360 Starting ''issue''....

My 360 manual has started acting up with something it did back in 5-6 years ago.

Here goes:

-When I start the car from completely cold (overnight or more) its like the car starts on 4 cylinders, like only half the engine is running (rpm around 4-500, barely running, but not stopping). Then it takes a few seconds, 3-5secs or so, and it suddenly fires up and goes to the normal 16-1800rpm cold start rpm.

-If I stop the car with the key during the 3-5secs its running ''on one bank'', and restart it immediately, it will fire up like normal.......

Any input on this?

Cheers!

 

I know these may be silly questions, but:

1. Are you waiting until the "check engine" light goes off before starting?
2. How old is your battery?

 

Yes, waiting for the check engine light. The battery is new, and I always connect to a CTek maintainer......



It happens every morning. Without expemtion. Exactly the same every time.

 

Not really an answer but 1600 - 1800 seems like a fast idle. Admittedly mine is an F1 and it idles cold at 1100- 1200.
Alan

 

My 04 MT 360 idles cold at 1100-1150 then down to 1000 after 60 seconds or so....

 

My cold idle is initially about 1250 and then settles down to 1100 at the end of this video when it starts to get warm. Of course my ambient temp is probably 75 degrees F.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SGr1VRH8Va8]360 Cold Start - YouTube[/ame]

 

I predict an MAF that needs replacing and/or some coils that need replacing.

 

+1 possibility to be the MAF(s)... and when was the last time you replaced the air filters?

 

Assuming you never have CEL's, besides the usual MAF ( easy to do, try to swap them to see if you get any difference at all ), I would add a faulty knocking sensor and this could be detected only by an SD2 tester or similar .... be aware there are 2 and each one is responsible for the entire bank to start !

 

Wow, 6000 miles !

 

Common causes (that I've read about on Fchat) that created the same situation that you described have been:

1. Weak Battery (Ferrari electronics seem to be VERY finicky with a weak battery. Even if the battery starts the car effortlessly, it may be too weak for the electronics)
2. Not waiting for "OK" light

Also common have been:
1. Bad MAF sensors
2. Bad coil Packs (usually throw codes from what I've heard)
3. Dirty fuel system, leaky injectors, or clogged injectors

In my case:
It was a bad batch of gas!! (that was a documented first!)

If you have a little free time, and care to read what I went through to find the solution, here is the related thread:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/360-430/427392-cold-start-stumble-question.html

Good luck! Please update the thread when you figure out the culprit.

If it occurs every now and then, I'm pretty sure it can be considered a "normal" Ferrari quirk.
I've had my car for almost 2 years total. In the first year, it has done it maybe 3X +/- (no big deal). Once I had filled it with the bad gas (probably water contamination), it stumbled on EVERY start until I re-filled the tank. Since then it hasn't done it in the last 4 or 5 months.

 

I've noticed that right away too. Super low mileage!

But, then I noticed the OP's hometown, how much can you drive in Honolulu?? Lol

 

How cool must be driving a Ferrari in Oahu ! Like Magnum PI !

 

ha, mine started all rough today, but I never knew that I had to wait for the OK light.
It took three starts for her to get it right.
You learn something every day

 

Correcting this to 1500 - 1650rpm. The numbers are taken from the OBD port, not the rev counter. Its never under 1500ish on cold start.... Always been like this.

Ps, the car is a 99' Euro Manual.

 

MAF's are the originals.

Air filters are new. If this was an airfilter issue, the first thing which would be affected is how the car runs under load..... It runs like a champ.

 

Hang on one second... Im waiting for the ''Check OK'' in the rev counter to go out....! Not the ''check engine'' light as this does not go out on my car before the engine is started...... (99' euro)

 

Been reading the linked thread.

A few things. A vacuum leak would show up on the Short / long term fuel trim, and Ive taken the readings from the ECT and IAT through the OBD. All spot on.

What is so strange is that when it starts, and if I stop it right away and restart, it starts perfectly.

Ref, fuel, I always run my tank very low, and refill full tank. I only use the Shell V-Max 98 premium. (Not because of the brand, but its my local station) I do the same on my Gallardo, F430 and my 2 Porsches. No issues with fuel......... :-/

I will however do some checking of the fuel pressures. However, this will not be the issue, as my cold start issue is only after Overrnight or more. Thefuelpressure should be zero at this time anyways, and primed by the pumps when the ign comes on...

I will revert.

 

Ive had my cars for many years. In the first sentence in the original post i say that this is something which has come back after 6-7years of perfection. It acted exactly this way back then, and one morning it was just all ok again. Now its acting up again.

I THINK that you have had the same issue........ It had nothing to do with your Gas, it just happen to match with your next cold start after the fillup.....

Actually, here is thread I wrote on another Ferrari Forum back then....

360 starting issues

 

Chevron fuel injector cleaner cleared up the exact same problem up for me. Sea Foam injector cleaner is another good cleaner.
My 360 started the same start up problem as yours after sitting for three months. My guess is the injectors were stuck or clogged and the cleaner cleared it up with one treatment.

 

Excellent info. Thanks for sharing folks.

Kevin, thanks for sharing video. And yes, only 6,000 miles! Wow!

Dan

 

Sometimes new air filters can foul up the MAF sensors. Fast and easy to clean the MAF's to rule this out.

 

Injector leak-down is the likely cause and Techron does often cure that. The fact that if you do a double start it works perfectly pretty much clinches it. Mine did that, was cured by Techron for a while and has come back. Time for me to yank the injectors and send them off to be rebuilt with alcohol proof seals and tested.

Try the Techron first.

 

When I stopped mine, then restarted it immediately, it also fixed every time.

I also used the same gas consistently, however it was VERY obvious that from the very next cold start after a fill up, it ran on 4 cylinders. It did this for at least 15-25 cold starts consecutively. After that tank was run down and refilled, it ran perfectly ever since. I've also used that same fuel on my Vettes and Porsches, and NEVER had an issue before. I tried everything I outlined in my thread that I started and nothing worked until I filled up again with fresh fuel from a different station.
I know it sounds strange (I still have a hard time believing it), but in my case, I'm convinced that it was a bad fuel issue (due to timing). I'm not saying that it is your problem also. I'm actually intrigued that others can have the SAME EXACT symptoms with several completely different successful fixes.
I also had a weird transmission issue (transmission error light intermittently came on for no reason, no drivability problems whatsoever) that fixed immediately after changing out a brake switch. It seemed weird also, but I can only say that the issue became fairly consistent, then abruptly fixed when the switch was replaced! I'm happy that these issues fixed for me, but I'm also concerned that I never have hard core evidence that the problem was caused by what I fixed. Man these cars are finicky!

 

I got the car with 5700 miles in June! She is at 8300 now! I consider myself a driver so that number is sure to climb steadily!

BTW....I lived in Walteria prior to my present location!! I miss my loops around PV on the way home.