328 gts stalled, wont start

Weird thing today, I tried to start my 328 (like I usually do a few times a week If I cant drive it) and let it run, after around 10 - 15 minutes when I went to check it, it was not running, I tried to start it, but I got nothing! the lights on the dash were on and the door dome lights were lit when I opened the door but I got no crank at all.
I left the house for around an hour and when I got back I tried again, I got one small crank and that's it, Its a new battery only a few months old!
What do you think? its never stalled on me before.

 

Well:

1. spark?
2. Fuel?

easy way is to check if you have the fuel pump running by disconnecting the frequency valve ( blue connector on the fuel distributer - you should hear a loud buzzing noise. if not - then i would suspect an electrical connections is gone... with the cold weather extremes not suprised.

check fuses - & conectors behind the passengers foot well and in the rear trunk right hand side - you have to remove 2-4 bolts to access the pannel that has all the F-I stuff on it.

its odd that it ran and shut off... - hope you have gas?

 

The battery may not be charged enough for the starter. Your altenator is possibly at fault. Charge the battery to full and try again. If it starts check the battery terminal voltage while running. It should be around 13-14 volts.

 

If it doesn't crank/turnover, it's your battery.

 

Did you get any click from the starter solenoid at all when it didn't crank?

It is probably battery but there is a connector next to the top LH shock mount which is exposed to water ingress and can corrode and cause intermittent no start.

At the risk of starting a whole debate, there is questionable benefit in starting a car several times a week when not driving it.

 

I used to have a battery tender hooked up in my old GT4, I wanted to get it set up on the 328 but I got too busy and the winter creeped up on me.
I've been conditioned with the Italian philosophy of never letting a car sit too long!

 

It has been discussed quite a lot here, but I am among those who do not regularly start my two 328s, even when cold in winter, outside for driving. I never "warm them only": if I start a car, it means a drive.
They both accept very well to remain with the big red ground connector behind the left light pod disconnected, without any battery tender; their batteries hold charge and the cars always start first time after a month or so.
I seem to recall that our own Mike996, on this forum, leaves his car as such for period of up to five months.

Rgds

 

Batteries discharge all by themselves regardless of being connected or not. The rate at which they discharge is dependent on guess what - temperature. Below is typical lead acid battery. When it gets below a certain point the battery becomes toast. It's the alchemy of batteries to transform from battery to toast. Just add cold.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

 

As was noted, I leave my 328, battery disconnected, every winter for a minimum of 5 months. One year it went 7 months. Upon arriving back at the car after that period I connect the battery neg terminal, turn the key and the car starts as if it had been running yesterday. Other than adding Stabil to the gas and doing a 10+ mile run before putting the car in the garage and disconnecting the batt, I do no other engine-related prep for storage. The battery was new in 2008 and has been through 4 winters so far with no noticeable decline in performance. The car is stored in an unheated shed in the Kent Island area of MD so it gets pretty cold…though nothing like the more northern areas of the US.

 

Wow , it seems too easy! just disconnect the battery and wait till spring!
I wonder why it stalled though, hmm... I guess I'll try and jump it and take it from there.
Thanks guys, I owe you all a nice espresso!

 

don`t do it or you might destroy the Microplex ecu...would not be the first one -
try a new battery first (and clean grounds)

 

When you start it and let it run, are you giving it a bit of revs (after good oil pressure) to turn off the red dash light, activating the alternator? If you don't do this, you will deplete the battery.
Greg

 

My thought exacty. Replace the battery and check if the alternator light turns off.

 

good to know, I usually do not right away, I usually wait till it warms a bit before I rev it

 

I just got this battery 2 months ago, is it absolutely necessary to go with a new battery?
In Aug.while I was in Italy, my father left the door ajar and the dome lights killed the old battery , that one we jumped, but it didn't last too long.

 

Hi Stefano, if you can hear the fuel pump working & battery voltage is more than 13V, check the spark plugs.

 

On 308's the number 1 fuse for the windshield wipers also feeds the fuel pump. If it's blown that will stop the car from starting...

 

"On 308's the number 1 fuse for the windshield wipers also feeds the fuel pump."

now THERE"S a clever piece of engineering…I'm not sure that even Lucas came up with anything that innovative!

 

Odds are its a dead battery. IMO, just another adverse effect from intermitant starting during winter storage. The alternator is not charging the battery until the light goes out. I had a voltage gauge in my ex 308 and that was very clear to see.

IMWO... When she goes to sleep for the winter, fresh oil, fresh gas (no ethanol if you can find it), stabil, battery tender or pull the battery and don't touch it until the next season.

 

Check this battery connection before you spend a penny! I had the same problem vexing me -- the car would sometimes fail to start, usually at the worst possible moment -- and my mechanic fixed it by just cleaning the connector. The problem was that the alternator was working, but couldn't feed enough juice through the corroded connector to the battery, which would deplete itself enough that it couldn't turn the starter. It just happened rather embarrassingly last night at the grand opening party for the new Scottsdale Ferrari dealership. Fortunately there were many understanding folks there to provide a good push!

 

Thanks Ted, will do

 

I was having a problem with the spark plug extenders there
for a few weeks, and the car was running a bit rough, I used electrical tape on the front extenders and it improved, but it was not running 100% I had just ordered new extenders when I went out to try and start the car!

 

I have a little more than a quarter tank and added Lucas ethanol fuel treatment at my last fill up, you think I should add more gas? No ethanol free gas anywhere around here!
So cold here in NY, I doubt I'll be able to change the oil until spring, checked it the other day and it was still clean looking , last service was done last Feb, I put maybe 1,000 miles tops since then.
At this point I might just disconnect the battery and wait, I just hate not knowing exactly what happened lol
Great to know about the alternator light, I never revved the engine until it was warm.

 

Happened to me once: My Mondial was running fine. Sent the car to top up AC gas. My mechanic cranked for 10-15sec but couldn't start the engine as he didn't press gas pedal. After that, I couldn't start the engine at all until I changed the spark plugs as they were covered with thick carbon at the tip. I suspect the carbon was formed during the 10-15sec cranking by my mechanic. I suggest you have a look at the spark plugs if your battery & fuel pressure are good.