Every day tips for living with a 599
Discussion
IMI A said:
Not bad at all compared to massive replacement cost 
3.9k ex VAT for refurb vs. 5.0k ex VAT for new discs - in the past the difference was bigger, the good old days 
The very interesting thing for me are the replacement bolts as I had to replace discs because my bolts were so rusty they actually fell out (not good....). I have only done one axle so far (discs were still at c. 50% after 100k km I think), maybe I need to give him a call if he can replace all bolts for me with ones that do not rust as easily. Stupid salty roads (although the new bolts are also already showing rust and those have not seen any salt yet at all).
MDL111 said:
IMI A said:
Not bad at all compared to massive replacement cost
3.9k ex VAT for refurb vs. 5.0k ex VAT for new discs - in the past the difference was bigger, the good old days The very interesting thing for me are the replacement bolts as I had to replace discs because my bolts were so rusty they actually fell out (not good....). I have only done one axle so far (discs were still at c. 50% after 100k km I think), maybe I need to give him a call if he can replace all bolts for me with ones that do not rust as easily. Stupid salty roads (although the new bolts are also already showing rust and those have not seen any salt yet at all).
The cost saving depends a lot on what discount the dealer gives you, stating the obvious.
But the main advantage for me is the CCB technology, far superior to the CCM. Anyway, yet to test them in anger.
cake eater said:
MDL111 said:
IMI A said:
Not bad at all compared to massive replacement cost
3.9k ex VAT for refurb vs. 5.0k ex VAT for new discs - in the past the difference was bigger, the good old days The very interesting thing for me are the replacement bolts as I had to replace discs because my bolts were so rusty they actually fell out (not good....). I have only done one axle so far (discs were still at c. 50% after 100k km I think), maybe I need to give him a call if he can replace all bolts for me with ones that do not rust as easily. Stupid salty roads (although the new bolts are also already showing rust and those have not seen any salt yet at all).
The cost saving depends a lot on what discount the dealer gives you, stating the obvious.
But the main advantage for me is the CCB technology, far superior to the CCM. Anyway, yet to test them in anger.
I think if he has higher quality bolts, then replacing them would be very smart. The issue on mine will be that I suspect once they are very rusty, you won't be able to remove them anymore without ruining the discs - so then you need to replace the entire thing again (preventative replacement would therefore make a lot of sense given the cost).
I am Munich based, so something to look into next spring (I just put winter tyres on the car today). Decided "screw it", the car is fun in winter - rustbucket that it is by now (did not drive it for the last 3 winters, so it gets another season of snow this year).
Am sure the CCB tech is nice, especially if you drive the car hard. Mine is just a normal daily driver, so apart from some Autobahn emergency stops, the brakes do not get worked particularly hard. I suspect in theory (without the rust issue) my discs would last 150k-200k km per set. Do let us know how they feel once you have had a chance to drive the car properly, will be interesting (and if you track the car how well they hold up to the punishment).
Quite happy I now have confirmation that rebrake still exists / are back doing refurb for individual customers (I think it went quiet around them a few years ago)
SkylineExplorer said:
Living with a 599 must be an incredible experience! Any tips for daily driving or maintenance quirks to watch out for? Always fascinating to hear how people adapt to supercars in everyday life
Hi Skyline Explorer,There's just so many quirks or is it character? After three years, she still brings a smile when I see her in my garage or walk up to her in a supermarket carpark. She's a classy girl
I think these cars are quite happy to do the miles as long as you're willing to do a good level of often expensive maintenance. Having a good specialist to advise is obviously a major plus.
I think, first, keeping them clean, especially in the winter. Cleaning you see and feel more of the car.
A garage to keep them, where they can be on a trickle charger
A premium quality AGM battery, alternators fail and the charging logic means they don't like short runs. The cars are very voltage sensitive, need to follow the start up procedure and give the car time to do all the start up checks before going engine on. Then you need to wait before selecting a gear. You wouldn't choose a 599 for a quick getaway!
When you do start up, you can't do it quietly, so you often attract attention, often much unappreciative of the noise.
They hate stop start traffic, especially the clutch. With the HGTE gearbox module it's a little better and at least it will slip the clutch a little for slow manoeuvring which can be nerve wracking in a tight spot
The auto wipers like to have an Italian moment in the rain. The won't switch on sometimes and sometimes they start having a hissy fit. If you turn them off on they remember they were having a hissy fit so you just have to wait till they get it out of their system and settle down again.
If you lift the drivers side wiper during cleaning you'll damage the bonnet. The drivers side washer jets always aim at the wiper arm. Aim higher and the shoot over the roof.
Widow Buttons work opposite direction to convention
The radio is not so good, bluetooth connection drops out often and if you use the rear demist you lose radio reception.
Changing the fluids is important, as a minimum as per the Ferrari maintenance schedule. Ensuring the level is correct is critical. Not just engine oil but all the fuilds, brake, gearbox, F1 system, power steering etc.
Engine oil has a different minimum level between summer, winter, trackdays, to prevent oil breathing into the intake and damaging the MAF
Cabin is roomy, the boot practical but actually small.
She quite happy to embarrass newer faster cars but she can be very tricky on the limit. I very rarely drive CST off.
I don't like wet mode as it seems to allow a second movement of the car after a bump. But Sport mode is too stiff for the potholed roads in the UK.
They're sensitive to geometry settings and tyre condition. Suspension bushes are an annual service item.
She is an older lady so needs time to warm up, windows drop slowly so opening the door too fast ends up ripping it open
Sometimes you lock the car from the fob, she beeps at you but doesn't lock.
When you're being blinded through the rear view mirror, when you click to the 'anti glare' night position, it needs the mirror readjusted so you can see behind you.
The seats are comfortable but the driving position 'short legs, long arms' and if you wear a helmet you can't adjust the head rest so either have to have the seat back too far down or crick your neck.
She loves fuel and empty on the gauge often means a third left in the tank, so even though you're getting nervous there's a good bit in reserve. As much as possible I keep to shell v-power but she'll happily run on 95 E10.
Gear changes are sensitive to your throttle control. I'm pretty much auto mode on the road. You can feel when she wants to change gear and a slight lift smooths the change immensely. F1 super fast manual mode is well programmed and I'll do mid corner gear changes
For fuel consumption 'i think' when you lift off it puts the clutch in and sometimes you're not slowing as you'd like from the engine braking, if you down shift at the same time it can be a little scary.
Heater controls have a mid of their own so I leave it in auto. Won't do what I want anyway.
When out, I try to park where there's space, the doors open wide and preferably out of sight.
Opening the bonnet can be difficult as the latch handle drops due to wear. Once you get the bonnet open the front plastic engine cover had a mould of the nose of the F1 cars from 2007, the year Ferrari won the F1 championship
I'm sure there's lots more to tell!
😁
MDL111 said:
True, I did not get a discount - my mechanic just bought them from a dealer and installed them.
I think if he has higher quality bolts, then replacing them would be very smart. The issue on mine will be that I suspect once they are very rusty, you won't be able to remove them anymore without ruining the discs - so then you need to replace the entire thing again (preventative replacement would therefore make a lot of sense given the cost).
I am Munich based, so something to look into next spring (I just put winter tyres on the car today). Decided "screw it", the car is fun in winter - rustbucket that it is by now (did not drive it for the last 3 winters, so it gets another season of snow this year).
Am sure the CCB tech is nice, especially if you drive the car hard. Mine is just a normal daily driver, so apart from some Autobahn emergency stops, the brakes do not get worked particularly hard. I suspect in theory (without the rust issue) my discs would last 150k-200k km per set. Do let us know how they feel once you have had a chance to drive the car properly, will be interesting (and if you track the car how well they hold up to the punishment).
Quite happy I now have confirmation that rebrake still exists / are back doing refurb for individual customers (I think it went quiet around them a few years ago)
The other good thing about the CCM from Ferrari is the code they come with to remove the warning light on the dash.I think if he has higher quality bolts, then replacing them would be very smart. The issue on mine will be that I suspect once they are very rusty, you won't be able to remove them anymore without ruining the discs - so then you need to replace the entire thing again (preventative replacement would therefore make a lot of sense given the cost).
I am Munich based, so something to look into next spring (I just put winter tyres on the car today). Decided "screw it", the car is fun in winter - rustbucket that it is by now (did not drive it for the last 3 winters, so it gets another season of snow this year).
Am sure the CCB tech is nice, especially if you drive the car hard. Mine is just a normal daily driver, so apart from some Autobahn emergency stops, the brakes do not get worked particularly hard. I suspect in theory (without the rust issue) my discs would last 150k-200k km per set. Do let us know how they feel once you have had a chance to drive the car properly, will be interesting (and if you track the car how well they hold up to the punishment).
Quite happy I now have confirmation that rebrake still exists / are back doing refurb for individual customers (I think it went quiet around them a few years ago)
At MDL today we were splitting the rotors from the bells. The bolts came out easily enough but couldn't separate the buttons. I've emailed Wolfgang at Rebrake to see if they have a particular process. Not sure the quality of Rebrake bolts, I'll get a picture of them and check the markings.
MDL also put my winters on but they're not snow or all seasons, just MPS4s.
Enjoy the winter in your 599
So I was at MDL https://mdlsupercarsltd.co.uk/ today and came away a little sad. Was just supposed to be a quick change over to the challenge rims.
But once the car was up on the ramp Lee spotted oil on the rear under tray.
Once off, the inside was very dirty and oily
A look up at the gearbox and F1 system showed they were wet also, with oil drips seemingly everywhere
To wet and dirty to work out where it's coming from. So cleaned and dried the surfaces, tightened up the nuts, checked levels in the gearbox and F1 system and all okay. For now
Further checks showed a few suspension bushes / ball joints need replacing which seems a normal annual issue. But more importantly the rocker covers are leaking.
Next year's plans on hold for the moment.
But once the car was up on the ramp Lee spotted oil on the rear under tray.
Once off, the inside was very dirty and oily
A look up at the gearbox and F1 system showed they were wet also, with oil drips seemingly everywhere
To wet and dirty to work out where it's coming from. So cleaned and dried the surfaces, tightened up the nuts, checked levels in the gearbox and F1 system and all okay. For now
Further checks showed a few suspension bushes / ball joints need replacing which seems a normal annual issue. But more importantly the rocker covers are leaking.
Next year's plans on hold for the moment.
cake eater said:
The other good thing about the CCM from Ferrari is the code they come with to remove the warning light on the dash.
At MDL today we were splitting the rotors from the bells. The bolts came out easily enough but couldn't separate the buttons. I've emailed Wolfgang at Rebrake to see if they have a particular process. Not sure the quality of Rebrake bolts, I'll get a picture of them and check the markings.
MDL also put my winters on but they're not snow or all seasons, just MPS4s.
Enjoy the winter in your 599
good luck!At MDL today we were splitting the rotors from the bells. The bolts came out easily enough but couldn't separate the buttons. I've emailed Wolfgang at Rebrake to see if they have a particular process. Not sure the quality of Rebrake bolts, I'll get a picture of them and check the markings.
MDL also put my winters on but they're not snow or all seasons, just MPS4s.
Enjoy the winter in your 599
mine is a FF (need to be able to get to the ski resorts on snow and carry my dog, snowboards etc (plus sometimes even a passenger)
MDL111 said:
good luck!
mine is a FF (need to be able to get to the ski resorts on snow and carry my dog, snowboards etc (plus sometimes even a passenger)
Even better mine is a FF (need to be able to get to the ski resorts on snow and carry my dog, snowboards etc (plus sometimes even a passenger)
Part of my inspiration for buying a 599 came from this video by Chris Harris
https://youtu.be/pQdpNoPCd9o?si=J39V9PV0P0T1POGQ
He nearly tempted me into an FF but it wasn't pretty enough (in my eyes)
https://youtu.be/hWB6vTboO5I?si=T6adkz9LhvZGiuD1
And I think this video made the TDF my front engine V12 halo, just the scary madness of it!
https://youtu.be/XwuqcAxtsso?si=CqeeF_ZVJ-UYAhCM
I like Chris Harris
I met him once, in a petrol station, we had about 2 seconds of chat over my broken down Caterham 
cake eater said:
So I was at MDL https://mdlsupercarsltd.co.uk/ today and came away a little sad. Was just supposed to be a quick change over to the challenge rims.
But once the car was up on the ramp Lee spotted oil on the rear under tray.
Once off, the inside was very dirty and oily
A look up at the gearbox and F1 system showed they were wet also, with oil drips seemingly everywhere
To wet and dirty to work out where it's coming from. So cleaned and dried the surfaces, tightened up the nuts, checked levels in the gearbox and F1 system and all okay. For now
Further checks showed a few suspension bushes / ball joints need replacing which seems a normal annual issue. But more importantly the rocker covers are leaking.
Next year's plans on hold for the moment.
I have a spare almost as new Actuator going if it does need a new one ?But once the car was up on the ramp Lee spotted oil on the rear under tray.
Once off, the inside was very dirty and oily
A look up at the gearbox and F1 system showed they were wet also, with oil drips seemingly everywhere
To wet and dirty to work out where it's coming from. So cleaned and dried the surfaces, tightened up the nuts, checked levels in the gearbox and F1 system and all okay. For now
Further checks showed a few suspension bushes / ball joints need replacing which seems a normal annual issue. But more importantly the rocker covers are leaking.
Next year's plans on hold for the moment.
cake eater said:
Hi Hughesie,
Thank you, I'll keep it in mind. Not been stripped yet but once I know, if it's the actuator I'll send you a PM.
The good news is that the actuator is nothing special and can be rebuild for a reasonable cost. Simon would even offer a decent warranty on it and fit better seals while at it... Somehow I doubt it's the actuator itself if your shifts were OK... Thank you, I'll keep it in mind. Not been stripped yet but once I know, if it's the actuator I'll send you a PM.
Cheburator mk2 said:
cake eater said:
Hi Hughesie,
Thank you, I'll keep it in mind. Not been stripped yet but once I know, if it's the actuator I'll send you a PM.
The good news is that the actuator is nothing special and can be rebuild for a reasonable cost. Simon would even offer a decent warranty on it and fit better seals while at it... Somehow I doubt it's the actuator itself if your shifts were OK... Thank you, I'll keep it in mind. Not been stripped yet but once I know, if it's the actuator I'll send you a PM.
Earlier in my ownership of the car I was considering having the F1 system sent to Simon at https://www.ssautotech.co.uk/ to be 'lifed', as I had already had two leaks. But it was a significant cost and I now regret not doing it.
Having said that, Lee at MDL supercars thinks it is a gearbox leak and not the F1 system. When he checked the oil levels, both the F1 and gearbox were good, so it must be a very small leak, probably only when everything is hot.
When I initially took the car away from Ferrari in Cologne, part throttle changes were hesitant, but full throttle were okay. I did have one moment where the F1 System would not change from 4th to 5th but I think this was related to the car 'forgetting' the gear position. A shift to neutral then back to gear sorted everything. Top tip, Never shift down after a false neutral!
As it was a Saturday when I took the car from Cologne, I called Lee who was happy to help and make suggestions. I cannot remember our conversation exactly but something about pressures needing to be set up (I think). As I was heading to the Nürburgring I wasn't expecting to do too many part throttle gear changes.so decided to live with it. After the Nürburgring this part throttle hesitation to change gear had gone away so lead me to think that the car just needed time to learn the clutch positions.
Anyway, I'm probably getting it all wrong so we'll see when MDL look at it.
On a separate note about the CCM discs. It was quite an effort to get the old discs separated from the bells. The bolts tapped out quite easily and at this point we thought that the bell should just fall away but unfortunately no.
A quick email to Wolfgang and he explained that the buttons had to be drilled out. He was warry as he said it is easy to damage the disc and just to drill out the head of the button and he would separate the remaining fixings.
Drilling required here
Discs separated with fixings still in.
A quick email to Wolfgang and he explained that the buttons had to be drilled out. He was warry as he said it is easy to damage the disc and just to drill out the head of the button and he would separate the remaining fixings.
Drilling required here
Discs separated with fixings still in.
Because I have a V12, GreyPaul Nottingham invited me to their 12 Cilindri reveal.
A really lovely way to spend an evening. Very few turned up in a Ferrari let alone a V12 and definitely none were as used (dirty) as mine
Waiting to pull the covers off
Green was my favourite
Some other pics
Carbon seats, my preference
Nice boot, one person commented that there's barely enough room for a dead body
There was a Ferrari corso pilota instructor there to help with more technical details for the car, mechanically an 812 competizione with an SF90 gearbox (which some had already driven at Fiorano). I really wanted to heckle him on his statement that the 12 Cilindri was designed to drive to a trackday, enjoy on the track and then drive home without worry.
Sure, if buying new brakes isn't a worry.
A really lovely way to spend an evening. Very few turned up in a Ferrari let alone a V12 and definitely none were as used (dirty) as mine
Waiting to pull the covers off
Green was my favourite
Some other pics
Carbon seats, my preference
Nice boot, one person commented that there's barely enough room for a dead body
There was a Ferrari corso pilota instructor there to help with more technical details for the car, mechanically an 812 competizione with an SF90 gearbox (which some had already driven at Fiorano). I really wanted to heckle him on his statement that the 12 Cilindri was designed to drive to a trackday, enjoy on the track and then drive home without worry.
Sure, if buying new brakes isn't a worry.
Gassing Station | Ferrari V12 | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff