NEW MONDIAL OWNER! - Need some help

Hi guys! I just picked up a 1989 Mondial T cab, red on tan with 16k miles on it. Its a beautiful car but there appears to be something wrong with the clutch. I havent had a chance to take a look at it to determine what is going on. But I wanted to check all the fluids in the car and being a new Ferrari owner, I am not sure where all the fluid reservoirs are located. For instance, is the oil dipstick and spout in the right corner towards the front of the car (rear of the engine compartment)? There is no marking on it stating what it is.

So who knows how to check the oil and who can tell me? LOL!

And is the most common problem with the clutches, the master slave cylinder seal?

Thanks in advance guys. I am excited about this little roadster and look forward to cruising around the Texas Hill Country in the near future.

Jason

 

any help?

we are working on it tonight and it would be nice to check all the fluids.
I dont have the manual yet and am looking to find a good automotive book for the Mondial. Any recommendations?


thanks again!

 

There are some manuals on the Ferrari Owners site free downloads. I'm not sure which ones are available but worth a look. Hope you enjoy your new toy. Post some pics.

Dave

 

thanks Dave. Where is the Ferrari owners site?

Do you know if the oil dipstick and the place to the put the oil is in the back right corner of the engine bay on an 89 Mondial T?

Thanks!

 

also, the brake reservoir is full. does this mean there is no leak or problem with the clutch slave cylinder?

It is my understanding that the car was at a light, the previous owner accidentally popped the clutch and the car would no longer go into gear. Anyone have any idea what happened to the clutch?

Thanks again!

 

OK, first go to www.owners.ferrari.com and sign up for an account. You will have to give them some information on your car that they verify and then they will give you an account. Takes a couple days. Once you can log in there, you can download a .pdf of the owners manual.

I can't help you with the Mondial T, I have no experience with them. Hopefully someone else can chime in.

Birdman

 

Thanks Birdman. I will go register at the other site and download a manual.

We played around with the car until 5 am this morning. We changed the oil, filled up the tires, filled it up with gas, added new anti-freeze, put a new battery in it, and checked all the fluids.

From a cosmetic standpoint, the car is a 9. It is perfect outside and inside. Mechanically, we found a few issues. The first one we knew about and the other two appear to be simple. The engine runs strong. SOUNDS GREAT! But here is what needs to be repaired, any help would be greatly appreciated.

1. The radiator fans do not turn on and the car starts to run a little hot. We added a gallon of new anti-freeze. But noticed that after 30 mins or so of idling that the car began to get a little hot. We also noticed that the fans are not working. We checked the fuses and they looked to be ok. Any other known problems with the fans turning on?

i have seen some threads about an upgraded or new fuse box. Does that apply to an 89 mondial T? And how can i tell if i have one?

2. Accelerator pedal doesnt do anything. The pedal doesnt appear to be connected to any kind of spring or wire. It has a solid screw behind it to keep it from traveling anymore forward. But there is no throttle mechanism. What is missing? Btw, the engine revs beautifully from the engine compartment.

3. The car will not go in gear, any gear. The clutch pedal is full and with good pressure. The brake reservoir is full. The car just will not go into gear. I can physically put the shifter into any gear without any grinding or anything but none of the gears engage. It just acts like it is still in neutral. Any ideas?

Once again, thank you all so much in advance! I really appreciate you guys helping us. I promise i wont keep asking for advice over and over and i do use the search button before i ask! lol!!!

Thanks.

Jason

 

Here's a few links for picking up a manual and other technical manuals. The second one is pretty big bucks but maybe in line with what they should cost. Ebay link is for a 1990 model but maybe is the same as 1989 for at least referring to if can be had cheap enough. Or keep looking, ebay seems to have these come up a lot. Sorry, can't help with your current issues, doesn't sound good but good luck!

Jeff

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/Ferrari-Mondial-T-Technical-Manual-1990-US-Version_W0QQitemZ330062033959QQihZ014QQcategoryZ119133QQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

http://www.ferraribooks.com/

http://www.ferrari.jenkins.org/books/

 

The oil dipstick and the filler spout are located in the back right corner of the engine bay on the Mondial t. You can also download the owner's manual from the Ferrari Owner's site, as previously recommended.

 

Hi,
congrats on the car. i hope to go that way as well in the near future.
You can also download the owners' manual here:

http://www.ferraridatabase.com/The_Downloads/The%20Documents/Owners%20Manual%20Mondial%20T%201989%20US.pdf

from this site:

http://www.ferraridatabase.com/The_Downloads/Downloads.htm

Best
Jurgen

 

Sorry, but without pictures of the car you won't get much help













Just kidding...but we really would like to see some pictures of it!

 

thank you all for your responses thus far. I will follow up on downloading the manuals as soon as I get back to austin.

the car is at our ranch a little south of Dallas until tuesday when it will be transported down to Austin. I will get some pics up as
shortly thereafter.

thanks again and please keep the responses coming. your help is greatly appreciated!

jason

 

Hmmmmm South Fork? I bought a at an auction there

Dave

 

Sir, the cooling fans can be easily checked for proper function by bridging the radiator fans switch with the key on and seeing if they come on. Either the fan switch is bad (if they do come on) or the relay is a problem.

I've owned and serviced dozens of Mondials and by the t, the fuse box is not an issue anymore, unless someone has monkeyed with it. Not an issue.

The throttle pedal is connected to the engine with a normal cable. It's either broken or come unfastened at the pedal (inside the center console) or at the center of the rear treadle at the rear of the intake plenums.

You have a clutch or transaxle issue. I would remove the exhaust and remove the clutch/flywheel assembly. Then I would put it in gear, roll the car forward and make sure there is a mechanical connection between the axle shafts turning and the output shaft from the clutch. If there is, the clutch is the issue, if not, the transaxle need to come apart.

HTH.

-Peter

 

With all the trouble you've listed I sure hope you bought this car REALLY cheap. Obviously a PPI wasn't done.

 

thanks lolaman for your guidance and help! I am working on the car with my dad who is a fairly good mechanic. I will relay your help to him and we will begin tracking down and resolving the issues. Thanks again!

and yes I knew about the issues before purchasing the car. from what I have seen so far, they are not major issues but just a few things that need to taken care of. most importantly, the engine is in perfect shape and also, the exterior and interior are flawless!
the car looks and sounds like it is brand new. now if I can just get it to go into gear and not overheat! lol!

it should be a fun adventure!

Thanks again lolaman!

Jason

 

lol! no we dont own Southfork. our ranch is just a little smaller... lol! we have 33 acres with 12 longhorns and 6 horses. we are in the process of moving it down to the hill country.

Jason

 

I also have a 89 t cab, (my 2nd!) love that car and that year! anyway they are great cars esp. at the current price level so congrats. Please remembver the car is a dry sump so you need to check the oil level right after you shut the car engine off, do not overfill. you also have the twin disc clutch in that year, very easy to work on but expensive parts (what isn't?)

 

thanks for the tips and information!

THE CAR IS ON ITS WAY FROM DALLAS! it should be in my garage within the next few hours. I am excited! lol!

 

ok the car is in the garage and here is a pic from my Treo camera.... not the best but still a pic!

more to follow from a real camera! lol!

she is a little dusty but that wont last for long! i am having fun! lol!
Image Unavailable, Please Login

 

quick update:

the throttle is fixed. the cable had come off the throttle pulley back on the engine. it was an easy fix!

we are working on the fans now. we checked both fans and they are getting power. how can i bridge the fans to see if the thermal switch is the problem? do i cut into the fan wires? or do i unplug the thermal switch and wire directly into the thermal switch wire?

and the shift lever is not loose and it does not go easy into any of the gears. it feels and acts like (from the driver's compartment) everything is working fine. my guess is the clutch plates inside the clutch are gone. would that cause it to act the way it is?

your help is appreciated!

 

If the clutch was gone it wouldnt go into gear at all ....while running that is.
Engine stopped,..select a gear and try to rock it....what happens...

If you have power to both fans check the earth which can at times comes thru the switch at the radiator. it is activated by temerature...these thermo switches are notorious for playing up.

Good news on the throttle

 

what do you mean by "check the earth?" does that mean to check to see if the thermo switch is grounded?

Thanks!

 

BTW, the 89 mondial T had a recall....very important to check that the steel braided fuel lines have been replced , the OEM lines had alum end fittings that tended to corrode and leak, the factory or dealer will replace them for free (after a real big fight) if they have not been done, the dealer can punch in the VIN and check if it has been done. I would bet that they were indeed updated since this was a mandatory DOT recall.

 

ok i put it in gear when the car was off and tried to rock it, it felt like it does when the e-brake is on. i then started the car and put it in 1st and revved the engine slowly to 2500 rpms and the car started moving forward very slowly. it did the same thing in reverse.


And thanks NYC for the tip on the recall. I will check it out.