456GT ABS Control unitATE%23100941130043X1 400

In the meantime I got the CD from Ferraripubs. (6 weeks delivery time across the atlantic ... the manual seems to be not a good swimmer). Unfortunately there are no helpful wiring diagrams in - just a few "sketches" but nothing in detail. It was worth a trial. Today I got an "original" dealer manual in e-bay. Let´s see if this is more detailed. At least the seller told me that "all" wiring diagrams are in there. I´ll keep you posted - maybe there is anyone else out in this universe who is in fight with his 456.

Last week I was at the car wash, just around the corner (2 miles). After the car was clean, I drove home - at least I tried. After a few yards the control light "Check right engine bay - cylinders 1-6" went on. Stopped, turned engine off and on - no warning anymore (gismos are eveywhere I thought). After half a mile the warning went on again - same procedure. Another half a mile the red "overheating warning" went on. I stopped looked if there was something "unusual" (by the way, do you know how a gismo looks like ?). Starting again - all warnings off. I drove the last half mile - just before the garage the red warning went on again. Stopped in the dark garage - I now know that gismos have a dark red glowing in their eyes. Seriously - the right catalytic converter was dark red glowing. How to read out a failure code if you have no description - I called the dealer to pick up the car. Good news - no failure in the electric system. Bad news the ceramic catalytic converter was collapsed (I hope that this dammed gismo is now grilled). Replacement - 2400$+VAT (per piece). When he was telling this to me - it seems that I was not saying anything for quite some time. After re-animation he told me that he would recommend to replace the ceramic by a metal type. But then I have to replace both sides. At this point of time I thought - how can I explain my wife that 2 catatytic converters are more desireable than an easter weekend trip for 2 ....
Surprise - he knows "somebody" in Italy who does the replacement for 900US$ per piece. 10 days to get the refurbished parts. Still waiting - should be back before easter. Maybe we can have a easter weekend trip with the car....
Keep you posted. Have a nice easter weekend. Here you see my Gismo Owner.

456 GT ABS ATE Teves
Hi all,
I have a 456GT year 1997 with 5.2 Motronic and ATE Teves Antiskid braking system that had an alternator failure and flat battery. Of course the ABS light was on at this time and after fixing the elctrical problem the ABS light is still on. There is a diagnostic plug near the ABS unit but this type of braking system was not there for long, and nobody has the software to diagnose the problem. The pump motor is working and the pedal is normal. Any hint would be appreciated.
Thanks, Bernard.

Hi all, Thanks but I dont think any one that did not experiment this situation could have helped me. It seems that the fix of the alternator is the reason, there is no +12V signal coming out from the alternator to the ABS ECU.

In the meantime the car is back and running. Easter started nice with some highway drive. After about 15 minutes on the highway my speedometer says "guy you are jamming up the traffic" - passing some cars and still running about 30mph. Some minutes later the speed indication was gone. Driving without speed indication can be expensive. This time I was lucky and we had a great weekend. Getting home I suspected that the revolution sensor may have failed. This was a well known symptom from my 308, and as a family member why should the 456 behave different. After the investment of 160$ and nearly braking my fingers the new sensor was installed. I decided NOT to remove the whole exhaust system. Therfore I had only a gap of about 1 inch to reach to the sensor at the gearbox. In addition no normal tool worked to get there. So I modified a 32mm wrench (bending in several directions) to unscrew the sensor. Not too difficult but a very tight area. At this moment I thought it was a great idea NOT to remove the exhaust system.
It seems that the car could read my mind ....
One week later I left the garage for a evening trip with some friends. After 100m the brake light went on. I stopped and - thinkiung "Hello my electrical gismo is back" and switched off the ignition. Trying to re-start. Nothing happened, except a strange noise that was coming out of the engine bay. That noise stayed on even when I removed the key. I opened the engine hood. Thanks Good that there is a battery cut off installed. It already smelled "electrical" inside. Cutting of the power from the battery, the noise stopped. I checked all fuese - no one was blown. So all my friends had some fun of towing me back to my house. Some comments like "nice to drive a Ferrari, but you have to live in a small city as the car runs only 100m .... This was one of the nicer comments.
I recognized the noise - it was the noise of the starter motor when the gear has not engaged and the motor runs free. Somehow like my wifes hair-dryer.
First thought, no big deal - I knew this from my time when I was a student and driving a Volkswagen beetle. You had to carry always a hammer with you. A short stroke to the starter magnet and the car was starting again.
Then I whished the Ferrari designers to hell. The starter is fixed to the engine by 3 screws. Two of them you can reach, but the third one is not accessible at all. Now I knew that my car loves me and can read my mind. I had to remove the exhaust system, including catalytic converter,(exactly the part I avoided to remove when the speedometer sensor failed). After some hours the starter was removed, the starter magnet is (thanks to uncle BOSCH) available around the corner in Germany at a reasonable price. BOSCH Part number 2 339 303 288 , sold for 87$.
3 hours later everything was installed back again.
I´m really suspicious what will be the next thing that failes. There are still a lot of parts waiting for me to be replaced.
Writing this, my wife said that last time we drove, she noticed that on the passenger seat the back-rest could not be moved in both directions ... - here we are. I just checked the handbook and realized that there is not only a simple wiring - there is another gismo - called SEAT ECU.
See you - I´m on the way back to my garage .....
(if you like to continue to hear about my 456 adventure - let me know. Maybe the car has a nice present for me as I own it on 24th of July for exactly 1 year ..
... and spent up to now about 13,000$ on repairs.
Yes, now I experienced personally that driving a Ferrari - sorry, repairing - is quite expensive)