Every day tips for living with a 599
Discussion
cake eater said:
So the dreaded ABS failure/CST failure/Manettino failure warning lights came up on the dash again.
Called GreyPaul Nottingham and the service department were very good at squeezing me in to get the ECU read.
This time it's a wheel sensor failure. They cleared the fault and the car seems fine. Put it in race mode, manual, WOT as that seems to be settings that give the most faults and nothing flashed up.
We'll see how it goes for a few days but I think it will be another preventative change as I don't want to get stranded in limp mode.
Well, at least you were able to rule out the battery and the code was a genuine one. It's wise of you to make the preventative change. I ignored an intermittent code on the FF (it would disappear after a restart or a hard reset) which eventually left me stranded on holiday in Italy with a blown 50 amp fuse and a fried fuel pump ECU. The locals were mortified that a Ferrari could have broken down Called GreyPaul Nottingham and the service department were very good at squeezing me in to get the ECU read.
This time it's a wheel sensor failure. They cleared the fault and the car seems fine. Put it in race mode, manual, WOT as that seems to be settings that give the most faults and nothing flashed up.
We'll see how it goes for a few days but I think it will be another preventative change as I don't want to get stranded in limp mode.
Edited by cake eater on Tuesday 29th March 22:36
The recovery driver was sympathetic and in an effort to cheer us up, showed us his 'scrap-book of doom' as my wife called it. It was photos of all the exotica that he'd been recovering that summer. His previous day's haul included a brand new Macca which had suffered complete electrical failure.cake eater said:
I've booked a Ferrari Owners Club Pista day at Silverstone. The hospitality was fully booked but got a place in the 'sport' group.
They sent the online briefing and I'm very concerned about the recommendation to increase tyre pressures at 1:37
https://youtu.be/Ib_BrsLCEig
This is very much against all my experience and previous advice which has been to set the cold pressure. Do a session and set the hot pressures. Continue checking tyre pressures after each session, bleeding back to hot pressure.
Interesting. I used to do a lot of FOC track days but I haven’t done one for about 3 years. The advice used to be to ensure that your tyre pressures were at the correct road setting (when cold) and just leave them alone after that. It worked well enough for me (430/599/458) but I am sure the track day warriors on PH might have some views. They sent the online briefing and I'm very concerned about the recommendation to increase tyre pressures at 1:37
https://youtu.be/Ib_BrsLCEig
This is very much against all my experience and previous advice which has been to set the cold pressure. Do a session and set the hot pressures. Continue checking tyre pressures after each session, bleeding back to hot pressure.
ANOpax said:
Well, at least you were able to rule out the battery and the code was a genuine one. It's wise of you to make the preventative change. I ignored an intermittent code on the FF (it would disappear after a restart or a hard reset) which eventually left me stranded on holiday in Italy with a blown 50 amp fuse and a fried fuel pump ECU. The locals were mortified that a Ferrari could have broken down The recovery driver was sympathetic and in an effort to cheer us up, showed us his 'scrap-book of doom' as my wife called it. It was photos of all the exotica that he'd been recovering that summer. His previous day's haul included a brand new Macca which had suffered complete electrical failure.
Scrap book of doom, I think I'm in there The recovery driver was sympathetic and in an effort to cheer us up, showed us his 'scrap-book of doom' as my wife called it. It was photos of all the exotica that he'd been recovering that summer. His previous day's haul included a brand new Macca which had suffered complete electrical failure.
Cars booked in for next week.
willy wombat said:
Interesting. I used to do a lot of FOC track days but I haven’t done one for about 3 years. The advice used to be to ensure that your tyre pressures were at the correct road setting (when cold) and just leave them alone after that. It worked well enough for me (430/599/458) but I am sure the track day warriors on PH might have some views.
I'll be be bleeding back to 36F/33R at the end of each session. I'd be concerned that under the increased loads of track driving you'd have too high a pressure as the tyre got hot. Obviously between sessions the tyre will cool and you'll need 2-3 laps to bring the tyre back to the correct temp/pressure.Obviously, given environmental conditions at the time
Edited by cake eater on Wednesday 30th March 16:29
Edited by cake eater on Wednesday 30th March 16:31
Good thread and stick with it. All 10 year old supercars need money spending on them including 911gt3s. My f430 has had a few niggles over the last 6 years and electrical glitches but then when everything is working and the engine is screaming, you remember that no 911 I've driven gave that feeling.
f1ten said:
Good thread and stick with it. All 10 year old supercars need money spending on them including 911gt3s. My f430 has had a few niggles over the last 6 years and electrical glitches but then when everything is working and the engine is screaming, you remember that no 911 I've driven gave that feeling.
Thanks! When everything is going well, it's really amazing.
cake eater said:
Stedman said:
Increase..?
Yeah, I question that too. "What we would recommend is actually putting tyres to recommended pressures initially, doing 2 relaxed laps to get them up to temp (more air = heat quicker) then dropping to about 26-28 psi once warm. It’s a tricky thing to do when you are running on your own.
Best advice would be to drop below your normal road pressures and monitor through the day."
Unfortunately weather is not looking so good. I'll run closer to road pressure while the circuit is damp. Hopefully it will dry out and I will look at reducing the tyre pressure as loads increase.
Today I had a great day at Silverstone at the FOC trackday on the national circuit. It was nicely managed, relaxed and fun. I meet lots of like minded owners and gave a couple passenger rides as well as going in a 458.
I immediately fell for the 458, pointy, balanced and great on the track, I was straight to the classifieds
And so very different to the 599 where you're constantly managing the weight and front end.
Morning was soaking wet
The 599 performed really well in these conditions. Sport mode and manual, tyres at road pressure gave lots of grip and CST allowed just a little wiggle room.
By afternoon it was dry, the increased loads didn't help the soft GT nature or the car even with race selected. But damn the 599 is quick! Easily seeing 140 mph before braking for brooklands.
Unfortunately the increased loads sent the TPMS crazy, telling me I had 52 psi in the front tyres. I checked with my digital gauge and it was 42, so bled back and then the TPMS said 19 psi. On the last session I felt a vibration once over 120 mph. Checked the tyres and found a bulge.
I'm not sure if this is the result of a tyre defect and track driving or damage I hadn't seen before.
Other than that no faults all day. No electrical glitches. 599 was brilliant
However I did spend almost £300 of Gulf 99 at the Silverstone fuel station!! And I still don't like the feel of the CCM. It stops really well but you just have to trust, like the steering. It feels like the pads are glazed but I'm told that's just the way they are.
I immediately fell for the 458, pointy, balanced and great on the track, I was straight to the classifieds
And so very different to the 599 where you're constantly managing the weight and front end.
Morning was soaking wet
The 599 performed really well in these conditions. Sport mode and manual, tyres at road pressure gave lots of grip and CST allowed just a little wiggle room.
By afternoon it was dry, the increased loads didn't help the soft GT nature or the car even with race selected. But damn the 599 is quick! Easily seeing 140 mph before braking for brooklands.
Unfortunately the increased loads sent the TPMS crazy, telling me I had 52 psi in the front tyres. I checked with my digital gauge and it was 42, so bled back and then the TPMS said 19 psi. On the last session I felt a vibration once over 120 mph. Checked the tyres and found a bulge.
I'm not sure if this is the result of a tyre defect and track driving or damage I hadn't seen before.
Other than that no faults all day. No electrical glitches. 599 was brilliant
However I did spend almost £300 of Gulf 99 at the Silverstone fuel station!! And I still don't like the feel of the CCM. It stops really well but you just have to trust, like the steering. It feels like the pads are glazed but I'm told that's just the way they are.
A few on track pictures from Silverstone. Photo credit to James Gaisford
This is my favourite photo, F12 I think behind me, obscured by spray with lights cutting through the gloom
Checkered flag, no race to win but every time I get in this car it makes me feel like I've won something special
I like this photo because it shows just how much the front outside tyre is loaded and how much you have to manage the weight transfer. Despite the wet conditions you really can push the 599 quite hard.
This is my favourite photo, F12 I think behind me, obscured by spray with lights cutting through the gloom
Checkered flag, no race to win but every time I get in this car it makes me feel like I've won something special
I like this photo because it shows just how much the front outside tyre is loaded and how much you have to manage the weight transfer. Despite the wet conditions you really can push the 599 quite hard.
cake eater said:
F355GTS said:
Sounds like the zircon may not be working, perhaps get somebody to listen to see if the compressor kicks in or not. The 599 has a pretty big windscreen and I always found the air con/ climate pretty poor on hot days
I was reading a thread on clubscuderia.co.uk and this was mentioned by another 599 owner. Apparently they don't make the original part but a newer model is available which just bolts straight in, is more efficient and capable of dealing with the heat generated by the glass area.https://www.mobaircon.co.uk/ to have the aircon regassed before my Germany trip.
There's a large plastic cowling that needs to be removed to access the aircon connections.
It's nice and easy to get to. The manual says that there is 750g of refrigerant in the system. 450g were recovered and vacuum test showed no leaks. 725g were put back into the system along with 25ml of oil and the engine run. It took a moment but cold air, properly cold air came out. So the compressor is working.
One very strange thing though. It's only blowing cold air out of the left 2 vents. I closed those vents to force flow through the right and still no cold air. Something else that will have to be looked at.
While the front cowl was off I looked at the bonnet lever which is very hard to access as it sits almost flush the cowling.
Close inspection shows that the 'stopper' has worn a notch into the lever allowing it to drop
I've added a temporary rubber spacer to the stopper and now it's a lot easier to get my fingers below the lever
Close inspection shows that the 'stopper' has worn a notch into the lever allowing it to drop
I've added a temporary rubber spacer to the stopper and now it's a lot easier to get my fingers below the lever
FFinally said:
Really enjoying your thread. Was tempted by a trackday (am three months into first Ferrari ownership) - and glad to hear it was a fun day out. Will have a look at a future FOC event.
What car did you get? Is the FF in your username too obvious?I'd recommend the FOC events. All the people were very friendly on and off track. Lots of people also had instructors.
You'll enjoy the day, even if you just go for the hospitality and grab a few passenger rides.
I'd also recommend RMA. I like their overtaking rule as you don't have to overtake by consent and can pass on the left and right. But you must overtake "gentlemanly" not force someone off line.
Only problem you might have is there's lots of racers, open pit lane format so you mix with a wide range of cars and driving ability.
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