Engine issue!

Something happened to cause the EMU to back off of the timing-fuel map. Generally this is done to protect the engine from damage. This power reduction is what you felt.

The underlying cause could have been something transitory such as sub octane fuel or high altitude limited air supply under load, or even just a software glitch. Or it could be something more serious. If the condition persists after a shut down of the engine and subsequent restart to initiate the engine check sequence, you should bring it to the dealer for service.

 

Software gremlin....

 

Drew // It's always a great relief when a reboot gets rid of the 'problem.'

Not too long ago my BMW X5M, which has turbo boost to 19 psi, did the same thing while ascending Wolf Creek Pass in Colorado (11,000 ft). I had been through there a half dozen times with the car and nothing had happened. A shut down and reboot cured that too.

For some reason, there is no real time engine check/reset process that will return the fuel-timing map to normal when the condition that caused the glitch is removed. You have to shut down the engine then restart. This initiates the check sequence, which as you know takes quite awhile in the 458.

Enjoy the 458... and your other cavallinos

 

That is very good news!

 

You mean the "overheated catalyst" light came on? Often that means there is too much unburned fuel or CO going into the cat. The unburned hydrocarbon or CO could be the result of an overly rich fuel mixture.

If you are still getting signals, should bring it to dealer... you are close to BH Ferrari?

 

Might be consistent with a broken or disconnected sensor cable going to the cat. If you can trace it back, look for a disconnect.

SV

 

Could very well be.

"Catalyst temperature not plausible" is a new one on me -- means it is reading too high or too low. It does suggest a sensor problem that is feeding errant temp data to the EMU, which then retards the timing etc. The fact that the signal did not return right away when you did the first reboot suggests that it was at first an intermittent problem which has become constant.

Good news is that it is almost certainly something trivial. And of course it will happen on a holiday weekend.

 

Do not drive the vehicle is the check engine light is flashing. Call for roadside on Tuesday and have her brought to the nearest dealer. If the cat/cats are overheating there is much damage that can be done.

 

Best advice.

 

+1

 

I had the 02 catalyst out of parameters warning maybe after my first 1K miles, i was out in the middle of nowhere very late at night, so i just shut down and restarted and nothing came back up. I babied it home and then had the dealer check it. I had 2 distinct errors, one was for a bad coil and the other for the 02 catalyst issue. FNA said to swap my coils around as the bad coil will also cause the 02 error, ever since then it hasn't popped back up. So it very well could have just been a loose coil plug that caused a misfire.

 

Let us know what the dealer finds.

 

I'll bet on a malfunctioning or disconnected cat sensor, but it could be O2.

 

Any news from the dealer?

 

Interesting.... so they say there is no hardware problem at all?

 

Very interesting. So we surmise that fuel supply was limited and/or the EMU cut back on the timing/fuel map. But the cat temp warning "not plausible" is still a head scratcher. If the map went into extreme lean condition, the cat could have heated up but then the warning should have been the usual "high catalyst temperature."

Oh well, the good news is that it is not a major engine problem. Hopefully you will have her back for the weekend in tip top shape.