Mondial boot lock solenoid on a Cabrio

Hi all,

Well actually wrote a whole question about boot solenoid and switch getting no power. I have spent a couple of hours two or three times trying to diagnose it… I have looked for new solenoids or the solenoid replacement plan… Then I suddenly thought, what if it is a security thing because with top down it would be easy to open boot and steal stuff?

so just went out, put key in ignition and then pressed switch and it worked straight away. So if any other Cabrio owner is out there and is too stupid to read the manual and thinks their boot solenoid is busted - nope just stick key in ignition first!

 

Hi Aiden,
Sorry, I think you misunderstood the nature of my post. I had spent hours trying to fix something that was not broken and I was being self deprecating. Rather than calling anyone else an idiot, I was referring to myself as the idiot. Looking at my post I should have said ‘idiot like me’, but I was in a rush and being nagged to do jobs on house and did not proof read my comment before posting. I was just trying to post a bit of knowledge I had discovered that I thought might be helpful to anyone else searching for answers.

I don’t seem to be able to edit posts, otherwise I would adjust my original comments. Also I would never claim to be an expert as I have come to realise that life is a bit like Quantum Mechanics, the more you think you understand, the less you probably do. I am also very wary of succumbing to the Dunning Kruger effect.

However, interesting that yours does not have this feature. Mine is a 1993/4 Euro car and the boot lock +12v comes from the ignition position 1 switched supply. I doubt very much that any modification was done to my car as the supply wire comes direct out of the wiring loom and the car has sat for 28 years doing nothing. Perhaps this was a change Ferrari made later so that the boot would be more secure? In effect you need the ignition key to open the boot (unless you know about the emergency manual boot release).

I could not find any reference to separate relays with the solenoids, I guess this is because earlier Mondials had the relays in the large switches that they had from what I can see; but mine has a standard Bosch relay on each side of the boot (the panel where the ECUs are) that operate the solenoids. If anyone else is struggling with diagnosing inoperative solenoids, then these act as good test points to check that power is getting through from the dashboard switches etc.

 

I feel the pain! I was upside down with head stuck in footwell trying to access the back of the switch. I was searching everywhere and looking at alternatives like buying a generic solenoid and modifying it… I have spent the last 4 months pulling the manual release. But it is not just us, the previous owner had also been doing that for a couple of years whilst he tried to resurrect the car…

Anyway I am now just glad to have a job off the list!

 

I have tested mine and it needs the key in ignition position 1 whether top is down or not. I meant though that I guess it is a security feature because otherwise when you have the top down, there would be no safe locked compartment to leave stuff in. Having said this, with the manual release, someone who knows where the catch is could get in anyway.

Now I wish it had a glovebox, I do not understand why the cabrios did not get gloveboxes. With top down a good place without wind blast would be really useful. My first drive down the road saw me stopping to go retrieve leather wipes after they flew out the back. I am tempted to see if I could retro fit one, but I would like to keep the originality too.