Ferrari 355 Spider - ROOF PROBLEMS, PLEASE HELP !!!!!!!!

[SMR]

I have just bought a Ferrari 355 spider 1996, manual gearbox, purchased privately. I have only had it 3 days, i do have general knowledge of cars and I have had many of them. I put the roof down yeterday and it really struggled to go back up and made some mad noisies. On inspection I removed the leather cover between the driver and passenger seat (like a centre armrest set back) which houses the motor and a hydraulic pump. I immediately noticed that the hydraulic fluid was below the minimum mark, the roof must be operated by ahydraulic pump, obviously this is the problem no fluid. I have been told to put Dexron automatic transmission fluid in it, but where does the fluid go, i cant find where you put it in at. PLEASE can someone help me, i dont want to have to so to ferrari and pay £££££££££.

[3200gt]

Dont know, but it must show it in the instruction manual

[LittleBro]

I'm sure someone will be along in a min who know's the answer. If you're desperate, try posting it in the 355 section of Ferrarichat.com, there's an incredible amount of knowledge there.

Best of luck.

[phib]

Just in case you havent found the info here is the procedure :

/ Move both seats of the spider right forward. To reveal the x4 screws, two on each side (picture 1 and 2)

2/ Remove the 4 screws, there are two on each side. Then pull away the cover and pull out the little leather coverd disk that iso the passenger side of the cover. This will reveal the emergency hood switch, (Shown also in pic 2)

3/Looking at the front of the pump and relays under the cover you will see X2 allen bolts ( pic 3) Undo these and pull the loose unit electrics and hoses to the passenger side. Pulling it to the passenger side makes the job of seeing and undoing the 13mm center/filler nut in the middle of the pump easer, ( Picture 4 & 5)

4/ Undo this 13mm filler nut (pic 5)

5/ Now moving the front electrical and hoses unit back to the center. You will be able to see the hydraulic fluid reservoir min and max markings (pic 6)

6/ If there is fluid to be added then add the fluid throught the hole that the 13mm bolt was removed from.

7/When the level is up to the Max line then replace the 13mm bolt and replace the electrical and hose unit, and replace the allen bolts.

8/ Now the unit needs bleeding. If the unit has been left to drain right down befor you re-filled the pump. Then this following procedure should be done over two days due to the vast amount of air bubbles....bear with me

9/ Using the emergency over ride switch (pic 7) You will see that on one side there is a "O" for open And on the other side a "C" for .......shut
Becourse the seats are already forward the cycle of the roof will not afect the seats Press the "C" switch and keep pressing untill the roof has fully closed and it is important to keep the switch pressed for about 3-4 seconds after the roof has closed. This is done so that all air bubbles are forced out of the system and into the reservior
Then press the "O" switch and again as the roof completes its sycle of opening, again keep the switch pressed for a few seconds longer to release the air from the system.

10/ Do the above again so you close and open the roof three times.

11/ As said above if you have allowed the fluid to get bellow the "min" line befor filling. Then you will notice the bleed fluid geting frothy, this is due to excess air bubles. Leave the car untill the next day for the bubbles to settle back to its fluid state. And the next day rebleed

12/ Fit the pump cover back on and the emergenct switch back in the side. Put the seats back to there standard positions and test the whole cycle with the normal roof switch.and the jobs done

NOTES: The type oil to use is either the expensive ferrari hydraulic oil Or the same viscosity oil can be found in standard Hydraulic jack oil (Pic 8). I have been using this oil for some two and a half yars.....recomended

[SMR]

All sorted, thanks everyone...........