[Chenrezi]

So after the battery incident today I got up early and took the Maranello out for a drive.

Lots of turns and twisted stuff, a few roundabouts, a few laughs....

Then on the way home I parked the car for what couldn't be more than 5 minutes I think to answer the phone and while I was putting it in the garage the temperature gauge started getting really high....
I parked the car (another 45'' seconds I would say) and turned it off, when all of a sudden it started leaking a blueish liquid from the right side (right under the battery as a matter of fact).
I popped the hood but no smoke came out other than the one coming out from the side air vents where the liquid was draining.
I called my mechanic and he told me it was the anti freeze, that the car had overheated and some tube or latch had broken or got loose and it was letting the anti-freeze out.

I know that lately I've been giving you guys allot of trouble but this car I'm starting to believe takes as much as it gives from me...... (Or I just don't drive it enough...)

What do you think of all this?

Advice needed and appreciated.....

[Chenrezi]

Some more pics....

[550_Maranello]

Hi Michael,
is not true that your car doesn't love you, you have a nice car and normally affidable and lovely.
I have a car like your, red color dated 1998, it's mine from 5 years and i not have problems, two yars ago when i replaced the cambelts I controlled the cooling pipes and was all perfectly, probably the owner's before me had changed it.
Did you bought your car new ?
Where do you live? I live in Italy
Fabio

[Chenrezi]

Bon giorno Fabio!

Italia mi piace di piu! - I think that's how you say it
I live in Paris - France and the Maranello has been really great so far.
I've done long journeys in it and quick spins and it just loves being driven.
I think I should actually drive it some more to avoid such situations...

Where in Italy do you live?
I did a 3 week trip around Italy a few years ago and fell in love with the country.

Thanks for the concern.

Michael

[550_Maranello]

Ciao Michael,
i Live in Cesena (near Ravenna in Romagna), i have a friend from parigi, now he lives in Ravenna and he's married with an italian woman. I'm never went in France but i want to go with my wife.
I never drived my 550 for a long distance max 300 km, some times she stay on garage for 1.5 month under the cover, but when i turn the key all 12 cylinder sing togheter , big satisfaction !!
Only attention is to disconnect the battery if the car I don't use for one week or more.
Problems and get them if the car does not use it for many months, but mainly to the brakes that can lock the calipers cylinders or clutch bonding.

Fabio

[tazandjan]

Michael- The cooling system expansion tank is near the battery and there is an overflow tube to vent excessive coolant. The system likely got really hot for the first time and the coolant expanded and vented the excess over the side. I would check the obvious things first, like the coolant cap no longer holding pressure, which can cause this problem. Any good repair shop can pressure test the cap to see if it is holding pressure. The other thing to check is to see if the fans are working properly. They are turned on by two sensors, one a primary that should come on at around 90 C and a back-up in case the primary is inop at around 100C.

Note that none of the tech data for late model Ferraris tells you to change the coolant at regular intervals. If it has not been done in the last 3-4 years, the additives are likely shot and it needs to be flushed and changed.

[Granucci]

Might the spill tube be blocked too? Worth a look if it constricts the cap's purpose...then again pressure just might overcome that part.

[Chenrezi]

Now the car is up on the trailer and on its way to the shop after a very lengthy procedure of putting it in the trailer during which I found out another disturbing piece of news:
I don't seem to have the tool kit!!
I find it very hard to believe that having bought the car at an official Ferrari dealer it would be without the kit but I can't figure out if it had actually been with the car when I bought it where it's supposed to be now.
My mechanic who installed the SRI gck says he never used it but will check tomorrow with the rest of his crew....
I saw on eBay a nice set for sale for 700usd....

I guess it's a good sign that the car never gave me any problems that I'm only finding this out now

[Granucci]

Rarely use the tool kit except for the tow hook, which is where I believe you noticed it missing. It is an item that was sold with the car: Keep pursuing the seller...It should have been included or mentionned. Do you have all the books and such?

[a1exander]

Sounds like the cap on the expansion tank is faulty. Or the fans are not cutting in check the fuse if ok then pressure cap,

When the cap is faulty it releases pressure and along with it coolant.

Check as a pre caution your oils(for mixing with water) first and second buy a new cap for the expansion tank.

[Chenrezi]

I have all the manuals and such.
And everything was dealt with great care and attention they even gave me a new CD changer as they had lost the old one...

I'll try and call them tomorrow when they're open to figure out what can be done...

About the car... I'll just wait and see what my tech says..

Thanks!!!

[Ton612]

If the gauge started to go up really high I would check the fans first.
Good luck!

[Chenrezi]

Originally Posted by Granucci

Rarely use the tool kit except for the tow hook, which is where I believe you noticed it missing. It is an item that was sold with the car: Keep pursuing the seller...It should have been included or mentionned. Do you have all the books and such?

Precisely!!

I wouldn't have noticed it missing hadn't I needed the towing eye.
Tomorrow I'll call the dealer and see what it's all about!!!
Thanks!

[Chenrezi]

Originally Posted by Ton612

If the gauge started to go up really high I would check the fans first.
Good luck!

Yeah, this afternoon I started thinking and I think that when I got out of the car - car turned off, I didn't hear the fans working, which I believe should be happening with such a high temperature....

My tech had already mentioned that possibility and now I believe it to be true....

[tazandjan]

Michael- The fans shut off when the engine is stopped. The fans do no good if the water pump is not circulating the coolant. All they would do is cool the water in the radiator, which would then go nowhere near the engine.

[Chenrezi]

Originally Posted by tazandjan

Michael- The fans shut off when the engine is stopped. The fans do no good if the water pump is not circulating the coolant. All they would do is cool the water in the radiator, which would then go nowhere near the engine.

Yeah, In this case it was all over the floor....

Thanks Terry.
Car in the shop.
Waiting for a verdict...