchez Villa-L
    drive and enjoy in good health

    make a great daily
     
  6. greyboxer

    greyboxer F1 World Champ

    Dec 8, 2004
    12,282
    South East
    Full Name:
    Jimmie
    The gas cap is missing ? Looking at this the other way a common cause of CEL for new owners is not tightening the cap sufficiently so it could be that no gas cap is causing an emissions related light - also the suspension light whilst often the motors could be jammed/failed might just be lack of use
     
    Jürgen Geisler and Canuck550 like this.
  7. dennis_maine

    dennis_maine Karting

    Sep 11, 2007
    196
    ME
    Full Name:
    Dennis Haines
    Thank you. I did think of the gas cap, but I'd like to be able to use the Launch system after paying $900......
     
  8. Julia

    Julia F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 22, 2014
    6,336
    Houston
    Good to hear the update, Dennis! Please keep us posted as you continue to work out the issues!
     
  9. dennis_maine

    dennis_maine Karting

    Sep 11, 2007
    196
    ME
    Full Name:
    Dennis Haines
    Thank you, I will.
     
  10. dennis_maine

    dennis_maine Karting

    Sep 11, 2007
    196
    ME
    Full Name:
    Dennis Haines
    Just removed the underside plastic trays and the inner fender liners to get a look underneath. The only issues I see are a leak where the shift rod enters the trans, and a leaking LF shock. That may explain the suspension warning light.

    Has anyone replaced the seal on the shift rod? If so I would be grateful for any pointers.

    I suppose I should have all 4 shocks rebuilt? Any comments or recommendations, please.

    It looks like both front and rear bumpers and both rocker panels, have been repainted. No surprise, and they could all be repainted again.

    More when I have time.
     
  11. Bluebottle

    Bluebottle F1 Veteran
    Silver Subscribed

    Oct 15, 2012
    7,698
    Newbury, Berkshire, England
    Full Name:
    John
    Congratulations, Dennis, you are a braver man than I, so I'm very glad to hear it looks like you have got yourself a good deal. Good luck with the sorting and I hope you enjoy the car as much as I enjoy mine.:)
     
  12. dennis_maine

    dennis_maine Karting

    Sep 11, 2007
    196
    ME
    Full Name:
    Dennis Haines
    Thank you. It promises to be an adventure.
     
  13. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 1, 2002
    28,029
    Dixie
    Full Name:
    Itamar Ben-Gvir
    Congratulations. Delivery company nightmare. Enjoy it.
     
  14. Konadog06

    Konadog06 Formula Junior
    Silver Subscribed

    Aug 22, 2007
    959
    Daytona Beach, Florida
    Full Name:
    Bill
    Dennis just something to think about regarding the front left shock. I know you are getting a suspension light. On a 575 the power steering reservoir sits over the front left shock. First you would need to confirm that the 550 reservoir is located the same. The factory hose that runs from the PS reservoir to the pump seeps down ending up on the front left shock. Appearing as if it is leaking. It would be worthwhile to check under the reservoir for wetness before pulling the shock. No idea why this hose decides to seep or if it is even in the same location on your car but, many a shock has been blamed for the problem.
    Bill
    FL
     
  15. dennis_maine

    dennis_maine Karting

    Sep 11, 2007
    196
    ME
    Full Name:
    Dennis Haines
    Konadog06, thank you so much for this information! The power steering reservoir does sit right above the shock. I will check the hose first chance I get! This website is the greatest!
     
  16. Vintage12

    Vintage12 Karting

    Aug 26, 2013
    86
    SW Florida
    Full Name:
    Colin
    Dennis,


    For sure get a new Gas Cap installed before diagnosing CELs etc.


    The power steering reservoir is a failure point and often upgraded, you want the newer style ZF and it’s a cheap fix.


    The door window alignment is also common failure on the 550. I assume they are drooping at the back edge and you no longer have a consistent alignment. If they are really bad you will have a gap in the back corner. F1 Import and Exotics offer a fix and I believe they warranty that for life. Talk with Eric who knows a ton about these cars.


    On the shocks, check you are getting rotation on the actuators at ignition/start. They should rotate and recenter themselves. Also those gears break so inspect them closely, you should be able to rotate them by hand as well. Physically check the ECU is connected. If you want to rebuild I have used Rob at DeltaVee with good success - he also warranties his work for life and stands by it.


    Other things I would probably do anyway.


    - replace all 4 O2 sensors

    - inspect all vacuum lines, replace any suspect

    - check your cam belts (priority), stamps should give you the age

    - replace the oil and filters

    - check those engine mounts have been upgraded/replaced


    Hope this helps. Have fun.
     
  17. dennis_maine

    dennis_maine Karting

    Sep 11, 2007
    196
    ME
    Full Name:
    Dennis Haines
    Well, here's an update on this car, now that I found some time to look it over thoroughly and to do some disassembly.

    The entire car has been repainted, The paint film thickness is 0.5 – 0.7 mm. However, it is a pretty good job. All of the trim and glass were removed, and the finish is acceptable. I'll probably wind up doing a little more sanding and buffing in some areas. Also the car has picked up some scrapes since it was painted that will need attention. It has no dings or dents. The only modifications are aftermarket wheels and aftermarket rear mufflers. Otherwise the car is unmolested.

    I removed all of the under trays and fender liners to inspect the car underneath. It's very clean, with no sign of damage of any kind. I did find that the transmission is leaking around the shift rod. The LF shock absorber appears to be leaking.

    I disassembled the top of the engine down to the cam covers. There is oil in the intakes on both sides. Puddles, not just a light film. After seeing this, the compression is better than I expected. 122-125-125-125-120-132-100-114-116-120-116-128. All acceptable to me except the 100 lbs in cylinder 7. I put a little oil in that cylinder with no change. I suspect the valves are sticking, as the car has obviously been sitting for a long time. The gasoline smells really old. The spark plugs all look normal, and all look the same. Maybe a little blacker than I would like, but no oil fouling. The valleys around the camshafts are very clean, as though the oil has been changed regularly. There were 12 liters of fairly clean oil in the engine.

    What else? Their is an oil leak around the cam belt driven sprocket on the right side. There are no other engine leaks. The cam belts themselves look good. The aluminum tube for the air injection system is worn through on the left side due to dragging on the road. There is no Freon in the A/C.

    My intention is to replace every rubber hose I can find, fix the two oil leaks, fix the A/C, replace the gaskets and belts, get it road worthy, and drive it.

    If anyone has any comments on the above, particularly the oil in the intake runners and the compression readings, I would appreciate hearing them.




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  18. dennis_maine

    dennis_maine Karting

    Sep 11, 2007
    196
    ME
    Full Name:
    Dennis Haines
  19. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
    Consultant Owner

    Aug 10, 2002
    26,288
    socal
    people overfill the oil and suck it into the intake. clean it out and don't worry about it. Just fill your oil properly. I'm a 1/2way up the dipstick filler.
     
  20. ralfabco

    ralfabco Two Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa

    Mar 1, 2002
    28,029
    Dixie
    Full Name:
    Itamar Ben-Gvir

    Amazing how some people do not put nice photos with a listing. Years ago a member on F.C. purchased a dark blue Countach, from an eBay auction. The pics were all taken inside of a garage with a drab concrete floor. With poor lighting. What could go wrong with those pics. Some dealers take amazing artsy photos with the car and it pays off.

    The 'special' car from 1978, was the very first factory Countach built, with the flares and wide tires. Peter found a diamond.
     
  21. dennis_maine

    dennis_maine Karting

    Sep 11, 2007
    196
    ME
    Full Name:
    Dennis Haines
    So, I finally got the car back together with new belts, water pump, thermostat, gaskets,etc. It started right up, BUT within 2 minutes the exhaust manifolds started smoking, then in another 2 minutes the catalysts were glowing bright orange!. What?? It seems the two most likely causes of hot catalysts are excess unburned fuel, or plugged catalysts. The CEL has been on since I bought the car, but I never could figure out why. Now its time to get serious about it. I have a Foxwell GT80. a Launch X431V, and a bunch of hand held readers. Neither the Foxwell nor the Launch will connect, although they both work on my 360 and my 5 series wagon. A hand held Bosch threw 16 codes, one of which is P0600. According to information I found on line, P0600 is a CAN data bus malfunction. That could explain a lot. Looking into it, I found an OBD2 wiring table on this site that says pin 6 is CAN high and pin 14 is CAN low. My connector doesn't have a wire in pin 14! It does have one ( a yellow wire) on pin 13. The same table says there is no wire on pin 13. SO - here's where I need some help. Does anyone know what pins on their OBD2 connector have wires, and what color they are? It would sure help to have that information. Thanks!!! I'm going to take a look at my 360's connector tomorrow, too.
     
  22. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
    Silver Subscribed

    Feb 20, 2015
    11,484
    Sydney
    Full Name:
    Ian Riddell
    I don't know if the wiring diagrams are particular accurate, Dennis, but...

    Pin 5 black (earth)
    Pin 7 Brown with black stripe (very weird wiring routing to Immobiliser Interface Unit) and to pin 88 of Right Motronics Unit.
    Pin 13 Pink with yellow stripe (pin 60 on both Motronics ECUs)
    Pin 15 Brown with green stripe (pin 87 on both Motronics ECUs)
    Pin 16 Red (battery power via footwell fuse 21)

    Did you turn off your immobiliser when trying to do a scan? This is required on my F355, not sure about the 550.
     
  23. dennis_maine

    dennis_maine Karting

    Sep 11, 2007
    196
    ME
    Full Name:
    Dennis Haines
    Thank you. This is the same as the wiring on my connector. I don't know about the immobilizer status; I never knew it was an issue when scanning. I will check. Thanks again.
     

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