"Engine Control System Failure" dashboard warning

Friday last week, I drove to my local Shell station to get a tankful of fuel. As I drove slowly (about 10-15 mph) out of the station's driveway past another set of pumps, I heard a dull thud underneath my car but knew I hadn't bottomed out the front bumpers' skid plates as I hadn't even reached the usual driveway embankment ramp leading to the street.

All was copacetic as I drove away slowly (business street speed limit was 30 mph) until 30 seconds later when my dashboard displayed an "Engine Control System Failure" warning. Nonetheless, the engine sounded and functioned normally, so when I got home I took a peek underneath and saw the aluminum underbody aero cover underneath the engine's aft end slightly torn!

I drove back to the Shell station to recheck if there might've been anything unusually protruding on the driveway. Nothing, except that their pumps were located on flat cement platforms slightly elevated and sloping down to the asphalt driveway. My car must've bottomed out at the edge as I drove away.

Since the engine continues to function properly, it's possible an engine sensor (?) located just above the torn cover might have gotten dislodged or damaged! I'm waiting for Ferrari SB to have a loaner available before I take it in for diagnosis / repair.

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Hi John, I wouldn't even think of giving up my 599, but I might just go to the Chevron station in town where I hadn't experienced any such annoying incidents in the past. I started diverting away from Chevron only when Shell introduced their latest V-Power Nitro+ premium fuel which has been great on Ferraris.

Hello George, did your 599 also bottom out and tear open the underbody aero cover, then mess up an engine sensor resulting in annoying warning signs? Thanks for any clarification. Since mine is an HGTE model, it is obviously 15-20 mm lower than GTB models. The GM at Ferrari-SB assured me that they can easily raise my car's clearance height up to be similar to GTB's, but that would negate the improved handling and lower Center of Gravity of HGTE.

Not a good trade off IMHO. Oy vey!

 

Terry - The CEL with the little engine symbol did light up along with the "ECS Failure" written warning. As long as the engine still functions normally, the Ferrari service manager said I may drive it to their dealership and not tow it on a flatbed.

Dominick - As you may see in the picture I posted, the cover's edge was bent downward and backward (shiny metal with its edges a bit jagged). So I also checked the fuel cap (good idea ) to ensure it's screwed on properly to where the cap can be ratcheted. I think the cap cannot be cross-threaded since it doesn't have traditional threads; rather it has two triangular nubs 180 degrees apart that engages into a groove on the tube filler neck.

I'll check it again tomorrow morning when I can start the engine. It's too late at night here now so I don't want to blast my neighbors awake and tick them off.

Unfortunately, I don't know anyone nearby who has an OBD II reader and that's why my alternative is to bring it to the dealer. Thanks.

 

So Dominick - I started the car Sunday morning and the CEL dashboard light plus the "ECS Failure" warning still persisted. I drove it to church for Sunday Mass and after restarting it several hours later, the warning lights cleared up! The warning light hasn't lit up lately, so the initial cause might've truly been a loose fuel cap.

Now I recall struggling to reinstall the cap several times after filling up with fuel; like the cap refused to ratchet which probably meant it wasn't fully closed and engaged. Even after I finally installed the cap, it took a lot of effort to apply torque and get it to ratchet. It's quite possible that this cap is not fully functional anymore or worn and requires a new replacement. Either that our my hands are getting weaker.

I've heard somewhere that the standard aluminum fuel cap costs a mint from Ferrari (their Parts Manager stated once that as soon as the Cavallino Rampante gets stamped on an item, the sell price multiplies exponentially!).

I don't recall either of my Mercs act strange with the cap uninstalled, but our previous Cayenne Turbo S always immediately signaled a loose cap on the dashboard whenever such an incident had occurred.

Nevertheless, many thanks for pointing out that those warning signals could be caused by a partially engaged fuel cap. Your suggestion by itself saved me undue worries, time and effort to drive out plus added expenses to have the dealer check it out.

Now I just have to get a body shop repair the torn underside cover after this CoViD-19 quarantine isolation crisis is over. It's such a PITA, but absolutely necessary to curtail its spread!

 

Dominick - I live in Camarillo CA, about 50 mi north of Los Angeles and 50 mi south of Santa Barbara. I believe I had mentioned to you previously that we moved here from Edison NJ back in Jan 1980 (just in time for the Lakers NBA championship with Magic and Kareem).

Thanks again.