[ShotGun]

So I drove the car 2 weeks ago and everything was great.

Yesterday I wanted to go for a drive started the car put in reverse press the gas and NOTHING happens!!! car don't move, no error light, not going out of gear.

same goes for forward gear.

Waiting for the dealer to come tow the car tomorrow to the shop.

Bought the car with 2780 miles and have on it 3001 now...

any ideas?

[wetpet]

clutch

[netman]

Was the car left in gear when turned off? If so try resetting the car by turning off the power for about 20 minutes and then going through the startup sequence.

[up4speed]

Hi there, sorry to hear about your problem. I don't own a Ferrari yet, but I joined to learn about the 360/430's. I'm looking to possibly purchase one in the near future. Through my research, I am learning a lot about the car both good, and bad. Out of memory, I think I read posts with people posting similar issues, and for one guy, it was just that he was not pressing the brake hard enough when putting it in gear. I guess getting the brake lights to light, isn't enough in this car. Some posters joked that in the owners manual it should say "mash on the brake with all your might before putting in gear". Like I said, I don't know much about these cars yet, but I'm hoping it is something this simple for you, and keeping my fingers crossed for you. Good luck.
I know other common problems spoken about were the F1 pump motor, and the pump relay. Relay is cheap and easy, pump motor is several hundred. There are youtube videos describing replacement. Seems easy if you are handy.
Good luck.

**Update: I re-read your post. I guess it's not the brake pedal not being pushed enough. In your post you wrote "I put the car in reverse", then gave it gas and it didn't move. If the problem was related to not pushing the brake hard enough, I don't think the indicator would show that it is in gear. I'm pretty sure that it just wouldn't come out of neutral...oh well, just trying to help
Like I said I have no experience with these cars, and don't really know what I'm talking about, lol. Just concerned and throwing ideas out there. I'm sure the other knowlgeable Ferrrari owners/mechanics here will steer you correctly.

[tazandjan]

U4S- Welcome. Your idea on the brake pedal is a good one and we have had numerous owners unable to get their car into gear because either they were not pressing hard enough on the brake pedal, or the brake sensing switch was misadjusted. One check for the latter is pressing on the pedal and having someone check and make sure the brake lights are illuminating.

Leaving the car in gear when shutting down should not cause a problem, but starting the car without shifting to neutral first has caused problems. The system should select neutral for you on start, but if the battery is low, there can be a problem, like the car jerking forward. Even with the battery not low, occasionally the system will malfunction after start and not go into gear afterwards. So we should do like the owners manual recommends and select neutral manually before starting.

[champagne612]

Shotgun keep us posted.

Learned a lot from this thread - hopefully some of the remedies Terry shared can get you back on the road.

@ Up4speed - Welcome to Flife

[ShotGun]

Can low battery can create this issue??? Not making sense...

[ShotGun]

Had issue with battery 3-4 weeks ago and did a slow charge that worked great.
Didn't drive the car for 2 weeks and indeed battery felt weak when I came to start the car.
Put in reverse and ...you know the rest.

Just walked outside to slow charge overnight so I'll update in the morning if the issue is fixed.

Maybe I need a new battery?

[JazzyO]

Originally Posted by ShotGun

Maybe I need a new battery?

I can't imagine that is the problem if you can start the car. The starter engine consumes more power than anything else.


Onno

[StefVan]

Originally Posted by ShotGun

Had issue with battery 3-4 weeks ago and did a slow charge that worked great.
Didn't drive the car for 2 weeks and indeed battery felt weak when I came to start the car.
Put in reverse and ...you know the rest.

Just walked outside to slow charge overnight so I'll update in the morning if the issue is fixed.

Maybe I need a new battery?

I would really consider a new battery. it's a quite cheap fix which avoids getting stuck somewhere. On the F1, it is vital that the battery is in perfect condition, not just fully charged. When you start the engine with a weak battery, the voltage drop is so important that the ECU's are underpowered during the cranking phase. This will lead to firmware issues as they can't operate normally. I strongly suspect that is the root cause of your F1 issues

[ShotGun]

IT WORKED!!!

trickle charged all night and the car is going great! thx.

I have a few Q's:

1. Can a 2009 battery be bad so soon?
2. will I need to trickle charged a new battery as well if I don't use the car for 2 weeks?
3. do the light switch matter when starting the car or leaving for that long even thogh the light go off when you turn the switch?
4. What battery you recommend for perfect fit with no modification what so ever other than manufacture?

Hope you guys have the answer :-)

[wetpet]

the only way to check the battery is to put a load on it and check. probably would have to be done at a shop unless you have the equipment and know how to use it. If you put a trickle charger on it and it goes off, the battery is topped up and shouldn't be a problem. If it never goes off or shows an error, the battery may be going. If you decide not to drive the car for more than a week, i would put it on a trickle charger. Unless the battery won't hold a charge, i wouldn't worry about it.

ps. forget about the clutch response

[up4speed]

Shotgun,
That's great news!
Thank you all for the welcome to the forum! I am getting excited about getting an F car. I have had many "cool" cars (corvette, 2 mustangs, 2 Porsches, etc.) but never owned an exotic. I'm in love with the sexy shape, and the sound. I've wanted one for many years. I traditionally bought all my cars new, but due to cost, this has to be used. That's why I'm here to learn and make the most educated choice when it's time to purchase. I am also a person that does most of the maintenance and small repairs in my own. Thanks guys.

[champagne612]

Originally Posted by ShotGun

IT WORKED!!!

trickle charged all night and the car is going great! thx.

I have a few Q's:

1. Can a 2009 battery be bad so soon?
2. will I need to trickle charged a new battery as well if I don't use the car for 2 weeks?
3. do the light switch matter when starting the car or leaving for that long even thogh the light go off when you turn the switch?
4. What battery you recommend for perfect fit with no modification what so ever other than manufacture?

Hope you guys have the answer :-)

Leave it on a trickle charger and get a new battery.

The F1 system is touchy - caused me all kinds of CEL issues.

Terry has a system to reset to factory - sure it's posted somewhere.

Glad it all worked out - mine was towed away and 450.00 later I could have simply followed what others have posted.

[tazandjan]

SG- In general the FIAMM batteries that come in Ferraris are very good batteries, but their early lives are often enough to cripple them. They are fitted at the factory, then sit waiting for a ship, then sit on the ship, then wait to be picked up at the port, then sit in a dealership and are not driven enough, then the owners do not drive them enough. You get the picture, so the batteries tend to sulphate.

I never give a battery a second chance. If it is weak one time, it gets replaced. An absorbed glass mat battery will be a little expensive, but can take multiple deep discharge cycles without degradation. I have an Interstate MTP-91 in my car, which is just an old fashioned lead acid battery, but they have proven very reliable. If you fit an AGM (Odyssey or Braille) no venting is required. If you fit an Interstate or other lead acid battery, make sure you use the OEM vent tube connected to Interstate's battery vent, part number 7003051. This document may help.

[wetpet]

great advice as usual taz. i'm a cheap bastard and run my batteries into the ground. then i don't believe my mechanic when he says it's dead . Just another opinion along the continuum of opinions. YMMV.

[tazandjan]

Ed- In the olden days, I would doctor batteries, too. Have even used aspirin to get another three months of service out of one when I was in my 20s. With the new cars, though, there are so many things that can cause problems when a battery is marginal. You can get extraneous warnings, F1 systems that will not go into gear or otherwise malfunction, and the weak battery can cause you to have to do a run cycle to get the ECUs back to normal.

Not worth the hassle any more. Especially when a new battery installed runs $150-250. At least it costs that as long as you tell somebody to just change the battery and not go through a couple of hours of diagnostics at $150/hr.

[wetpet]

another reason to stay away from newer cars!

[tazandjan]

Ed- It is worth it when you come to a corner, stand on the brakes and flash three perfect downshifts in two or three seconds. I am pretty good at heel and toeing, but it takes me longer than that to do that many downshifts. 515 hp does not hurt, either, and the only street Ferrari without the magic with that much horsepower is an F50. An F50 is so far out of my range, it is not even visible with a telescope.

[Sled Driver]

Part of the problem is owners that use their car sporadically & for short drives.

The alternator doesn’t have enough time to actually charge the battery from the previous start.

Then each successive start just runs the battery reserve even lower until your stranded.

Always a good idea to plug in a battery tender if it's going to sit for a while or just be driven short distances.