Gearbox/Engine light issue - 2004 4200 CC

[GraemeA]

While out driving on Saturday, I pulled into a parking lot and then wasn't able to select any gear. We pushed the car to the kerb with the engine running and shut off the engine.

Now the dash shows an engine light and a transmission light and the car won't start. I notice that the pump isn't priming for the cambiocorsa. I had the car trucked home and am now wondering what the most likely cause is. The battery is now fully charged but multiple resets have changed nothing. It seems the fuse and relay are tucked up above the battery isolation switch and I'm not sure how easy they are to remove.

The car was running fine before the problem, but hadn't run for perhaps a month.

 

[spkennyuk]

While out driving on Saturday, I pulled into a parking lot and then wasn't able to select any gear. We pushed the car to the kerb with the engine running and shut off the engine.

Now the dash shows an engine light and a transmission light and the car won't start. I notice that the pump isn't priming for the cambiocorsa. I had the car trucked home and am now wondering what the most likely cause is. The battery is now fully charged but multiple resets have changed nothing. It seems the fuse and relay are tucked up above the battery isolation switch and I'm not sure how easy they are to remove.

The car was running fine before the problem, but hadn't run for perhaps a month.

The f1 relay as you say is above the battery. Pull the relay and test with a 12v power source. A drill battery will do or car battery.

There is an alfa part alternative at around 20% of the Maserati part. Check the fuse while your there. If both are ok your then looking at a pump or clutch issue. (Check the easy stuff first though.)

If the pump has failed again there is an alfa part alternative at around £180.

The fuse and relay are a little awkward to get to but nothing major as the board they sit in has play in them to angle to remove.

 

[GraemeA]

Thanks for the quick response. Do they have clips holding them or is it a straight pull off? It's very hard to see up in there.

Hoping its not the pump and just a relay or fuse. It was working fine earlier.

I just checked and my lost truck trip home was two years ago - how time flies..

 

[spkennyuk]

The relay and fuse both just pull out. Hopefully its just the relay but if the relay fails it can take the pump out by failing in the powered on position and running the pump all the time.

 

[conaero]

That relay is very tight. Turn the power off and use a flat blade to lever it up.

 

[HTAFC4200]

Scraped nuckles time
That relay is an absolute pig.

 

[RodTungsten]

Just went out to check our spare relay and it has vanished! Was stored in a plastic bag by the battery after testing for fit. Will need to get another one: BMW ABS relay - May still have the receipt from Dick Lovett.

 

[mjheathcote]

It's worth unscrewing the relay and fuse holder bracket and twisting it down, much easier then to access above the battery.

 

[GraemeA]

Thanks everyone for all the advice

 

[GraemeA]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the advice about unscrewing the bracket it certainly made access much easier, once I'd managed to unscrew it.

So the obvious issue is that the 30A fuse has blown. I haven't tested the relay yet but suspect it will be fine (not sure which contacts to use really).

Anyone have any ideas why the fuse has blown?

 

[Steve4200]

Hi Mike,

Thanks for the advice about unscrewing the bracket it certainly made access much easier, once I'd managed to unscrew it.

So the obvious issue is that the 30A fuse has blown. I haven't tested the relay yet but suspect it will be fine (not sure which contacts to use really).

Anyone have any ideas why the fuse has blown?

Knackered Pump / Knackered Relay.
Check both.

Regards

 

[mjheathcote]

I'd change the fuse and relay, and see it the pump primes and switches off.
I guess if you just change the fuse, and pump just keeps on running, the relay has fused itself on, and eventually the fuse will blow again, or fuse immediately if the pump is knackered.
Trial and error really to eliminate the problem, with the cheapest bits first!

 

[GraemeA]

Well I changed the fuse and it all appears to be working fine. Pump times seem normal and gear selection seems fine. I ran the engine up and no issues. I bought a few spare fuses, so I'll just have to drive it and see. There must be a reason why the fuse blew, but at this stage nothing obvious.

 

[spkennyuk]

Well I changed the fuse and it all appears to be working fine. Pump times seem normal and gear selection seems fine. I ran the engine up and no issues. I bought a few spare fuses, so I'll just have to drive it and see. There must be a reason why the fuse blew, but at this stage nothing obvious.

If it were me i would still change the relay as well and hopefully it saves you money down the line.

I think the alfa one is around £20 but adds some peace of mind knowing the fuse has already blown once for some reason.

 

[GraemeA]

A good point, though the relay checked out fine. I haven't driven it yet, but just thinking about it, though the pump primed and went off normally, I thought the pitch was a bit lower that I recall it being. This maybe points to the motor on the pump being at fault.

Time will tell I guess. I bought quite a few fuses as a precaution but a new relay would be sensible.

 

[RJ237]

The contact points inside the relay could be somewhat burned and it would still test okay.

 

[RoaryRati]

We had no real warning that our pump was on the way out until this - day 2 or a three week European trip

 

[HTAFC4200]

Mine seemed to get worse, went from 0 symptoms to "oh boy I've broken down" over the space of a handful of drives really.

 

[GraemeA]

I've ordered a new relay as a precaution, which I should have by next Friday. I'll run the car over the weekend and see how it goes - hopefully no repeats, but I have spare fuses if necessary.

 

[conaero]

I would say that anyone who has no history of the pump being changed should change it and the relay too. The OEM Ferrari one is only a tenner now.

The fuse or relay failing is an indicator of the pump overloading it