| Author | Message | ||
| Sam NYCFERRARIS (Sam)
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Interesting thing these Ferrari "recalls" I brought my 348 into a authorized dealer (not the seller) about a very important NHTSA safety recall on teh 348 - the factory used aluminum ends on the fuel line that corrode and crack -- they must be replaced, mine were original and were not replaced , and they were corroded and cracking - just like the notice says, I think I am covered by teh recall and I get these replaced free right? I think the dealer is still laughing. Well sure the replacement requires the complete removal of the engine to get at all these fuel lines - alot of expensive labor. I complained, phone and in writing to Ferrari NA and they ignored my inquires into the free dealer recall... it was like the car is over two model generations old and therefore you don't exist and besides the rules don't apply to us. Hopefully other 348 owners are aware of this and got better treatmetn from teh Dealer do get them replaced they will cause a fire. I simply had them replaced at my cost during major service. A steering wheel nut though is ez enough to replace so they might be willing to do it and sell you on some other service while you are in there. | ||
| Arnaldo Torres (Caribe)
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I do not know if some of you are aware, but there is a Vehicle Recall notice for this exact problem. I found it on the NHTSA website (www.nhtsa.com). It is labeled: NHTSA Campaign ID Number: 88V186000. It says that this recall affects 468 Testarossas manufactured from 1986 to 1988 (although I have seen it happen in later year models as well). Anyway, this might be covered under warranty or simply as a safety recall (free!), but I have not checked that. Nevertheless, I did find another recall for the 1990 and 1991 Testarossa Steering Column Locknut. The TR I am about to purchase does not have it done, per Ferrari of N.A., and Ogner's Motorcars (Authorized Ferrari dealer) will replace the part for free since it is a safety recall. Caribe. | ||
| William H (Countachxx)
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Bad on the 512TR also. I installed Scroth belts which have an inertial reel but I'm having trouble locating a short Scroth for the passenger side. Most Scroth r made for cars with larger cockpits so the belt has way too much slack. I may install a racing 4 point on both sides, guess my passengers will just have to be strapped in tight  As far as affecting the cars value, u can have your mech install "eye" bolts & get the harnesses that hook into the eye bolts then unhook when u want to remove them for a show or whatever. Its probably the least intrusive way to install racing belts | ||
| James Pai (Jaymus)
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My 90 TR belts died also.  I just had the dealer disable the system and I leave it in the rear locked position. Planning to put racing seats and harness in instead. Damn those belts......it's weird, if I have my mechanic enable the system, sometimes it functions fine and then gets stuck, so I had him disable it completely. Never liked the automatic belts anyhow. James | ||
| Michael A. Niles (Man90tr)
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Caribe: You are correct that the TR retractors can be a problem, but there are a few things you can do to avoid damage, wear and tear and abuse. First, if you ever valet your car, disconnect the seat belt from the retractor mechanism. The reason for this is many valets do not realize that the seat belt, when forward can go underneath the left side of the steering wheel. And when they close the door, the mechanism jams and hopefully the safety disconnect will kick in and save the mechanism. This however does not always happen and the mechanism breaks. Second, do the same when taking the car in for service. Not every mechanic notices that the seatbelt is under the steering wheel until it skips and jams. Third, keep the tracks clean of dirt and if you are washing the car or in the rain, do not leave the door open long. This way water does not have the chance to seep inside the retractor mechanism when it is positioned forward. Wipe off all water immediately. I know some of you guys will say -- what valet your TR -- that guy must be crazy?! I spend a good bit of time in Palm Beach and drive the car to lunch and dinner quite a bit and the only way to get parking is to valet --so I live with it. But I have my limits -- I never valet the car at home in Maryland. And, to the question before -- the seat belts will work if the motorized retractor is not operational. The motor does nothing in an accident -- it is just a method of getting the harness to the rear position. As long as the connector is in the rear locked position and the seatbelt is attached correctly then the seatbelt will work. And you know the connector is in the rear locked position because your red light in the center console will be out. | ||
| Arnaldo Torres (Caribe)
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The main question is: if the seat belt retractors do not work, or are deactivated, will the seat belts work in case of an accident? Thanks, Caribe. | ||
| billy zissis (89tr)
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Mine do not work either on my 89tr. I believe in Europe that they have a conventional setup so you can look into thier setup. What i have also seen is that a lot of people disconnect them from inside the center console so before you start replacing parts check to see if they are connencted or not. | ||
| Patrick S. Perry (Psp1)
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Both of my "mice" are dead too.(88TR - US car). Anyone looked into changing over to conventional 3 point belts or maybe 4 point harness? Do you think it would affect the value, positively or negatively? | ||
| Robert Mann (Robertmann)
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Just to be totally honest with you about the seat belt mechanical retractors, they are almost all bad. I have had three TR's and all of them have had problems. For awhile, Ferrari changed them out as a factory problem, but they stopped that some years ago. From what I have seen with them, they are certainly not easy to repair as the entire track must be taken out and replaced. Someone else might know more than this, but that is all Ferrari did and said that they cannot be fixed. This is what my Ferrari dealer told me some years ago. | ||
| Steve Magnusson (91tr)
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Mine are working OK (knock on wood), but unfortunately, I think it is not an uncommon problem for a US TR. I've heard it can be expensive ($3K~$4K?) to get fixed -- 2 ECUs, a lot of mechanical bits, etc. (so deduct from price accordingly). | ||
| Arnaldo Torres (Caribe)
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I have driven a few Testarossas and found out that their seat belt retractors are either really slow or they plain don't work. I have discussed this issue with some Testarossa owners that are in the process of selling their cars, and some of them mentioned having similar problems. - Is this problem that common or am I having just bad luck? - Is this something that is easy to fix by a mechanically inclined individual? - Bottomline, How safe are these seat belts anyway? Thanks, Caribe. |