Okay guys, I"m pretty sure there are now "gremlins" in my car. For the past few months, I have had on occasion, about six or seven times, periods where my 1991 348 doesn't start. All lights come on, I hear the fan, but the starter doesn't turn over, no clicking, just all the dash lights coming on. I then sit around and about five to twenty minutes later, right about when I'm ready to call the tow truck, I try one more time and the car starts up. Needless to say, on three separate occasions, i waited like ten minutes and gave up and actually had the car towed in to my service guy. Everytime they get in it, the car starts up. They will keep it for a few days, and start it intermittently like twenty or thirty times. No problems. I then take it home, drive around a few days, and then. . .once at the grocery store, another time after getting gas, I get back in the car, and the same thing happens. Lights, fan, then nothing. My service guy is now thinking maybe the solenoid in the starter. . .he is checking into whether I need to put another one in since he said they use to do it on 308s and 328s. We have replaced the battery . . and besides, I'm pretty sure it isn't the battery, and he has checked all the connections from the battery to the starter. Any suggestions? Eddy
Sounds like a sticking starter solenoid, I have that in the cold weather sometimes. Fix that and you should be good!
the answer to this is to have a relay fitted to starter motor to start the car ,a very common mod . mine did it when got hot
This has been discussed many times. It's quite likely that you have a voltage drop in the starter wiring, possibly/probably at the ignition switch. The thing is, the starter is EXTREMELY fussy about getting full voltage before it will crank over. It's easy to test. If the engine won't crank over with the key, put the shift lever into neutral (IMPORTANT FOR SAFETY), then unplug the starter signal wire from the starter, then jump between the two terminals on the starter. This gives full battery voltage to the starter solenoid. If it will crank over this way, but NOT on the key, then you can fix the problem by installing a relay system, or by installing a remote starter button. Ferrari apparently fully approves of the relay upgrade, and it has no effect on the rest of the wiring in the car. You can test for a problem by hooking up a voltmeter to the signal wire on the starter. If your full battery voltage is, say, 12.4 volts at the positive terminal on the starter, but you get a reading of 12.0 volts through the signal wire when you turn the key, then the problem isn't in the starter, or the solenoid, or the battery, or the battery cables. You simply aren't getting full voltage through the ignition switch, through the signal wire, and thus to the solenoid, and the starter won't engage. By wiring in a relay that delivers full voltage to the solenoid, you permanently fix the problem.
Great posts above! (now, for the Stooge fix if you are out driving and get stuck away from home: quickly turn on your headlights, then turn them back off, then immediately thereafter try to start your car...this can work in some cases because inducing a load onto a lead-acid battery can prime it to briefly give out a bit more voltage and current right after the load is removed....might get you home in a jam if you are out driving before you get the voltage/current problem/wiring fixed)
Milton on right track. Aftermarket solinoid is ok to use but not required. if wnat aftermarket get one from autoparts store ask for 1985 lincon conti. Those had external solinoids. I have one if you want. But the better fix is to remove the small wire (white?) on the solinoid and make sure it is clean and that the wires are not frayed where it is crimped. Problems here will increase resistence and decrease current flow simulating low voltage = no start. For a fast fix buy a remote starter switch from autoparts store. It is like 5 bucks. Then car out of gear, key on, clip on big knob of starter and little small wire terminal and click remote starter it will start. Takes 20 seconds.
I posted this somewhere a few months ago. Pics and all. I fitted a relay to my car cause I also had a voltage drop in the system. (I had sluggish cranking, even with a new battery fitted) I cant remember exactly now, but I think it was a 1.7 volt drop to the starter motor. Its all good now and the car cranks FAST!! But................I am leaning more towards a sticking starter relay or a sticking starter motor solenoid in Oper8's case.
