Hi all Seems, that my 550 wants to anger me. I cleaned the car saturday, not to much water, dry and warm day. Suddenly i noticed that the indicator lights were flashing. Left side bright, right rear only light. The rhythm was not 100% regular. Sometimes there was a pause, sometimes 3 seconds, then 6 seconds, ........ I "shaked" the indicator relay and it seemed to be good. Then i parked the car in the garage. Next morning, i opened the garage to get out the Maserati for a trip, i noticed that the indicator lights flashed once again. Left side bright, right side only light. I switched off the main connection to the battery. At the afternoon, when i came back, i switched off every connector to the indicator lights and sprayed some electronic spray inside each connector. After switching on the main connection to the battery i had a more constant flashing of the indicator lights, both sides bright, no pause (ON brighter, on brighter, on brighter, on ........) i tried to disarm the system by switching the fob, no result. Switching the fob for a few seconds had the result, that the indicator lights flashed constantly (nonstop) and got brighter with the indicator period. Switching the fob once again for a few seconds, had the result that i have flashing lights (really OFF and on, off on, .....) I also changed the indicator relay (there i saw that my Alfa 166 has the same relay). All 3 relays i have, had the same symptoms I believe a bad chassis ground could be the problem. Anyway i decided to charge the battery, because it was nearly empty from the night before. Next day with full battery the same symptoms. (Sometimes empty batteries causes strange symptoms at cars. Also i decided to install a new battery at the fob, also no result. Can someone tell me where i should check the chassis ground ? Saturday, i also will check that the fuse box at the passengers side is dry without water. I hope someone has a idea. Daniel
Sounds to me something happened to the alarm unit of your car and it is not related to the indicator circuits. As someone who has worked with some regularity on electronics, I am not a big fan of contact spray as it is commonly called. It is often used liberally and randomly in connectors where in the long run it causes oxidation as much as it helped to clean it up in the past. It is best used as a cleaning agent on a cotton swab to clean individual contacts.
Any idea what happened to the Alarm unit. Had the same idea, so i bought a new fob battery today to be sure that i can arm and disarm the sytem. But no result. I have no chirp sound a a red warning light since 2,5 years, but never a problem with the indicator lights. But why i have this problem now, after 2,5 years with the red light ? Any ideas ??? Will it help to install a new Alarm Sirene ? Can i reset the Alarm system totally ? Daniel
You may find this hard to believe but the fault is with the inertia cut out switch for the fuel pumps that is mounted inside the front wing . I had exactly the same issue and it took forever to sort . I even drove the car with the indicator fuse out for a fe weeks as I The problem came and went randomly , even comming on when the car was parked and subsequently draining the battery . Fit a new unit and it will be solved . George
George, 1000 thanks !!! Exactly that was the reason. It's unbelievable. A mouse has eaten the top of the rubber cap of this inertia switch. So water came inside this switch from a. refilling the cooling system or b. from the side vent when washing the car. I cleaned the switch with clean water and then with air until it was 100 % dry. After installing the switch, everything works. No indicators. Now i will search a new rubber cap for the switch or buy a new switch from Alfa, Fiat, Ford (it's the same type "PBT-GF15"). Fantastic forum, thanks, Daniel
When the cat's away, the mice will play!... Quand le chat n’est pas là, les souris dansent! There's a saying for it in every language. I was getting erratic activity from the "Intuitive Parking Assist" on our Lexus. Turns out mice had eaten the insulation on the harness that runs across the back of the car connecting the 5 sensors. So glad you found your critter
Dave "Macht nichts", not "Mox nix". Daniel P.S. Found a rubber cap from the same type of switch in a Fiat Cinquecento that my wife drove last winter.
Not if you were in the US Army stationed in Germany in 1953-54 Haferflocken (oatmeal) is the only word I remember from kindergarten in Freiburg in 1938
Alles ist abge****ten? Omnia hæc bibebant It's been a while since I was a medicus vulnerarius in Augustus' Third Legion stationed in Gallia.
Dave- You and I are old enough to remember Kilroy was here drawings. First saw them in 1959 near Wiesbaden.
