Air bubbles on dip stick - 360 Modena

I am interested to hear what they say about this.

-A

 

I think you are getting yourself all worked up. How about checking the oil with the engine OFF, but at temperature on flat ground?

If a car with 5,000 miles needs its oil check regularly you have a problem IMO, so I don't think you have been negligent. Oil either leaks out and leaves a stain in your garage or it gets burned due to ring wear, since you should have neither at 5,000 miles it is non-issue IMO.

Calling the dealer in a huff will just get them to think your an idiot and have a laugh after you hang up. I'd check it as I described FIRST, get a reading and then call them and tell them the bubble issue versus the non-running level so you have some information to work with. The patented response will be "bring it in and we'll look at it", at $125/hour that is.

 

I don't know about your car for certain, but in my Ferrari 348, which probably has the same or similar dry sump oil system as does your 360, too much oil will cause foaming...which leaves tiny bubbles on your dipstick.

If you are seeing some puffs of white or grey smoke coming out of your exhaust pipes, then you probably have too much oil in your system. Drain a bit or suck some out with a shopvac or whatever, and you'll probably see the bubbles disappear from your dipstick and your smoke go away.

 

Just be sure to not check check a dry sump oil system cold because you'll flip out thinking that you have no oil in the car (the reading will typically be below MIN). Then you'll erroneously add oil.

First time F-car buyers typically check the oil when the engine is cold, not knowing that you don't do that on dry sump engines...then they panic and add oil...often pushing the oil level over MAX when the engine is started again.

That causes foaming on the dip stick and smoke out the exhausts.

 

I would just take it in for an oil change, rather than give the garage a panic call which will result in a several hundred dollar oil change. Start out with a known correct amount of oil by someone who knows how to fill it properly. Then check it at home for a few days and I am sure you will be fine.

 

Dear Air bubbles. You are experiencing a standard feature of checking the oil on a 360 and similar to that of a 355. Oil these days is very viscous and tends to collect little air bubble as it returns to the reservoir which is in the engine bay . The car is a dry sump car so it relies on a seperate reservoir and oil is circulated through the engine and back to this reservoir. As it drops from the reurn hose back into the reservoir it will collect a little air at the surface and as you draw out the dip stick these will collect on the stick, this is normal. Checking the level of oil is a black art and I am yet to discover many people who own ferraris who are totally happy with a 100% proof way of douing it. I agree with the stop engine and quickly check level when hot as this seems to be the best and most common used even by the ferrari dealer mechanics. Seems the book is not the easiest to follow as there are variations in the level as it is circulating.
By the way, 360's do use oil and it says so in the O.M. You should check oil every 500miles or so and the oil reservoir lid and the power steeing lids can work loose so they should be checked regularly. Do not be tempted to over fill as it can get messy. If you have an f1 do not over fill its reservoir as it will drip out and scare the bejeesus out of you as it fills the engine bay with smoke as it drips on the manifold/exhaust. regards Tony
p.s. ferrari engines are mechanical things that all cars have I think we tend to baby them a little too much (fear of costs) but they are pretty bullet proof.

 

You did the right thing checking it while idling after it had reached normal operating temp. You should wipe the oil from the dipstick and simply rest it on the filler neck for a second or two and then lift it vertically to check it. Do not screw it in before checking -- if you do, it'll show that it has more oil than it actually does.

btw, my 360 needed a quart of oil about every 1000 miles.

 

Don't worry, air bubbles are normal. Mine does that too.

 

Told ya you were working yourself up to a sleepless night for nothing.

 

I guess i didn't had nothing better to do this morning then calling 5. different dealers in CA to ask them about how to properly check the oil level. With engine on or off. All of them told me while enginee is idling.

I did the check myself on my car. With engine hot, on flat ground, while idling, the dip stick reading shows me about 2 inches over the max mark. Also, few air bubbles on dip stick.

Same conditions as above, but with engine off, and checking about 15 seconds after turned off engine, the reading is between the min and max mark.
Go figure ??? I guess this is the better way to properly check it, or do i have realy to much oil in the system ?????
Oil temperature and pressure is fine.

 

Nobody has any comments and or ideas to this ??? Come on guys !!!

 

Bit of logic required here.

If the engine is running then the oil pumps are too which means oil will be gushing into the header tank where the dipstick is, exactly how would a dipstick give anyone a good idea of oil level in this environment!

You turn the engine off and the oil settles and begins draining under gravity back into the crankcase, it will take a couple of seconds from turn off for the level to settle and begin draining. If you remove the dipstick at this point then it will still be covered in oil and bubbles (from the air that is in the header tank). If you remove the stick, wipe it and then stick it back in the level will have dropped even more.

I suggest removing the dipstick whilst the engine is on, wipe it, turn the engine off then stick the dipstick back in, wait 1 second and then check the level. If you do this on your own then the time from turning the key to getting the stick back in will be enough for the level to settle.

Also, a lot of people store their F-cars over winter or only use occasionally and in cold conditions some moisture will collect in the oil which will foam slightly if you drive the car for a short distance - this is normal too. A longer drive in warmer conditions should see the slight foaming vanish (hopefully!).

 

The engine should be off, and there is a revised owners manual that confirms this. I think 04 model year cars have the correct owners manual.

Engine off is NOW the factory recommended method, and has ALWAYS been the best and most accurate method.
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

I am having the exact thing happening also. This troubles me. James

 

My 03 does the same. It is normal.
Engine off has always been the best way to check. As Ferrarifixer pointed out, it is now the prescribed way. Don't worry... be happy!

 

The skies have cleared and I guess I should go heat up the oil and check again. Have a great day!! James

 

This is a late posting, but don’t worry about the oil level.

Why?


With a dry tank system there is actually quite a lot of oil to go around. If you think about it, the only oil that is doing any work is the stuff actually in the motor, not the stuff in the tank - that’s just spare oil, there in sufficient quantity ensure longevity and to keep the oil temperature down, and there to so that during hard cornering the pick up won’t run dry. Relax! As long as there is something real on the oil stick you can’t run the main bearings, and that’s the huge worry.
You can over fill it, but that’s another problem.

 

Actually several Ferrari dry sump motors will starve with low oil in street use and the 360 is one of them. They need to be full or very close to it. Also the oil in the motor does it no good at all because it is not being used for lubrication, it is just waiting to be pumped back to the tank. The oil supply pump that is supplying the motor has one source and that is the tank. If the oil is low it WILL slosh away from the pickup starving the engine of lubrication.
Also as to oil temps it is not uncommon to see a buried oil temp gauge on a 360, the motor is working hard and so is the oil. Low oil levels just make that even worse.

 

What manual did you get this out of ???

Everyone I spoke to including my tech, stated you check the oil while the car is running. (PERIOD)

-a

 

Well, that's what i'm wondering too. Everybody i spoke too, is telling me to check while enginee is idling.

 

You can not check my 360 when it is running it is all foam. James

 

Phil is correct, it was changed.

I fill the cars with Redline and it does not foam.