| Author |
Message |
Ron Shirley (Easy_rider)
Member
Username: Easy_rider
Post Number: 556
Registered: 12-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 9:36 am: | |
Russ, your spelling wasn't too bad and your grammar was fine. All in all it was very readable.
However, don't forget the edit button on the upper right hand side of each post. You can edit your post up to an hour later if you want. |
Russ Turner (Snj5)
Member
Username: Snj5
Post Number: 298
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 6:24 am: | |
As you check the coils, be sure you swap out all the connections. As said in #2 above, the little plastic doofer on top is the coil controller, which may be bad.
Unlike the 83 with ignition problems in another thread, you only have one ECU, so that is not likely it.
Good luck and let us know - we're cheering you on.
best
Russ |
Manfred Heger (Mondi991)
Junior Member
Username: Mondi991
Post Number: 60
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 6:19 am: | |
Hi CJF, Mark is right, you first got to proof the coils, If the coil is really dead I would search for any Fiat or Alfaparts, should be " Magneti Marelli" too. I wouldn�t pay over 400$ for this part.
Good luck
Manfred |
MarkM (Zan)
Junior Member
Username: Zan
Post Number: 66
Registered: 11-2002
| | Posted on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 5:50 am: | |
Try swapping the coils. See if the problem changes banks. If it doesn't, it is not the coil. |
Christopher John Fea (Delorean00)
New member
Username: Delorean00
Post Number: 3
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, July 03, 2003 - 5:33 am: | |
Ok today after work i checked it out and the front coil (closest to the firewall) was working, but the rear coil was dead!! So does that mean the coil need replaced? Are there aftermarket units avaible? Thanks so much for helping me figure out what my problem is!! I feel alot better now i know where to look. Also i called Ferrari today and the wanted $465.00 for a coil and i thought that was a bit high. Is there anywhere else to get one? Thanks |
Russ Turner (Snj5)
Member
Username: Snj5
Post Number: 295
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 7:12 pm: | |
CJF -
be sure to watch the 'front bank not working' thread.
best
rt |
Christopher John Fea (Delorean00)
New member
Username: Delorean00
Post Number: 2
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 11:56 am: | |
Thanks Manfred & Russ!! I will check all those things out after work. I puled one of the distributor caps last night, the inside looked worn so it might not be a bad idea to go ahead and replace both caps and rotors. Anyway i will got check it out closer, if i figure it out i will let you know. If i dont i will come back here and scratch my head some more. Thanks again for the help!!! |
Russ Turner (Snj5)
Member
Username: Snj5
Post Number: 288
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 5:35 am: | |
Damn
Apologies to all for horrifically heinous spelling/grammer in my last post which loaded prior to me proofing.
Blah!
sorry,
Russ
|
Russ Turner (Snj5)
Member
Username: Snj5
Post Number: 287
Registered: 2-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 5:29 am: | |
Christopher
Most likely Manfred is correct. I'm not sure how familiar you are with your engine, so bear with me if I tell you something you know. Just tryin' to be helpful here.
The Ferrari V-8 engine is built around what is known as a flat crank, the result of which is more power than many other V-8s, and cause it to be essentially 2 four cylinder engines hooked together at the crankshaft, each with it's own coil and distributor.
Sometimes, one of the ignitions to the front or rear bank (each a 'seperate' 4 cyl engine will stop providing spark, leaving the remaining 4 to try to run the car and run the other bank compressing air, which robs power.
The engine WILL start and run on one bank of cylinders. This is what Manfred suggests testing. When it is running poorly, turn off the motor. Disconnect ONE of the coil wires at the coil which goes from the ignition coil to the distributor. Then try to start.f it starts, then that shows that the other bank is getting spark. Do not run it for long like this, as unburnt air/fuel is being sent to the exhaust which will eventually cause an overheat. If that side is good, then reconnect the coil wire and repeat for the other side. If it does not start, the ignition that is still connec ted is likely kaputt.
Let's say one of the banks is dead. Likely caused are: #1. Bad coil. There was a lot of bad coils I'm tol, and you might be a lucky winner. Will need to replace #2 Bad coil controller - on top of the coil is a little blaqck thing that has a wiring connector plugged into it. Ferrari will not sell you a new one, but if you remove the screws and take it to a parts house, it is commonly available. #3 (check this first) Crappy electical connection/ bad cap or rotor. Ensure that the connections to the ignition to the baqd side are tight. Ferrari has third world electrical suppliers, and all are suspect. Remove the rubber cover to the distributor on the bad side. Loosen the three retaining screws that hold the cap down and remove. IMPORTANT to note that on Ferraris the igngtion wires to not push into the cap, but are held in by screws accesible inside the cap, so don't try to yank them out. Inspect the cap for traces of arcing or a crack. Likewise the rotor button which is held in by 3 screws to the drive coming off the intake cam.
If both sides of the ignition seem to check out ok, you may have crapped out a Kjet relay. These are on a secondary electrical panel in the trunk. In particular, there is one with a fuse in the top of it. Check the fuse, and remove and gently shake the relay. If it rattles, take it to a Bosch place and get a replacement.
Well, of course none of this may be right, but I'm trying to help from over here in Japan. Good luck, let us know what you find (so we might learn), and good luck!
Hope this helps
Russ |
Manfred Heger (Mondi991)
Junior Member
Username: Mondi991
Post Number: 59
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 4:39 am: | |
Hi Christopher, seems only running 4 cylinders, I would check ignition cables and ignition coils.You should disconnect the main cable from one ignition coil and see what happens.
Then connect again and disconnect the 2nd coil.
I Think this could help.
Manfred |
Christopher John Fea (Delorean00)
New member
Username: Delorean00
Post Number: 1
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, July 02, 2003 - 4:19 am: | |
I have a just bought a 1986 Mondial and it has a werid problem. Sometimes when i start it and drive it has TONS of power and responds quickly, but other time i start it and its SLOW as can be, it hardly drives! and it smells like it running rich, and it responds slow to the throtle. Also it idles at 800 RPM, but when its running good it idles at 1000 RPM. I need to get this car smogged and there is no way i can do that running like this. Also i changed the fuel filter (was not the porblem). It does this off and on. Even had it running good then while i was driving at a stop light the idle droped to 800 RPM and it started running slow again. |