First problem - my new-to-me F355 | FerrariChat

First problem - my new-to-me F355

Discussion in '348/355' started by Julia, Dec 5, 2020.

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  1. Julia

    Julia F1 Veteran
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    Feb 22, 2014
    6,336
    Houston
    Hello, everyone! I purchased a 1998 F355 Spider from a BaT auction last Monday, ZFFXR48A5W0111582, and drove it home to Omaha from Milwaukee on Thursday. The check engine light came on 30 miles into the drive home, but the car seemed to be running fine so we continued on.

    Yesterday morning I drove the car another 25 miles round trip to the DMV to get it tagged. I stopped by my local mechanic on the way home, but he was not able to get his code readers to communicate with the car.

    Yesterday evening my husband was going to drive it for the first time, but as he backed out of the garage, I smelled raw fuel. So he cut the engine and we discovered fuel at the bottom of the joint of the driver's side header and cat.

    Here's a pic of the OBDII connector:

    [​IMG]
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    I'm calling Vince Hill on Monday morning, but I thought I'd get your thoughts. Thanks!
     
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  2. WATSON

    WATSON Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Sep 9, 2010
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    #2 WATSON, Dec 5, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2020
    Has the OBD recall for the grounding wire been completed?
    If not I am bit surprised about that.
    If not, I think you can jump pins 4 & 5 on the reader side and make it work without having to dice under the dash.


    The raw fuel is a bigger concern. But should be easy to locate the leak.
    Leaky fuel filter?
    Leaky fuel line gaskets at the fuel distribution block?
    Did you fill the car completely? My car developed a leak in the cheap plastic filler neck form the fuel cap to the tank. Filling it full caused the fuel to leak out until the car drained it.

    Lots of issues early....did the previous owner mention any of this at the sale?
     
  3. WATSON

    WATSON Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Sep 9, 2010
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    Here is the actual recall:
     

    Attached Files:

    • obd2.pdf
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  4. Julia

    Julia F1 Veteran
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    Feb 22, 2014
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    #4 Julia, Dec 5, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2020
    The fuel is coming out the header and exhaust on the driver's side. We're thinking maybe a stuck injector?

    It appears that there's a pin in spot #4 on the OBDII connector.
     
  5. Ferrari Fanatic

    Ferrari Fanatic Formula 3

    Apr 2, 2003
    1,317
    SoCal
    #5 Ferrari Fanatic, Dec 5, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2020
    Did you try both with the key on and with the car running ? I have personally seen cases where a scanner would only link with a 355 if the car was running.

    Regarding the OBDII port update. It likely has already been done as most states require a successful connection and communication to pass the state smog inspection.

    I personally would go buy a scanner to keep on hand. Sounds like in this case they may have recently reset the computer via the OBDII port to clear all codes. I say this since you threw a code so quickly.

    It can take hundreds of miles to get the OBDII in a ready state after you clear the codes and ready to test here in Cali. Not sure how other states do it, but we are one of the most stringent.
     
  6. steved033

    steved033 F1 Veteran
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    Apr 12, 2017
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    it's coming from INSIDE the pipe? or just around the header bag? Got a pic?

    sjd
     
  7. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
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    Jun 11, 2004
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    Julia, are you sure it's fuel? It's not uncommon for these car to drip condensation form the headers when just started., either at header to cat, or cat to muffles joint. Fuel smell also not unusual when starting because cats are could. Also, raw into the cats would for sure turn on the SDL is the cats work. Don't panic,.....yet.
     
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  8. Julia

    Julia F1 Veteran
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    Feb 22, 2014
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    The bottom of the joint between the header and the cat is wet. Smells like fuel. Fuel dripped out of the exhaust as he backed it out.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login

    So in this pic, he's just touched the bottom of that connection, and his fingers are wet with fuel.
     
  9. Julia

    Julia F1 Veteran
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    It smells like fuel. Last night was the first time we smelled raw fuel, and the engine wasn't running long enough to really heat up the cats. We shut it off almost immediately after smelling it.
     
  10. WATSON

    WATSON Two Time F1 World Champ
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    I need a big picture.
    You really sure fuel came out the exhaust tip? ...through the cat?
     
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  11. steved033

    steved033 F1 Veteran
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    In that pic, you're looking straight down at the donut joint.

    the big question is, is it inside the pipe?

    sjd
     
  12. Julia

    Julia F1 Veteran
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    Feb 22, 2014
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    It could have all been from that joint.
     
  13. WATSON

    WATSON Two Time F1 World Champ
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    OK. The fuel pressure is pretty high in the car and was wondering if perhaps there is a leak and spraying onto the headers, running down to the doughnut joint and then dripping off of that.

    If it is coming OUT the exhaust port, it isn't an external fuel leak.
     
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  14. Julia

    Julia F1 Veteran
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    Here's a pic I took. There's a spot on the concrete directly below this. The area seems to be dry now. We started it briefly this morning when a friend was over to look at the car. It started smelling like fuel about 10 seconds after startup.

    Image Unavailable, Please Login
     
  15. GatedF355GTB

    GatedF355GTB Karting

    Dec 5, 2017
    169
    Could be a possibility. I have the same experience with my OBD-II 993 and its immobilizer system. The car needs to be running. I think OBD-II 355s have a similar immobilizer.
     
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  16. Julia

    Julia F1 Veteran
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  17. Julia

    Julia F1 Veteran
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    Oh. I do not know that we tried it with the car running, only with the key on.
     
  18. tres55

    tres55 F1 Rookie
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    Sep 18, 2012
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    Was there not a recall for some line that caused a fuel leak on the 355?
     
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  19. johnk...

    johnk... F1 World Champ
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    #19 johnk..., Dec 5, 2020
    Last edited: Dec 5, 2020
    I'm not saying it's not fuel, but these cars run pretty rich when cold. The exhaust smells of fuel. Any condensation would have a fuel smell as well. Occam's razor.
     
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  20. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    The car doesn't need to be running. It just needs the immobiliser to be disarmed. The OBD2 modification has been done on your car. An extra pin has been added.
     
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  21. tatry68

    tatry68 Karting

    Oct 27, 2013
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    My '97 needs to be running for the obd scanner to be able to communicate with the car. They also test the car while running at the emissions station, where as other cars are tested with the key in the on position.
     
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  22. fatbillybob

    fatbillybob Two Time F1 World Champ
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    Aug 10, 2002
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    Maybe the MIL is because the ECU is throwing real codes? Maybe the leaking fuel is related to the codes? There is a difference in smell between raw fuel and raw fuel mixed with condensate or even partly burned fuel. Leaking fuel means stop! Do not run the car because you could have a car-be-que if not careful. I have bought many cars and many ferraris. I never buy a car or even think about it without pulling OBD codes and checking monitor status to see if the PO is trying to play a game by resetting codes. Plugging into the OBD is just a quick electronic way of surveying the car.

    At this point you take to the car to a pro if you do not know what your are doing. As a DIY'er my 1st goal would be to read the OBD. Sometimes some readers are not compatible with all cars. Sometimes some readers will get you more data that another reader. If you can't hook up with reader1 then try another reader. I own 3 of them. Check monitor status to see if monitors are all set. If set then the codes you have or don't have are likely real. If there are no codes then you have to manually find your leak. If you say get bunch of bank1 misfire codes I'd be looking there next.

    There is also no such thing as a totally sorted used car. There is always something. It is the nature of the beast. Dealing with Ferraris can be troublesome and expensive if you are a checkbook owner. If you like to DIY and like to learn the 355 is a great labor of love and you can develop a very nice reliable 355. It will take your time and your compromises to get there.
     
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  23. Qavion

    Qavion F1 World Champ
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    So it won't work with just the ignition in RUN? Strange. I'm pretty sure I have the same ECU as you (USA with cats). I'm talking about faultcode reading, not live analysis. Some data will be missing with the engine off.
     
  24. Ferrari Fanatic

    Ferrari Fanatic Formula 3

    Apr 2, 2003
    1,317
    SoCal
    Did you flash or throw a Slow Down Light. For that much raw fuel to be coming out of the combustion chamber and in to the header: that Cat would be glowing red hot and a throw SDL. Heck, these 355’s throw SDL even when the cats aren’t over heated. LOL.
     
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  25. Ferrari Fanatic

    Ferrari Fanatic Formula 3

    Apr 2, 2003
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    Correct, some scanners I have seen will not link unless the car is actually running, versus just the immobilizer turned off with the remote and the key in the run position.
     
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