Help!

My sure battery is fully charged and connections are tight.

 

Agree. Check the grounding cable after you get the battery checked.

 

I would say you have a sticking starter motor relay or sticking starter motor solenoid.

I would normally say check the battery terminals and ground strap first, but it DID start 4 hrs later without you doing a thing to it.

Terminals are tight you said, check the ground strap while you're at it and I would also replace the starter motor relay for good measure.

They are cheap. If you still have an issue, then must be a solenoid problem.

 

Pap- Great advice, as usual.

Taz
Terry Phillips

 

Cheers mate, I do what I can.

 

I had the same issue with my QV, it turned out to be bad/ loose connection at the battery isolation switch, bypassed the switch and no more problem

 

I agree!

Help! was a great album!
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This (considering it's a Mondial) is the problem I used to have (heat soak). It is very common to the model and can be resolved by adding a relay.(There is a post on how to do this). My mechanic/engineer added one and I haven't had the problem since.

 

I've had "heat soak" come up on my '87 as well. Fires right up when cold, but needs at least 10 mins to cool down before she'll turn over again. I'm convinced it's the solenoid, but keep us posted on your progress. I won't be able to address mine until next week, but I do want to get it squared away in a timely manner. Gets interesting when you fill up with gas then need to sit tight for an additional 10/15 mins...

 

Look up a TSB done for Mondials on this very problem. It will guide you through an additional relay install as per the factory fix. A few years back I tried at length to identify the problem area causing the voltage drop and it never stayed put long enough to positively locate it. I know there is a large voltage drop across the fender well plugs and they are causing other problems as well. Due to this I spent the time to locate a new Sealed plug and Gold plated terminals for this application for our Gold Connector Kits. We are now in the process of testing the 3x8 versions and these plugs/kits seem to solve a host of Gremlins. You might want to take a peak at those plugs, there is usually a lot of 'green' in there and the starter solenoid trigger wire runs through those.

IF you choose to follow the TSB, take the time to mount this relay in the rear trunk behind the panel. We had a TR with a "waterproof" relay cobbled into the engine bay, start cranking the car while in gear when it was getting washed and the keys were on the workbench. It is for this very reason I am against doing the TSB in this case as it would have removed a pair of legs at the knee's from anyone standing in front of the car when it hit the wall. Finding and properly fixing the source of the problem is a much better and far safer proposition. For those with young children, its the ONLY answer!
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Whoa, that's scary!

Dave, I'm still chasing my intermittent no-start problem as well and am very interested in your gold connector solution.

 

Scared the hell out of our detailer at the time. Heck, terified me as I was climbing through the front trunk to reach the battery switch with it against the wall and the back tires squealing. This makes two events of the same in 10 years, two too many!

No "Start" or no "Crank"? Two different problems.

 

Your are absolutely correct; mine is the no-crank which sounds similar to the OP's (tho mine occurs hot or cold, but that's another thread - http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=284369&highlight=starter)

 

I'm with Wade - getting good electrical, just no transfer to the starter to turn over when warm. At least the radio keeps me company if stranded!

Dave - that is a scary tale, ESP that you've had two experiences. Could the issue be a result of an after market electrical installation/splice? Or is it just a rogue stock elec problem that arose? I've never heard of the car engaging like that - but Ferrari is also the only manual I have that starts wiThout the clutch engaged. Hope you avoid any future "excitement" on that front.

 

I am sorry, I didn't make the point clear. This is NOT a problem with Mondial's or TR's with the rogue starter cranking issue, this is a problem with after market wired in booster relays mounted in the engine bay. Only two experiences out of a great many Mondial/TR examples worked on BUT both could have been catastrophic had a young child or pet been in the wrong place in front or behind the car. I have harped on this point on the TR section but the back seat of the Mondial's make it far more common to see a child seat in, I want these cars safer yet due to that fact. This problem has been around on the Mondial's since they were a few years old, it past time to fix it correctly and safely. Thinking back now I can make that 3 examples, a 512TR had the starter engauge while driving the car on the highway some years back, also with a wired in booster relay.

In one case the relay filled up with water from washing the car and in the other two the radiated heat of the engine/exhaust had melted wiring to the relay and water spray was enough to push the wires together and make contact. In any event, the wired in relays are exactly what the factory TSB shows to do to solve this problem. My point was, if you choose to follow this TSB, mount that relay well out of harms way in the back trunk making sure the wiring is adequately protected from heat and Teflon MilSpec wire is used. If there is any place where over kill in wiring techniques is well justified.... this would be it.

My two test cars for this problem were our own TMan's T Coupe (one of the first two Gold Connector Kit Test Mules and the single most patient human to walk the earth. Sadly I have to use my local clients cars as test platforms for concepts) and another good friends 3.2 Cab, another GCK early test mule, both 'No Start' cars when ever they damn well felt like it. I went as far as to wire in tail light bulbs in various locations in the circuit so they could identify the area with the highest voltage drop. On both I conceded defeat prior to actually fixing the problems and installed relays. I can say without question the four highest voltage drops in the starter circuit are the white plug at the ignition switch, the white plug in the rear fender well I photo 'd, the ring terminal where it attaches to the top of the positive battery cable end and the battery cut off switch. As the fender well plug is the same on the Mondial's and the TR, they both have the hot start problem, in all instances the connections were green with corrosion and these cutoff switches were bypassed and our fuse boxes installed..... it points a finger at that fender plug. I have been searching for a suitable replacement plug for sometime now and am finally pleased with the end result. Will it solve the problem without cluged wiring and relays? Only time will tell but the photos are of it being installed on a 3.2 Cab along with the entire Gold Kit throughout and its on an FChatters car.... we will know soon.

 

I had a similar problem with my 82 Mondial 8 with an aftermarket lightweight starter--
It turned out to be a broken connection inside the starter solenoid where it would make contact when cold but when heat soaked did not. I had even tried a bypass wire from the battery to the starter solenoid with a fuse and momentary contact switch for test purposes to see if it was a bad relay or other electrical gremlin.
And of course the stater would perform fine in cold bench testing.

 

I hope they honored the warranty for the starter...

 

The cold start electro-valve fuse... nice, but I'm not sure that'll fix a no-crank problem. Let's hope so...