328 GTS Assorted Questions

[cmaione]

1986, 30,000 miles, all service done to date. A few questions?

Best octane gas?

Best motor oil?

Any suggested techniques for cleaning the engine (top and bottom)?

Center console switches for LH and RH temperatures AND the air flow aiming seem to be intermittent / not working (the LED ramp isn't moving up & down) - how do you pry out these switches for cleaning / replacing?

Fan indicator light not working, how do you pry out for replacing?

Where can I get a new shift knob?

[Auraraptor]

Welcome to the site! Great choice of car! I hope I can help as much as possible.

Originally Posted by cmaione

Best octane gas?

You can run it on a lower octane, but ideal would be a nice 93, 94 IMO as higher octane will reduce any chance ping at high rpms (I do not believe the car has a ping sensor that retards timing if a ping is sensed). Since this is no doubt a high rpm car, then IMO running 93/94 is in one's best interest.

Originally Posted by cmaione

Best motor oil?

I personally like Mobil 1.

Originally Posted by cmaione

Center console switches for LH and RH temperatures AND the air flow aiming seem to be intermittent / not working (the LED ramp isn't moving up & down) - how do you pry out these switches for cleaning / replacing?

As far as I know, the best way is to actually remove the whole center console and access then from below, but this is time consuming.

Originally Posted by cmaione

Fan indicator light not working, how do you pry out for replacing?

It requires the removal of the instrument cluster if I recall.

Originally Posted by cmaione

Where can I get a new shift knob?

Site sponsor Hill Engineering.

[donald]

You can get a great shift knob from Hill Engineering. It installed easily and looks great (inexpensive too).

You can for sure change the light bulb in your dash fan light without removing the cluster. Just pry off the yellow round cover and the bulb is there.

[Steve Magnusson]

Originally Posted by cmaione

...Best octane gas?...

Look it up in your OM (Section 1, Lubricants and liquids) -- it will give the minimum octane rating required (but remember that most gas pumps outside the US show the RON octane rating while gas pumps in the US show the AKI octane rating).

You don't give your location or your version in your Profile.

[hardtop]

The manual calls for premium gas but regular or mid grade will work. The compression is not high enough to require high octane.

89's call for 10-40 weight oil. I think your 86 may call for 20-50. However, the 40 weight is a better choice. Ferrari did not change the motors in any way during the run. I think synthetics are best. Castrol makes a 10-40 though many people don't thik it is a true synthetic. Mobil recommends their 0-40 for performance cars that originally used 10-40. It gives better protection when cold but still plenty when hot. That's what I am using. Any modern oil is better than what was available in 86.

Your LED's may just need cleaning or adjustment. They can be pried out from above. I believe console removal is pretty involved. The service manual has info. They are known to fail sometimes and are unfortunately pretty expensive.

Dave

[geekstreet]

1987 manual specifies 98 octane, but that would be a Euro, etc rating, not US. 4-star or 5-star is also specifed, but same comment (Euro). In Australia this relates to high-octane premium unleaded.

87 3.2 motors also call for 10W40 (Agip SINT 2000) which I understand to be a synthetic product.

[DGS]

Originally Posted by geekstreet

87 3.2 motors also call for 10W40 (Agip SINT 2000) which I understand to be a synthetic product.

SINT 2000 is a semi-synthethic, a blend of synthetic and mineral oil. It's a good pick for a car that hasn't been running full synth.

The heater controls on a 328 pry up out of the console -- they're held in by plastic spring clips at the front and back. Once those are out, you can reach in and push up the rocker switches from underneath. With the middle rocker switches out of the way, you'll see a phillips screw holding the back of the console top down. Under the ashtray is the other one. With those out, the top lifts off the console. Make sure you label any wires you take off, so you can put them back where they belong. There are more wires than wire colors under there.

Getting the heater control module out is one thing. Getting to the actual contacts inside the lump is quite another. You might want to try radio shack contact cleaner before trying to disassemble that expensive combination switch.

[f355spider]

Originally Posted by cmaione

1986, 30,000 miles, all service done to date. A few questions?

Best octane gas?

Best motor oil?

Any suggested techniques for cleaning the engine (top and bottom)?

Center console switches for LH and RH temperatures AND the air flow aiming seem to be intermittent / not working (the LED ramp isn't moving up & down) - how do you pry out these switches for cleaning / replacing?

Fan indicator light not working, how do you pry out for replacing?

Where can I get a new shift knob?

In order:

Just get the "premium" octane...in the USA that is 92/93.

Mobil 1 0w-40

The switches may be dirty, or (in my case) inside them, one or more of the solders on the boards were broken. I had an electronics "wiz" here fix it for me as a favor

Fan light? Wrap a bit of dental floss around the light and pry it out...the bulb can be replaced...but it might just be the wire can off.

Like previously said, get the knob from Hill, or our new sponsor Ricambi, who has some awesome prices on the chromed version. I just got one for my 355, ($36!), and with the hard chrome finish, should scratch as easily as the factory aluminum one....

[Gatorrari]

I use BP premium gas (same as in my Civic SI) and the car runs fine.

My '86 owners manual calls for Agip 10W-50 oil but that weight is impossible to find except in bulk. I've been using Mobil1 15W-50 but NAPA has a house brand in that weight (made by Ashland Oil) that is less expensive.

I have the same problem with my driver's side heat/fresh air temperature switch. However, I've been told that the problem may not be with the switch itself but with the flapper door in the ventilation system that controls the amount of heated air coming through the vents. You may have the same problem. I understand the switches are hard to come by and ridiculously expensive.

[f355spider]

Jim,
The doors can break, or the motor inside fail...that happened to me (flapper door in my case). The switches are no big deal. They appear to be available from Ferrari UK for about $300 delivered.

Dave