400i Ignition lock

Call/visit Dennis's co. for the igniton & door locks @ http://www.allferrariparts.com/

If/when you get keys made, don't make copies, get keys 'cut to code' @ http://keys4classics.com/

 

Grahame

I hope that you are able to solve your problem more cheaply than your quote of 1850 Euros! Welcome to FChat and welcome to the subforum! There are some extremely knowledgeable people on this board and I am quite sure that one or more of them will help you get your 400i back on the road so that you can resume enjoying these fabulous machines.

When you get a chance, we would love to hear more about your car and see some pictures.

John

 

i agree with bruce on ...http://keys4classics.com/ ....great place and service..

 

ward! what a story. where are you located. mitchell. and have you found a reasonable solution

 

Hi, I just purchased a steering lock. I got it from the uk, europarts. This is the original part I think, from Neiman, a german company. It looks exactly the same as the old one.
Details are below :
£395 for part no.127298
> £26 for UPS shipping
> £63.15 for vat
> £484.15 total



The issue I face now is that there was a mishapp and the old lock is blocked again. So I can't move the car to the mechanics.
I had a look to determine whether it could be a DIY job. When removing the central clock/gas/oil ... part, it seems to be the required space to withdraw the old smith and fit the new one.
But the withdrawal of the lock won't be easy. There is apparently just one bolt, but there is no space around so a usual tool won't make it I'm afraid. If anyone has a clue, that would be valuable.

I hope you'll soon hear the engine of your car !

Olivier

 

Ooops. I add something. The reference on their web site is obsolete so as the price. Don't rely on the web site, it will allow to proceed the order, you think everything is fine, and you'll get an email saying that ref 106614 is now 127298 and that you can cancel your order or pay the difference. (50% more expensive). I can pm you my order ref if you want and the contact person, just ask for the same. Olivier

 

Grahame,

Once sorted, 400is should be quite reliable. However, this is a complex car that is now quite old. It sounds like your car has quite a few differed maintainance issues. I would strongly reccomend having a professional inspection performed on the car (basically a PPI but in this case a POST Purchase Inspection) to get a detailed understanding of what you are up against.

- I suspect that the suspension is on its way out (this is common due to the weight and perfomance of the car + the age of the rubber bits). If it is, redo it - the result will be a totally different driving experience! (also check the tires - if they are older, get new ones - driving on hockey pucks is not fun)

- The motor should be checked carefully as if it has issues, the rebuild is prohibitively expensive.

- Electrics - electrical components in this model do not seem to age well; go through the car completely as fixing things when they break will make you miserable for years. In sorting these issues, get creative; few, if any, of these bits are Ferrari specific. Find the off brand equivilent and save a lot!

- Misc - check and flush the cooling system and brakes - check the driveline (auto trans is no problem and cheap to rebuild) u-joints, diff, etc. Issues should be easy to spot and fixing them now will keep you from getting stranded.

- Check for rust - cosmetics are one thing but if the frame has issues, this may be a problem.

Once you have done the mechanical bits and the car is reliable, then tackle the cosmetic issues.

If you stick it out and get the differed maintainance and age related issues resolved, I think you will find that this is really a wonderful and reliable car!

Good luck,

Art S.

 

Holy Cow!! You've got to be kidding me! Maybe do w/o registration (& insurance) for a year or 2 & get things sorted out on your schedule.

 

Since this thread deals with ignition lock, maybe a f-chatter can provide with assistance.

I bought a new steering lock.

By the time I was able to start the engine, the mechanics left on holiday. So I wonder if I could remove the old steering lock and mount the new one by myself.
I searched a bit and found
http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=217900
So, according to Jacques, this is feasible.

Anyway, practically some questions arise :
Do I have to remove the leather covered part (see picture, part "A") ?

There is a B bolt, (see picture), I guess this is what Jacques describes as "technically it's the security bolt and it is supposed to be wacked off".
In order to help the removing, do I have to touch the C bolts or any other bolt? Or is it supposed, once the B bolt is away, to
slip easily out of the D part ?

Thanks in advance

Olivier
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This lock looks the same as the one on my 330. When mine broke, I removed it and hotwired the car for a while until I got the new parts - I've gotten pretty good a hotwiring old Ferraris; I wonder how I could make use of this skill

If on my 330 the installation is fairly straightforward, I'm not sure if the 400's setup is much different.

Regards,

Art S.

 

Thanks for your answer, I am afraid I won't tell you where the car is being parked ...
I can start the engine, the steering is free, now I can move the car.
The question is to remove the old steering ock and put the new one. I'm just back from the garage. There is not that much space to slip the steering lock, that is quite a long part, out of its compartment. That's why I asked whether the 'B' part should be removed.

Olivier

 

My guess is 'no'.

 

..Oops. I wanted to say the 'A' part instead of 'B'. But Brett got it :

Brett,
Thanks for your answer.

Olivier

 

Olivier,

I cannot instruct you on how to remove the assembly as on my 330, the mechanism is more simply installed. But I am curious, why are you replacing the entire assembly rather than the small piece that is broken?

Is the area where the key goes jamming or is there a problem with the electrical contacts?

The thread you linked to is a good reference. The tumblers (section where the key goes) should be able to be repaired by an experienced locksmith - this is not something for a car mechanic of Ferrari mechanic.

The electric contacts is a standard Bosch part and attached with two screws.

I believe either problem is a straight forward repair that does not require the replacement of thw whole assembly, unless I am missing something.

Or just hotwire it - girls are impressed that you can do this... until they find out its your own car...

Good luck!

Art S.

 

Excellent suggestion. I'll be thinking about this strategy and its 'now we have only limited time before going to jail, let's make good use of it' promising extension.

Well, it all began with a locksmith making a poor copy of the key. First use, the key stayed stuck within the tumblers and eventually broke inside. The locksmith was summoned and was proposed an offer he could not refuse : remove the key. The locksmith is still alive but as you can guess now the tumblers is dead. Any screwdriver allows to start the engine (except the very day I had to drive the car to the mechanics before he leaves on holiday, Murphy's law, so the car is still at the garage).
The electrical contacts are ok.

What I did is that I looked at the catalog parts on different web sites, I haven't seen the tumblers in its glory, always the full assembly. So I infered that there was one part to change, the full assembly.

To be frank, the clever idea -that you have- to buy a new tumblers instead of the whole assembly did not cross my mind !

I went friday to a very specialised locksmith, known from car collectors, it turned out there are solutions to problems like 'the tumblers is fine but the key is lost' situation, so I guess your brilliant idea was an option. Anyway, I already bought the assembly, so now I have to deal with it and the advantage is that the tumblers is already in place.

Thanks for your answer.

Olivier

 

Interesting path you have chosen Olivier! To me it seems like an expensive fix to a cheap problem. At least have the original repaired so you will have a spare on the shelf for next time

Oh, and stay away from the original locksmith!

Regards,

Art S.