Background: 1990 TR with 7500 miles. 30K service done in 2000, belt service done last month. Car starts and runs fine...as it warms up sometimes it will begin to run rough...this never lasts more than a few minutes and then clears up. Power is way off when this occurs. It clears up and things seem fine. Every now and then while driving (fully warmed up) the car will stumble and loose power (you can feel the loss just cruising along) it will run this way for a minute and then surge back and run normal. If you are pulling up to a light the engine will sag and die when it is acting up. Always restarts with no trouble. Almost acts like an electrical short...it falls off so hard. Almost like 1/2 the engine quits (coil?) Any thoughts on where to begin my diagnostic search is appreciated.
The other possibilty is a fuel pump electrical problem. Your first task has to be to determine whether the problem is spark or fuel related. If the problem is consistent enough, use a timing light and confirm/deny if the spark is present on both banks when the problem exists -- if you lose spark, then you'd go after the power module/coil/dist stuff on that bank; if spark is OK, then you'd have to start looking at the fuel pump stuff (one easy thing to check is unplug the "y" connector and see if the fuel pump connections are discolored/frazzled). PS Please confirm what version TR -- US? Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
I would have a look at the 2 connectors going into the black box that is roughly over the right rear wheel. There is a large round one, about 1 1/4 in diameter. The lock ring has 2 very fragile tabs that hold it in place. Without both the plug can shake around and make intermittant contact on a dozen or so wires that are involved in a variety of fuel injectoin operations. It is the first place I look for an intermittant running problem on a later 1st generation TR.
Thanks to all! I will take a look and report back on the findings. BTW, the car is a US spec. Rifledriver, is this connection one that is seperated during "engine out service"? Thanks again!
I agree with Brian. That connector was broken on the last two motor out services that I have done on 1990/later cars. With the right pin removal tool it is only a 10 minute job to replace. AMP has redesigned the connector retaining ring on the new connector, hopefully it is more robust. Brian Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login Image Unavailable, Please Login
Update: Driving the car this weekend everything was fine for about a day and a half...no issues at all. Then the stumble and loss of power. I started to worry as it didnt go away as it had before. Pulled over in a parking lot and the rear hatch was so hot you could barely touch it! I shut the car off and checked the connector that was mentioned and it came off in my hand. I reinserted (it feels very loose and the "locking ring" just spins) but it stayed "connected" despite me trying to wiggle it loose. Driving the car home (after cooling) I felt the stumble again but it quickly resolved. I am positive based on what is happening that I am losing ignition on one side of the engine...the raw gas is burning in the cat and causing the heat issues. How tight should this connector be? Is there somewhere else I should be looking? I inspected all the connectors in the fuse box and found no bent or corroded pins nor any burn marks on the white connectors. Any thoughts would be appreciated...chasing intermittent electrical issues is no fun!
Hello, I had the same issues with my '88 when I first got it last year and in fact had the same problem with my previous '87 TR. Large connector:Tyco 182642-1 Small connector:Tyco 182645-1 I just called Tyco and asked them for 2 samples of each (1 each spare) and in about 1-2 weeks, I got them for free. Tyco Electronics: P.O. Box 3608 Harrisburg, PA 17105 Phone: 717-564-0100 Hope this helps, Joe Image Unavailable, Please Login
Actually, I am surprised how hot the engine bay of the testarossa gets. On a 60-70 dgree day, the engine cover is hot after a long drive, but touchable. On a 90 degree day, it feels like an oven near the engine bay. You really don't want to touch the cover. I can understand why folks bypass the cats...they generate some serious heat back there...
If you mean the large round 24-pin C12 connector, go to www.amp.com (which redirects to tyco) and search on "206837". The stock TR part would be the 206837-3 (with the fine straight knurled ring), but 206837-1 would work OK.
I just had this same problem on my car...........(1990 TR).............and the 24 pin connector was so lose that it came off in my hand. The locking tab was broken right off. Ferrari-Chat rocks !!!!!
Can't tell from the photos.... Does this connector fully unscrew? - or - is it a 1/4 turn then 'pull' style of connector? Thanks, Vince
I cannot tell because my tabs are broken off.............but the visible threads on the female part lead me to believe it fully screws. The replacement part was $5.71 CAD............the towing was $400 CAD............&%*#^@$@%$#^#@$*#$&*@ !!!
Begining to get frustrated here...replaced both connectors and thought I had it cured...then she fell on her face and I'm right back where I started. I know it is a failure that is killing ignition as the cats get hotter than heck when it happens (filling with fuel)...just dont know where to look next. I am open to more suggestions.
Have you tried swapping the coils and/or the ign. power modules bank-to-bank and see if you can identify the bad player? We've even had a case where a TR Owner had a problem in the coil area wiring harness (i.e., swap the parts and the problem stays on the same bank, yet the other bank always runs). (If you do have a bad coil or ign. power module and move it to the other side, your new symptom will be "engine dies completely" since the tachometric stuff on that bank will shut off both fuel pumps when it loses the ignition signal.)
Well......I just replaced my 24 pin connector....screwed the new one all the way in and it's rock solid now.....just came back from a good 90 minute blast over some rough and smooth roads and got her all hot and bothered as well........the problem's gone..........[insert fingers crossed icon]
Well...............after a 2 hour drive it came back...........no warning lights though...........me thinks it's fuel related but will have the tech check it out tomorrow or Wednesday. Luckily the problem didn't go away this time and if I restart the car it is still present, so maybe we'll be able to get it this time. Will let you know what happens............thanks for the advice so far guys !!
I had a similar problem on the BBi. Intermittent problem. Looks like sediment in the fuel tank blocked fuel flow to one of the fuel pumps, because when the car was stopped, and restarted, the problem went away. The sediment settled. Unfortunetely, the fuel is sort of a lubricant to the fuel pump, so when the fuel stopped, the pump ran, subsequently it burned out and completely failed. Replacing that pump cured the problem. Can you imagine, gasoline running through the fuel pump over ground wires? I carry two fire extinguishers.
