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Odd 360 issue

Discussion in '360/430' started by raptorduck, Aug 11, 2009.

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  1. raptorduck

    raptorduck Formula 3

    May 18, 2009
    1,166
    San Diego
    Full Name:
    Mr. Raptorduck
    #1 raptorduck, Aug 11, 2009
    So I get into my F360 Spider last night and start her up and the engine immediately sounds funny. I drive off and have hardly any power and then the engine light comes on. I decide to make a U turn and limp her home and even more power is lost until I can put the pedal to the floor with the car in gear and no response from the engine, which is still running. I pull over and turn her off, wait, turn her on again and boom, full power and normal engine sound. I then drove 20 miles round trip and no problems. I have no idea what was happened. Anyone ever experience this?

    My 348TS had a bank of cylinders go down once and that is what this felt like, like I was on 1 or 2 cylinders.
     
  2. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

    Apr 29, 2004
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    Brian Crall
    #2 Rifledriver, Aug 11, 2009
    It was on one bank. Replace the battery and have the alternator tested by someone who really knows how. Modern Japanese alternators are hand grenades.


    Don't take this wrong but why on earth would you drive the car when you recognized something was wrong?
     
  3. Carnut

    Carnut F1 Rookie

    Nov 3, 2003
    3,797
    Gladwyne PA
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    Morrie
    #3 Carnut, Aug 11, 2009
    Sometimes if you shut the car off and restart it, it will be fine. I have that problem at least once with every one of my Ferrari's
     
  4. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #4 Rifledriver, Aug 11, 2009
    Almost always a weak battery.
     
  5. dm_n_stuff

    dm_n_stuff Four Time F1 World Champ
    Lifetime Rossa Owner

    Dec 10, 2003
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    Dave M.
    #5 dm_n_stuff, Aug 11, 2009
    I've had this once or twice, along with an unrelated battery issue. Sounds like it's time for a new one for me too.

    DM
     
  6. raptorduck

    raptorduck Formula 3

    May 18, 2009
    1,166
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    #6 raptorduck, Aug 11, 2009
    Appreciate the responses. I actually have a battery tender plugged into my spider at all times and it read a full charge before I started it up.

    I initially drove it about 1/2 a block trying to figure out what was wrong. With the loss of power, I could have walked that distance faster. Once I turned it off and back on, the problem went away completely and the engine light did not come back on. At that point I drove it 10 miles with no problems, went to a 2 hr dinner with my wife, and drove it back in the dark with the lights running for another 10 miles and no indication of a weak battery. It turned over right away and lights had full illumination. I ran it up to 120mph to see how it felt and did some hard accelerations and no issues. It is almost as when I cranked it on when I had the issue, the key did not turn on all of the engine? Have not had any problems with this car and it just got fully inspected and serviced about 2 months ago.

    When I ran on one bank on my 348ts, it turned out to be a bad ECU.
     
  7. teej

    teej Formula Junior

    Jul 1, 2009
    475
    Pacific Palisades
    #7 teej, Aug 11, 2009
    could be fuel filter - maybe picked up some bad fuel and the debris is blocking flow sometimes and not other times.
     
  8. dm_n_stuff

    dm_n_stuff Four Time F1 World Champ
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    #8 dm_n_stuff, Aug 11, 2009
    All that means is the battery is taking as much of a charge as it will take. That's not the same as being at full factory strength. If you'r battery is down to 40% capacity, it'll charge 100% to that 40%, tender will quit charging, but battery is still crap at 40%.

    DM
     
  9. Rifledriver

    Rifledriver Three Time F1 World Champ

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    #9 Rifledriver, Aug 11, 2009
    None of that changes my mind. A light bulb is analog. Lower the voltage and it goes dim. Motronics are digital, lower the voltage and it stops working. There is always a threshold voltage at which it stops. It is not the same from component to component. On a car sitting the battery voltage drops, hit the starter and it drops more. One side runs and the other doesn't. While running not only does it warm up a little making it a little easier to resart but the battery is heavily if only for a very short time, recharged. Restarting the car results in both banks running. I see it every single week.

    Driving home with no problems only indicates the alternator is working. Your symptoms support my possible theory perfectly. Battery tenders are a required evil with these but their indicators should not be trusted as gospel. They tend not to be high grade pieces of equipment.

    There are other possibilities too. The new German mini relays are junk. I have already replaced more of them than I have the old large Bosch relays that have been around for so many years. They develop high resistance and the component recieves lowered voltage. Same symptom as a weak battery.

    360 is a great car but does have some shortcommings in the electrical system. Due to all the digital electronics batteries have a tough life, because of the cheap Japanese alternators and the battery problems alternators are a problem. The bottom line is your car is telling you something is wrong and it should be fixed before it leaves you stranded.
     
  10. slice

    slice Formula Junior

    Jan 4, 2008
    312
    Connecticut, US
    #10 slice, Aug 11, 2009
    Exact, and I mean EXACT, same thing happened to me a few months back - ironically I am also always on a battery charger (I purchased the car in January 2009 and the battery is only a year old)...for me it was the first start following a fill up a few days earlier...I literally limped home, waited 10 minutes, loosened/tightened the gas cap (yes, I am real high tech) and fired it up - to this day (knock on wood) never happened again.

    My (uneducated, not technical) take: Not a battery issue (for me at least), but rather something related to the fuel delivery.
     
  11. raptorduck

    raptorduck Formula 3

    May 18, 2009
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    #11 raptorduck, Aug 12, 2009
    You guys sure know your cars. It is a good thing I am good at something, cuz I am no gearhead. I sent the symptoms to my Ferrari mechanic to see what he says.
     
  12. tonyc

    tonyc Formula 3

    Oct 19, 2003
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    Tony C
    #12 tonyc, Aug 12, 2009
    Raptorduck ,
    I do not know rifledriver, but his advise seems reasonable. Since the battery is easy to get to in the passenger side footwell, if it was me, I would turn
    the car off with the master switch under the front bonnet and then take the battery out and have it tested. It is an easy first step to take. Good luck let us know what you do and or find.

    --tony
     
  13. Fast_ian

    Fast_ian Two Time F1 World Champ

    Sep 25, 2006
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    Ian Anderson
    #13 Fast_ian, Aug 12, 2009
    Last edited: Aug 12, 2009
    I do, and believe me, he knows of what he speaks! Pull the battery out and get it tested - Dollars to donuts it's on it's last legs.....

    EDIT: FWIW, I'd also get the "hand grenade" tested as per his suggestion!

    Good luck,

    Cheers,
    Ian
    PS - He doesn't know squat about 'puters though! :D
     

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