| Author |
Message |
Dr. I. M. Ibrahim (Coachi)
Member
Username: Coachi
Post Number: 388
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - 6:34 pm: | |
did just that and the reading was 13.68 Volts.. and the car is running like a charm, no backfiring and no hesitation...just purring along like it always used to..thanks to all for the education |
jeff ryerson (Atheyg)
Member
Username: Atheyg
Post Number: 458
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - 10:48 am: | |
Coachi,
Check your alternator by using a Voltmeter at the battery while the car is running, you should see at least 13VDC. |
Dr. I. M. Ibrahim (Coachi)
Member
Username: Coachi
Post Number: 385
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Tuesday, September 16, 2003 - 10:44 am: | |
Thanks a lot for that last post....I too am suspecting the alternator..it may be the same problem..I will keep an eye on it and check to see if it is putting out enough juice. Thanks a million. |
Michael N. (Man90tr)
Member
Username: Man90tr
Post Number: 797
Registered: 4-2001
| | Posted on Monday, September 15, 2003 - 8:45 pm: | |
Coachi,
I have a TR and there are a couple items I would like to point out. I had the exact same issue that you had except for the fact that I had other electrical signs and "saw" that a problem was coming and drove home before the car shut down. Car would not restart when I parked in the garage. Checked battery, it was low but not that bad. Acted just like a dead battery. Hooked up battery tender and it held charge well, but like you decided to change the battery. Car fires up like nomal and seems like problem is gone. Well, same event darn thing occurred a week later. Called my mechanic, he laughed and said I know what it is. Well, he was right -- a failed diode on the alternator and the altenator was putting out 50% when engine load was high -- I note you have electronic ignition. Yes, my car also backfired a few times before shuting down also. The alternator simply could not produce enough to run the ignition etc and the battery went too low to run the car. A $200 rebuild versus a $1,500 new and less powerful alternator from a dealer and the car is humming as normal. Took all of one day to fix.
The point here being a new battey masked the problem for about 500 miles. So if the issue shows up again, may be time to check the alternator.
Michael
PS: BTW |
Dr. I. M. Ibrahim (Coachi)
Member
Username: Coachi
Post Number: 380
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Monday, September 15, 2003 - 10:36 am: | |
well, good news. I double and triple checked the battery, and it showed excellent charge retention...I replaced it anyhow...and boom, the car started immediately. Am I lucky or what? Didn't fry anything, just had to pay for two wreckers to two the car to the house (the first one tried to boost my battery to make it start...it did not) and a new battery..i went back to the DieHard that I had...I wish I knew of something better. thanks for all the advice... |
Dr. I. M. Ibrahim (Coachi)
Member
Username: Coachi
Post Number: 375
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Sunday, September 14, 2003 - 10:59 am: | |
One more observation...there was a bit of backfiring taking place before it stopped running; which I attribute to the last remnants of some garbage in the fuel system which I am still trying to purge...don't think that had to do anything with it. |
Dr. I. M. Ibrahim (Coachi)
Member
Username: Coachi
Post Number: 372
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, September 13, 2003 - 1:54 pm: | |
Bill that was the first thing I checked...I took the battery cables off, cleaned them...but it is possible I did not have them on tightly as I should have. Because this car is not driven much, I usually remove the ground cable and thus save the battery from dying. I certainly appreciate the suggestion and will work on it. Certainly cheaper than the alternatives and less time consuming |
Bill Bode (Guillermo)
New member
Username: Guillermo
Post Number: 2
Registered: 8-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, September 13, 2003 - 1:43 pm: | |
Coachi, I've had several problems in the battery/alternator areas with my cars over the years that I solved and corrected myself. In one case while driving at night I noticed the headlights slowly becoming dimmer before the car just stopped running. That was clear to me (after I thought about it) that the alternator was not charging the battery as I drove and the ignition was running on the remaining charge in the battery until the battery had become discharged. Another time, the starter motor would not turn-over at all, though I could hear the starter solenoid clicking. The radio and lights worked without problems. This problem simply turned out to be due to a small amount of corrosion between the battery terminals and clamps. The small amount of electrical resistence allowed low current drawing devices to operate normally. However at the high current flows needed to turn the starter motor, the voltage drop across the small amount of increased resistance at the battery terminals prevented the starter from cranking. Simply removing and cleaning the battery terminals solved the problem. This may not be the problem with your car, but something to consider before replacing expensive components at random until you correct the problem. |
Dr. I. M. Ibrahim (Coachi)
Member
Username: Coachi
Post Number: 371
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, September 13, 2003 - 1:03 pm: | |
I am in the process of replacing the battery...as I suspect the car was running off the battery and when it got weak, it no longer could provide the juice needed for ignition. Although, the battery is not completely dead...i will replace it and hope to see a crank. If so, then I will look at the alternator...most probably the culprit. But why did the idiot battery lights not come on? Is it because the ammeter (which is fried) and shows fully charging, is keeping the idiot lights from showing that the alternator is not charging? |
Mike Florio (Mike_in_nevada)
New member
Username: Mike_in_nevada
Post Number: 40
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Saturday, September 13, 2003 - 9:40 am: | |
Sorry, I misinterpreted your post. When you wrote "it would almost sound as if it was going to start" I thought you ment it was cranking over, but not catching. I retract what I said and agree with Jeff, below. |
jeff ryerson (Atheyg)
Member
Username: Atheyg
Post Number: 447
Registered: 8-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, September 13, 2003 - 8:31 am: | |
1st I would fully charge the battery or replace with one you know is good
If the battery is good and it slowly cranks your starter may be dragging and bad, or it could be a bad ground or other electrical issue.
If starter is okay next check to see if you are getting a good spark, if all is okay then go to your fuel system, fuel pump fuses etc.
It could be many things, if your altenator was bad your car would be running just off the battery and it was fully drained and bump starting it as you did would not help, neither would jump starting |
Dr. I. M. Ibrahim (Coachi)
Member
Username: Coachi
Post Number: 370
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Saturday, September 13, 2003 - 6:53 am: | |
Mike, I had had fuel delivery problems before, but why won't the starter turn over? When you turn on the ignition, the starter acts as if it needs more juice before it will turn.. |
Mike Florio (Mike_in_nevada)
New member
Username: Mike_in_nevada
Post Number: 37
Registered: 6-2003
| | Posted on Friday, September 12, 2003 - 7:50 pm: | |
Sorry to disagree, but it sounds like the fuel system to me. If it is an injected car that's the first place I would look. Make sure you have fuel pressure at the fuel rail. |
Byron (Bmyth)
Intermediate Member
Username: Bmyth
Post Number: 1271
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Friday, September 12, 2003 - 12:40 pm: | |
I'm currently facing similar problems with my 348.
http://www.ferrarichat.com/discus/messages/112/306910.html?1062387480
Might just be old wires building too much resistance, not delivering enough power to the starter. But yours sounds like you might also need to do some investigation with the alternator.
Pick up a voltmeter and remote starter and start checking. I am exploring the work-around of adding an additional starter relay or even a push button ignition.
Best of luck! |
Drew Altemara (Drewa)
Junior Member
Username: Drewa
Post Number: 187
Registered: 2-2002
| | Posted on Friday, September 12, 2003 - 12:30 pm: | |
Coachi, I would never try to jump start or pop the clutch after downshifting it to try to start it. Anything that produces a quick voltage surge that the regulator is too slow to catch could be trouble especially in something with old electronics like a Boxer or Dino.
However that does not mean you fried it. You're probably OK. I would starty with the usual things; battery, grounds, fuses and work my way to the harder stuff; coil, Dinoplex, etc.
You have been in this too long and have too many cars not to know the drill.
I think you just got yourself a nice weekend project.
Good luck.
Which car? |
Dr. I. M. Ibrahim (Coachi)
Member
Username: Coachi
Post Number: 366
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Friday, September 12, 2003 - 11:28 am: | |
you mean if the car is rolling, and you release the clutch, that would toast the dinoplex? I surely hope not. The car was moving at 60 miles and hour, it quit, I popped the clutch after downshifting it, and there was no spark... |
Frank Parker (Parkerfe)
Advanced Member
Username: Parkerfe
Post Number: 2967
Registered: 9-2001
| | Posted on Friday, September 12, 2003 - 11:19 am: | |
Which car ? I hope you didn't try to jump start your Boxer with its Dinoplex ignition...if so, it's toast . |
Dr. I. M. Ibrahim (Coachi)
Member
Username: Coachi
Post Number: 365
Registered: 5-2002
| | Posted on Friday, September 12, 2003 - 11:12 am: | |
I took one of ferraris for a ride this morning. After driving it some 10 miles, the motor just stopped....and i quickly downshifted, but it would not start. I pulled it off to the side of the road...the battery was not dead, as i engaged my hazard lights, and they worked, but when I tried to restart, it would almost sound as if it was going to start, but kept acting like a dead battery. I called a tow truck, a mechanic, and they tried to jump start the car, using jumper cables etc...to no avail. They also tried the jumper box, to no avail. I had the car towed back to my house, and am unsure where to start looking. Why would it die so suddently when it was running great? Is there a loose connection somewhere? Is it a bad alternator and a weak battery that resulted that would not run the car? The starter wants to engage...but there doesn't seem to be enough power coming to it. Help, JRV, anyone ..please.. i love my car and I want to fix it. There are no Ferrari mechanics around me for 120 miles...and it doesn't seem to be such a tough problem...thanks for any advice.. |