550 owners ever have fuel pump go bad? | FerrariChat
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550 owners ever have fuel pump go bad?

Discussion in '456/550/575' started by zstyle, Feb 28, 2008.

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  1. zstyle

    zstyle Formula Junior

    Jun 28, 2007
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    Jon
    #1 zstyle, Feb 28, 2008
    Just got done working with Andy Falbo on a customer's '03 550 and was curious if any 550 owners ever had the rubber that incases the fuel pump get eaten away due to fuel and clog up the pump? The car went to scottsdale ferrari, and 2 other shops until someone recommend Andy and everyone said it had to do with the maf sensor but we tested it and was good. Took a while for us to find the problem but seemed very strange that the rubber just got eaten away like that.

    Jon
     
  2. ApeGen

    ApeGen Formula 3
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    #2 ApeGen, Feb 29, 2008
    03' 550??
    I thought 550 is only up to 01'?

    Yes, it happens; but only if you don't drive them often enough.
     
  3. JazzyO

    JazzyO F1 World Champ

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    #3 JazzyO, Feb 29, 2008
    Absolutely. A couple of 550's were registered new in the US in 2002 but none were physically built after December 2001.


    Onno
     
  4. bbshriver

    bbshriver Karting

    Feb 11, 2008
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    #4 bbshriver, Feb 29, 2008
    My dad's 99 550 is in the shop right now for this EXACT problem. Something in the fuel ate away at the rubber housing/mountings which degraded, and clogged the fuel supply, incidentally happening at exactly the same time as a sensor failure causing the car to only run on one bank of cyls and have fuel starvation besides!
    Last I checked the mechanic was still waiting for the replacement pumps (last Monday... he's had it since the 14th)
     
  5. turbos7903

    turbos7903 F1 Rookie

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    #5 turbos7903, Mar 1, 2008
    Another 550 here in the Mid Atlantic just had the exact problem. Fixed at ALGAR in PA. Symptom was the car began to run on one cylinder bank. Interesting that this has come up. Jon In Delaware
     
  6. zstyle

    zstyle Formula Junior

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    #6 zstyle, Mar 2, 2008
    well the car only had 7000 miles so it definitely wasn't driven much and the current owner says the engine has never felt so strong because before the problem the engine would cut out just after 6000rpm. we were only able to check and fix driver side fuel pump cuz andy is going to homestead for ferrari challenge and GT car parts didn't have any more pumps. we also think that the rubber go into the injectors since idle is still off but not by much.
     
  7. zstyle

    zstyle Formula Junior

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    #7 zstyle, Mar 2, 2008
    also due to this pump going bad, the cats would heat up to about 540 degrees celcius when they range is 300-350 so the computer would shut down part of the engine. interesting though that others have had the same problem
     
  8. JazzyO

    JazzyO F1 World Champ

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    #8 JazzyO, Mar 2, 2008
    Yes, great to read. I'll file it in case this happens with my own. Thanks for sharing, all.


    Onno
     
  9. mab53

    mab53 Rookie

    Jun 2, 2006
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    #9 mab53, Mar 2, 2008
    I have a similar problem at the moment with my '97 550. The Slow Down light is on all the time and although it revs fine, there's not mch power and it's missing at tick-over.
     
  10. zstyle

    zstyle Formula Junior

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    #10 zstyle, Mar 2, 2008
    if you guys are curious about if your pump is going bad i would suggest looking at by yourself to see. its not hard to get to just a lil manuevring. let me know if any one wants a walk through.
     
  11. markbnj

    markbnj Karting

    Feb 25, 2007
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    Central New Jersey
    #11 markbnj, Mar 3, 2008
    Yes, please give us the walk through. I have a 2000 which periodically seems starved for fuel.
     
  12. davehelms

    davehelms F1 Rookie

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    #12 davehelms, Mar 3, 2008
    Pull the fuel filter and dump it out on a clean paper towel. You will see when it starts to happen. Common problem now and it isnt just the 550's that experiance the problem.

    Dave
     
  13. cmparrenzo

    cmparrenzo F1 Rookie

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    #13 cmparrenzo, Mar 3, 2008

    Wrong, I put over 7,000 miles a year on mine I had to replace them. It has been 18 months since I replaced them and I am starting to get symptoms again... bad design that will happen to EVERY 550 and other contemporary Ferrari's with this same design....
     
  14. bbshriver

    bbshriver Karting

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    #14 bbshriver, Mar 3, 2008
    What causes this? Our mechanic believed it to be some sort of fuel additive, but it doesn't sound like others are backing that up (unless we can document additives used in each case?).
    Why do rubber housings on the pump have this issue, but not rubber fuel lines? Obviously different rubber, but it seems odd.
     
  15. cmparrenzo

    cmparrenzo F1 Rookie

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    #15 cmparrenzo, Mar 3, 2008
    I cannot tell you why the rubber goes bad,I do not use any fuel additives but it does happen and if not caught early enough you buy fuel pumps. I have not seen any predictable pattern, but every 550 in this area has had them replaced. 360's do this as well and their are others...
     
  16. bbshriver

    bbshriver Karting

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    #16 bbshriver, Mar 3, 2008
    What would be the alternative to new fuel pumps?
    Can just new casings be installed?
     
  17. cmparrenzo

    cmparrenzo F1 Rookie

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    #17 cmparrenzo, Mar 3, 2008
    New fuel isolaters can be installed, but as the rubber breaks down it clogs the pumps and can destroy them.... So at the earliest sign of a problem, pull the pumps and inspect.
     
  18. bbshriver

    bbshriver Karting

    Feb 11, 2008
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    #18 bbshriver, Mar 3, 2008
    Thanks, that's good to know.. Ours is getting new pumps as it was to the point of basically not running.
    Will be good to keep in mind.
     
  19. zstyle

    zstyle Formula Junior

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    #19 zstyle, Mar 3, 2008
    well the fuel pumps in the in trunk behind the driver and passenger seats. Andy and i believe that if the rubber around the fuel pumps are going bad then what is preventing the rubber in the injectors to do the same thing. We thought maybe its the fuel in phoenix or maybe additives but can't pinpoint what causes the rubber to go. make sure when you pull the pumps you have less than a 1/4 of tank and if there is rubber in your tank you'll have to drain it which is a pita since the plug is about a foot into the chasis above the driver side air shield. fuel will spill all over so less fuel in tank the better.
     
  20. bbshriver

    bbshriver Karting

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    #20 bbshriver, Mar 3, 2008
    Yes, our mechanic dropped the tank, drained, cleaned, flushed fuel system from engine back etc.
     
  21. dm_n_stuff

    dm_n_stuff Four Time F1 World Champ
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    #21 dm_n_stuff, Mar 3, 2008
    10% ethanol has been known to cause a host of problems. I'm guessing the higher ethanol content is causing this, and I bet we see it lots more.

    If it can dissolve the deposits that have built up in old gas tanks, I'm betting in can do a number on rubber, too.

    DM
     
  22. cmparrenzo

    cmparrenzo F1 Rookie

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    #22 cmparrenzo, Mar 3, 2008
    Ethanol may contribute but none of the fuel in my 550 has been an ethanol blend, so this is not the total answer...
     
  23. Pcar928fan

    Pcar928fan Formula 3

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    #23 Pcar928fan, Mar 3, 2008
    Exactly what I was thinking. The ethanol eats up the rubber parts FAST!! Which is why "flex" fuel cars are so labeled and if your car is NOT labeled as such you should NOT use any ethanol fuels in it...

    James
    Austin, TX
     
  24. SonomaRik

    SonomaRik F1 Veteran

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    #24 SonomaRik, Mar 3, 2008
  25. zstyle

    zstyle Formula Junior

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    #25 zstyle, Mar 3, 2008
    yes definitely garage kept cars are affected by this more. if i had known this topic was already posted i wouldn't have started it. sorry.
     
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