do you need a computer system to talk to the car with those secret keys to get into the cars computers? From what I can tell the only big item on the cars is the cam belt every 3-5 years the other stuff is pretty small.
I am in no way qualified to speak about turning wrenches on the F355 but I am currently in the market for one and have asked several owners the same question. Most have little apprehension about doing minor repairs themselves but yes the cam belts are done by certified dealers as this will dramatically affect the re-sale value. I have two pictures of the F355 engine on an engine stand that I snapped while visiting Ferrari of Denver. These photos give you a perspective as to why this procedure costs so much. I could scan them in and post them/ e-mail them to you later if you are interested.
I suspect that during the holidays, F-Chat activity will have it's ups and downs - so check out the search feature and the old board archives, as many an F-C'er has posted on this subject.
Regrading the computer on the F355 see this thread: http://ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=3497 For a good OBD II reader with integrated "code reader" software, I would recommend Auterra connected to a Palm handheld. You can get a good deal on one on ebay if you already own a Palm computer. www.auterraweb.com
I understand the cam belt issue i.e. pulling the engine and all, and like you said really affects the re-sale. Not cool. Also, I have read the Tubi causes check engine lights due to an 0x2 sensor input with the tubi. (still no fix). Currently I am searching for the p1 codes for the obd II. Would love to see the pictures, If you could post them that would be great everyone could see that way. Thanks.
You won't like my opinion, but what the heck. If you have to have a 355, then you must put up with the computer garbage that goes along with it. More computer sensors, the less you can work on it. The less sensors, the more you can work on it. Less wiring, less sensors, less crap to go wrong = money in your pocket. Increasing trend amongst car manufacturers these days is proprietary software that only the dealer has access to. The car is now controlling you instead of vice-versa. Wow, have things changed. No Intel inside on my GT4.
amen to that ^. that is exactly why i bought a 79' 308. wanted a car that i could do most of my own work on. the more computers the harder it is to do that. i know computers make cars wayyyyy more reliable, BUT when something does go haywire you are handcuffed to the dealer to figure out your problem and empty your wallet for you. the more things that are mechanically controlled the better for the do-it-yourselfer.
Since 1996, all cars sold in the US were mandated to be ODBII compliant. So, I'm assuming that you guys are referring to pre-1996 cars when you talk about these problems? -Wayne
Yes obviously. ALL, not some of my cars are pre 1990, my only injected cars are the 89 Supra and my 88 535I. Toyota makes the most reliable FI system that I know of. Spent almost 1K on all new FI sensors when I rebuilt the engine a few months ago, but I still have a stupid a$$ check engine light, will drive it that way till the motor blows up again, probably another 250K on the clock before it does that. 535I had to have the OBC replaced prior to my ownership, who the he11 knows why, must have been a Y2K problem. I could give a **** over being ODBII compliant, no one will ever force me to buy a newer car.
If you chaps want to learn a little more on OBD 2 try the this site, http://www.onboarddiagnostics.co.uk/obdcodes.htm If you drive around with a engine MIL on theres a code in there, you'll more than likley have to go to the dealer or a ferrari independant to get them to plug in and see what codes are stored and why, normaly you take down a note of the codes then erase them restart and see if it comes back on,most ferrari's have a ECU for each bank of cylinders, of course depending on age and type of systems fitted to each model,if the MIL is on and it wont go away there is someone out there to fix it, cheers Dale. PS OBD codes should ALWAYS have been checked out by the servicing dealer,but the MIL light can still come on two weeks down the road.