How can you tell if 550 has had a major service?

There are dates on the cambelts, but you would have to remove the cambelt covers to see them.

You can also check and see if it has 575M plenum hoses (concentric white circles on the big 575M hose) and 575M motor mounts. These two do not prove recent service, but would indicate the car had been well maintained. If not, you need to change them, at any rate.

Also pull the environmental filter and see if it looks new. If not, probably not serviced.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

If there's no proof you should start your own history with a major inc belts so not only you know the base position but any future purchaser can see it

 

Valve cover gasket condition would be the first hint.

 

Don'tcha know? You just have to trust the guy...... especially when he uses words like "Pristine"!


Hose, gaskets, filter, mounts, all good ways. Also, not major related per se, but take the under tray off and look at the front cross member to see if the radiator has been whacked out of place!

Don't forget the leak down and clutch inspection!!!

 

Did you just purchase this car?
maybe post the last 6 #'s of the VIn and someone on here might know the car or the history.
You can always buy a car fax and see who did any service on the car if reported or do a title search.

 

I don't trust very many people so I assume I need to go through the car even if there are records. Records only mean I can take my time going through the car. No records means I buy it don't drive it and start taking it apart.

Taz has the best post on clues to whether a major has been done. The 550 to 575 engine mounts are an easy spot and good clue to at least some important maintenance. On the Tbelts there are shops using NOS belts that are "new" but old stock and just placed on a car. Better maintenance on Ferraris are done with the OEM Ferrari belts vs the OEM maker's belt. I know that sounds dumb but fchat has been down that road and it is a known fact that the Tbelt with the Ferrari stamp is better. The only reason to skimp on the cheap belt is if maintenance is being accelerated. For example when I raced my 348 I used the cheap belt because I replaced it annually vs. every 3-5 years. So the only thing you can tell for sure with say a 2010 belt date is that the belts were changed no older than the 2010 belt date. Still IMO you have to at least pull the plenum, pull the valve covers, degree the car to see if the major was a belt change or a "major". These cars like the majority of used Ferraris are old and not driven much. Part of a major to me is to send the fuel injectors out to be cleaned and blue printed. That is not part of any factory major service and I don't know of any indys doing that. To me a major is do everything to make the drivetrain as close to new as possible from a aminenance standpoint but I'm a bit extreme and since I'm a diy'er I can afford it.

Other clues are looking for oil leaks, hose clamps, relative cleanliness that is natural vs. "detailed", peeling RTV on valve cover gaskets, ingrained dirt around valve cover gaskets, hose coloration, condition of metal on pot metal fuel filters. In california a cool thing we got is very tough smog laws and inspection. You can plug in a vin and see the smog history with attempts and fails and retests. A long history of passes on a Ferrari is good. I know you expect that even on a cr@p toyota but Ferrari's are'nt that reliable.

 

My situation is similar. The vendor of my 575 claimed that he had the belts changed. That was good enough for me at the time, but now that I am hopelessly in love with the car, I want to make sure that the service was done correctly and thoroughly. I am now thinking of having it done anyway, thinking that even if they changed the belts, they may not have changed the tensioner etc.
Any thoughts?

 

Do you not have the service history on the SA you bought? You may be able to get it from the Ferrari Dealer if that is where the work was performed. If you can not get the history, you may want to have it inspected to make sure. I had purchased an 04 575 in 2010 with no service history, but was given all the service history that Ferrari Dealers had on the car after I bought it. It needed the major service and I had it done.
You definitely want to make sure it is up to date and you should be good to enjoy your car for another 5 years.

 

+1: I consider this primary advice in almost any car and what I do. Besides, WHO/HOW/with WHAT was the last service done? Best to get it to someone you trust and start the clock from there IMO.