Ferrari 360 Annual Service

This post should give you enough information on how to carry out an annual service on a 360.

Underbody check.  With the under trays off, a thorough check should be made of all components, including the suspension joints and bushes.

Engine Oil & Filter Change.  The engine has a capacity of over 10 litres but in practice I’ve only every gotten just shy of 10 litres out in one go.  Ferrari specify Shell Helix Ultra 5w40 but in practice any high spec fully synthetic  5w40 will suffice.  First of all you need to drain the oil out – there are two drain plugs, one on the engine sump and one in the gearbox casing.  The picture below shows the locations of the two plugs, please be careful with the one on the gear box as there is also a drain plug for the transmission oil.

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

I like to collect all my oil into one pan in order for me to measure exactly how much comes out, that way I can have an accurate idea how much is going back in later.

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

Whilst the oil is draining, the oil filter can be replaced.  You will need a special tool to undo the oil filter but they are available cheaply here: eBay.  The oil filter is located in front of the disareator, under the red intake plenums.  The good news is that it is located in an upright position so very little oil is held in the filter and thus spillages are reduced.  On Spider cars, the power steering pump needs to unbolted and moved out of the way to create the necessary access (see picture below).  A smear of new engine oil on the rubber of the new filter allows it to seal properly when installed.  The new filter must be torqued up to 25nm.

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

There is a mesh filter on the side of the gearbox casing that needs to be cleaned (circled in red in the picture below).  It is removed by undoing the two 10mm nuts and then carefully pulling the filter out.  Clean the mesh (I use paraffin) and check the integrity of the mesh and rubber seals.  Replace if there is sign of any damage.

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

Once all the oil has drained out, the plugs need to be refitted – don’t forget to use new copper washers.  The workshop manual specifies a tightening torque of 75nm for the drain plugs but this is an error.  75nm is far too tight and risks damaging the thread of the sump/gearbox case.  I nip up the drain plugs by hand and add ¼ of a turn.

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

Re-fill the engine with oil – the filling point is the top of the disareator and the cap has the dipstick built in (see below).  If I drain 10 litres out I will put 9 back in, warm the engine up and slowly fill until the oil is in the middle of the max and min marks on the dipstick.  See here for more on overfilling: Link.

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

Air Filters.  The air filters are changed by removing the covers.  Unclip the connection to the MAF and undo the four screws holding the cover in place.  Once the cover has been removed the filter is easy swapped for new.  The screws holding the covers in place tend to chip, stainless steel alternatives are available here: eBay.

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

Cabin/Pollen Filter.  The cabin filter is located in the scuttle panel underneath the wipers.  Remove the rubber seal to increase access.  The filter will have the direction of airflow printed on the side:

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

Brake Fluid Change.  This is a very important part of the annual servicing and something that some workshops leave out.  If the fluid is not changed at least annually it can solidify in the system and cause untold braking issues.  The brake fluid reservoir is located under an access panel in the scuttle, next to the cabin filter.  Ferrari specify a DOT4 brake fluid.

I use a pressurised bleeding kit made by Sealey (model VS820):  Link.  The system fits directly onto the reservoir and is filled with fluid.  The system is pressurised using the hand pump and then each bleed nipple is opened until fresh fluid comes out.  If I have clear brake fluid already in the system I like to put blue coloured fluid in so that the transition is easily spotted (and vice versa).

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

I bleed the caliper furthest away from the reservoir first, and bleed the inboard nipple on the caliper before the outboard one.  I work my way back to the caliper closest to the reservoir.  If you manage to get air in the master cylinder there is a bleed nipple under the reservoir.  Whilst the wheels are off, make a check of the brake discs, pads and hoses (consider upgrading to braided hoses: Link).  Also check the condition of the driveshaft CV boots and suspension bushes.

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

F1 Fluid Level (if applicable).  The F1 fluid reservoir is located at the rear of the engine bay to the right side (circled in red below).  The fluid is Shell Donax TX – I have not come across any substitute.  Please note that the dipstick built into the cap of the reservoir is wrong.  If you fill to the dipstick then the system will be overfilled and when it’s warm fluid will leak out of the reservoir.  Inside the reservoir there is a level line – the fluid should be 5mm above this line.  I suck out some of the fluid until I can see the line – I then fill to the line and what I guess to be 5mm above.

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

Power Steering Fluid Level.  On a Modena the power steering fluid reservoir is located right at the front of the engine bay (circled yellow above).  On a Spider it is in the middle of the engine bay (see picture below).  Ferrari specify the fluid as Shell Donax TA but in reality any Dexron III ATF/power steering fluid is compatible.  The dipstick is OK to get the level correct here.

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

Windscreen Washer Fluid Level.  Top up the washer fluid level – the top of the filling neck is located under the front hood:

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

Auxiliary Belt Check.  The auxiliary belts should be checked for tension and damage.  There are three belts, two are accessed from inside the cabin (see picture below) whilst the third is accessed from underneath the car.

Ferrari 360 Annual Service

Visual Check and Road Test.  One of the last things to do is to visually check the operation of everything including lights, wipers, washer jets (including headlight washers when Xenon lights are fitted), dashboard warning lights & horn.  Inflate the tyres to the correct pressure and check the tyres for tread depth and any damage.  Torque up the wheel bolts to 98nm before and after the road test.

Please also check out my Annual Preventative Maintenance page: Link.


15 thoughts on “Ferrari 360 Annual Service

  1. Alex, excellent site and depth of content, thank you!

    What model and part #’s do you recommend for air and cabin replacements? With a few options available, including washables, your experience and guidance is appreciated.

    1. Great question and it’s something I should have covered in this post!
      First of all I’m aware of two type of cabin filters – normal paper filters and activated charcoal filters. I prefer the latter but I live in a big city with lots of pollution.
      With regards to the air filters – I always fit the OEM paper filters. There are minor performance gains to be used with aftermarket filters but most of them require oiling. I hold concerns that the oil from these filters can find it’s way onto the MAF’s and cause over or under fuelling. The risk isn’t worth the extra 1 or 2 bhp gained.

  2. I’ve been asked the following questions and thought I should post up the info:

    What size allen wrench is needed to remove oil plugs on the 360 modena? 14mm and 12mm hex drive.

    If there is oil in the motor and I remove the mesh screen does it all come out that opening also? Yes, you should drain the oil from the two plugs first.

    Where can I buy the “Parafin” you mention? I’m not sure where you are located but it in the UK it is readily available. I think it is called Kerosene in the US.

  3. Thank you sir for your love and dedication to our Ferrari’s.
    I have but one puzzling question…I just changed my oil per your instructions..(Thank you).
    I was carful to add almost exactly what I took out….upon starting the motor it let out white smoke for a few minutes..that cleared up….I let it runn almost 1/2 hour and checked the dipstick..there is barely a little oil showing at the lowest part of the dipstick…not between the two marks…but the bottom of the dipstick.

    The car temp. was warming up…the oil temp showed just above the lowest point….
    I added almost one more quart and kept checking…same results….
    Since I know it has oil, should I drive it around to really warm it up then check the oil????

    ANY ADVICE????? very confusing.

    Thanks…ANTHONY

    1. The oil needs to be at proper operating temperature – so let the car idle until it gets there. You wouldn’t believe how much the oil expands when it gets hot.

      Please be careful of overfilling the oil as it can get into your air intake and damage the MAF’s.

      I have tried to explain the importance of the oil level here: Link.

  4. Hi Aldous, thanks for collecting all this info in one place. The owner’s manual recommends that the power steering fluid be changed every two years – how do you that? Thanks!

    1. There’s no actual drain point for the power steering system. It might be possible to get most of the fluid out by undoing one of the hoses to the cooling coil by the LHS radiator (number 9 in diagram below). However, there is only 1.8 litres of fluid in the system – it would be much easier to suck out as much fluid from the reservoir as possible and then refill with fresh fluid. Start the engine and turn the wheel from lock to lock at least 5 times. This will bleed the system and mix the old and new fluid together. Repeat until the fluid in the tank looks fresh.

      Link to diagram

      Ferrari 360 Steering System

      1. Thank you. I have done so and I can confirm that the reservoir holds approx 300-350 ml of fluid.

  5. Hey! this is a great read too. I just realized you are on ferrarichat. haha I followed your build on there. I am Kouki Monster on FC. I just wish i didnt have to put buying one on back burner cause looking at this stuff really makes me want to do these things cause I love tinkering. I have a 99 xj8l that has 140k miles on it that is near mint cause I do this special attention you post here. Maybe one day soon, I hope. Like I stated in a older post here, I am reading as much as I can cause i love the research and the learning of all this as it is a lot different car. I am big in the DIY, and if I can’t do it at all or know people who do, it goes to dealer at all lost hope hahaha

    1. Hi Anthony,

      I buy mine from my local Ferrari dealer. However, they are just copper washers – if you measure the internal and external diameter you local auto store should stock the correct size.

      Regards,

      Aldous.

      1. I order them from China on ebay. They are 10 for a dollar, and I just keep them on hand.

  6. Hi Aldous … getting ready to flush the brake fluid on my car … since acquiring the car, this is the first time for me. Probably a bit overdue, but I live in dry climate (Arizona) so the risk of moisture in brake fluid is probably lower than in UK. Just a quick question … how much brake fluid do you typically plan for a full flush. The typical auto stores around here only stock pretty cheap stuff and one has to order online to get better quality. I have 1L of ATE Blue … thinking that should be enough. You experience?

    Steve

    1. Hi Steve,

      I’ve never used more than one litre when doing a normal change of the fluid – and that’s with me being over cautious and pumping a lot of fresh fluid through. However, if there’s any sign that the fluid hasn’t been changed for some time then I will flush 3-4 litres through.

      Cheers,

      Aldous.

Comments are closed.