Today I drove my recently acquired 1987 328 GTS, my first Ferrari, with no problems, a gorgeous day. Got home, cut engine in driveway to get garage opener out of glove box, restarted, drove into garage, cut engine. Realized I had not rolled up the windows and remembered seller said you need the engine running for the windows to work right, so tried to start car. Tried is the operative word. Turned over and over and did not start. Opened engine lid and checked the pesky rear coil connector, which I had trouble with a week or so ago when I lost half the power. The rear one was sort of loose again, so redid the same process to make it snug. Did not help. Started checking fuses and all looked good, thinking maybe easy fix a fuel pump fuse blew. Nope. So now I am just going to sleep on it. I have a feeling I am going to be a pest on this forum, so to avoid being a newbie with the same sorts of questions already asked and answered, is there a collection somewhere of procedures I can try, I think asking for a video library would be too much, but is there one? FWIW, wife says the car exhaust residue in garage had a funny odor.
Welcome to the loonie bin! You will love the car. Every one of us gets a welcome wagon surprise. Sorry to hear about the no-start. Hopefully it is something dumb and simple. As for posting questions, we love nothing more than another owners misery. Keep posting, we will help. When the cats are cold all cars stink. Presumably it passed CA SMOG test to allow the sale transaction so your cats are okay.
First two things you need to learn how to do IMO: 1. Learn how to unplug the blue safety switch and turn the key "on" (engine not running) to hear if the fuel pump is running or not: https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/threads/starting-problem.234634/#post-138469987 2. Calibrate yourself for how the frequency valve (a.k.a. metering valve) vibrates/buzzes by touching it whenever the fuel pump is running (and this should always occur when doing #1, the engine is running, or the starter motor is cranking). Good Hunting!
Starting *always* revolves around fuel, spark and compression. Without one there cannot be the others. High level, I know, but that's the first gate in figuring out the issue. Do you have spark? Are you getting fuel? Engine all together? Have fun! This is all part of ownership.
Might also be the battery connections...just saying. Are they clean and efficient? By the way: theoretically...well, at least on our "euro" cars anyway: you do not need the engine running to roll up the windows. One click before the engine actually starts: all lights on the dash turn "on" and the windows work, but the engine remains silent. Rgds
But .... if the engine is running, the voltage will be 13.5V which helps to run the slow window motor a bit faster. I think that is what he means.
take the big flexible hose off the intake plenum. spray 2 seconds of starting fluid directly into the plenum...try starting it. If it fires you have a fuel delivery problem. Usually that means a dead fuel pump or relay. From reading many of these threads in the past IIRC 328's had crank sensors (?) that can be problematic and there are a couple other sensors like anti rollover stuff (I only owned a 2V 308) that can interrupt fuel delivery. But either way this is a quick and easy way to check for fuel delivery.
Unless the engine is already flooded which could be another reason for hard starting, you don’t need anymore fuel and need the excess gas to be flush out.
I notice the OP hasn't responded since his original post. I suspect he got in it this morning, or after letting it sit for a while, and it started right up.
Right, do not "need" the engine on, they go up, but weakly, much better when engine providing amps. I try and respect any former owner of a car suggestions as they have insights I do not as yet....
Actually, been busy all morning! Mondays for my business are hectic as hell. But YES, went out and it cranked right up a few minutes ago. I really get annoyed at intermittency.
I am thinking that must be it. I had just refilled the tank, not that it should matter, but it was a "hard fill" the gas pump would not stay on so had to baby-sit the handle on the pump.
This is a good suggestion and I will get a can on hand and carry at all times to be prepared if/when this problem recurs.
My wife is being a real trooper, I might say, just as a side note she is usually the worst of the "I told you so" sorts, but not now. I told her, you know I need a project that is more mechanical and less computer technical (I develop software), this car is promising to help me spend less time on all that.
Thanks for this, I had done a search and read some posts on the blue switch, but was letting car rest overnight to see what happens today, and it started right up.
So the car DID start today, just a few minutes ago. Don't you love it when things are intermittent? My mind was thinking could it be the bad dash-light fuse I pulled, could it be flooding that occurred from too many start/stop cycles in short period, and the fuel evaporated, could it be that loose coil connector and is now really bad internally (worn copper contacts), could it be battery, could it be the security system preventing too many start/stops in a period of time? So many possibilities. But the basics are always good to revert to, spark, fuel, compression, air. So thanks for all the suggestions, I am keeping them all in mind for "next time". As a side note, when I pulled the fuse cover off, I saw this little temporary switch. Does not seem like something standard. Any ideas? Image Unavailable, Please Login
It does not look standard but until you know which two wires are connected to the switch, there is nothing to do but ... wait.
Vapor lock. Fuel pressure is bleeding off..either the fuel pump check valve or the fuel accumulator. Car will be very difficult to start when hot after a few moments of sitting.
I've experienced vapor lock before on my motorcycles, and unscrewed fuel cap in case that was it, did not get any "whoosh", but also did not help.
