HELP with a F1 clutch question!!

Hi

Firstly hello, I have read the posts on the forums for some time but have not registered to post until today. I recently purchased a 360 f1 from a main dealer in England. It is a 2000 model in yellow.

The dealer fully serviced the car before collection putting on new cam belts etc etc. I collected the car and the clutch (yes I know it is an F1) was particularly bad when pulling away and reversing.

The garage took it back in and replaced it without question (the whole assembly). I picked the car up and it was great for about a week. Then it started reving to about 3.5K before the clutch would disengage. Everytime you went to pull away you would wheel spin etc. The engine would over heat as the clutch burnt and in the rear view mirror the engine compartment filled with thick smoke while the dash bleeped etc.

I mangaged to get to the dealer where they drove it and said the following

1. The older 360s reset every 3 times you turn the ignition on so can need adjusting every few thousand miles from cold.

2. They said it is a common problem with some of these older 360s and to fix it you need to put a new TCU (like an ecu?) in it. They would use a later version from the 2002 model. Apparantly it is a bit more clever and will stop the car from driving like a sack of crap?

They want £800 for the unit despite me never having a decent driving car for more than a week in the 2 months I have owned it, but they have offered to cover the labour costs.

These are my questions

1. Has anyone had this TCU upgraded on their car?
2. Did it sort the early clutch problems out?
3. Should I pay for it or cause them hell saying the car has never been right? and should be covered by warranty?? (they think not as it is a ferrari problem nothing is broke and they said they just replaced the whole clutch without question etc etc)
4. I looked forward to owning one of these cars for ages and now I can say I have hated driving it anywhere for the way this car has been with the F1 gearbox, are they normally not a problem?

Really appreciate a bit of help, I am very upset with the purchase of this car now and I dont know what to do.

Thanks

 

I have installed many of the late TCU's in cars and it is a real fix. That is not to say it is perfect but is the next step in the evolution. It was not until the intro of the 575 and 430 that the sys was really sorted out.

It does sound as though the dealer was guilty of not properly instructing you in the operation of the car but the early TCU's are the way the cars came equipped and are one of the reasons the early cars have a somewhat lower level of acceptance and lower resale value. I would say unless there was some defineable malfunction in the clutch you simply bought an early car with less refined software and need an upgrade at your cost.

 

Thanks for the help, the car has been a real dog up until now.