| Author |
Message |
ctk (Ctk)
Junior Member
Username: Ctk
Post Number: 121
Registered: 7-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, August 19, 2003 - 9:32 am: | |
Had a similar type of experience and it turned out to be a poor connection at the ignition switch. One of the wires had poor contact and as it heated up, the starting problem came. Hope this helps. |
Tom Bakowsky (Tbakowsky)
Member
Username: Tbakowsky
Post Number: 537
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Monday, August 18, 2003 - 8:52 pm: | |
That sounds like a heat soaked starter. take it out and have it rebuilt. |
d mark blanchard (Dmblanchaolcom)
New member
Username: Dmblanchaolcom
Post Number: 9
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 18, 2003 - 3:55 pm: | |
Yeah Steve, I know where you're coming from. What I hear is a loud audible click the first two or three times I turn the key when its hot, then the click gets softer the 3rd or 4th time, then no click. If I clean and disconnect the cables and try again, I'll hear the same loud click to soft click to no click sequence. Then of course, when I wait and the engine bay cools, it turns right over again. |
Steve Magnusson (91tr)
Intermediate Member
Username: 91tr
Post Number: 2037
Registered: 1-2001
| | Posted on Monday, August 18, 2003 - 12:21 pm: | |
d mark --If you're saying that you actually hear the starter solenoid move/click (strongly), but the starter motor itself doesn't then spin, then the switch inside the starter solenoid (that should get closed when the solenoid plunger moves) is bad, or the starter motor itself is bad, or you've got a big voltage drop somewhere in the main lines per Tom B.'s post. If it's a very "soft" click (i.e., the solenoid makes a small audible noise, but the solenoid plunger doesn't actually move) then you'd go in the direction of philip c.'s post (i.e., check voltage coming in the start command line on the solenoid, or just replace the solenoid). Can you tell which symptom you have? |
Tom Bakowsky (Tbakowsky)
Member
Username: Tbakowsky
Post Number: 534
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Monday, August 18, 2003 - 12:14 pm: | |
I would have the starting system checked for exssive amperage draw and voltage drop. You could possisbly be having a problem with either your starter, battery, or the battery cables. The cable is very long and if there is corrosion inside the plastic sleave of the cable, you will not get full power to the starter. A shop with a good A.V.R machine will be able to find whats wrong with your car in a matter of an hour. |
d mark blanchard (Dmblanchaolcom)
New member
Username: Dmblanchaolcom
Post Number: 8
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Monday, August 18, 2003 - 11:45 am: | |
Thanks to all you guys who keep pointing me to the battery, but I thought I'd made it clear that it wasn't the battery. Battery and its connections were totally replaced, cleaned, & filed down and coated with battery protectant sauce etc several times in an effort to fix what I thought was a battery problem. After doing all these things and still not fixing the problem, I concluded it wasn't the battery or its connections. |
dave handa (Davehanda)
Intermediate Member
Username: Davehanda
Post Number: 1601
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 2:52 am: | |
Philip has a good idea, but before you go there and start modifying, follow Justyn's advice and start with the basics. How old is the battery? Is it fully charged? Are the terminals clean and tight? I clean my battery terminals every 18-24 months with a wire brush, then install fresh treated felt washers to keep the gremlins away. If the battery is more than four or five years old, that could be suspect as well (since Ferraris are rarely driven everyday, let alone even weekly). Heat is obviously influencing things, but if your battery and connections are marginal, that can put you over the top. I prefer to fix the basics before resorting to "bandaid" fixes to correct a more basic item that needs repair/replacing. |
d mark blanchard (Dmblanchaolcom)
New member
Username: Dmblanchaolcom
Post Number: 7
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Friday, August 15, 2003 - 2:20 am: | |
To Phil,
It sounds like you're on the right track to me. YOu've described what I hear exactly. The starter motor fails to turn the engine over, but I hear the solenoid clicking in. FYI, the problem seems to increase in frequency the hotter it gets outside and right now it's 105. I'd be very interested in seeing your switch fix and the associated wiring diagram. |
Justyn (Justynb)
New member
Username: Justynb
Post Number: 49
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 4:46 am: | |
>>>I used to think I had a loose battery connection<<<
That is never a good thing whether it is causing this problem or not. You should always make sure the battery terminals are clean, protected from corrosion, and tightly connected. You should also check that any earth connections are clean and tight too.
Justyn. |
philip capner (Philjay)
New member
Username: Philjay
Post Number: 9
Registered: 1-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 4:24 am: | |
When you say spark, do you mean that when you turn the key the starter motor fails to turn the engine over, but you can hear the soleniod clicking in ?
If that is the case, from my experience it is low voltage to the soleniod, possible not helped by the fact it is very hot and tightened up. The way I cured the problem was to put a relay in on the switch side.
If this is the case I will forward a wiring diagram. |
d mark blanchard (Dmblanchaolcom)
New member
Username: Dmblanchaolcom
Post Number: 6
Registered: 7-2003
| | Posted on Thursday, August 14, 2003 - 12:55 am: | |
I have an 82 Mondial that starts on the first spark when cold and will continue to restart fine when the engine is running only a few minutes. But after long trips, it invariably fails to even turn over. The lights and radio come on, but no spark seems to get sent to the engine, it doesn't even try to start. I used to think I had a loose battery connection and it did seem that fiddling with the battery terminals and wires would trick the starter into cranking the engine over. Now that trick won't work anymore and the problem has gone from once in a blue moon to an everytime thing and no amount of battery fiddling helps. The only thing that helps is letting the car sit for 20 minutes or about exactly the time it takes for the tow truck to arrive and then it'll crank over on the first spark just like it's thumbing its nose at me. Any thoughts on the source of this problem? |