Timing Belt

Don, Ferrari mandates every 3 years or 30,000

Several members use the 5-year rule.

You will need to decide for yourself.

 

If you read the 355 owners manual it specifies a 5 year timing belt interval however around 2001 Ferrari was having some t belt failures in the 360 models (tensioners, aviators, ect) and issued a bulletin changing the interval to 3 years for ALL 8 cylinder cars.
THis includes the 355, 348, 308, ect.
Now my 355 has had the belts changed every 5 years since it was new and I will continue to do so at this interval. It all depends how much the car is used......if stored more than used you may wish to change the belts sooner.
After the bulletin came out I asked the F dealer about the t belt interval and they aknowledged the bulletin but advised me that most 355's were still being changed at 5 year intervals.
Its your call.

 

Incorrect information



Ferrari changed the timing bely service interval on the 360 at the time of introduction BECAUSE of failures on THE 355. That was done in 1999. Shortly after they issued a bulletin to change the service interval on cars built previously to the 360.

 

Thats interesting because the Ferrari Dealer here provided me with the bulletin:

Ferrari North America Inc, Technical Service Department
Bulletin # 1215, DATED MAY 2004
For your information, all 8 cylinder Ferrari models, independant of the Model Year, must have the timing belts replaced every 30,000 miles or every 3 years, whichever comes first.

This was issued in 2004 , not 1999 and the Ferrari dealer who gave me the bulletin specifically advised that it was issued due to the issues with the 360 models.
I guess your suggesting that the Ferrari dealer is wrong?????

 

Actually I was told that when I went to 360 school in Maranello in 99.

We were notified of the change then and why. We were also told of the upcomming service bulletin. Ferrari was slow in publishing it but it was not due to failures in 360. 360 had 3 year changes from the very start.


Your dealer is FOS.

 

Well, I'm not going to defend Maranello Sports, our Ferrari dealer, but I do have a copy of Ferrari North America's Bulletin from May 2004 (quoted prior)...which appears to support Maranello's position.
So I can't agree with you, Rifledriver.

p.s. I can scan and forward a copy of Ferrari's Bulletin #1215 to you if you wish - pm me an email address.

 

And the early 360's (up to 2002?) are well known for t belt failures due to aviator and tensioner design failures.
Certainly there have been numerous posts on this chat line supporting that issue.

 

I think we have all seen the bulletin. I have and more times on this site. so please don`t bother to post.

The reason for the change in the interval had nothing to do with any particular failure.

At the time of the bulletin, Ferrari initiated the Power warranty program for the pre-owned cars. since they had to now in effect warranty the belts, the factory had to make a decision as to how long they would cover and how they would certify a car for the power warranty.

Concedering that, To me, If the factory says 3 years, 30k that is good enough for me.

I have my personal opinions as do others on here but the bottom line is that the factory set the mark. going beyond their recomendation is at the owners risk no matter what anyone says on this site.

Best regards, Jim

 

Anyone changing their belts every 3 years is pissing money away.

 

Maybe so, but after 3 years, you make the call. after all, it is your car and you can do with it what you like.

 

So Rifledriver states :
(cut/paste) "Ferrari changed the timing bely service interval on the 360 at the time of introduction BECAUSE of failures on THE 355. That was done in 1999. "

But your position is that the t belt interval was only changed to 3 years to accomodate the factory Power Warranty Program offered by Ferrari at the time?

 

Brian speaks the truth, there was concern and discussion then. we were also heavly into challenge racing at that time.

You must also understand the broad range at which these cars are driven, some babied and stored, some drive time to time, some driven hard, and some heavly track driven.

You just can`t take into account all conditions and have one safe policy.

But the change was not due to any particular failure or defect and was not just directed at the 355. it just came to be address in 2004 when coiencedentally the factory introduced the power warranty program and a policy had to be applied.

Ask yourself one question and be honest. If you personally had to warranty the belt, if the belt fails, a tensioner fails, you will have to pay the bill. it is not your car and you have no idea how it will be cared for or driven. all you know is the customer will expect you to foot the bill for the car if it fails. forget about your toyota or chevy, forget about all the other opinions. This car revs to 8k rpm 0-60 under 5 sec, top speeds over 180 and is really fast and most buy them because they do all that and more. and if it breaks, it will be very, very expensive.

HOW LONG WOULD YOU PERSONALLY WARRANTY IT FOR?

regards, Jim

 

Chris- Incidentally, your original statement about a 5 year interval for timing belts in the OM is incorrect. Some 355 OMs say 3 years, some say 4 years, and some only say 30,000 miles with no time interval. None say 5 years. The only published 5 year interval I have seen is a bulletin for 575Ms after new belts were introduced, and the service data for the Superamerica and 612.

Other than that, 5 years is an owner/maintainer made-up number. The bulletin, which has been posted here at least 100 times, obviously says three years.

What owners do is up to them.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Valves and pistons engage in S&M until it turns into an engine snuff film.

 

Ok, if Ferrari's policy change from a 5 year to a 3 year t belt change in 2004 was due to supporting a cautious power train warranty.......this reinforces those of us who continue to change their t belts at the 5 year interval.

 

You are correct.
I checked my owners manual and it specified NO TIME INTERVAL for a t belt change, only a mileage interval of 50,000 klm.
It was the Ferrari dealers maintenance schedule that stated 50, k or 5 years., which ever comes first.
(and this was the schedule that my car followed at the Ferrari dealer)

 

Feel free to do whatever you want, none of us will mind.

 

Amen....+1

 

Chris- I do not believe there is any official Ferrari documentation showing a 5 year belt change interval for any V8. There is documentation for 52,500 miles, 30,000 miles, 3 years, and 4 years. Show me if there is 5 year Ferrari documentation for 5 year changes. I can show you what I quoted.

Like I said and 2NA said, it is the owner's car and he can do whatever he bloody well wants. This subject has been beaten to death, but what does not help are any quotes from non-existent Ferrari sources.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

TRY READING MY POST .....

(cut and paste)"You are correct.
I checked my owners manual and it specified NO TIME INTERVAL for a t belt change, only a mileage interval of 50,000 klm.
It was the Ferrari dealers maintenance schedule that stated 50, k or 5 years., which ever comes first.
(and this was the schedule that my car followed at the Ferrari dealer)"

This is a maintenance schedule provided BY THE FERRARI DEALER......the business that actually sells the car to the customer.....not Ferrari North America......
.......Before you MISQUOTE OR LIBEL SOMEONE.

and we are in klm here....not miles