355F1

recently i have sold my 96 355 spider, which i kind of regret about it....so i am back looking for another 355

a friend of mine might sell me his 98 355F1 if i am really interested (i mean really intereted, cos he knows i am kind of a manual guy), anyway as he needs to travel a lot lately, he gave me his car yesterday and let me try it out

so i took it home after work, as it was peak hour, i need to stop and go very frequent and i was pretty concerned that the F1 gearbox cannot handle the stop and go traffic and breaks down, luckily i was home without any problem

i have read about the relibility of 355 F1 on this forum, i guess the main problems are the pump and clutch......what i should do or rather should not do to look after the pump and clutch

also, i would like to hear from the 355 F1 owners directly, whether they have encountered any problems driving their 355F1 in heavy traffic (cos based on my limited experience driving it yesterday, i have difficulties shifting in 1st gear in the stop and go traffic, i have to pull the paddle for a few seconds before it engages in 1st gear, is this normal?)

thanks in advance

 

Sounds like there's a problem with that car. You shouldn't have to hold the paddle or try it several times to get into 1st. I've had my 99 355F1 for over a year now without any F1 problems. I just changed the clutch at about 27k miles. It still had some life in it but while I had the car apart for other stuff I went ahead and had it changed. I kept my car at my place in DC last year for about 6 months and had it out just about every day in stop-n-go city traffic without any problems. Drove it there from Tampa and then back again also without any problems aside from my wheel bolts coming loose. Also, as long as you keep it in sport mode, the shifts are fast and smooth. A lot of people complain about how jerky the 355 system is, but they must be crazy if they think sport mode isn't smooth. If you're that worried about it you should probably stick with the standard shifter though. The only reason I went with F1 is because I'm 6'5" and don't fit well with the 3rd pedal and shifter hitting my knee in 1st and 2nd... if the standard works for you there's no point in changing.

-R

 

No problem with mine either............

 

sport mode? is it the sport buttom sitting in the centre console?

pls excuse my ignorance, i thought thats for normal/sport suspension like my previous 355

so whats exactly is this sport button in 355F1?

 

Sport mode on the F1 is a bit different than the standard tranny. In addition to tightening up the suspension, it shortens the shift time and allows you to rev all the way to the limiter. I drove my car in regular mode for the first month I had it and started wondering why I got the F1... then I flipped the sport mode switch (think it's the left most switch on the center console) and it turned into a totally different car.

-R

 

i just took the car out for a short run with sport mode....mm....quite nice

i started to enjoy F1 gearbox cos i can put both hands on the wheel and the gear will change by a flip of the paddle!!! mm...very impressive... actually its pretty easy to handle too

its a pity that the F1 gearbox in 355 does not rev up when down shifting, otherwise it would be perfect!!!

 

It actually does, but only if your foot is buried in the throttle. Say you're cruising along in 5th and want to pass someone... Keep your foot planted while downshifting and it'll blip the throttle for you.

-R

 

Husky - I know what you mean on the blip. Drove a Gallardo with paddles and it's really cool. I don't believe the 360 does it either. The dealer told me the 430s do, but I don't know for sure.

 

If you don't have any error codes etc in the system & the car is tuned up correctly you DO GET the blips while shifting, especially downshifts. The sport mode is a nice way to go but be carefull if you start to hammering her to much. It will be clutch time. Suspension & shift points change. I had 1 speedo sensor go & it put me in "safe" mode, which is a pain in the ass but you do have some trade offs with the F1. Learning the torque curve & rpm range and I get really nice shifts. Not all the jerking that is talked about. Stop & go coming back from Jersey shore I try to time the distance between cars & using neutral ... takes alot of stress off the system. If you take it the the limit (rpm) in sport mode & start to rip thru the gears you will swear the gearbox is going to be blown right out the back of the car. Somewhat cool BUT there is a difference in beating a car and driving it hard & proper. I like my F1 and I think if you take care of the car, get proper maintenance when due I think you should not have a problem. Some guys on Fchat had come back to me on my comments about the pump & relays etc. ---ie --- if one or two guys have problems with F1 pump, relay(s), etc then they get on Fchat and the next thing you know is: All F1 PUMPS WILL BLOW, MUST CHANGE ALL RELAYS, ETC ETC. --- the BS starts to come out from everywhere.

 

With all due respect to other's comments regarding the "blip" on downshifts:
The 355 cannot perform the "blip" because it does not have drive by wire throttles (ala 360, 430, Gallardo). The 355 does not shut the throttle (or open it) during shifts because it can't. The fuel system is briefly interrupted during the shift cycle. The small "blip" you do hear/feel from the 355 when you downshift comes from the idle air bypass valve being opened by the ECU at the proper time. Not nearly as effective as the drive by wire systems, unfortunately.

I might add that you (via your right foot) can do a wonderful job of "blipping the throttle" when downshifting on the 355. It takes a bit of practice to get the timing right, but when left foot braking and downshifting via the paddle, you can add a properly timed, rev-matching dip of the throttle that sounds glorious, especially with a Tubi. (makes you feel like a hero, to boot!)

 

Thanks for the correction. While shifting I swear the rpms are "blipping" I'm gonna have to pay attention & try myself since I left foot brake most the time anyway.

 

My 360 CS does the "blip". Sounds wicked when I downshift - (Straight pipes & Tubi NGT exhaust.)

 

Hm interesting stuff. Oddly enough I always do give the right ankle a bit of a flex when I downshift...So I guess I'm doing it anyway.

Regarding sport mode eating clutches, Since it shifts faster it seems like it would last longer. Regular mode feels like it slips it.

-R

 

Sport mode makes the clutches last longer to my knowledge.

 

interesting......

you learn something new everyday and you learn something new about ferrari on fchat everyday!!!

anyway i just came back from another short trip on the 355....feels really good with the F1 trammy, however, i am still a bit concern driving it in heavy traffic, so i delibrately skip the area with traffic and drove it somewhere "nice"

 

This is what my mechanics and dealer have both told me to get the most usage out of your clutch.

(1) Drive in sport mode at all times unless it's raining or snowing.

(2) If the car is still put it in neutural. I.E. no reason to be at a stoplight for a minute in 1st gear.

(3) If you're just driving around the car and don't care for downshifting, putting the car in neutural and stopping instead of going through all gears will make the clutch last longer. This however is boring IMO, I love downshifting on the F1/CC system through all gears.

Hope that helps.

 

thanks for your advice....

actually i did exactly what you said, put it in neutral at the lights and wheneven i stop the car

i agree with you that is kind of boring not to down shift, i like going through the gears as well, its really cool with the F1 trammy both hands on the wheel and foot on the throttle, i have never put it auto mode cos i think it will spoil the fun!!!!

in 355 F1 the oil temp gauge is replaced by the display of the gear, is that mean it is no longer important? so how do i know whether oil temp is normal or over heat? also whats the normal bar? mine is quite low in idling..... i think is around 2