Any 550 Maranello issues?

Maybe I should rephrase my statement. I know Central Florida does a good job on my car every time it goes in. They do a perfect job every time. I just get tired of the size of the bills as well as the frequency when things needs fixing. I have the added hassle that the dealer is over a hundred miles away from me.

I have two Lexus's and they never break or need service and when they need regular maintenance schedules it is rarely in the six figures and the dealer picks up the cars and drops off a loaner every time. That is what I compare the 550 to.

Gary

 

Hi guys, I was following the thread with great interest as i am considering to buy a 2005 model 575 with 24500 KM on the clock. I have never owned a Ferrari before so to me 24500 KM seem very low and therefore this makes the car seem very appealing to me. However, by going through the thread here i noticed that a lot of you own cars and most are in the same range of mileage (20-30K range).

Are these cars known to present issues as the miles pile up? So if i buy this 2005 car with 24500 KM ... will i regret it by the time i get to 40000 or 50000 KM?

Thanks for your help

M

 

non use and enviromental placement are bad new for any car. electronics can cause many problems. good service records are a must. all that said this is not a chevy/ford. be sure you understand.

 

If the car makes sense to you and passes inspection then just do it

Many threads here specifically about 575 and essentially they have excellent reliability and longevity - 10-15 000 km per year is not a problem at all

 

M- Welcome to FChat. Most of the problems with the 550 were fixed on the 575M and the 2005s had all the fixes made to the 575M during the production run. I have had my 2004 for two years and the only thing besides routine maintenance has been replacing the TPMS sensors, which is pretty much a routine maintenance item. My car already has 17,500 miles, 28,200 kms, and runs like a train.

Talking to Daniel at Ricambi, our hero parts supplier and sponsor, they carry very few 575M repair parts because they seldom get requests for them. Maintained properly, 575Ms are about as bulletproof as a Ferrari can get.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

--ac compressor $1350 brand new.
--save your old one- can be rebuilt for less than $300.
--windshield and rear window trim paint wore off: new costs 1000's, don't count on taking off without breaking, best choice is tape and paint yourself.
-- sticky no more is a god send, its easy to get most items off yourself.
-- hood insulation does drop in middle and iscolors engine top.
-- leathe on dash a problem
--flat panel under engine should be checked - car rides low and when it bottoms out the panel gets damaged.

the car runs and drives wonderfully

 

one other thought. all dealers are not the same. i've been qouted labor rates from $99 to $185/hr. the same part can be quoted at dramatically different prices. some dealers screw with labor: to change two parts right next to each other they can try to charge the time to get to these areas and to close up after twice. be cautious.

 

I know this post is old, but I have to state that my 550 now has 67,000 miles on it and is hands down THE most reliable and THE most fun of any Ferrari I have and have owned. To put that into more perspective.... I HATE my 612; a much newer Ferrari, but it USED to haul my family of 4 nicely... before my 17 year old grew to 6'5"!

 

The most important part of Ferrari ownership, if you do not do your own work, is having technicians you can trust.

 

Anybody have trouble with door actuators? My drivers door on 2002 550 just died and door will not close. Dealer quote is $900 for parts and labor- ouch

 

In the summer I had the problem that occasionally the doors wouldn't catch when trying to shut them. My mechanic advised spraying the locks with WD40. That seemed to work.

My 550 has just been in for its annual and a clutch and whilst in they repaired rh door lock motor (new part not available), replaced micro switch in lh door and door locking relay. The lock problem was an intermittent fault. Parts and labour was about 500 UKP.

 

Awesome thread. Thanks for the hints on little suspension noises and shock/a-arm bushings.

18K on a 97. I've seen all the items mentioned (fuel tank rubber, leaking covers, coolant hoses, thermocouple amps, sticky interior, lifting cover on air back, yada, yada, yada) but it is still an awesome car.

 

I love my Maranello, its track day performance, everyday usability, and - indeed - reliablility. It has in the meanwhile covered 70000 km without mayor problems. Issues were:

- Failed inlet manifold gaskets. Ferrari has improved gaskets for replacement. Replacement is somewhat time consuming.
- Other air leaks in pipes and tubes connected to the intake manifold (plenty thereof araund!).
- Sticky climate control and window switches. Easy repair to this! The soft coat is transparent! Just peal it of completely and it surprisingly looks just the same as the "redone" items by some specialists ;o)). The symbols remain completely unaffected and original. The surface is just a little bit more intense black and hard instead of soft. My window switches show no rub-off of the symbol, although I peeled the soft coat off a few years ago.
- Pressure hose of clutch leaking. One would believe an easy replacement, but the lower end is at the top of the clutch housing. No chance to get there through the wheel arch. I did not try to get there from the interior. With the cats removed, however, a simple job ;o)).
- Actuators of the shocks, typically the front probably due to heat in the engine bay. Easy replacement job, if your fingers are somewhat slim. Quite expensive these parts.

Generally, if a Maranello does not run perfectly smooth, it is somewhat likely that somewhere wrong air passes into the intake manifold by way of leaks. Anyone not knowing how smooth this engine actually should run, will not notice, because the Bosch injection electronics "learns" and compensates for such leaks to some account. A very easy check is to use a hose, put one end at your ear and to go along suspected regions with the other end. In case of even smaller leaks you will then hear the hiss and be able to clearly locate the leak, including those in restricted areas, like where the intake manifold is connected to the cylinder heads.

 

This is the best thread I know that documents the various issues with the cars and provides a good resume of "average" experiences for others to look at. Too bad it is not a sticky. Either way, would be good to keep it alive.

I just had my 02 575 serviced ("a major") by Continental. Timing belts, fluids, paintless repair to fix a door ding, filter, hood shocks and the usual stuff. Looks great. Ready for spring (aren't we all). Gary and the boys in the service shop did a great job, picking it up and dropping off in their enclosed transport. No issues.

Philip

 

Why doesn't THAT surprise me?

Cheers,

George

 

67,000 miles - wow! Did the motor ever get rebuilt?

 

Nope!!

 

I own my '97 550 since March this year.
Before the 550 I owned a 308GTB for 4 years, but I fell in love with the 12 cylinder of Ferrari and had to own one. I bought mine just before the madness broke loose and the prices rocketed sky high.

I really like the smoothness of the engine and the torgue of it. There are 156.500 km on the clock now.
I had it serviced after 4 months and that was really necessary. The last owner failed to replace the distribution for over 40.000 km and I was just in time.
I now drove it for about 7500 km and every time it brings a smile to my face.

This winter I will get rid of the sticky interior parts and replace the brake hoses and pads.

There is one thing I haven't figured out yet; when I really put down the paddle, "slow down" will light up. I'm told that has something to do with the catalytic convertors??

 

Hi Ed,

Could this have to do with the catalytic control ECU's (part no. 179278)? Check these threads:

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/456-550-575-sponsored-bradan/487220-new-guy-first-post-slow-down-98-550-a.html?highlight=179278

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/456-550-575-sponsored-bradan/429137-slow-down-light.html?highlight=179278

 

Thanks for the tip Bert.

 

The only issue I have is that the right front light has a flicker.
Mechanic is arriving on Island in 2 weeks and will have a look.
( it is a 575, I hope this is OK in this thread?)

 

bought a 2000 model recently from a main dealer with a one year warranty
so far have had issues with lambda sensors and cat ecu's plus a failed clutch pressure plate necessitating a whole new clutch fitment-thankful for the warranty!
in addition one of the hoses let go and in the middle of all this i had a full belt service done.
so far have had 2 drives completed without issues though the car seems tip top now...!
good job as i am planning a trip around the Scottish highlands in a few weeks...!
oh and on return from the dealers the drivers seat had a nasty scuff...also repaired under their goodwill.

 

I forgot: the screen shows a message telling me "No Cal".
I guess one of the pressure sensors in one if the wheels is buggered?

 

Jan- See if this provides you some more info.
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