348 Intermittent Starter problem cured! | FerrariChat
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348 Intermittent Starter problem cured!

Discussion in '348/355' started by plugzit, Mar 3, 2008.

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  1. plugzit

    plugzit F1 Veteran
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    #1 plugzit, Mar 3, 2008
    Last edited by a moderator: Sep 7, 2017
    I finally got tired of the 348 hesitating after turning the key to the start position. Sometimes it took a few turns of the key before the starter would kick in. Getting off my leaden @ss, I removed the starter and removed the 3 bolts holding the cover on the back of the solenoid. (The cover is zinc coated, the 3 bolts use an 8mm socket or phillips screwdriver. There's a gasket that may hesitate to let loose). Inside, I found that one of the contacts (on the left in the pic) for the solenoid plunger was canted due to someone overtightening the battery-to-starter cable. Yes, they're connected by a funny little one-piece bolt thingie. The canted contact had buggered up the copper washer-like thing (These are highly technical terms, so you may want a dictionary) that conducts the charge across to the starter motor. A file and some cleaning with a natural fiber parts cleaning device (that's a shop-rag) and voila! it works fine now. Total cost $0. The Ferrari dealer just felt the loss of a few hundred bucks!
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  2. whyte

    whyte Formula Junior

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    #2 whyte, Mar 3, 2008
    Nice! I see this procedure in my immediate future as well. Nothing makes your heart skip like turning the key and.. nothing. ;)
     
  3. plugzit

    plugzit F1 Veteran
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    #3 plugzit, Mar 3, 2008
    It only happens when personal embarassment is guaranteed.
     
  4. No Doubt

    No Doubt Seven Time F1 World Champ

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    #4 No Doubt, Mar 3, 2008
    There's a little blue pill for that problem, big guy!
     
  5. gothspeed

    gothspeed F1 World Champ

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    #5 gothspeed, Mar 3, 2008
    Awesome :)!!
     
  6. plugzit

    plugzit F1 Veteran
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    #6 plugzit, Mar 3, 2008
    PILL?????!!!!!!! I thought it was a suppository!
     
  7. Vegas-Guy

    Vegas-Guy Formula 3

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    #7 Vegas-Guy, Mar 3, 2008
    Great job....:D
     
  8. Miltonian

    Miltonian F1 Veteran

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    #8 Miltonian, Mar 4, 2008
    Is that a Bosch starter or a Nippondenso?
     
  9. MaterMech

    MaterMech Formula Junior

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    #9 MaterMech, Mar 4, 2008
    LOL! Nothing like beating on the starter with a squeedze at a gas station to spark up a scene :)
     
  10. Miltonian

    Miltonian F1 Veteran

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    #10 Miltonian, Mar 4, 2008
    I hope this works, I really do - but since I don't see any signs of arcing, I would still have my suspicions that the problem is in the ignition switch. Time will tell....
     
  11. MaterMech

    MaterMech Formula Junior

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    #11 MaterMech, Mar 4, 2008
    Actually take a look at the right contact too! The ring on the magnet never fairs well either. Looks like ND parts though. $ 12 for new contacts for a toyota. They almost look identical!
     
  12. Night life

    Night life F1 Veteran
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    #12 Night life, Mar 4, 2008
    Jees you must be a hard a$$ ....;):D:D
     
  13. vvassallo

    vvassallo F1 Veteran

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    #13 vvassallo, Mar 4, 2008
    I just love these stories. :) It gives me hope that whatever happens to this car, I will always be able to fix it with spit and a rag. :D
     
  14. mad dog

    mad dog Formula Junior

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    #14 mad dog, Mar 4, 2008
    Ive been looking at replacing the battery lead to the starter to do away with the connector under the air box. Unfortunately the nut onto the starter is solid as solid can be. I have tried being quite strict with it, but no joy. seeing it is connected inside I'm even more reluctant to tackle it. any suggestions to loosen without wrecking it completely? obviously tried copious amounts of wd40 etc.
     
  15. plugzit

    plugzit F1 Veteran
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    #15 plugzit, Mar 4, 2008
    As a last resort, you could try a nutcracker. (No, that's not the tease you dated in High School). They should have one at the parts store. I'm not certain if you can get it on the nut on the car, tho. Alternatively, I think the nut underneath the cable is a 14, so you could use a very thin wrench (we used to call them tappet wrenches back in the stone age) as a stop wrench to keep the terminal from turning. Good luck.
     
  16. mad dog

    mad dog Formula Junior

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    #16 mad dog, Mar 4, 2008
    cruel reminder of many years ago, but thanks i shall return to those days and crack away.
    ta
     
  17. DMOORE

    DMOORE Formula 3

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    #17 DMOORE, Mar 4, 2008

    I've purchased a very cheap wrench and grinded it thin for the same purpuse.


    Darrell.
     
  18. PAP 348

    PAP 348 Ten Time F1 World Champ
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    #18 PAP 348, Mar 4, 2008
    Nice fix Plugz. :):)

    If it is indeed the problem. :p:p
     
  19. plugzit

    plugzit F1 Veteran
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    #19 plugzit, Mar 4, 2008
    Maybe the problem fixed itself while I was doing this, in which case I was wrong. Maybe that stuff inside the solenoid was the way it was supposed to be and I've just created a problem down the road by misadjusting something that was adjusted right. I remember one other time I was wrong.... But overall, I've found that if it has a problem before I work on it and it doesn't have a problem after I work on it, it's fixed. :):)
     
  20. Saint Bastage

    Saint Bastage F1 Rookie

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    #20 Saint Bastage, Mar 4, 2008
    in an effort to assist walclare

    Can the battery cable be disconnected at the other end allowing the solenoid cover to be seperated from the starter and worked on "on the bench"? Might allow for better access/vise/heat etc... If your replacing it any way...just cut the cable.
     
  21. ernie

    ernie Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #21 ernie, Mar 4, 2008
    Hahaha!

    Isn't that the truth!
     
  22. mseals

    mseals Two Time F1 World Champ
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    #22 mseals, Mar 5, 2008
    Saint sounds like a Bomb Tech....

    "Blue wire? Red wire? Blue wire? Red wire? Why didn't I listen closer in training?"

    !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

    Mike in Kuwait
     
  23. Night life

    Night life F1 Veteran
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    #23 Night life, Mar 5, 2008
    Ha ha ha.
     

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