F1 failure - relay, pump or???

Hello,

I have an '03 360 spider with apx. 14K miles. The car is perfect and has been completely reliable - no issues whatsoever other than I would like the shift points to be quicker.

A couple weeks ago I took it to a local Ferrari mechanic (not the dealer) for its annual oil change and asked if the shift points could be made quicker. The mechanic said they have an SD2 computer and could tighten up the shift points.

When I picked up the car the mechanic told me that they tightened up the F1 setting by “2/10ths”.

On the drive home from the shop (after the oil change and tightening of the shifts points) I experienced an F1 failure (flashing warning symbol indicating “low system pressure”). I shut off the ignition and after a minute, or so, I was able to shift into gear and I drove the last mile home.

The next day I took the car back to the mechanic who told me that the F1 system is very sensitive and sometimes one (1) fault is experienced soon after the adjustment but afterwards the system settles down and no subsequent faults are experienced.

The car was driving GREAT so I took a nice drive but after an hour, or so, I experienced another F1 failure (same flashing symbol, etc.) but this time the car had to cool down for apx. 15 minutes before I could get the transmission into gear. I had the car towed home this time.

A couple days later I took the car back to the mechanic and he adjusted the F1 setting back to its prior location. Afterwards, I drove away from the shop and experienced another F1 failure after driving only 10 miles!

I called the mechanic and he came to my location and switched out the smaller (grey) F1 relay but this did not correct the problem. He speculated that the larger (black) F1 relay was bad and wanted me to have the car towed to his shop. I elected to have the car towed to another local Ferrari mechanic.

The 2nd mechanic has had the car for a couple of days so I just called to check in but he wasn’t in the shop. The 2nd mechanic’s “assistant” just told me that they think that the F1 pump is bad. This doesn’t sound right to me because the F1 pump ran and pressurized the system the same way that it always did AND it seems to me that if the F1 pump was bad it would have degraded over time and I would have noticed symptoms of it going bad previously.

Another point to consider is that the F1 failures I have been experiencing started only after the 1st mechanic adjusted the F1 setting AND the problems are strictly intermittent – The car either drives GREAT or it will not go into gear at all. This makes think the problem is more likely electronic - like a bad relay and not the F1 pump going bad.

By the way, the F1 fluid level has and is proper.

Has anyone experienced F1 failure(s)? Does an F1 pump fail suddenly, or does it fail over time? Could the 1st mechanic’s adjustment of the F1 setting damage the F1 system, including the pump?

Appreciate your help!

 

This thread could help you.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=268458&highlight=pump+failure

Good luck!!

 

A. 1st mechanics adjustment can in no way make shift times faster.

B. Those failures are just not that hard to diagnose.


Find a good mechanic. You don't have one yet.

 

Cold words, but so true!

 

If you complete your location profile, someone might be able to recommend a good mechanic near you?

 

i dont believe it will be your pump. the only time i've seen a pump fail was on a alfa romeo 147 that came up from mexico. they use the same pump as on the 360. these pumps are very dependable but are expensive if one goes.

 

Not so bad anymore. Arrived today.

http://www.ricambiamerica.com/product_info.php?products_id=261690

 

Pump Pump it up!!

Good one Daniel..........

 

With all due respect, you are totally wrong... These electric-hydraulic pumps are notoriously bad and all other cars that use the same model suffer from exactly the same problems !
You may find it interesting reading this thread:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/sho...=268458&page=2

 

I have an extensive bad experience witrh the F1 pump, as well as solutions which I have summarized in this thread:
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=268458&page=2

Read it and let me know if you want help in getting a new pump and installing it in your car.
If you want, you can PM me.
JG.

 

thanks for the info.