Electrical chaos with 365 GT4 2+2 | FerrariChat
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Electrical chaos with 365 GT4 2+2

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by hskasimir, Jul 7, 2006.

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  1. hskasimir

    hskasimir Karting

    Apr 5, 2006
    64
    Berlin
    Full Name:
    Howard Sheronas
    #1 hskasimir, Jul 7, 2006
    When I bought my car a few months ago, every little electrical device in my car was working perfectly. The car itself had been standing for a while which was obvious because the tires had a little ding in it. But again, everything worked - AC, fans, interior lights, gauges, even the light in the ashtray worked. I drove the car for about 2000 km and nothing ever failed to work.
    Recently I put my car into the shop because I wanted the entire suspension and steering overhauled. Also, they put in a Dinoplex conversion (voltage booster) which ferraripartsexchange send me instead of the electronic ignition conversion that I had originally ordered from them. Furthermore they exchanged the window washer pump for a new nonoriginal one.
    After I picked up the car again I gradually realized that my entire electrical system is screwed up: The main beam sometimes works, high beam never. AC sometimes works. Heater fans and heated rear window don't work. The radiator cooling fans sometimes work (of course, same with AC, never when it's really hot and your standing in traffic...). The clock has stopped working completely. Even the new washer pump only sometimes works. Also, when I turn on the lights, all gauges go up 5mm in their reading, except the gas gauge which goes to completely full no matter how full the tank is.
    I called them up and told them about this, and the response was that when a car was standing for a while and then you suddenly start using it again, devices will start to fail - because of that sudden usage...
    I think this is major nonsense. First, nothing - absolutely nothing failed while I was driving the car before it got to the shop. Secondly, non of these failure came gradually, one after the other - they were all there after I picked up the car. It just took me a while to realize some of them.
    All the fuses are new and fine and the fusebox and its surroundings look like they're in perfect shape. I doubt it's any of the relays since the problems are spread over too many circuits.
    Does anybody have an idea what this might be..?

    Thanks,

    Howard
     
  2. Ken

    Ken F1 World Champ

    Oct 19, 2001
    16,078
    Arlington Heights IL
    Full Name:
    Kenneth
    #2 Ken, Jul 7, 2006
    You had a lot of work done, and you can bet lots of electrical grounds were disconnected and reconnected. The fact your problems are systemic point to bad grounds. Lots of goofy things happen with bad grounds.

    You, or the shop, need to find where they are, take the bolts out and clean the surfaces. Obviously the grounds in the areas they worked are the place to start. Not to bash the community of mechanics, but this is really basic for older cars, and the reply you got sounds like they meant, "Oh, we didn't take the time to do this and if we take it all apart to do it right, we want to charge the additional labor".

    From working on my 34 year old car, I can say first hand that connections that "look" fine may not be. You can't tell a bad ground from a good one by sight. You have to unbolt the connectors and clean them.


    Ken
     

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