It one of those days. First when I pull out fo the driveway I did not ge enought angle and I scraped the lower spoiler a bit, now I have to touch it up, damn it. I drive the car around my town, 8 miles in total. After 1 mile the check engine light comes on, I forge ahead to do my errand. Leave and the light is still on. Get stuck at the light and after I pull away the light goes off for about 1/2 mile, then it came back on. I called the dealer's service dept, he told me to "reset" the computer by turning the battery on/off for a minute. It now is off, but it started to rain so I can not drive it to test that this was a complete repair job. The guy said to make sure the gas cap is as TIGHT as can be as that can turn the check engine light on, also he said the battery not being at 100%. I got the gas cap to get 1/2 turn tighter and in hindsight the check engine light came on a minute after turning on the stereo. God I hope I did not buy myself a headache, but the guy says they did all the work on the car since new and it has never had a problem before and that I should hook it to my trickle charger.
First of all, disconnecting the battery will not let you know why the check engine light came on. What you should have done was pull the code/s. It is very easy to do, here is how. 1) Remove the covers behind the seats so that you have access to the ecu's. 2) Place the key in the ignition and turn it to the (on) position, but do not start the car. You will see the lights on the instrument panel illuminated. #2a) Make sure that the transmission is not in gear. Now start the engine, and let the car idle. Wait for all the engine lights to turn off, then follow the rest of the proceedure for pulling the codes. 3) Push and hold down the button, located next to the ecu, for 5 seconds, then release it. When you are holding down the button, you now should see the check engine light illuminate for the ecu you are on. (check engine 1/4 or 5/8) 4) When you let go of the button you will see a pause then a long flash for 2 and 1/2 seconds, pause with no flash for 2 and 1/2 seconds, then begin the flashes of the engine codes. The long flash indicates the begining and end of the code. Then it repeats the same code, until you move on to the next code. 5) Each number of the code is flashed for 1/2 second followed buy a pause then the next number in the codes is flashed. For example you will get the long flash indicating that the code will start, a pause, three flashes, pause, two flashes, pause, one flash, pause, four flashes, pause, a long flash indicating the code is finished. If this were the series of short flashes you got, the code would be 3214. 6) After you pull a code you will notice that it just keeps repeating. To get to the next code what you want to do is wait until the long flash comes on after the code. When the long flash comes on you want to hold down the button for the whole flash and let go of it in the middle of the pause. You should then see the check engine light give you another long flash to indicate the begining of the next code. 7) When the last codes has been pulled, you will get nothing but long flashes telling you that there are no more stored codes. 8) Now that all the codes have been pulled you will want to clear the ecu of the stored codes. When the ecu's is giving nothing but long flashes, you need to push and hold down the button for 10 seconds to clear out the old codes. 9) If needed, repeat the process for the other ecu.
Don't panic. Don't you know that "Check Engine" lights are part of 348 ownership? Do some reading in the archives and you'll find that most of the time, "Check Engine" lights are not communicating anything important. That said, you may want to diagnose what the check engine light is trying to say. There is a procedure that will allow you to do this. I will search the archives and post the instructions as soon as I find them. Regarding the battery switch, please note that you cannot just turn the battery off and turn it back on and then drive away. There is a procedure that you must follow. Here it is: Be sure that all electrical components of the car are off before turning off the battery; then, when you turn it back on be sure not to use any electrical components in the car. Then start the engine without pressing the gas pedal and let the engine idle for about 10 minutes so that the engine computers can re-calibrate; then switch the engine off and re-start before driving away.
Well apparently our 348 Guru, Ernie, was posting those instructions just as I was typing my post Here is a list that will allow you to translate the codes you see into meaningful English: Image Unavailable, Please Login
Oh and one more thing -- isn't the 348 a little ANCIENT to be setting off "Check Engine" lights if the gas cap isn't tightened enough? I would imagine that is a recent phenomenon that has accompanied more modern cars with their more modern technology. As you can see in the chart I posted above, there is no error code for a loose gas cap. It sounds like the person to whom you were speaking should not be further consulted for advice on your 348's problems. Also, turning of the battery can be a useful trick. It resets all the electronic control units in the car; this CAN (but not necessarily will) eradicate whatever problem that is causing a warning light, such as a "Check Engine" or "Slow-Down" light. However, and unfortunately, it sometimes erases the error code memory. Perform the operation that Ernie instructed above, but you probably will find no error code history. Turning off the battery erases the history more times than not.
Check the archives about disconnecting the battery. It should be disconnected for about 20 minutes and then run at idle for about 15 minutes to reset the modules. BT
I've had the same issue...no biggie...but do pull the codes...it will take 10 minutes of your life but you will at least know what it is saying....Mine have been coming on off for a year...The first time, I grounded the O2 sensors and that fixed it for about 6 or 7 months...A month ago it started happening again CEL 1-4....this time...I used contact cleaner and cleaned all electrical connections...the one that seem to have the most corrosion was the ECU for 1-4...cleaned it all up!....NO CEL lights since. By glad that your car is so touchy that it lets you know at the slightest problem, but don't go running to the dealer everytime it happens, unless you want a massive drain on your wallet. Didn't you order Stabiliant 22A from Daniel....USE IT! it works...
The reason for this is so that the ecu's relearn the warm up process. You should do it when the engine is cold. It doesn't do anything to address the reason why a check engine light came on.
It doesn't address the reason, no. But the battery trick can potentially eliminate the problem if it's just a bad electrical connection, right? For example: if your air conditioning sends you an error code, it could just be a freak electrical thing; so you could do the battery trick and afterwards you may never see the error code again. I did this myself. I once saw an error code on from the a/c, but after disconnecting the battery I never saw the error code again. Switching the battery off resets every electrical component and ECU in the car, right? So if the "Check Engine" light comes on because of a bad connection, which by the way causes "Check Engine" lights about 75% of the time, then resetting the ECUs by switching off the battery could temporarily fix the problem. It won't mask the problem, because if the problem is real, the "Check Engine" light will come on again.
I'm afraid you'll have to work with this. I don't have a better picture -- I actually found it on FerrariChat a long, long time ago and I saved it. Just save the picture to your computer and then use a picture viewer to zoom in, and that will enlarge the text.
Pull the codes and post them...We will tell you what they mean and what is most likely causing the problem....AND CLEAN THOSE ELECTRICAL CONNNECTIONS....I can't stress that enough. Many people will attest to the problems they have had because they weren't getting a good connection on their electrical parts.
348 ECU Codes (check with engine running): Hot wire air flow meter 1111 Engine coolant temp sensor 1112 Throttle potentiometer 1113 Lambda sensor 1114 RPM sensor 1121 Battery voltage 1122 Secondary air solenoid valve 1123 Purge valve 1124 Lambda regulation Additive value for self adaptation 1211 Lambda regulation multiplicative value for self adaptation 1212 Lambda regulation intake manifold compensation 1212 Short circuit on idle regulator 1311 Open circuit on idle regulator 1312 Electronic control unit 1313 Injection valve 1 1411 Injection valve 4 1412 Injection valve 2 1413 Injection valve 3 1414 Malfunction Indicator Lights (MIL) 1444 Valve 4111 Stroke sensor 4112 Power module not used 4113 TDC control unit recognition 4114 Catalyzer temp ECU 4121 Catalyzer temp too high 4122 Speedometer signal 4123 Compressor connection signal 4131 No error detected 4444
Well yes and no. Yes it will get rid of the light, but no it won't fix the problem. From my understanding this is how the ecu's work. If you get a minor problem the CEL will come on briefly then shut off. If it is a serious problem it will come on and stay on. In both situations the code gets stored in the ecu/s and stays there until it is pulled, even if you no longer get a CEL. However if the code isn't pulled by the 50th start of the engine, the ecu will automaticly erase it. Also just because you do not get a CEL does not mean that you don't have a problem. There are silent codes that get stored in the ecu's that you will not get a light for. If you have one of those stored, and the memory is cleared out, you will not know that they were ever there, or what caused the problem. It really is pretty simple to pull the ecu codes, and clear them out, to get rid of the CEL. So disconnecting the battery cable is kind of a primative way to get rid of the light. It's kind of like yanking the plug out of the wall to shut your computer off, instead of shutting it down with the program. I'm going to run a few tests on my ecu's tomorrow and let you know what I find.
I don't want to interfere... but it's so rare that the 348's in the EU have the "check engine lights" enabled. Remember about a week ago that we (EU) with several cars put on the ignition and these lights never show up. (As the manual mentions..) http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=72057 I guess that it can never be a big problem then ?
I intend to, what time can I expect you over to watch the kid while I do that? EXACTLY, he's going to the shore with his mother for the holiday weekend and then I will have some time again. As I understand the concept, you just start at the back of the car on say the driver's side and remove every single wire one by one, clean it with contact cleaner and and then put that 22 stuff on it right? Basically if it is a wire and you can reach it, do it and eventually you will have done all the wires that can be accessed. Does the contact cleaner get SQUIRTED onto the wire or a rag, I'd think a rag to keep the engine compartment mess to a minimum. The 22 stuff, just a Q Tip dab and back on right?
The Stabilant-22a is applied with a Q-tip. That little bottle should be enough to do an entire fleet of Ferraris. I would start with some basic contact cleaner and let it properly dry. I use CRC Contact Cleaner from Pep Boys @ $3.00/bottle. Then, apply the Stabilant to both sides of the electrical connection and snap things back together. Stabilant is "suspended" in an alcohol solution which will evaporate. The stuff that remains will *enhance* electrical signals between metals, but have no effect on plastic or electrical insulation. You can put the electrical connections back together while the Stabilant is still wet. Use the q-tips that came in the tube. They normal old q-tips, so you're free to shove them into your ears when you're done! (I did that, thinking it'd improve the electrical signals in my brain. No such luck....)
The contact cleaner, just squirt it? What is the issue if it gets on the aluminum or plasstic or worse the paint? Is a dampen with contact cleaner rag the way to go or the squirt method?
Contact cleaner will come in an aerosol can with a "straw" that can be fitted to the nozzle -- like WD40 has. Spray it on the connections, try not to get it on other stuff (but it's no big deal). Let it dry, follow the instructions on the can. The CRC stuff I use works well, but smells pretty awful/toxic. Try not to use it in a confined space. http://www.crc.co.nz/item_prod.asp?pid=184
Like Daniel said, its an aerosol can with a straw end...Don't squirt it on the wires that won't help. You want to unplug the connectors and squirt it on both sides of the connectors...It won't harm anything but if you get A LOT of excess running down somewhere just take a rag and wipe it off real fast, more to be clean then anything. I have a feeling your ECUs (behind the seats) are a lot more subseptable to corrosion being that its a convertible...start there and then go into the engine bay and just start pulling off connectors and squirting it on both male and female sides...I would do both sides of the spark plug wires too...sometimes people get misfires because there plug wire is not making good contact with the plug..the plug wires just pop off either side. Have your kid join you! Daniel's little one has already started working on 308 waterpumps!
He almost helped me when I got the garbage can from the street, he was on top of the engine compartment and he yelled "look at me daey", thank God he is still only 29 lbs and no damaged occurred.
Okay so I just finished my test. Here is what I found. I got my car to throw a cel light. Then I checked to see if the ecu kept the code stored in the memory after the battery was disconnected. If the ecu throws a check engine light (cel), and you disconnect the battery, it erases the stored code/s. If the ecu has no code store it will not show a cel. Since the ecu's do not have an alternate source of power that is why the codes get erased. Kind of like when you disconnect the battery and have to reset your favorite stations and clock on your car radio. So that is why you are not seeing the light anymore. Because it has erased it out of the memory. Now just as I thought it does not fix the problem, it only erases the code related to what the cause of the problem was. This may get rid of the light, but it will make diagnosing the cause of a problem harder to find. The reason you have the sensors is to help with finding an engine problem easier. So that you have to spend less time on diagnosing it, and can get right to fixxing it. Now about the duration of the cel lights staying on. According to the book if something is found to be bad or the wiring BADLY CONNECTED (gee these guys knew the connections sucked from the get go) the ecu will see that as a problem and records it. There are two types of problems and two types of flashes. The first is a "static error" those last more than half a second. Then there is a "sporadic error" which will last less than half a second. If you have a sporadic error the light will shut of 4 seconds after the problem goes away. Now of you have more than one problem the ecu will store them in order of importance, and the light will come on 4 seconds after the problem started. So pull the codes before you disconnect the battery or you will loose them. Also even if you have a stored code but have not taken it out of the ecu after 50 starts of the engine the ecu will erase them. One more thing. US 348s have the on-board self diagnosis fuction, the euro 348's do not. The euro cars have to get the codes with the Ferrari tester.
Well the service manager is the one who told me to disconnect the battery. If the light returns I will get the code, it appears as the reason for the last incident has been erased. Ironically driving home from the dealer 47 miles was fine, driving around the hood brought on the light.
