Anyone had a 355 overheating problem?

Are your cooling fans kicking on?

 

I think there is a pretty fair possibility that you have an air pocket in the cooling system, and the coolant isn't circulating properly. Does your mechanic know how to bleed the system? Are you getting any output from the heater? It is possible for the tank to be full, but for the actual coolant level to be significantly low.

 

That would be my educated Guess. They should Kick On in about 10 minutes, regardless of outside Temp.

No "Noise" = No Good !

 

my guess too. Driver's side fan is known to pack up

 

Had similar problem, cooling fan causing it with the A/C on.

 

Make sure both fans are working, could be a bad themostat also

A Fchat member here sells infra red temp guns cheap might be a good way to verify temps, coolant should be hot in both radiators if ciculating properly

 

First things first, check your fuses and relays under the passenger side foot rest.

I also had the thermal switch on top of the L/H radiator go bad.

 

My car has never overheated...but was surprised that it would occaisionally see the coolant temp gauge rise to the 1 o'clock position, which seemed rather high in the winter time. I was checking fuses for an unrelated issue (speedo sender died) and noticed the left (driver's) side 30amp fan fuse blown. Replaced it, and fan works fine, never blown again (been about 9 months now) even in the heat of summer (90 degrees plus, and stuck in traffic).

Blown fuses are a not too uncommon problem...seems the fuse rating is right up against the current draw of the fan motors. I saw a friend's car actually had 40 amp (!) fuses installed. Been like this since before he has had the car, no problems or issue with them. Must have blown before and that was the solution.

 

2 fans and they run on seperate temp senders at different temps. Do not go by noise. Stand outside car and feel for fan operation at both sides.

Bad fan motors and bad temp senders account for about 80% of all 355 overheating issues.

 

I thought there was only one temp switch in the left radiator that activates the right fan. The other fan(left) is the aux. fan that turns on with the A/C. There is a wiring kit on my challenge car that turns both fans on with the temp switch or a manual override to turn on both fans but, I only have one temp switch. Regards, Vern

 

yes they are kinda loud--

 

L fan by thermo sw in rad. R fan by Motronic temp sensor for R bank.

 

Hi Brian, So the motronic uses the info from one of the water temp sensors in that crossover pipe in the V of the engine to turn on the aux. fan and not the radiator temp switch? What was the reason for that do you know? Regards, Vern

 

I quit trying to figure them out long ago. Single temp sw for 2 or 3 fans always worked before. New car, new kid at the drawing board.

One problem with the system in Italy is you retire after 20 years. Walk around town and you see guys our age sitting around at a coffee house doing nothing. As soon as you have been around long enough to really know your job you get pushed out and retired. Every time a new project comes around somebody that has never done it before gets to design it. Relearn all the mistakes again. Here or in Germany you don't even get to design something important until you have been around long enough to be pushed out and retired for a few years already in Italy.

Walk around the factory some day, you will never see anyone our age.

 

LOL... I should have known there wasn't a real answer. Kinda like the header tube debacle I suppose, maybe too much wine at lunch.

 

Where might one find these infra red temperature guns?

 

Our local auto parts shops carry them mate.

Maybe the same over there??

 

Dave, try GOOGLE... seriously. They are very common, and not particularly expensive. You can probably find them on Ebay too. I bought mine years ago from another Fchatter....I forget now, but if you search you can probably find the thread. He ran some sort of hobby store and sold them to hobbyists working on their remote control cars/airplanes/boats.

 

Fchatter PeterS use to sell them also---I got a few from him awhile back...

 

Left fan by thermo switch on readiator or A/C, right fan by motronic via oil temp



Check fuses, relays, fan motors (dead or slow), thermo switch, both "small" return hoses to the expansion tank (they become internally obstructed) and cause overheat...

 

That's really funny and sad and very believable. I think the problem is with some "experience" you learn the value of your labor. New guys at the factory have a Ferrari red mist and will work for free just because it is Ferrari, and when did you ever know Ferrari to not take the low bidder? It would not surprise me one bit if Ferrari itself was behind the bad parts you have been seeing. We are not seeing that with hotrod Chevy's by the way. I tell you if it was cheaper to use lower case letters we would see "f" errari on the cars not "F" errari.

 

Jack,

Good to see you on Fchat. Will you be at Saxton's for the 11/1/08 WSIR race/trackday? If you bring the 355 to the track that day I bet I could fix it. Look for me in a Blue Z06 this time. Your 348 race buddy

 

Adam,
Oil temp, not water? I was always under the impression the right side fan was triggered by the Motronic via the water temp sensor located near the oil filter mount. Page B71 and B79 in the workshop manual confirms this, but I realize there can always be errors. Can you please confirm?

 

Check the connections on the fusebox plugs. I have seen a few of these going bad now on the 355's. Upside is the only weak link identified on these is the left fan. I redesigned the circuit on 2 cars with a quick patch fix to test the idea and it appears to be working just fine. If these cars finish the summer in proper order I will clean up the design and it should be a simple plug and play fix. Noticed fault with this type of failure is very short duration (2 seconds) fan running spurts or no fan.
Also have seen a rash of the bleed hoses as per Adam's suggestion. Highly restricted or completely closed off just down stream of the header tank fittings and at their sources in turn not allowing the radiators to bleed out the air to the tank. Air rises.... where did Ferrari see fit to put the sensor? Right in the top tank.... Im sure there is some type of logic behind this yet I fail to see it.