I need a new ignition switch

I suggest you replace the starter relay and/or fuse before pushing off a cliff or purchasing a ignition switch. Cleaning all fuse contacts on the main fuse board is also a good idea. Checking the cable plugs that attach to the main electrical board would be a good idea as well. Perhaps the starter itself needs some attention as well.

DavidJ

 

I installed a secondary relay at my starter. Sometimes you would turn the key and nothing, no sound. Installed the extra relay and never a problem again. You must remember the starter takes the most voltage and amperage of anything. The Battery is in the front, the starter is in the back and the switch and relays are in the front. That's a whole lot of wiring and connectors to lose voltage. The relay kit I used had a wiring harness that was plug and play after drilling out one wire end. It is for a John Deere 318 lawn tractor and around 15 bucks

 

Check all grounding cables.

 

Please listen to what others have said! By the time the voltage arrives at the starter it has dropped to approximately 8-10 volts which is insufficient to trigger the starter solenoid. Add the remote relay, at the starter, and away you go! The procedure has been discussed many times on this forum.

 

The fact that you indicate you do not have a starter relay is a serious/dangerous issue. You are pumping !!Lots!!! of amperage through the ignition switch and that is a NO NO.

DavidJ

 

Yes, the amount of voltage drop can be pretty baffling.

Diz, have you checked the battery quick disconnect (lower left side of the engine bay along the cradle frame rail)? Mike had a problem with his... broke apart I believe.

Previously, I was nearly convinced that my ignition switch was bad and took apart practically the whole steering column. But it tested good. Turned out that my fuse box board was bad, one that had been replaced only a few years earlier. If your "new" one is an OEM replacement then I'm betting that's your problem. They are a known weak point (poor design). The SRI upgrade fixed my intermittent no-crank problem.

Which reminds me... are you experiencing a "no start" or "no crank". The former being that the engine turns over normally but doesn't light off.

 

Putting so much amperage through the standard ignition switch is the reason you need a new one. When you get one, Norwood not withstanding, I suggest you put a relay in-line. Fusing does not protect the internal contacts of the ignition switch from all of the amperage that is drawn to the starter. Those contacts are not designed to handle such a load.
And, BTW I find it hard to believe a place like Norwood would eliminate a key part such as a starter relay. I don't think there is any car, anywhere, sports, race, custom or luxury that would not have a starter relay. It is a basic design requirement. Huge loads cannot go through small thin contacts that you will find in an ignition switch. This is basic electrical engineering.

Anyway:
Try FerrParts on the west coast. They have many Ferrari wrecks that they break for parts.
Mondials, TRs and many more. Reasonable prices too.
Also, Maranello Auto Parts in the UK is a good source. They found a the very rare "B" pillar in Switzerland for me last year.

Good luck.

DavidJ

 

Never were any relays in the ignition circuit. That's probably why connector "W" burns/melts.
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I guess the "T" version is much more car. My starter relay gave me trouble and I replaced it. No more starter issues. No burned cables or fuse board issues (at least not yet).
My relay is located in the engine compartment below the expansion tank. $15.

DavidJ

 

I bypassed the battery disconnect switch on mine, first thing. It was a problem when I had my Mondial 8 as well (internal corrosion).

Speaking of bypassing, can you slave in a momentary toggle switch (spring-loaded back to off) to simulate/isolate the ignition switch? If so, that will save you a lot of time.

 

That's an understatement. One look through your repair manual confirms it.

 

There are a couple of guys on a French site breaking several Mondials

Pièces ferrari mondial 8 / qv / 3.2 etc Equipement Auto Nord - leboncoin.fr
his personal email: [email protected]
and the picture list of his items for sale
Profil de Ferrari_mondial_parts sur HostingPics.net
ignition switch (2d album, 2d page, bottom right)

and
Piece mondial ferrari Equipement Auto Marne - leboncoin.fr
his personal email: [email protected]
he's breaking a '85 QV

no affiliation, etc etc
Best
Jurgen

 

I'm sorry to hear about the issues you are having with your car! I had an intermittent (hot) start issue as well, and it was extremely frustrating. I couldn't really enjoy my car, as I couldn't trust it to always start.

I recommend that you go ahead and have the starter relay put in. It's relatively easy to do (assuming that you can get to the starter, which isn't always easy, especially for cars with the heat shield in place!), and is very inexpensive.

If that doesn't solve the problem, then you should take Wade's recommendation and install an "Engine Start" button to bypass the ignition switch. (If the button fixes the issue, then you can use it while you search for an OEM switch.)

Good luck!

 

After you sort out the ignition switch, highly recommend you add this:

Amazon.com: Bosch WR1 Starter Relay: Automotive (just one source).

It puts a relay between the wiring from the ignition and the starter itself. So the wire acts as a trigger for the relay to do the work. We took some extra time on mine (not hard, but hard to reach the starter) and put the fuses in the trunk, against the back wall with the ECU's, for easy access. I can take a picture of the mounted relay if needed.

Good luck on getting it sorted.

Regards,
Jerry

 

Jerry, could you shoot a picture of how it looks if it's not too much trouble? I to am hesitant to drive my 8 with my hot start issues. I plan on replacing the accumulator, cleaning wires, going through the fuse box and hopefully installing this Starter Relay you've mentioned. Does it really do the trick? Thanks for the good info.

Ken

 

Those can be rebuilt. Ricambi has a source.

 

Its for a 348 but heres some instructions from when I fitted a bosch relay to my 34 and never had a problem since

Bosch WR-1 Hard Start Relay Fitting

 

I was feeling a bit foolish after looking at the schematic you posted but the "T is totally different. Vindication!!

One last idea I have:
This has happened to me in the past on another car:
Sometimes a connector crimp to a cable gets a bit of corrosion at the crimp and that will cause a huge resistive load to be placed on the entire system. This will drop the voltage and raise the amperage through the system. This will raise the temp of the cables and it begins to wreak havoc with connectors everywhere. You might check all of the cable/connectors in the pathway to the starter from the battery (including the ignition switch cables/crimps).
I actually had this exact thing happen with a lamp in my house a few months ago. I cut the connector off and crimped a new one on, and that was that.

Don't drive the car off a cliff!!
Everything can be fixed with the right talent, time and of course money.

DavidJ

 

I'll try to get to it in the morning to show you how it is mounted in the trunk. 348Jeff posted the install instructions. Instructions also come with the kit if I recall correctly.

I have upgraded my fusebox to SRI (well worth the $$$ IMHO) and I have not had any hot start problems since adding the relay. For under $20, almost a no brainer as insurance.

Regards,
Jerry