So here’s the Air Injection System. The pipe that is broken is here (basically where 35 points to).

The solenoids valves (Part number 159177) are located in the lower right (items 8)

Here’s what it looks like in the car

You’ll notice in this picture (which I found on the Internet) the connection to the solenoid valve (Part number 159177) on the right (nearest the large drum) is light blue. Prior to yesterday’s discovery the blue connector on my car was on the left. I am pretty confident that it is now in the correct location, however I need to find out where these connections to the solenoids actually go. That is a topic for another post.
However, here’s something I found that describe show to troubleshoot the solenoid valve ((Part number 159177)):
Pull the wires off the solenoid and check they are ok. Look for breaks or seriously corroded terminals. Now start the car up, and with a electronic volt meter on the plug that goes to the solenoid still disconnected, measure the voltage that would be feed to the solenoid while someone revs the car over 4000 RPM. The ECU should provide 12 volts to operate the solenoid and this should read 12 volts on the meter at higher revs. You can also then connect the battery or 12 volts from something else to the solenoid to hear if it clicks as it engages and disengages when voltage is applied and removed. If that is all working then you then the next most likely issue  is a problems with a vacuum leak somewhere.
I think the next step is to find out where the other end of those leads goes that plug into the solenoid valve, i.e. where the other end of this highlighted connection goes:

as it is not displayed on the diagram. It would seem to go to another ECU somewhere judging by the above troubleshooting guide. I also wonder what the other solenoid valve on the right does?

One of the first things you need to have before you even consider an ‘exotic’ car is someone who works with cars for a living. You can certainly pay for someone but it is really gold if you have one as a friend. I am lucky to have just such a friend in ‘J’.

So J comes round and we change over the thermocouple which was relatively straight forward. We then turn our attention to examining the issues with the exhaust by pass valve which have been detailed previously. J is able to test that the actuator arm operates freely. He is then able to check the diaphragm inside the valve is working by sucking on the hose to the valve and see the actuator operate. So it seems all good back to the solenoids in the lower right of the car.

I then notice the small pipe just below the by pass valve that was hidden by the heat shield as shown above. This pipe runs along the bodywork to the right and ends near whether the thermocouple connects to the ECU and just above the solenoids that control the vacuum.

However, this end of the pipe, as shown above appears to be damaged in such a way that you can’t connect the rubber hose to it. Ah ha. Now I understand why there was rubber pipe running directly from the solenoids in the lower right of the car to the exhaust bypass valve. Now I understand why this rubber pipe is actually composed of two rubber pipes joined together. Clearly, as the default metal pipe on the bodywork has been damaged, they had joined the two previous pieces (the short piece from the valve to start of the metal pipe (first image above) and the longer piece from the end of the pipe to solenoid (second image above) together to bypass the valve together. Ah ha.

Given that the metal tube is unusable, it would seem we connect the rubber tube directly up from the solenoids to the exhaust bypass valve as it had actually been disconnected from when the car was purchased and merely flopping around the engine bay.

When J was connecting everything back up he noticed that the solenoid with blue connector (shown above on right) was actually connected to the left hand side. Examining the connection closer he discovered that there was a blue marking on the right hand connector. His feeling is that is a factory designation to indicate the blue connector goes on the side with the blues marking. Makes sense to me. Perhaps this has been the whole issue with the exhaust bypass valve? Someone had previously connected it up incorrectly? Hmmm…I’ll have to do some more research here as it seems like everything with the exhaust valve is in fact good and the problems lies with the vacuum process as these connectors.

As we started to reassemble the car J also noticed that a number of nuts where missing like the one from the middle of the above image. His comment is that ‘someone was having a good go’ on the right hand side of the car given all the things over time and what we discovered today. Interesting.

The replaced thermocouple (above) looks like the replacement so it would seem to be genuine. There is no obvious fault but it is clearly quite ‘aged’ and one would have to assume was the original that came with car.

The prayers to ‘Our Lady of Blessed Acceleration’ appear to have not been in vain as the car went for a blast down the the freeway and back without the dreaded ‘1-4 Slow Down’ warning appearing. This has happened before so we won’t claim victory just yet but it is certainly looking good. A huge amount of thanks to J giving up some time and spotting the problems.

Time for more research on the vacuum solenoids.

After about 10 days of placing the order the replacement thermocouple ordered from  http://www.prosport-ferrari.co.uk/ arrived in a discrete package in the mail. Inside was:

a shiny new thermocouple in a genuine Ferrari parts bag as expected. Opening this up revealed:

Now this still looked shorter than the required length, however perhaps I am just paranoid (and the more I think about it logically the more I think I am being just that). Hopefully, my initial impression is wrong. All the previous research points to it being the right part but we’ll see what happens tomorrow when it gets swapped in now won’t we?

Taking a closer look at the part we find the actual thermocouple at one end with the attaching bolt.

Connected to braided wire, with a short plastic shelve for clamping to the body.

That then leads another plastic shelve and finally to a connector that will plug into the ECU unit.

So if you measure the part you get approximately:

A = 70mm (from the tip to the end of the flange

B = 68mm (from flange to beginning of spring)

C = 55mm (spring)

D = 150mm (spring to first plastic covering)

E = 40mm (first plastic covering)

F = 345mm (between plastic coverings)

G = 93mm (second plastic covering and connector)

Overall = 682mm

So the connector on this lead will go into the ECU here

while the thermocouple will go into the catalytic converter here, secured by the nut

Co-incidentally, someone else I was chasing up the part with came back today with a quote of AU $357.50. Quite a bit more the AU $136 I paid! Just goes to show you that it pays to spend some time searching on the Internet and that places you find (like http://www.prosport-ferrari.co.uk/) provide a really good and efficient service.

So tomorrow, the new part will be swapped in so and  we’ll see whether it is long enough. Fingers crossed.

After doing some searching on the Internet I came across the following site http://www.prosport-ferrari.co.uk/. It offers mainly spares for 360’s but in fact has new (and used) thermocouples for 355’s. Interestingly, I only came across this site when I was searching for a picture of the 360 thermocouple as I wanted to check that these were not installed in the 355 as was previously mentioned. Just goes to show you that it comes down to what terms you use in the search.

Given that I am not local to these people I asked about the total cost of shipping out to Australia. I received a reply that the total cost, including shipping, would be 85 UK Pounds. That turns out to be about AU$137! That was FAR cheaper than anything else I had found, so it was time to order. A few emails to Mike at ProSport- Ferrari and one very short phone call to provide credit card details and the part was ordered. Very simple and easy.

The expectation was that I would receive an email confirmation that the part had shipped but that hasn’t been forthcoming, which concerned me a little. The required amount has been deducted from the credit card so now it would seem that the only thing to do is wait. It has been almost 7 days since the order was placed so hopefully something should materialise after about 10 days. I have no reason to doubt these guys but it would certainly reduce my concerns if they at least sent an email letting me know that that the shipment was on the way. I also checked out their shop on E-Bay and there was plenty of good feedback and nothing negative, but guys if you ever read this, a simple email would go a long way! Aside from that these guys look like a good option for parts when further items are required.

The car got a short run again this weekend just to keep it ticking over. The ‘1-4 Slow Down’ light came on almost immediately after staring the car and did initially try and cut the cylinder bank. However, after a few minutes the light continued its random dance of going on and off while driving. After 15 minutes or so it was back again hopefully ready for a thermocouple replacement which will once and for all rid the car of the dreaded ‘1-4 Slow Down’ light. Please

Turns out that picking up a thermocouple for a 355 isn’t that straight forward. They aren’t as common as parts for other cars unsurprisingly. A contact referred me to Forza Automative who indicated they have a number of used thermocouples available. After checking a few other contacts this seemed to be the best option.
So early Saturday morning I dropped by Forza in hope that I could purchase a replacement and change it out this weekend. When we had a look at the thermocouples that were available the nut that locks one end into the catalytic converter was too small. It seems like these used thermocouples were from another model. Damm.
It was in fact lucky that I checked the size of this nut beforehand. It is about 14mm in size (or fits a 9/16 spanner), if you ever needed to know.

The only option now appears to be to purchase one from US. This one seems to fit the bill – 157501 Thermocouple.

Looking at this though, two things appear wrong. Firstly the bolt at the end that connects into the thermocouple to the catalytic converter seems small (like the parts at Forza) and secondly the length seems too short.

Looking at a thermcouple that is on Ebay (above) you at least see that the length of the thermocouple is much longer. Still also appears that the bolt on these appears smaller that what is on the car but that may be an optical illusion after staring at picture of them on the Internet for so long!
Looking at the connection to the car noticed a significant amount of thread still unused. Could it possibly be that the faulty thermocouple was from a 360 rather than a 355? That might explain why the nut was larger perhaps? However, after checking the thermocouple on the other side of the car it would appear that theory doesn’t hold any water as it is exactly the same as shown below.

So the only real option now is to order a new thermocouple from the US and see what arrives.

According to the parts diagram (above) item 35 is replacement part 157501 – Thermocouple, which is what is needed so…. Hi ho, Hi ho it’s off to the Internet with credit card in hand we go.

Here’s another example of a new thermocouple I found on the Internet

This seems to check all the boxes that it is the correct part given the bolt looks to be in the right proportion, the length is right and the part number (157501) is on the bag. Phew.
The car had a brief run to keep it active but continued to experience the “1-4 Slow Down” warning on the dash after about 10 minutes of driving. The light continued to flash intermittently but luckily the engine never went into limp mode. Hopefully, the replacement part can be ordered and delivered before the next potential run.
All this has taught another unseen lesson of owning a car like this. Parts for exotic cars are rare. Parts for old exotic cars are even rarer. You need to find a good source for obtaining replacement components and you will probably have to live with the fact that they will take a while to obtain as they aren’t exactly off the shelf items.
The other things that you learn is that the information you pick up from those who already have, work with, are involved with these sort of cars is invaluable. You have to of course sort the wheat from the chaff, even in this field, but those people are certainly out there and seeking them out is going to be the best investment you ever make when it comes to owning these sorts of cars.

Over the past few trips the “1-4 Slow Down” warning light has flashed occasionally on the dash. This is the same warning light for the cylinder bank that the ECU unit was changed a while back. About 20 minutes into the drive today the “1-4 Slow Down” warning light began to flash again. It kept doing so intermittently for the next few kilometres until the car went into “limp mode”. Oh great, not again.

Remembering that by turning the car off and on “limp mode” can be reset. Question is, will the car restart if it is turned off? It should, and at worst simply remain in “limp mode”, but you never know do you. After deciding to be brave and pull over, attempted to turn car off and on again. It started (phew) and “limp mode” was gone (hooray), however after a short distance again the “1-4 Slow Down” warning light had returned. Time to head back. On the return trip the “1-4 Slow Down” warning light continued to flash more than it had ever done in the past but luckily the car did not go into “limp mode” but you can certainly feel the electronic control unit attempting to shut down one of the cylinder banks. Luckily, it didn’t do that permanently, just had to put up with some stuttering.

The initial reaction to these sorts of problems (especially continued problems like this) is always emotional and extreme. The trick is simply to get over it (things could be FAR worse) and work out what needs to be done to get it fixed.

After a quick email to Sal DiMauro from Racing Red it would seem that the most likely culprit is the thermocouple that runs from the catalytic converter to the ECU unit (F highlighted in the image below. The problem one is the one on the right).

So the recommendation is that this will need to be changed. A check around the Internet seems to indicate that these thermocouples are around $200 so that shouldn’t be too bad.

A quick look under the car shows where the thermocouple connects to the catalytic converter, so it isn’t too hard to reach at all and all seems to be in order. All the connections are solid so it isn’t as though anything is loose. The connection at the other end of the thermocouple to the ECU is currently underneath a shield but undoing all that probably won’t make much difference as the connection to the ECU is solid. So, looks like it is time for a new thermocouple.

Interestingly, comparisons to the good thermocouple on the left hand side seems to indicate that the problem one, on the right, is more ‘worn’. It certainly doesn’t appear to be the of the same vintage. There is also a small clamp half way up the body that holds the thermocouple in place and prevent it flapping around. At least there is on the left but not on the right hand side. There is no clamp or nut holding preventing the problem right hand thermocouple from flapping around. These two fact seem to indicate that the problem thermocouple has been changed or ‘fiddled’ with at some stage. Interesting.

So now the hunt is on for a new thermocouple. Sigh.

It turns out there is an alternative to replacing a faulty exhaust valve with one from Ferrari. Capristo make an alternative which is detailed here. It acts in the opposite way to the standard one that comes with the car. Instead of using the vacuum to open the bypass valve it uses the vacuum to open the valve. The kit apparently comes with all the parts and can be slotted into the existing connections without any problems. The other interesting feature is that if it fails, it fails in the open position, rather than the closed position as with the original valve.

An Australian supplier and price can be found here.

If you look at the Capristo vale you see that it has an improved heat sync around the diaphragm that controls the actuator arm. However, there is an interesting option that comes with the unit. You can actually get a remote that can be wired up that allows yo to manually open the valve on command. By pressing the remote, even at low revs, the bypass valve opens and you get an ‘enhanced’ sound from the exhaust.

The unit is not cheap (around A$1,000) and there is plenty of debate around the forums as to whether having the exhaust valve always open or close impacts the car in any way. There is plenty to digest on this matter and it will get posted up here once it is analysed in more depth. We are still not at the stage of replacement yet as it hasn’t been determined yet whether the existing exhaust valve on the car is damaged or whether it is the electrics. More on that research soon, however an interesting option to consider if the existing vale requires replacement.

The above shot shows the current state of the exhaust by-pass valve, which is located at the rear middle of the engine. At the bottom of the image you will notice a small metal pipe. That pipe should be connected to a rubber tube.

The exhaust by pass valve is highlighted in the above diagram (item N).

On closer inspection you can also see the tube that is suppose to run from the valve down to solenoid valve (S in the previous diagram) at the rear right of the car.
When the car was inspected the rubber pipe was reconnected but that still failed to make the exhaust by pass valve operate. The prognosis from the mechanic was:
“Replacing the missing pipe will not make the exhaust by pass valve work alone, I tried a pipe on there and it still did not operate.”
So what did that mean? Again, the response from the mechanic:
“With the exhaust by pass valve, it is currently closed at all times, whilst this will not damage the car it will limit the overall perform at high revs (albeit not to a noticeable degree) It also keeps the exhaust quiet all the time.Seeing as the valve still did not operate when I put a pipe on it, I can only assume it is the operating solenoid or wiring to the same, not a massive cost either way.”
So it would seem that the issue does not lie with the actual exhaust by pass valve, although there is no guarantee of that but that would be the most logical place to start fault finding.
Ok, so what does this exhaust by pass valve do anyway?

Here’s an image found on eBay of the complete unit.

Basically what happens is that a vacuum is created through the small metal pipe to at the top of the unit (on the left in the above image). That then causes the rod to retract (move to the left in the above image). That then opens the valve in the exhaust system. Ok, now what difference does having the valve open and closed make? Well from – http://www.the355.com/mambo/content/view/18/27/
“The bypass valve opens up at higher RPM, allowing the exhaust gases to take a more direct route to the tail pipes, thus increasing power and noise.This means your 355 is quiet around town but when you open it up it screams somewhat.”
Ah ha. So with it closed (as it always is if the valve fails to operate for any reason), then it doesn’t sound as good and doesn’t have quite as much power. That makes sense as the sound has always been ‘more subdued’ that expected. Now we know.
So how does the bypass valve actually operate? A vacuum is created at the inlet manifolds of the engine, this vacuum is used to feed a vacuum reservoir (item P in previous diagram) that stabilizes the pressure of the vacuum which then feeds a solenoid (item S in previous diagram) to control when a vacuum is present. The solenoid is opened and closed by the ECU and when closed there is no vacuum and when open there is vacuum to the valve. The solenoid has two pipes: one from the reservoir and the other goes to the diaphragm on the bypass valve – when the engine goes over 3500 RPM then the ECU supplies 12 volts to the solenoid which opens and that in-turn lets the vacuum get to the diaphragm moving the actuator and opening the butterfly valve in the exhaust.
Ok, so it seems there could one of three problems here:
1. The valve is physically jammed or mechanically broken and not able to open
2. The solenoid is not getting power from the ECU to open and close.
3. There is a leak in the vacuum feed.
Thus, the first most logical step to perform is to determine whether the exhaust by pass valve opens and closes. The actuator arm should therefore be able to move up and down freely. If that is good the would need to create a vacuum through the pipe to see if the valve will open. Now initially the mechanic said they connected the pipe and didn’t get the valve to open but that could still seem to be a problem with the valve or the vacuum. So the only way to know is create a separate vacuum and see whether the actuator rod on the exhaust by pass valve operates. If that is all good, then the problem is further back (as mechanic initially suggested) and more investigation would be required (and another posting!).
So we have a plan.

There is a lot to be said for being able to experience a drive without distractions. One of the hardest things to do with this car is to keep it below 60 kph on public roads. In other cars you can set the cruise control and be pretty safe in the knowledge that you are not going to exceed the speed limit (although you still do have to keep an eye on things going downhill). Travelling winding roads at such low speed really makes the car feel throttled and wasted. Unfortunately, a warning light appear very, very briefly on the dash during this low speed section. It was too quick for me to really see what it was but I believe it was the “5/8 Slow Down” warning light, which probably indicates that the temperature ECU on the other side of the engine to the one that was just changed is also not 100%. This isn’t a real surprise and luckily, now that it has happened before, what the results and costs will be are at least a known entity. Still, fingers crossed it was only a once off (although that seems unlikely). The issue should have been logged on the car’s computer and hopefully it will behave itself until it goes in for the next service.
Problem is that many other people also feel constrained doing 60 kph and become very ‘keen’ to get past you. Not a huge worry as there was dual carriage way ahead. The speed at which my follower took off after trailing behind me for a ways only made me shake my head and wish him all the best when explaining that excessive speed to the police officer who will inevitably pull him over. As much as you want to go faster than the limit, there ain’t no hiding in a red car like this!
Another thing that you do experience driving along is recognition from other ‘petrol heads’ out for the morning in their vehicles or bikes. Today’s arrangement includes an Aston Martin DB9 and a Lamborghini Murciélago.

Now the Lambo ended up following a ways and finished up in the next lane at the first set of lights after coming back onto the main road. It was a targa, with the roof currently off. There was a wave of acknowledgment from the driver as the cars moved away from the lights. What was amusing was that wave of acknowledgment came from a hand that was encased in a ski glove. Sure it was a bit nippy but if you need to rug up that much, wouldn’t the drive me more enjoyable with roof on? Each to their own I suppose. If you pay that much for a car like that then you can do whatever you dam well like one would think!
We both rejoined the freeway for the final blast back to civilization and by blast, that is exactly what the Lambo did after it cleared the entry ramp. In a flash it was gone, tearing up the freeway. Hmmmm…another potential high profile offender for the boys in blue. Not today, thank you for this car as it settled up to the speed limit for the final run back.
The challenge is now to find a bit of challenging tarmac that isn’t quite as limiting as the earlier section from today. Google maps here we come.

Turned the car over and sat anxiously watching the dash to see if any warning lights would come on during the warm up phase. Nope, good to go Mr Sulu. Engage. (and yes I know they are from different generations of Star Trek. This blog is about cars not Star Trek so please read on).

Pulled into the petrol station to fill up. Remembered to open the fuel cap before switching the car off. Filled up, paid and was back on the road. I think I’m beginning to get the hang of this.

Cruised along the freeway at speed and turned off to take the windy road back. When driving through corners with gusto it is amazing at how well the car grips. No doubt, having a low centre of gravity, wide tyres  and firm suspension all helps but there is something more here.

While accelerating back onto the freeway was finally starting to get the ‘whiff of enjoyment’ one comes to expected with the car. There is still some way to go to achieve complete enjoyment and probably the next project is to get the exhaust by pass valve repaired so engine makes a better noise at high revs but that doesn’t prevent having the enjoyment of driving the car.

It was a good feeling to switch the motor off not having seen a warning light or having an ‘incident’ (self induced normally). It also didn’t hurt that a few people took some shots of the car, from their cars, as it cantered down the freeway. I certainly get the impression that the car likes the attention and maybe this is what it had been missing with the previously owner? Have not fear oh red one, as long as you start and keep running you can look forward to many driving “exposé”s and fuel infusions.

One of the other things you need to remember about these sort of cars is that generally they don’t have a spare. Yup, that’s right, no spare. Not even one of the ‘dicky’ space savers. If you get a flat then you are suppose to use the puncture repair spray that comes with the tool kit. The idea is that you use this to fill the tyre and it allows you to limp to somewhere to get the puncture repaired. Now Sal from Racing Red, said doing so ruins the tyre, which is certainly understandable, but sometimes a ruined tyre is a lot better than not being able to get back home. With this in mind it was probably time to have a look at the tyre repair ‘kit’.

This kit is normally found in the car’s tool kit which is located in the trunk at the front of the car (remember the engine is in the back). So I opened up the kit and found the repair canister.

Problem is the expiry date is Dec 96! So, will need to add one of these tyre repairs kits to ever growing shopping list. Wonder whether this old one is worth anything on EBay? Every dollar helps you know.