355- New battery and alternator

It is not the sort of work that needs to be done by a franchise dealer however how easy it would be to find experienced non-franchise service I don't know

In Sharjah there used to be Phantom Workshop (tel = 342535) who have worked on 355s

You could take a look in the Middle East section here too

 

Shame I just left Dubai... would have loved to see the 355 - hoped to see one during my whole 1,5month stay. 'Old" Ferraris are such a rare sight in the UAE


Maybe contact the UAE Ferrari Owners Club for help;

http://www.ferrariownersclubuae.com/about.php

Fred Kamperman, the Club's President, is also a member here (username F59900)

 

Just changed the battery myself on my '98 355 last month. Jack up the right front wheel, remove wheel and panel in front part of wheel well, and you are looking right at the battery. Simple to unbolt old, swap for new, and you are good to go for the price of the battery (not $1000!). Takes 15 minutes if you are experienced, 45 minutes if you are lame like me. Remember to turn off the battery before you do any of this, and to let your car idle untouched for 10-15 minutes to "reset" the ECU's.

Obviously, the alternator is much more involved than this, probably best left to a pro. Are you sure that you need a new alternator, though? Maybe they are assuming you do based on the dead battery, but likely the battery is just dead from the car sitting for so long. Next time you let the car sit, turn off the battery, and save yourself the headache.

John

 

You most likely do not need a new alternator. Yours probably only has a failed regulator or rectifier, a common problem. It can be fixed for less than $100 in parts, and about one hour labor (the parts can be carefully replaced with the alternator in the car, I've done it myself).

Here is a relevant thread with the part numbers and source to buy them. Read about Doc Bob who lives in the UAE, and how happy he is with his alternator rebuild. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=202095&highlight=355+alternator These parts are an "upgrade" and will make the alternator more reliable than a brand new one. (no kidding)

Here is the step by step to fixing it (ignore the part numbers it is for a similar 348 alternator). Though for a 348, the alternators are almost identical. http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=142329

The battery can be changed easily in less than one hours time. You are definitely getting overcharged, unless the dealer charges $1000 per hour.

Good luck and please report back.

PS: Make sure your alternator has a ground strap added between the alternator and oil pan. They did not come from the factory this way, but was a later update. Not all cars got the update, and this can cause alternator failure, and poor charging.

 

You can make your own ground strap for the alternator from some 10 or 12 ga wire and a couple of ring connectors, or buy the factory part:
http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?products_id=208383