Italian electrics

[slurpysi]

I have a 1992 348 TS Ferrari which is great fun to drive and own, unless I have to use the heating & A/C buttons.

They tend to stick in the mode they are in, and I have to turn the ignition on and off to reset them (pressing the buttons also resets the digital clock !?).

Also, steam is sometimes pumped through the vents into the interior, which is a little worrying.

Anyone have any ideas ?? or do I put it down to dodgy 90's Italian electrics.

Thanks

[XXVIII]

You should try a 1973 Lamborghini then...

I never have so much as a moment of concern with the electrics in my Jarama these days...

I begin each journey safe in the knowledge that anything that is supposed to work using that fretsome elastictrickery stuff may not do so or may not stop working once activated...

For example, one October evening on a dark road near Chichester where no street lamps were fitted, I twiddled the switch to make the instruments a little less bright and was rewarded with absolutely no instrument lights at all and a sudden, almost violent, increase in the intensity of the headlamps to almost main beam level... which proved very popular indeed with the oncoming traffic, as you might imagine...

Being chilled about such matters is part of the fun, I think. It could be worse, the headlamps could start popping up and down from one side to the other or do as a Urraco I was driving did in a rainstorm in 2005 when I foolishly attempted to use the indicators and all the instruments went off,

came back again


went off


came back again


and (most disturbingly) the big red light indicating terminal oil problems started flashing as well...


- all of which was later diagnosed as 'overloading the system' by expecting headlamps, instruments AND indicators to work at the same time plus the engine was fine and dandy really... live and learn obviously applies!!

Edited by XXVIII on Sunday 7th September 17:37

[MitchT]

slurpysi said:

Also, steam is sometimes pumped through the vents into the interior, which is a little worrying.

Are you sure it's steam? If I have the air-con running in my BMW and I turn it off and then turn it on again a bit later a fine white mist comes out of the vents. It's something to do with condensation being caused inside the vents when you stop pumping cold air through, which subsequently is pumped out in the form of steamy/smoky looking vapour when if you turn the air-con back on again. If that's what you're experiencing then it's nothing to worry about.

[FezzaDezza]

In the front luggage compartment, under the carpeting right next the the bulkhead (next to air intake) is the main fuse for the aircon unit. Have a check of this as the fuse holder tends to melt which causes an intermittant connection and will make your aircon unit do odd things! Best to cut this fuse holder out and splice in something more substantial, worked for mine.

Either that or your aircon unit could have some dry solder points. I believe if you get in touch with Dave at Scud Sales he can point you in the direction of someone who can diagnose and rectify faults with these units.

Good luck....

Edited by FezzaDezza on Monday 8th September 00:01