458 - Oily water wheel well | FerrariChat

458 Oily water wheel well

Discussion in '458 Italia/488/F8' started by eskanday, Mar 31, 2020.

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  1. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    Hi, I recently serviced my car and there was no leaks when they changed the oil. I bought the car recently and had oily shinny dressing in engine bay.
    I washed the car few days ago, yesterday I went for a drive and noticed what it look like water with oil residue without color or smell in the right rear wheel well. I think it is coming from the drain in front of the wheel well and splashed while driving. Most of it dried up today indicating that it is mostly water. anybody experienced this before? I'm thinking it is water from washing the car and bringing down the oily dressing? Please see the video and pictures in the link below.
    Thoughts?
    Thanks


    https://photos.app.goo.gl/kF9g1YiXjM4hDdsA6
     
  2. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
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    That's the coolant overflow. They probably topped off, and it will self level after a few hot and cold cycles. Sometimes it will be fine for a few months, then out of nowhere, certain conditions are met, where it will overflow a little again. It's completely normal, you should be fine.
     
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  3. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    Thank you for your replay, it does not look like coolant, shouldn't coolant have a color? this looks like water but it is hard to say for sure.
     
  4. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
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    It's coolant, coolant is thin, watery and oily. If you look at it on a white paper towel, you should be able to see a light pinkish tinge.
     
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  5. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    You are absolutely right. it is coolant overflow. I heated the car today and few drops went down the drain on the floor The color is pink on the tissue as you may be able to see in the picture. I checked the level when the car is hot and it is where it is suppose to be, see picture. The car is running around 200-210 and not overheating.

    I think it was may a little extra coolant and was drained down.
    Do you think this is normal?
    It is interesting that the level looks where it should be in middle and back and lower in the front. That is why sometimes people may overfill it.
    Thanks
    Alex


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  6. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    And by the way, the level I sent in the picture was in hot operating temperature. I presume this is when the level should be checked. The tank was almost empty when the car was cold. Is it how it is suppose to be? May be that is why they overfilled it.
    Thanks again
     
  7. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
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    #7 up4speed, Mar 31, 2020
    Last edited: Mar 31, 2020
    actually the cold level should be at the seam of the tank. Also, a reminder, don't open when hot! It is a pressurized tank.

    What you are seeing is totally normal. It does strange things, you will see the level rise at weird times. Sometimes in the hot heat when idling, its not all the way up. Other times, it might not even be fully warm, and the level rises up and goes all the way to the top. Eventually when all the different situations that make it rise will occur, and it won't dump anymore. My brothers car dumped a little the other day after being serviced almost a year ago! It dumped twice within a month or two after the service, then out of nowhere, again, lol. It's strange, but it happened to pretty much every 458 in our local club at one time or another.
    You can actually see the level as you drive if you look over your shoulder. If you look at it, you will see it at different levels all the time, no logic.

    On a side note, if it is dumping fluid and it is not "over filled", it may be possible that you have a defective cap. If the cap is not sealed properly, and leaks air, it may cause the fluid to boil over, and dump. If you are unsure, replacing the cap is very cheap insurance. I think they are around $45 +/-. But based on what you are seeing, I don't suspect it to be an issue.
     
  8. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    Thank you very much. I'm glad to hear as I'm new to Ferrari 458.
    To confirm what you are saying, I turned in the heat after the car was warm and now when the car is cold, the reservoir is empty.
    So I'm not sure what to do, if I top up the coolant to the seam , it may dump more coolant.
    I will watch and see, if I continue to see draining from the tube. I will change the cap.
    Thank you
    Alex
     
  9. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
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    Alex,
    Interesting. Maybe the system needed to be "burped". Did you have the coolant changed at the latest service? If so, then I'm thinking that there is air in the system.
    Based on what you are saying, it actually doesn't seem normal. If the level is lower than the seam in the bottle, it shouldn't dump any coolant at all!
    I would fill it up to the seam (that is the proper level. Yours is too low on coolant if tank is empty, and can be dangerous), and see what happens. If it dumps again (more than once or twice since that should be enough for it to find it's own level), there is definitely an issue. If it dumps again, It may be boiling over, so I would start with the cheap stuff, and replace the cap (a bad cap can cause it to boil over). If the cap doesn't fix it, then there is some sort of other issue that I don't know.
    However, as long as your operating temperatures are ok, it's safe for you to experiment. If the temperature is higher than normal, I would stop driving IMMEDIATELY and take to the dealer for service.
    At this time, I'm thinking that air needed to be burped out, or just a bad cap. Definitely fill the coolant to the seam in the tank when cold as a start. And make sure that you use the proper coolant, if you don't, you could cause a lot of damage because the coolant can gel up if you mix wrong coolants. Then take it from there. To be honest, if the coolant was replaced recently, it seems like they just did a shoddy job and weren't careful about bleeding the air out. Please keep us posted.
     
  10. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    Thank you very much. I just drove the car and temperature is perfect. I checked the level again and it is at the seam. So I think it is doing what your said. The level fluctuates sometimes.
    I did not change the coolant. So I don't think there is air there. It didn't dump anymore since the last time. I will watch if it dumps anymore and watch the level. Will see
    Thank you very much for your help.
    Alex
     
  11. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
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    That's good news that the temps stay normal. Just make sure that the tank isn't empty when cold. If empty definitely fill it to the seam of the tank when cold. If it fluctuates so much that it dumps the fluid until the tank is empty when cold, change the reservoir cap.
     
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  12. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    Ok thank you. I will do that.
    I really appreciate this
     
  13. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    One thing I noticed that the is a coolant tank is a little tilted so the fluid is at the seam in the back and lower than the seam in the front. See picture. Not sure if this is just my car but I think that is why they probably overfilled it when they topped up the fluids in the last service.
    Thank you


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  14. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
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    I never looked that carefully at mine. I just saw the level at the rear on mine, and it's at the seam (as per owners/shop manual). If that's where yours is when cold, it's perfect, and you should be good to go. Watch it as you drive, you will sometimes see it all the way up, or very close to the top, and other times only 1/2 way up. There is no pattern as I said previously, it's very strange, LOL. It's a Ferrari, hahaha
     
  15. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    Just checked again and it is at the seam in the front and lower than the seam in the rear when cold. I'm gonna leave it alone for now. I think this is acceptable especially if the tank is little tilted.
     
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  16. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
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    I think you should be good!
    You scared me when you said that the tank was “empty”. I thought you meant that it was dry in the tank when cold.
     
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  17. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    the car kept dumping some coolant while the level is not higher than the seam. I decided to get a new cap to be safe. I ordered it from Ricambi and it was part number 145030 and installed it today. However, I saw there is another part number 329417 for the same cap on other sites. Any thoughts? are they both correct?
    Thanks
    alex
     
  18. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
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    I'm not sure. Maybe one is a newer version of the other? I checked scuderiaparts and they have both. Maybe you can give them a call and ask.
    Just make sure that the pressure rating matches, and you should be good!
    Please update. I'm curious as to what the outcome is. Hopefully you are good after the cap replacement.
     
  19. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    I contacted ricambi and they said that 145030 is the correct one for 458. The 329417 is for f12tdf only.
    I took the car for a drive after i installed it and topped up fluids and everything was fine without dumping coolant. Will update after few more drives.
    Thanks as always
     
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  20. up4speed

    up4speed F1 Rookie
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    #20 up4speed, Apr 9, 2020
    Last edited: Apr 9, 2020
    Did he say what the difference is? I would like to check mine to make sure that I replaced it with the correct one. I replaced mine proactively because I saw a slight amount of crust build up around the vent hose nipple.
    Never mind, I just checked in my garage and found the box for it. I have the proper number 145030 cap on my car.
     
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  21. Rdwaggie

    Rdwaggie Karting
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    Nov 6, 2018
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    This is a good thread - I had the same leaking and was wondering why. Does anyone know the procedure for draining / flushing / filling the 458 coolant?


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  22. Rdwaggie

    Rdwaggie Karting
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    Nov 6, 2018
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    Also, I plan to buy an Airlifter if that makes a difference in the answer...


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  23. eskanday

    eskanday Karting

    Jun 21, 2017
    88
    If you are having the same problem, I advise you to get a new coolant cap. It is likely needs to be replaced if your car is dumping coolant while the level is where it should be. It is about 50$
     
  24. Solid State

    Solid State F1 Veteran
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    Glad you got it under control. I must be the only one choking on $50 for a small plastic cap. Ridiculous but that's Ferrari pricing.
     
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  25. DoubleD33

    DoubleD33 F1 Rookie
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    check out the 458 DIY maintenance thread. I have a write up on coolant change.
     

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