Quattroporte III catch-all thread

Hello Don ! I have a set a rear shockers complete with springs and bushings, which I bought new and used only for a few thousand miles (4177 miles), so they are in perfect condition.
I can ship of course.
Thanks !
Alex

 

Hello,

Here is a question in case anyone has had the same problem.
My car has an electrical issue: the turn signals do not work properly when the headlights are on. I am not talking about the main beams, but when the headlights switch is on the maximum position, the turn signals will stop working or work intermittently.

Symptoms are as follows:
- turn signals work perfectly fine when headlights are off or when only the small lights are on (first position on the headlights switch)
- when headlights are on, the flasher relay works normally (tick tick in the central electric box), BUT the click device located behind the dashboard stops clicking, and the actual turn signal bulb is not working or very dimmed. However, the turn signal indicator on the dashboard itself (the green arrow) continues to flash normally. Also, the headlights are dimmed in accordance with the frequency of the flasher relay.
- Intermittently, the turn signals will resume normal functioning even when the headlights are on, for a few seconds - i.e. the click resumes and the light works normally. This will only happen upon acceleration and stop as soon as I remove my foot from the gas pedal (yes it's weird), but it does not systematically happen when accelerating.

I replaced all the fuses and couldn't find any smoking gun in the electric boxes.

Any ideas or suggestions before I investigate this further?
Thanks in advance!

 

Hello jamespeter26...

Good to see a post from you again, I always enjoy readin them...

If you don't have an electrical diagram for the car, I would suggest you get one.. They appear
to be very detailed and could be of value...

The intermittence of your issue is interesting. Have you checked any of the grounds associated with
the turn signals? Could be a possibility, as I have learned these are one of the first things to be checked
with weird electrical issues...

Keep us in the loop!

Mike

 

Ty

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the kind words! I've been away for a while but it's good to be back too.

You were right, it was a ground issue. The bolt of grounding point 153 (in the large wiring diagram) had fallen off and the connector was loose. I could rock it back and forth with my hand and with the headlights on that would increase and decrease the intensity of the light. With a new bolt everything is back to normal!

Cheers and enjoy the nice weather!

 

Hi Y'all,

I am happy twofold: first that you were able to find the problem and correct it, and also that I would have given the same suggestion and am that I would have been right. Right now I am in an electrical funk with my '83 QP, so I will take any ego boost! At present most of the electrics work, but the fuel door, doesn't. And recently the motor will crank, but it sporadically will not start. Since a couple of tows, I have come to realize what an expensive pain this is and even went as far as to source another ignition module in case it was the issue. It was not. At last I have concluded that I need to add more ground straps between the chassis and engine. I also need to check the condition of the contact with the negative battery terminal and wire. I suspect that there are some corroded or damaged grounding straps - in my experience you cannot have too many.

I also believe that the fuel door, which will not respond to the press of the button (all wiring and servo check out) - but will release when the trunk button is pressed, and also opens when the engine is cranked! I think that what is happening is that the electrical system is able to generate enough current for the normal light-draw stuff in the cabin, but when the ignition key is turned there isn't proper grounding to allow for the ignition system to function so it just cranks (and eventually floods). I think that the ignition and trunk circuits are poorly-grounded so they somehow feed back through the fuel door servo circuit. I can only hope that if by adding extra grounding straps between the battery and chassis I will have the car running again, and it might electrically isolate the fuel door circuit so that it works properly!

Ground everything, and best of luck!!

 

Hi Thor,

I was given this car and was told that it needed a new starter. Thank goodness it has a 727 Torqueflite! A hi-speed starter for a Dodge minivan was installed and like you said, all issues there were quickly settled! I have purchased a buss bar and am going to run the battery negative to it. I will most likely mount it at the frame location where the ground strap would normally go and then I plan to run about 5 new ground straps in different locations around the car, including a new heavy-duty one to the engine block.

There actually is a mechanical backup for the fuel filler door: the previous owner used the ignition key to push back the retainer and it opens. As I mentioned before, it also trips when I pop the trunk. There has to be a severed/shorted wire issue and I even disconnected the wire harness in places and checked for shorts with none detected (oh yes, the multimeter gets a good workout here). The servo unit does function outside of the car, and in it too - just not when I press the button!

Over the last three or so years that I have had this car I have generally enjoyed it, and I have done quite a bit of work to her, including pulling the dash, fitting a blower motor for the cabin air system (also from a Dodge minivan!), re-finishing all of the wood and spar-varnishing it, completely rebuilding the brake system and running stainless lines, and creating a new exhaust system. She still needs a little body work and the wheels need to be re-coated. Before too long I might pull the fuel tank and possibly replace the fuel pumps, but I will most probably wait until one of them fails.

Between her and my 1976 X1/9, I figure I have about as much Italian knuckle-busting experience as anyone else in my neck of the woods!

Best,

Dave

 

Apparently there was an option for front fog lights on the QP3. However, I have never seen a car with them. My questions are: 1) what did the fog lights bolt to; 2) did the standard QP3 wiring harness have provisions for the switch and connections; and 3) was there a built-in relay?
Thanks for any assistance.

 

This is what Maserati put on the Biturbo range, it's from Bosch. I used to belong to the local Maserati Club as well as MIE back then in the SF Bay Area where their west coast distributorship was so I saw lots of original QPIIIs. I don't specifically remember seeing them on one either.

I had the Bosch fog lamps dealer installed on my Biturbo. They drilled holes in the underside of the plastic bumper. There was a switch on the similar looking instrument cluster but the QPIII is very different in that regard. Dealers sold these as a kit and of course there was a relay and a fuse that was just added to the engine compartment. No harness anywhere at all. I'd guess that's the way the QPIIIs were handled. Do you have a preexisting switch, is mentioned in the owners manual or service manual?

 

I am looking for leather to re-upholster the front seats on my 1985 Quattroporte III, if anyone can please PM me?

My car is in very good condition but the leather in the front seats (only) has cracked, faded, and begun to tear. It really holds the car back, in light of it going back for a repaint soon. I checked around before posting here, but the only ones I have been shown/offered had obvious, ugly discolorations and/or tears and/or holes. I am not re-doing the entire interior just for the front seats, so I am not considering that option. I have owned my car for over 8 years and plan on keeping it for many, many more!

Please help and much appreciated.

 

Mine had Bosch fog lights, but unfortunately I no longer have the car, so I can't help with the questions. I never used them and can't even be sure they weren't added by a previous owner.
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Hi Otto,

Funny you should mention that because I am approaching the same issue. My leather is pretty worn on the driver's seat of my '83 and last night I was looking at leather for another car and saw some promising stock from the Leather Hide Store. The issue of course is color matching, because leather changes color over time. Several years ago I bought a half-hide and replaced the covering on the package tray under the rear window but it needs doing again (drat!) - fortunately my seat leather only really needs re-stitching but I too am looking for a good leather - especially for the arm rest. I reckon I will get several swatches from the Leather Hide Store - whose stock is largely on sale at present, and go for the best match I can. They have an Italian leather line in their automotive leathers. Bear in mind that some color adjustment can be made with dyes, but a perfect match will probably be somewhat unlikely.

Good Luck!

 

My preference is to get like-for-like from another QP III whose owner is parting it out and/or has decided to replace the entire interior.

Does anyone know if leather from a Biturbo could be used? The dimensions in the front/rear seats are not the same, but I am really exhausting this possibility of obtaining leather from a 1980's car first before looking to get new leather...

Shortly after I bought mine in 2014, I acquired a good amount of leather from a well-known vendor off Bay. However - long story short - the upholsterer that the shop tasked with recommissioning my car stole the leather by claiming that he had returned it to me. So, this issue with the front seats on my car has been a sore spot for a long time and I would like resolution, as the rest of the leather is in really good condition.

 

Hello Alex,
Sorry, I just saw your message about the rear Qport shocks. Do you still have them?
Thanks.
Don

 

I ordered a couple of oil filters from MIE to fit my Kyalami, which uses the same filter as a QP3. What I received were two blue filters without a single marking. No brand, no part number .... nada.
https://maseratinet.com/ferrari/275-gtb/common-service-parts-and-filters/11442-oil-filter

I am now a bit nervous using these filters fearing they could be cheap reproductions that will disintegrate and create a mess. Perhaps I am wrong and these are quality filters but I have no way of knowing. My car had a Purolator PL30001 when I purchased it. I like using UFI, Baldwin and Wix filters when possible.
What oil filters are QP3 owners using?

Ivan

 

I also got an unmarked blue filter a while back from MIE. I was expecting to get an UFI and was a little concerned. I used it anyway for one interval and didn't notice any problems.

Since then I have been using only Baldwin. I get them online here: https://www.baldwinfiltersrus.com/about-us

My challenge these days is finding the Eni oil I like to use.

 

Which Baldwin filter are you using? I only use Balwin filters on the Ferrari Daytona and Fiat Dino, UFI for the Ghibli and Khamsin and WIX for everything else.

The MIE filter is quite narrow. Perhaps the QP3 has tight clearances for the filter. That is not the case on the Kyalami so I can use a wider filter.
I just ordered a couple of WIX 51515XP from Amazon
https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00C5TDEO8/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

Ivan

 

I'm using Baldwin B295. I found it by cross-referencing the UFI filter #23.122.00. The area around the filter on the QPIII is indeed pretty tight.

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The Lisle wrench in the photo attached to 3/8" drive is pretty much essential to being able to get the thing off. It's Hard to get your hands or a handled filter wrench in there and around the filter otherwise.

 

Hello Dave, thanks for the advice! I will look into grounding more broadly because I also have some issues elsewhere, nothing critical but worth checking.

I am very interested in your setup for replacing the A/C blower motor. I already replaced (and went one size up) about every part of the AC system, except for the compressor and the blower motor which is not functioning very well and is really noisy. I think my next job on this car will be to pull the whole dash and replace the blower. I'd be most grateful if you could share the technical details of how you did it (model no. for the replacement part etc.) if you still have them.

Many thanks in advance!

Cheers

 

Does anyone have a parts car that happens to have decent leather that they would be willing to sell? I prefer getting leather that has some patina - free of stains, tears, or holes - to match what I already have throughout the rest of the interior, which is in pretty good shape already. It’s really only for the front part on both the driver and passenger seats… I am obviously not looking for a parts car - just as many yards of original seat leather that was installed in other Maseratis during the 1980’s as I can get!

Please let me know if you or someone you may know has this available, as my car is headed to the shop soon for a redo and this is a must on “The List”!!!

 

The leather from the Biturbo that looks the same color as that of the QPIII is mostly not leather but a very luxurious feeling vinyl. The seating face leather I don't know but it's not the same size.
Have you tried contacting the factory or these guys, they're in Modena.

https://www.campanaonorio.it/en-gb/about-us
http://www.candinimodena.net/parts.htm

 

Hey guys,
I am trying to finally attach the main central shaft end to the differential for my Quattroporte IIII and there is a gap of about 2 inches between them.
Anyone know how i can get these closer to be able to attach them? They are both OEM original parts.
Link pictures below...
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/media/img_2510.15094/
https://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/media/img_2557.15095/

Thank you in advance.
=)

 

Well, to be honest I took the dash out, and VERY CAREFULLY removed the old blower motor and fan. I took them to the local NAPA parts store and they were able to find a blower motor and fan combo that closely matched the original in its dimensions. I want to say that it was for an Aerostar minivan - something Dodge-related. I used a piece of 1/8" thick ABS as a new baseplate and I was able to cobble it all back together so that it works. I figure that it is a worthless cause to try and source such things! I also ordered a bunch of self-adhesive foam rubber sheet from Amazon to cut new door lining pads in the air handler and some of the gaskets. I have yet to source a replacement A/C compressor and am debating whether to even bother with it.

Good Luck - wish I could be of more help!

 

Well, to be honest I took the dash out, and VERY CAREFULLY removed the old blower motor and fan. I took them to the local NAPA parts store and they were able to find a blower motor and fan combo that closely matched the original in its dimensions. I want to say that it was for an Aerostar minivan - something Dodge-related. I used a piece of 1/8" thick ABS as a new baseplate and I was able to cobble it all back together so that it works. I figure that it is a worthless cause to try and source such things! I also ordered a bunch of self-adhesive foam rubber sheet from Amazon to cut new door lining pads in the air handler and some of the gaskets. I have yet to source a replacement A/C compressor and am debating whether to even bother with it.

Good Luck - wish I could be of more help!

 

Well, if I put the key in the old ignition in my '83 QPIII she looks like the oil pan is about to burst into flames, but the crankcase is as cold as the grave...

Oil Temperature Gauge is not working

If I disconnect the ribbon cable to the instrument cluster, it reads cold. If I disconnect the thermistor at the engine, the needle reads cold. With the motor off it reads halfway and with the ignition on, the needle goes all the way to the right. Therefore I assume that it is the thermistor (temp sensor). Of course it is a Jaeger electronic bit and unobtanium as far as I can tell. Therefore I have a few questions:

1. Can a thermistor be reset? It is a sealed unit, but is there a mechanical innard that I could fix by tapping or use a reverse charge that might convince it to reset?

2. Has anyone replaced their oil temp sensor, and if so, with what?

3. Failing the first two questions, what is the resistance range for said thermistor? Maybe I could source one.

I don't assume that this is a critical thing to repair, but if it is on my dash, I would like it to read correctly.

Thanks in Advance!!!