I hate it when I'm wrong - starter fixed

Good work Dave (and Miltonian).

For us amateurs, is it easy? Do you have pics and a location?

 

Like the Dave Helms gold connector kit, refreshing all of the wire connectors with new, and cleaning the wire where it is crimped really well, might avoid the 'work around' with the relay.

A friend had a starting problem, and found the voltage loss, but rather than install a relay, they replaced all of the connectors on the wire with the loss, and it came right back to where it should be. It is not just where the connectors meet that need to be cleaned, it is where the wire meets the connector (and is crimped) that often is the point of resistance and voltage loss.

 

Hugh, thanks for this, this is good to know.

 

Most certainly is.

Pics and 'how to' here.

http://www.ferrarichat.com/forum/showthread.php?t=160866&highlight=348+hard+start&page=2

 

Nice work Dave!

Mine has NEVER started so good since adding the extra relay down the back.

But my starter contacts are still worn out and still need to be replaced. But the Ferrari cranks REALLY strong now.

 

With this type of repair becoming the norm these days folks should also be warned about the dangers of doing this. I have posted it up on the TR section a few times but the 8 cylinder owners might not have seen it.

The first TR was being washed at a shop I worked at years back, keys on the bench, when the starter engaged and it crawled forward in first gear, hitting the wall after crushing a storage shelf unit, with the tires spinning until the battery as disconnected.... Mind you, there was now a storage shelving unit on the front bonnet between me and the battery switch. The second was in reverse and walked out the open garage door a few minutes After the car was washed and pulled inside. That required running along side, jumping in the drivers seat and setting the brakes hard enough to allow time to pop the bonnet while another killed the battery. The third was a 512TR that had the starter engaged driving down the highway in a rain storm.... not much left to fix of that starter and flywheel.

This has nothing to do with the model, only the work around repair of using a booster relay mounted in an inapposite location. Water, metallic brake dust and road debris.... think it through.... a relay requiring milliamp conductivity to engage the starter.... Hell, even Ferrari is guilty of this as they offered up a TSB on the Mondials back in the 80's that started this dangerous trend. Someone was not thinking at that point as the Mondials have a back trunk inches away where a booster relay can be mounted out of harms way in a clean environment. This is a non obvious result, something I would never have even considered possible and surely something VERY few ever hear about because it is embarrassing.

Cars are repairable but what if a child or pet happened to be in front or behind one of the 'Real Life' (and these are just the examples I have been personally involved with) examples noted? Please consider this a short term temp solution and follow Hugh's suggestion to properly fix the problem. The risks are just TOO great, have nothing to do with the car and a great many have young families that could be at risk. There is sound reason we include some of the high failure connections in our kits that have nothing to do with engine management problems. Doesn't matter who's, or what products are used, just find a fail safe solution to the problem that doesn't pose any risks. This one most certainly does.

 

Cheers Dave, if you remember as per your advice I installed that protective heat shrink sheath over my relay to to protect it from the elements to try and avoid this happening.

Well, I have never had an issue. So thanks again and I recommend anyone performing this mod to follow Dave's advice.

Here is a pic again of it over the relay.
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Seal the bottom of the heat shrink with dum dum putty so it is not a collection point for metallic brake dust and the likes and then I would feel better about it.

 

I mounted mine inside the cabin, behind the fuse panel in the footwell. Totally clean and dry down there.

 

Yes sir.

 

The link that PAP posted has a pic of my relay install. The big contactor style relay is good for 50 or 60 amps and has big contacts. The other benefit is the current draw is large enough that washing the engine compartment won't energize the contacts. I remember seeing the document from Ferrari about the repair and they used the larger
relay. Anyway the repair has worked great for another four years.

Jeff Pintler
89 348tb, 86 tr, 99 360 3pedal