Mondial won't start!

CliffBeer · Jun 12, 2008

I have a 1988 mondial cab - has always run great and is well maintained. She hasn't been run much in the last year (driven once a month or so) and occasionally won't start from cold. My sense is that she's not getting fuel by way of an intermittently functioning fuel pump. I'm trying to form a few initial thoughts for diagnosis purposes:

1. As I recall there's a safety feature whereby the fuel pump won't run unless the engine is turning, correct? How does this circuit function?
2. Anybody know if there's a Bosch cross ref for the fuel pump? So I don't have to go pay Ferrari dealer prices for a Bosch fuel pump that likely fits alfa, fiat, hyundai, etc.....
3. I haven't pulled a plug yet but will do so - the ignition system is well maintained. I'll be looking to see if the plug is wet or not.
4. The fuse in the fused relay for the ECU has blown once or twice so I'll take a look there in case that's it.

Any thoughts on what else to look for? Thanks in advance!

eulk328 · Jun 13, 2008

CliffBeer said: ↑

I have a 1988 mondial cab - has always run great and is well maintained. She hasn't been run much in the last year (driven once a month or so) and occasionally won't start from cold. My sense is that she's not getting fuel by way of an intermittently functioning fuel pump. I'm trying to form a few initial thoughts for diagnosis purposes:

"2. Anybody know if there's a Bosch cross ref for the fuel pump? So I don't have to go pay Ferrari dealer prices for a Bosch fuel pump that likely fits alfa, fiat, hyundai, etc....."

There is a Bosch part number (not Ferrari #) on the pump but it will be hard or impossible to read with the pump in place. Then just order the part using the Bosch number. Few if any of the cars you mentioned used the CIS injection as far as I know. Cars that certainly used it were Porsche, Mercedes, Audi etc. The fuel pump may have been used in one of these or they may have used a slightly different version (and part #) of the pump. In any event I would make sure the pump really is defective before you buy one (unless you can get one real cheap). Hard start/no start from cold can be caused by many things. The fuel pump would not be my primary suspect.
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CliffBeer · Jun 13, 2008

eulk328 said: ↑

CliffBeer said: ↑

I have a 1988 mondial cab - has always run great and is well maintained. She hasn't been run much in the last year (driven once a month or so) and occasionally won't start from cold. My sense is that she's not getting fuel by way of an intermittently functioning fuel pump. I'm trying to form a few initial thoughts for diagnosis purposes:

"2. Anybody know if there's a Bosch cross ref for the fuel pump? So I don't have to go pay Ferrari dealer prices for a Bosch fuel pump that likely fits alfa, fiat, hyundai, etc....."

There is a Bosch part number (not Ferrari #) on the pump but it will be hard or impossible to read with the pump in place. Then just order the part using the Bosch number. Few if any of the cars you mentioned used the CIS injection as far as I know. Cars that certainly used it were Porsche, Mercedes, Audi etc. The fuel pump may have been used in one of these or they may have used a slightly different version (and part #) of the pump. In any event I would make sure the pump really is defective before you buy one (unless you can get one real cheap). Hard start/no start from cold can be caused by many things. The fuel pump would not be my primary suspect.
Click to expand...

Hi there,

Thanks, turns out you're exactly correct - the culprit was a semi-burned and corroded plug-in connection at the fuse box (not the pump itself). Given how weak the fuse boxes are on these mondials I guess it's not surprising. I just cleaned the contacts in the plug-in connector and she started right up. Long term however, there's obviously a better fix which includes cutting the wires, soldering on a new plug-in connector and cleaning everything and using a little dialetric grease.

Thanks! Good instincts!
Click to expand...

eulk328 · Jun 14, 2008

CliffBeer said: ↑

eulk328 said: ↑

Hi there,

Thanks, turns out you're exactly correct - the culprit was a semi-burned and corroded plug-in connection at the fuse box (not the pump itself). Given how weak the fuse boxes are on these mondials I guess it's not surprising. I just cleaned the contacts in the plug-in connector and she started right up. Long term however, there's obviously a better fix which includes cutting the wires, soldering on a new plug-in connector and cleaning everything and using a little dialetric grease.

Thanks! Good instincts!
Click to expand...

Glad to hear it was a simple fix. I harp on it a lot but I can't emphasize enough what a good idea it is to take apart electrical connectors whenever you're near them, inspect, clean and add some grease if needed. Even taking a whole weekend, just once, to get at every electrical connector you possibly can. You'll probably eliminate many electrical problems that were "on the horizon."
Click to expand...

No Doubt · Jun 15, 2008

CliffBeer said: ↑

...there's obviously a better fix which includes cutting the wires, soldering on a new plug-in connector and cleaning everything and using a little dialetric grease.

...
Click to expand...

Dielectric grease is great stuff, but it goes *outside* of electrical connections (e.g. on the ceramic of spark plugs and on the inside rubber of spark plug boots).

The word "dielectric" means "does not conduct electricity." It's an insulator. You use dielectric grease to keep water out...but you shouldn't just put dielectric directly onto metal conducting surfaces, as it adds resistance (very bad thing for fragile electrical and electronic systems).

Anyway, I mention the above because dielectric grease is so frequently misused...even by the pros.

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