[Warren348tb]

My mechanic (I've felt confident and trusting so far) tells me that my 348 tb (1994 european model) idle issue is caused by faulty "Engine coolant temperature censors". At the moment when I start the car it idles rough, and in the background of the engine noise you can hear a bom....bom...bom, almost like a miss-fire sound. Black smoke can also be seen coming from the exhaust if you look closely.

After about 2 or 3 minutes the idle settles down and the smoke disappears. According to my mechanic, all of this is most likely due to the faulty temperature censors. Does this sound right? Also, before I forget, this whole startup problem occurs no matter how long the engine might have already been running, ie as soon as you stop it and re-start the same problem occurs. I'm about to replace the censors but wanted a second opinion. Unfortunately the country in which I live has only 1 authorised Ferrari dealer and they're positively thugs when it comes to servicing and pricing.

Any help would be VERY MUCH appreciated!!!

 

[4kids3fish]

The symptoms sound exactly like an over-rich mixture, so it must be linked to the fuel-metering system somehow. For it to be caused by temp sensors they would have to be giving an over-cold signal, promoting the injection system to richen-up the mixture. It seems a little odd that the problem fully clears after a few minutes, but maybe that's how it is. I would expect this situation to give worse problems at a hot-start than cold-start.

How many sensors does the 348 have? It seems unlikely that BOTH would give problems at the same time. Maybe its something else in the FI system.

 

[Warren348tb]

Firstly thanks for replying, I feel 100% better having someone to ask about my problem. Secondly, G'day mate, I'm actually from Perth (I noticed your location is Sydney).

From conversations so far with my mechanic (I'll be asking him more questions today based on your last post) I get the impression there are two censors. Also there appear to be two engine ECU's, don't know whether this is relevant though, as I'm a complete novice when it comes to cars.

One other thing I didn't mention earlier, my car nearly never starts first time. Would this also be related to an over rich fuel mixture?

Again, thanks for your help!

 

[Andrew]

Welcome to the site, I'm glad we [or someone] were able to help you. Enjoy the site, we look forward to hearing from you again.

Cheers

 

[Warren348tb]

Thanks Enzo! I purchased my 348 only 3 months ago, from an Arab who obviously ran it into the ground. I bought the car knowing full well that it was always going to take a lot of patience, work, and MONEY to restore it back to its original glory.

So far the car's engine has been pulled down, had its timing belt changed, water pump replaced, all gasket sets replaced, clutch replaced, brakes, axle boots, and the list goes on. Luckily the gear box and engine in general were still in good condition.

Now I'm left with a car that doesn't start first time every time, and has an idle problem in the first few minutes of engine life. It's almost heart breaking to be so close but feel so far away from enjoying such a beautiful car the way it should be.

Anyway, thanks again for the welcome! Here are a couple of pics of my work-in-progress.

 

[Andrew]

Please, call me Andrew, its a friendly group here.

That front grill is different and the first time I've seen one like that. Thanks for sharing the photos. Cosmeticlly speaking it doesn't look too bad. I'd be happy to add these to the Registry, no personal information is asked, and this would be a rare addition.

I've always wanted to visit Dubai since living in Tokyo. The city had tons of ads in the news magazines in Tokyo.

I hope your mechanic is right about the sensors and you are able to get the car running smoothly.

 

[Warren348tb]

G'day Andrew. The front grill is a story of its own. When I bought it there was some other un-godly mesh stuck where the grill belongs, along with two cracks on the nose. Educated guess the Arab owner bumped into something and was too cheap to even source a replacement grill.

The one on now I got from a business in Costa Mesa Los Angeles, sent out to me by fedex. It was from a 1993 348tb. My research indicates that the little silver prancing horse on the front only came standard with the Spider, can't remember now if the TS had one also.

Yeah, I hope the censors account for the idle and startup problems. I've downloaded a few vids of other 348's and they all sound fantastic.

As for Dubai, it's a pretty cool spot. Life style's are good, with road quality and police laziness making for perfect conditions to own a fast car. I've taken my car up to 260 km/h once to see how she handled...

If you're ever in this neck of the woods give me a shout, I'm sure I could arrange for a beer or 3!

 

[Dr. Bob]

Normally the paint behind the grill is black instead of red.I've seen more cars with this combination, but it looks kind of odd. As far as I know the grill does not have a function anyway because the radiators are in the back :lol:

 

[Warren348tb]

Ah ok. I'll try and hunt down some more pics. My intention is to hold the car for the necessary 12 months outside of Australia and then ship it there for sale. I want to restore the car to it's original condition.

Dubai's market for used Ferrari's is amazing in terms of the price savings you can get. Of course, you need to be prepared to spend time and money sometimes to get them in shape for re-sale. Once I've managed to sell my 348 I'll be hunting for a pair of 355's next!

 

[mchferrari]

Definitely a good looking example.

:work:

 

[Warren348tb]

Thanks mate, but she's still got some minor mechanical hiccups to resolve before I settle into some piece of mind and enjoyment.