Every day tips for living with a 599

[cake eater]

DeejRC said:

The expensive donkey comment was probably me. I cannot conceive of costing someone their job over such a thing, my car is just a car. My wife says that I’m such a soft touch that I’m nearly a bleeding heart liberal communist.

It was you

And I have appreciated your previous advice. I have spoken to the AA and just said that I had concerns, no specific violations, just asked for there to be clear guidance when loading / off loading specialist vehicles. As the low loader was from a contractor, the AA will reiterate their expectations for safe and proper handling of a customers vehicle.

Anyway, new tyre is on, no rim damage. Managed to recalibrate the TPMS after reading the manual again. Need to call Ferrari for a new puncture repair kit for the trip to Monaco and fingers crossed for better weather

Thanks all
Cake

[johnnyreggae]

cake eater said:

DeejRC said:

Need to call Ferrari for a new puncture repair kit

Massive Ferrari tax will apply if they even still sell them - a couple of regular size Halfords aerosols is an alternative

[cake eater]

johnnyreggae said:

Massive Ferrari tax will apply if they even still sell them - a couple of regular size Halfords aerosols is an alternative

Yeah, not cheap
https://www.scuderiacarparts.com/en-gb/part-finder...

Thanks for the tip on 2 x Halfords ones

[jayemm89]

Not sure where you got the car from, but if you contact your Ferrari dealer (don't need to have a relationship with them, happy to introduce you to mine if you don't have one) then you can get the app and you'll also get free roadside assistance from Ferrari - covering Europe. Will trailer your car to a dealer if in the UK or home if not.

Edited by jayemm89 on Tuesday 15th February 13:01

[cake eater]

Thank jayemm,

Turns out I'm in need of that Ferrari assistance.
I'm currently waiting in Millbrook car park for Ferrari assistance to collect me.


Power steering failure unfortunately.

[Geffg]

Not having much luck with the car unfortunately sorry to hear. I can only dream of something like that but I’d be devastated at these hiccups. Hopefully a quick fix and it’s the last of your issues and you can properly enjoy the car.

[cake eater]

Hi Geffg,

To tell you the truth, it has been awesome. I want to drive it all the time!

It's been a pampered car, it's 14 years old, at the moment in this honeymoon period I'm forgiving a lot and still loving it.

It's done a 1000 miles in a couple weeks, driven in all conditions and it's just a great place to spend time.

I expected some niggles but I was hoping to have at least a year without problems. We'll see if the Ferrari New Power warranty was worth it.

[willy wombat]

the tale of the low loader has reminded me of when I had my 599 transported to Italy for an event I wasn't present when it was loaded on the transporter by a "gentleman" who thought the best way to modulate the speed when driving it on was to use left foot on the brake and right foot on the accelerator. Apparently you could smell the burning clutch from 100 yards away. The result of this was that 1/ I got a great big flat spot on the clutch making the car very jerky to drive and 2/ after much debate the transport company paid for a new clutch.
So my "every day tip for living with a 599" is don't ever use brake and accelerator at the same time and don't let anyone else do it either!

[cake eater]

willy wombat said:

the tale of the low loader has reminded me of when I had my 599 transported to Italy for an event . . . .
. . . So my "every day tip for living with a 599" is don't ever use brake and accelerator at the same time and don't let anyone else do it either!

I'm now completely paranoid!
Ferrari Assistance collected the car and the guy told me just go relax in reception and I couldn't until the car was up on the ramp!

He got in and started the car and I was absolutely convinced he was going to drive it up!!

But it's was just so he could turn the steering wheel.

[Wozy68]

Interesting about the AA and the tyre.

On Monday I had to move over on a narrow lane as a transit coming the other way was in the middle of the road….. result I hit a stone in the verge and destroyed the tyre.

19inch rim and knackered tyre with no spare or jack. Called the AA and expected them to tow it to a garage but nope he had a universal wheel with him which bolted on and off we went. He followed me to the garage of my choice .

So I’m surprised your AA man didn’t offer this to you.

Mind you mine was a Mazda, not a Ferrari

[F355GTS]

cake eater said:

willy wombat said:

the tale of the low loader has reminded me of when I had my 599 transported to Italy for an event . . . .
. . . So my "every day tip for living with a 599" is don't ever use brake and accelerator at the same time and don't let anyone else do it either!

I'm now completely paranoid!
Ferrari Assistance collected the car and the guy told me just go relax in reception and I couldn't until the car was up on the ramp!

He got in and started the car and I was absolutely convinced he was going to drive it up!!

But it's was just so he could turn the steering wheel.

tbf the 599 is a bit of a bugger to drive up ramps on to a truck particularly if it's wet, I had the same problem with Stratstones when they collected my 599, clutch smell was awful

[cake eater]

Wozy68 said:

Interesting about the AA and the tyre.

On Monday I had to move over on a narrow lane as a transit coming the other way was in the middle of the road….. result I hit a stone in the verge and destroyed the tyre.

19inch rim and knackered tyre with no spare or jack. Called the AA and expected them to tow it to a garage but nope he had a universal wheel with him which bolted on and off we went. He followed me to the garage of my choice .

So I’m surprised your AA man didn’t offer this to you.

Mind you mine was a Mazda, not a Ferrari

AA man did try to repair but as soon as he tried to inflate the tyre it blew all 5 grommets out! And no universal spare for my car

These low profile tyred do seem very vulnerable

[cake eater]

F355GTS said:

tbf the 599 is a bit of a bugger to drive up ramps on to a truck particularly if it's wet, I had the same problem with Stratstones when they collected my 599, clutch smell was awful

The Ferrari Assistance guy did say that they can be difficult. He was very concerned about the towing eye. It had already been bent from a previous owner.

[willy wombat]

Stick with it, Cake Eater. Sounds to me like some of the issues (not the puncture obviously) could be because the car hasn’t been driven much in the past few years (am I right?). Hopefully as you’re now putting miles on it these things will work themselves out and you’ll have a reliable car. I had a 599 for 13 years with no major issues (it was driven regularly and serviced according to the schedule every year). Don’t get paranoid about the clutch - just be careful. Doing a hill start on a steep hill is a nightmare. The handbrake is no match for the weight of the car and so you have to put your left foot on the brake. Just try to make sure you’re not still braking when you push the accelerator. Repeated hill starts might give you a clutch overheat warning (I had one trying to get out the Festival of Speed car park). If you get the warning, just pull out the way and let everything cool down again and the clutch should be fine. If you are stuck in an uphill queue, don’t crawl. Wait until you’ve enough space to make a clean start and drive up to the car in front without any clutch slip. All common sense really.

[cake eater]

willy wombat said:

Stick with it, Cake Eater. Sounds to me like some of the issues (not the puncture obviously) could be because the car hasn’t been driven much in the past few years (am I right?). Hopefully as you’re now putting miles on it these things will work themselves out and you’ll have a reliable car. I had a 599 for 13 years with no major issues (it was driven regularly and serviced according to the schedule every year). Don’t get paranoid about the clutch - just be careful. Doing a hill start on a steep hill is a nightmare. The handbrake is no match for the weight of the car and so you have to put your left foot on the brake. Just try to make sure you’re not still braking when you push the accelerator. Repeated hill starts might give you a clutch overheat warning (I had one trying to get out the Festival of Speed car park). If you get the warning, just pull out the way and let everything cool down again and the clutch should be fine. If you are stuck in an uphill queue, don’t crawl. Wait until you’ve enough space to make a clean start and drive up to the car in front without any clutch slip. All common sense really.

Now that is a good tip!

I have been struggling with how to manage the clutch in traffic, creeping when parking etc as the ECU is constantly in / out with the clutch and being able to feather is near impossible. It definitely likes a more positive throttle. But then it moves off too fast when you are in a tight space! So no more creeping in traffic. I'm managing the hill starts so far and will keep your experience in mind.

The 599 has been very well looked after by the previous owners. Annual servicing, approximately 2000 easy miles per year but much less in the last two years. Inspection of the car by MDL Specialist Cars showed that it was a very clean car with zero corrosion issues. One issue highlighted was that it would not give you the superfast mode for the gearbox and MDL suggested that it needed to go through a learning mode for the gearbox. Needless to say that after a day a Millbrook the F1-S message was displaying on the LCD screen. A sign of how its previous owners have treated the car.

[cake eater]

So I have just collected the 599 from Maranello Service in Egham.

A few things I have learnt.
Having the Ferrari New Power warranty has paid for its self - even though the service manager said you're more often not covered. I think why so many people choose not to have the extended warranty.
If you breakdown, Ferrari Assistance means you get priority in the service hence the 1 week to turn around the car when I'd been told by other dealers it would be a week just to look at the car.
Ferrari Assistance also includes onward travel, so Ferrari paid for my taxi from Millbrook to Home in the Peak District.

And thanks to the efforts of Maranello Service I'll be bringing my car back here.

Now off to Monaco

[cake eater]

At the tunnel

[cake eater]

Dear Ferrari Service,

I promise I wasn't being naughty


I have only treated the car with respect

[cake eater]

Driving through the night has its advantages. Motorway to Grenoble, then route Napoleon to Monaco. Pretty much empty roads, even if it was -7°C at it's coldest through the passes.
Arrived in Monaco and just went straight to bed! But it was worth it! It's 14°C at the coast.




Now off to walk the streets. I don't like Monaco in the 599! Too narrow and busy.

[willy wombat]

Well done, CE. Always a joy to see these cars being used properly. Will be driving down that way myself in a couple of months.