Since the battery is fitted behind a piece of trim in the cabin, Ferrari helpfully fitted a battery isolator switch in the front compartment. This switch (shown in red below) sits between a wire that runs directly to the negative terminal of the battery (blue) and a wire that is attached to the chassis (green). … More Ferrari 360 & F430 Battery Isolator Switch
I had cause to remove my rear bumper on the F430 (again) and managed to take a few pictures of the process. The job can easily be achieved by one person but it helps to have an extra pair of hands available to help lift the bumper on and off the car.
Like many other high performance cars, modern Ferraris are fitted with separate handbrake calipers in addition to the main rear braking calipers. This allows the much more powerful brakes to be fitted, in fact the non-CCM 360 and F430 use the same 4-pot calipers front and rear (the bias is different though). Another useful by-product … More Ferrari 360 & F430 Handbrake Pads
At time of first purchase, both the Ferrari 360 and F430 could be specified with an optional “Hi-Fi sound system (with subwoofer)” (code SND1) for an additional GBP 1,100 / USD 2,000. There is very little technical information available on this Hi-Fi system – its audio and electrical connections are not even shown in the … More Ferrari 360 & F430 Hi-Fi Sound System
I’m often asked what is the best pad for a 360 or steel braked F430. The answer is always dependent on two further questions – how hard are you as a driver on the brakes and how much are you willing to compromise on noise? The OEM pads are good for fast road use but … More Ferrari 360 & F430 Brake Pads
The official maintenance program calls for the air conditioning system on a Ferrari to be serviced every two years. This takes the form of removing the gas, changing the filter and filling with fresh gas. However, this is often overlooked and cars are more often than not running around with old gas and filters. The … More Ferrari Air Conditioning Service
The Becker radio head units installed in Montezemolo era Ferraris (think 360, F430, 575, 599, etc) are known to develop a fault whereby they draw a substantial amount of current even when in OFF state. This article explores a possible cause for this fault and proposes a simple (although not perfect) workaround. For info on tracking … More Ferrari Becker Radio Current Leak
The Ferrari 360 and F430 (as well as other tipos of the era) were all shipped from the factory with infotainment system head units manufactured by Becker. These head units were manufactured especially for Ferrari but, apart from physical and electronic Ferrari branding, are essentially identical to their commercially-available counterparts of their time. The exact … More Ferrari 360 & F430 Radio Removal and Aux/iPod Cable Fitting
A healthy battery is the cornerstone to worry free Ferrari ownership and I always recommend that owners keep their car on a battery tender/conditioner such as an Accumate. However, it isn’t always practical keep a car in a location where it can be plugged into the mains so checking the battery drain can save unduly depleting … More Ferrari 360 & F430 battery drain
A modern Ferrari is a complicated machine, requiring a multitude of electronic controls to keep everything working as it should. In order to do any sort of work on these cars, a diagnostic tool that connects to the various control units throughout the car is an essential piece of kit. These tools start at £5,000 … More Ferrari EOBD Diagnostics
