Mondial lights pop up and then back down | FerrariChat
Buy

Mondial lights pop up and then back down

Discussion in 'Technical Q&A' started by Mfoncerrada, Dec 23, 2009.

This site may earn a commission from merchant affiliate links, including eBay, Amazon, Skimlinks, and others.

  1. Mfoncerrada

    Mfoncerrada Formula Junior

    Dec 20, 2009
    419
    Monterey, CA
    Full Name:
    Miguel Foncerrada
    #1 Mfoncerrada, Dec 23, 2009
    Last edited: Dec 23, 2009
    Hi to all,

    Remember that exciting first day with your first Ferrari...well that's were I am. Quite exciting!

    I purchased a 1984 Mondial QV Cabriolet yesterday....knowing it had a problem with the headlights. When I turn the headlight switch, sometimes the headlights pop up but then go right back down. Sometimes they don't even pop up all the way up before they start going back down and sometimes they don't do a thing....

    I've taken the switch apart and cleaned the contacts and manually operated it (manually separating the blades)...same results.

    I've tapped on the relays (are they mechanical?) which used to work on old relays to activate them manually, but also no luck.

    Next I'll have to break out the voltmeter and do serious troubleshooting...unless someone has other ideas....I would really, reall appreciate them.

    PS. Anyone know where to get a wiring diagram?

    Thanks!
     
  2. Michael B

    Michael B F1 Rookie
    Owner

    Apr 28, 2004
    3,760
    US of A
    Full Name:
    Michael
    #2 Michael B, Dec 23, 2009
  3. PV Dirk

    PV Dirk F1 Veteran

    Jul 26, 2009
    5,401
    Ahwatukee, AZ
    #3 PV Dirk, Dec 24, 2009
    Welcome and congratulations. Everyone here will want a picture of your car. We're excited to get enthusiastic new owners. Sorry to hear about the gremlin but it looks like the solution has been provided. If you are electrically inclined you may see if the motor can be taken apart and fixed? I don't know, but if you do, take some pics of the process and let the rest of us know. You won't be the last with this problem.
     
  4. Mfoncerrada

    Mfoncerrada Formula Junior

    Dec 20, 2009
    419
    Monterey, CA
    Full Name:
    Miguel Foncerrada
    #4 Mfoncerrada, Dec 24, 2009
    Thank you for the link, it should prove very useful.

    I am pretty electronically inclined - did it in the military and a few years as a computer technician...and I was not suspecting the motors as both lights go up and down in sync. I glanced at them in the boot and they looked like sealed units (covered in protective goop)...I'll take a shot at them.

    I can't wait to post pictures of my car. The upholstery has been redone by a master craftsman. But it'll be a couple weeks as I'm of to Argentina for a holiday.

    Merry Christmas to all.
     
  5. jacques

    jacques Formula Junior

    May 23, 2006
    877
    Los Angeles/Florida
    #5 jacques, Dec 24, 2009
    If both headlamps are in sync, then it's probably not the motors..Think small first..relays,fuses, connectors inline on the steering column, at relays. at fuse boxes.90 per cent of us Ferrari owners have had to deal with this..It'll get solved . Good hunting. Buy Paul 308's Ferrari wiring schematic CD.. . . it's indispensable. I hope this is of some help. Jacques.
     
  6. Drew Altemara

    Drew Altemara Formula 3

    Feb 11, 2002
    1,525
    Tuscaloosa, AL
    Full Name:
    Drew Altemara
    #6 Drew Altemara, Dec 24, 2009
  7. Mfoncerrada

    Mfoncerrada Formula Junior

    Dec 20, 2009
    419
    Monterey, CA
    Full Name:
    Miguel Foncerrada
    #7 Mfoncerrada, Dec 24, 2009
    Hi Jacques,

    I'm a newbie so need to clarify...you said but Pauls 308 wiring schematic CD...is the 308 so mch like the Mondial that the schematic will help? or did you mean Mondial? and where can I find Paul? Thanks again.

    Drew, thanks for the link. Very informative.
     
  8. Paul_308

    Paul_308 Formula 3

    Mar 12, 2004
    2,345
    #8 Paul_308, Dec 25, 2009
    Last edited: Dec 25, 2009
    +1 good diagnosis - Monial fuse panel wiring is different but headlight wiring etc is the same.

    _________________________
    http://www.FerrariWiring.com
     
  9. SYake

    SYake Karting

    May 15, 2005
    87
    NoVA
    #9 SYake, Dec 28, 2009
    I had the same problem on my 328 GTS. After much diagnosis looking for that smoking gun root cause, I found the issue. The switch on the stalk ( the piece that twists) had a small hairline crack in it. When it was twisted it didn't hold the contacts closed fully. I didn't replace, glued it very carefully.
     
  10. FasterIsBetter

    FasterIsBetter F1 Veteran

    Jul 22, 2004
    5,855
    NoNJ/Jupiter FL
    Full Name:
    Steve W.
    #10 FasterIsBetter, Dec 28, 2009
    If, in fact, the problem is a hairline crack in the stalk unit, glue -- any glue including Super Glue -- will be at best a temporary fix. Contact Verell. He has the molds to make new parts for these units and can rebuild it for you. I had a broken turn signal stalk on my 308 when I got it. I sent him the unit and the old turn signal handle, and he did a superb job molding and rebuilding the unit for me. It's better than new now, as his molded pieces are stronger than the originals.

    As for problems with the motors, try by-passing the system and power the motors directly. If they work with direct power, then the problem is elsewhere. If they do their up-down thing, then you know it's the motor. And I remember reading the thread about the diodes in the motor units in the past. It's a good place to start if you are certain that it is the motors and not somewhere else in the system.

    Now, all that said, I had an '84 Mondial QV coupe, and it had lots of electrical gremlins when I first got it. It turned out that most of them came from poor grounds. The 84 Mondial has a battery switch in the negative ground line that is supposed to allow you to turn the battery off. It's a total piece of crap and is probably internally corroded. Don't trust it; remove it from the system.

    Do yourself a favor -- before you spend any more time hunting electrical problems, buy a new set of battery terminal cables, clean up the posts on the battery, connect the negative battery cable directly to the chassis after thoroughly cleaning the contact point to bare metal, and tighten the connections on both positive and negative terminals of the battery good and tight. Your problem may be one of low voltage from a bad ground. Once I did this on my Mondial, 95% of the electrical problems cleared up immediately all by themselves. It's worth doing before going any further.

    (p.s. -- check the battery voltage as well. If the battery is old and not holding a full charge, that could be a problem too. It's easy enough to pull it out and take it to any auto parts store and have them hook it up to a tester to see if its good or not.)
     
  11. Mfoncerrada

    Mfoncerrada Formula Junior

    Dec 20, 2009
    419
    Monterey, CA
    Full Name:
    Miguel Foncerrada
    #11 Mfoncerrada, Apr 5, 2010
    Just to close the thread....

    Thank you all for the suggestions. The problem turned out to be a cold solder joint in the headlight switch - making intermetent contact. It was on the bottom side of the switch and I missed it the first time I disassembled it....but somone else found it and it's been corrected.

    Lesson learned - jiggle connections while you are testing them....=)
     
  12. laxman

    laxman Rookie

    May 12, 2006
    11
    Asia
    Full Name:
    Ray L
    #12 laxman, Jun 2, 2010
    Mondial and 348 headlight stalk switch seemed identical with the following differences:
    1) Color coding of a few wires are different however wiring appeared similar.
    2) Mondial unit has ** 2 extra wires** connected to the headlight lever assembly.

    Problems:
    1. I installed the Mondial unit as is. All the lights work except when the headlight lever is moved to High Beam. The high beam illuminates but the headlamp assembly pops down!
    2. Headlight "flash" operation wont work.
    3. High beam indicator light (blue icon on dash) wont illuminate.

    Would appreciate any information on above. Thanks.
     

Share This Page