How Reliable Is A Diablo?

Easy response.

How reliable is a 14 or a 15 year old car? Only as reliable as the previous owners allowed it to be. Cars age. With age comes wear due to the natural world around it. Seals/gaskets, rubber, molding, leather, rusting/corrosion, all are natural and take place. In preventing them, comes maintenance and care.

Does the car have 2000 miles? If so, run. It screams rotted out.

Does the car have 10,000 miles, or at least 1000 miles per year? Now you have an engine that was used and parts that are cared for.

Was the maintenance performed at the recommended yearl and mileage intervals? If not, you'll have problems. Fluids arent meant to last forever.

A/C on older Lambos is just fine, it'll blow ice cold.

Maintenance is less on a Diablo than on a Testarossa in my opinion.

The Diablo is a fantastic highway cruiser, but, that's for a guy my sized. Are you 6'2" and 300lbs or are you 5'2.75" and 120lbs? Early Diablos seats dont adjust. Then again, you'll find if the comfort level suits you on a required test drive.

Every year in the Diablo brought improvements. More every year. You did mention you want less power this and power that, so the '91 would suit you just fine. 91-93 are mostly the same with minor upgrades, 94-95 having substantial upgrades and continuing through 2000-2001.

My recommendation is find a 91/93 Diablo with around 8,000+ miles. It'll treat you well if it was treated well before.

-Ben

 

my 92 diablo is as reliable as my lexus sedan....bullet proof.

 

I went from a 355 to a 92 Diablo. Like you, I prefer the early models for the same reasons.

Extremely reliable. Engine/Trans bullet proof. A few minor electrical gremlins I had to resolve, minor things like a relay for P/W window and a fan relay. Very easy to work on... you can do service easily, all fluids easy to reach.

On early cars: Some had bad head gaskets from the factory - look to see if changed or make sure the current one is good. Chain tensioners had an update to look for. Like anything else, get a PPI.

My A/C was converted to R34 and you can hang meat in it.

Very fun and exciting. Come see mine at Winter Park Concours in Oct

Feel free to PM me with any specific questions or concerns.

 

Mine's been bulletproof too, close to 5k miles in as many months of driving- but it's a late Diablo, a 6.0 and the only thing that's a known problem with them (not sure if this is even applicable to the early cars) is the shock system.
Parts do tend to be a tad pricey, but there are substitutes, some suprises- eg, the headlights on the 6.0 are from a supplier for a Nissan model and cost what you'd expect for one of those. It pays to have a good, no a great, mechanic, both to go over the car beforehand, and to keep it attended. For some reason, the door gasket on the driver's door started to get chewed up in a couple places, and i was told that this prefabricated thingy of rubber was close to $900. My mechanic fashioned something from 'generic' rubber insulation- haven't gotten the bill yet, but i know it will be way cheaper.

The other thing is, alot of these cars are 'known.' So, while you may be reluctant to let folks know about a car you are considering, the flip side is that on the L-boards, you'll probably find somebody that knows, or perhaps even owned, or passed on that car at some point in time. This kind of knowledge can be invaluable. good luck..

 

Like an FCar, you have a minor service and a major service at 15K intervals.
The FCar requires an engine out service to replace timing belts. Lambo uses chains and do not require changing. Neither service is engine out

Both services are basically a tune up with all fluids changed. The minor inspects the plugs, the major replaces them. I did a full service myself with the exception of the valve adjustment.

The only time you need to pull the engine would be for a new clutch, just about everything else can be changed with engine in place.

On 2 different web sites we have started a NAPA parts cross reference. For example, I found many ignition parts are the same from a certain year V12 Jag. My tune up with new coils, dist cap, rotor, plugs, was about $200.

Finally, agree with Whart. Remember they only built about 250 cars per year and are "known". Posting the car you are interested will bring out comments from people who know the car..

 

1) How often do you need to adjust the valves, what is the recommended interval? I have noticed that a lot of people here on LamboChat and FerrariChat tends to say that if you can do things yourself than the cost is nothing. That's great for the people that have the know-how and the time, what about for the most of us that does not have either or are just simply too chicken to do it themselves and are bound to dealerships of shops? Any idea how much an annual fluid change will run? same for the minor and the major services. Needless to say, these are all area dependent, but just a ball-park figure would be nice.

2) Of course the clutch wear can vary from owner to owner, how much does it usually cost to have it replaced if the unfortunate should happen? Clutch replacement on the TRs are easy, but the major service is a pain in the rear and it sounds like the opposite for the Diablo, is that correct? Also, are the parts fairly readily available or is a waiting time expected?

TIA.

 

Anyone??!!

 

Anthony, I suggest you give Carlo a call. He's worked on a few Lambos.

 

i think the diablos are pretty reliable but you'll still have maintanece costs

 

Well I'm all thumbs and basically an idiot. My tools are a 5 drawer cheapo craftsman set. I tore apart a VW engine when I was 15 and I think it still has not been put back together... but that's a different story.

The owners manual is excellent and points out how to change all your fluids. The gearbox, trans, etc are designed for a mechanic because everything is laid out simple and easy to reach. You don't have to remove 10 parts to get to something you want to work on.

I also bought a shop manual and parts book to use for the diagrams. A pro could have done my service in a day or two, it took me a week or longer. For example, it took me 2 days to pull the plugs. Every time I came to a new plug the wrench did not fit (one extension too long, the other too short, etc). Then back to the store for a universal, then back to the store for this and that. BUT..by asking around on web sites, I discovered the throttle linkage "snaps out". Had I known that I would not have needed all the crap I bought. I have since changed plugs again and now can do all 12 in under an hour.

The valve adjustment is done every 15K. I farmed it out because the books show a specail tool, plus it's better to have help to find TDC and all that. I gave my mechanic a case of beer and $40 to do it.

I just with some local independents in your area for what they want for major or minor.. It can't be much or nearly as much as an FCar. With an FCar there are many unknowns during a service. For example the water pump is checked during the engine out service and may have to be replaced.. not with Lambo, it's all straight forward. I would ball park a minor service at around $600 with an independent. The major service will vary depending on where he gets his parts. For example, my dist cap from NAPA was around $65 and the dealer wants something like $900... they want $200 for a rotor and mine was $35...

The clutch is a biggy. Most posted about $10K for OEM. That's all BS...there are clutch's 10 times as strong, including triple plate, that you can get for about $2900...then just pay your mechanic for the install. I have no idea what the labor rate would be to change, but it is engine out.

My car has a new factory clutch (last Dec) and will last a long time because I know how to drive it, and try to double clutch on downshifts most of the time. Many pre-owned Diablo's have had questionable ownership. If the previous owner was a gear head, no problem... if it was a "bling bling" look it me I have more money than brains, then your looking for a replacement soon.

 

how exactly do you double clutch on downshift?

clutch in, gear to neutral, rev the engine, clutch in, gear down?

 

That's the thing, I would love to be able to work on all my cars, especially the Ferrari. Many Ferrari owners, when asked, usually says the same things as you did, as in DIY the annual services etc. The problem with me is, and I am sure that many owners as well, is the lack of time to learn how and the proper equipments to perform the needed tasks. For example, a lift in the garage to change the fluids properly,a large enough oil container to drain all 16+ Quarts of motor oil, a brake pump to drain and re-fill the system etc. Thus I have to depend on either the dealerships or the independent shops to perform these services for me, and this will not change in the near future regardless if I own a Ferrari or a Lamborghini, thus the need to find a more solid and accurate cost of ownership for these cars, such as your quote of 10K or so for the clutch replacement, which in comparison to the same job for the Testarossa is about 4K or so the last time I checked. Needless to say, the clutch-life is very owner dependent and they can last anywhere from 5K miles to 30K miles.

My next question is, what about the regular annual fluid change cost for the Diablo, such as oil and filter change, transmission fluid change, brake system flush and fluid change and a quick inspection of all the hoses and lines, how much does that usually run for a Diablo in a non-DIY situation? TIA.

 

Except I omit the "rev the engine" part when I downshift, that's how I learned it.

 

I'm not a good sample as I don't have many miles on the 01 Diablo nor do I put more than 2-3k per year on it. My Diablo has been perfect as was the situation before I purchased it 15 months ago.

 

So I am now a TR owner and a diablo roadster owner. Hooray for now...the TR will have to go soon.

Some info. that might help others...

Today I spent the whole day learning the lambo.

I needed to change the clutch slave cylinder and did so. About 3 hours. After that I started to take the covers off to learn more about the car. Everything about the car does not look that hard to do.

Brake fluid change/flush should not take more than an hour maybe two. So a decent mechanic should not charge too much for this.

Oil Change. Easier than the tr. Maybe a half an hour ordeal.

Plugs; probably several hours to do.

Coolant change: in a tight spot but there are ways to make it easier.

There is a website that details procedure for a lot of this. Don't know if I can mention it here. If I can then I will post.

My car does not have distributor. No distributor to change....

On later cars; with the front lifting system, the shocks do leak, and this is one weakness of the car. I don't know if there is a solution yet; other than to replace the shock that leaks; not cheap about $1200 per piece.

By the way please keep in mind, since I don't have a lift, it takes longer for me to do some of this repair. I just raise the car as high as I can with a jack and crawl underneath.

Any more questions, just ask. I am happy to give back to fchat. I have learn so much and save money with all the advice and had fun.

If anybody can help me; I don't have a copy of the manual for my lambo. It is 97.5 Diablo roadster. Also I would be interested in getting the workshop manual; please pm me if you could help

 

Kelsa - "Blip" the throttle when down shifting. By raising RPM and letting out the clutch the transition takes less bite out of the clutch. Similar to shifting without a clutch when matching the rpm.

AnthonyC - Watching football yesterday I found the paperwork for the clutch that was done at the dealer. 20 hours labor. Say 80/hr - $1600 + clutch which I have found for 2900 = $4500. I know Lambo owners with over 30K miles and original clutch, again depends on how you drive. The stock clutch is a under rated for this much HP, an aftermarket will give you long (normal) life even with aggressive driving.

Shamile - That's the good thing about chains vs belts. With belts, it's 30K or 5 years. Lambo is miles only. Of course, you still want to run the car at least once a month - I prefer miles over a garage queen.. many threads on this.

Dexter - Good for you. When you do the plugs, pull the throttle linkage out. Stand on side of car, grap the rail, give it a tug. They pop out at the ball joints on each end - this will save you a ton of time.
I bought my manuals from italianparts.com and am not happy with it. Seems to be a "copy" or a "copy" with missing pages and duplicates of others. I've heard several people say good things about a company in the UK who as an authorized re-printer. PM me and I'll dig up the name.

http://www.lamboweb.com/Repairs.htm
This is put together by John M and is a non profit site. Most excellent for how to do it by yourself along with a cross reference for non dealer parts.

 

Thanks.

 

I had a 1994 Diablo SE 30 for one year. The car only had a belt come apart, and the Marelli rotor inside the distributor cap disintegrated. - The cap was good.

 

The Diablo is a good and reliable car. Dispite Lambo's past issues they did indeed produce a winner when the Diablo was introduced. They did have head gasket isssues with the early cars but by 93 this was a non issue. They also had chain tensioner upgrades which is relatively cheap to do, and does not require engine removal. Over all cost of ownership I would venture to be less then a TR if some work can be performed by the owner. Clutch is the biggest expense for a normal wear item. Lambo parts are expensive, but items like the alternator, brake pads (early non Brembo cars), A/C compressor etc can be sourced quite easly through your local parts house. Cap and rotor are Jag V12 parts. Tires are pricey as are the brake rotors. Little items can also add up really fast.

I say go for it. Its a car that can deliver a driving experiance like nothing else and its an adventure everytime you get behined the wheel.

 

wow ! great web site.... thanks for sharing!!! i am in learning mode as i want a Lambo . working on my Ferrari's at home, and Gulfstream jets at work, i hope i can handle a Lambo 12 .

 

out of curriosity how much are some of these normal things, like the brake pads, rotors, tires, ect.??

I'm more interested in the 6.0, but any ideas whatsoever are cool

 

tbakowsky - very well said.

thecarreaper - Yes...great site. Out of respect for Rob L, I will not post any competing site, but John is a doctor (retired, I think) and put this up on his own expense. Great guy for info and always willing to help.

Dan - depends if OEM or aftermarket. Like FCar, Potterfield pads available for Lambo, the rear tires are a bit pricey because of strange size (rear rim is 13 wide). Tbakowsky said rotors are spendy and I believe him, but when it's time for mine, I found out with slight mod you can use new 911Turbo rotors. When it's time I'll post info in John's web site under cross reference. BTW the guy who works on my car, when I need help, is pit crew member for Le Mans GT2 factory Porsche car #23 and #24...on speed channel every weekend. Despite this, his favorite car is Diablo