Bleeding 355 spider roof!!!!!!!!

[ferrari-spider]

:laugh: Got ya:laugh:
Well its that time of year that i check,fill and bleed my hydraulic roof system of my spider. So i have decided to document it for anyone who gives a dam:thumbsup:


Tools needed:

Allen key

13mm spanner

X-head screw driver

Standars hydraulic jack oil




1/ Move both seats of the spider right forward. To reveal the x4 screws, two on each side (picture 1 and 2)

2/ Remove the 4 screws, there are two on each side. Then pull away the cover and pull out the little leather coverd disk that iso the passenger side of the cover. This will reveal the emergency hood switch, (Shown also in pic 2)

3/Looking at the front of the pump and relays under the cover you will see X2 allen bolts ( pic 3) Undo these and pull the loose unit electrics and hoses to the passenger side. Pulling it to the passenger side makes the job of seeing and undoing the 13mm center/filler nut in the middle of the pump easer, ( Picture 4 & 5)

4/ Undo this 13mm filler nut (pic 5)

5/ Now moving the front electrical and hoses unit back to the center. You will be able to see the hydraulic fluid reservoir min and max markings:thumbsup: (pic 6)

6/ If there is fluid to be added then add the fluid throught the hole that the 13mm bolt was removed from.

7/When the level is up to the Max line then replace the 13mm bolt and replace the electrical and hose unit, and replace the allen bolts.

8/ Now the unit needs bleeding. If the unit has been left to drain right down befor you re-filled the pump. Then this following procedure should be done over two days due to the vast amount of air bubbles....bear with me:thumbsup:

9/ Using the emergency over ride switch (pic 7) You will see that on one side there is a "O" for open:thumbsup: And on the other side a "C" for .......shut:laugh: :laugh:
Becourse the seats are already forward the cycle of the roof will not afect the seats:thumbsup: Press the "C" switch and keep pressing untill the roof has fully closed and it is important to keep the switch pressed for about 3-4 seconds after the roof has closed. This is done so that all air bubbles are forced out of the system and into the reservior:thumbsup:
Then press the "O" switch and again as the roof completes its sycle of opening, again keep the switch pressed for a few seconds longer to release the air from the system.

10/ Do the above again so you close and open the roof three times.

11/ As said above if you have allowed the fluid to get bellow the "min" line befor filling. Then you will notice the bleed fluid geting frothy, this is due to excess air bubles. Leave the car untill the next day for the bubbles to settle back to its fluid state. And the next day rebleed:thumbsup:

12/ Fit the pump cover back on and the emergenct switch back in the side. Put the seats back to there standard positions and test the whole cycle with the normal roof switch.and the jobs done:dude:

NOTES: The type oil to use is either the expensive ferrari hydraulic oil:laugh: :laugh: Or the same viscosity oil can be found in standard Hydraulic jack oil (Pic 8). I have been using this oil for some two and a half yars.....recomended:thumbsup:

Ok now....carry on....as you were.....men:shakeass:

 

[dasadrew]

If it needs topping up, where has the lost oil gone?

 

[ferrari-spider]

The roof pump can somtimes loose a little fluid over time, rarther like a braking system can also loose a litle fluid over time. My level drops a few mm every year. This is becourse the roof works using 4 Hydraulic rams, so when they opperate there is a little fluid left on the hydraulic rod that comes out of the tube ( a seal is used to stop masses of fluid escaping but a seal will not dry a rod compleatly). This is exposed to the air and drys untill the next cycle of the roof. So if ya think that some owns the car for years and never top up the level, its no wonder that some sroofs crew up:wink3: Clearly this is a procedure that has to be done due to the level marlings on the side of the pump. I dont know if this is done in a major service or not:huh: .....but i wont put money on it.
My main reason for doing this procedure is to bleed the system of air first and not to top up, but while i an there:thumbsup:

 

[tonyh]

gr8 write up Chaz :thumbsup:

 

[dasadrew]

The roof pump can somtimes loose a little fluid over time, rarther like a braking system ......

Roger on the de-aeration:thumbsup: Brake systems don't lose fluid do they? I though it is brake pad wear which causes the fluid level to drop:wink3:

Good write up and pics :thumbsup: - almost makes me want to get a Spider to be able to put it into practice. Actually love the 355 Spider, but too little difference to a 348 so I'll probably hop to a 360 Spider when the time comes.

 

[ferrari-spider]

Roger on the de-aeration:thumbsup: Brake systems don't lose fluid do they? I though it is brake pad wear which causes the fluid level to drop

Suprises me that a man in your line of work dont know that a piston in a fluid system is not compleatly dry when it emerges into the air. So yes over time fluid is lost. but hey your the expert:thumbsup:

 

[dasadrew]

You're right Chaa, just surprised that the amount is measurable.

Guess Ferraris aren't built to aerospace standards - what a surprise! :grin:

(I'm not an expert - I have to get things to work despite them :wink3: )