the road to, er, Hopetoun House...

ZAM400209

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585
I thought I'd start a thread to highlight anything owners are doing to prepare for the forthcoming Scottish Italian Car Day at Hopetoun House on the 22nd May...

(owners that are going, that is!)

I've a list of things to do, which all work backwards; ending up with the car being able to go to the event

first thing; reconnect battery & start engine; problem! alarm key-fobs dead; immobiliser won't come off. New MN21 cells to be sourced...55604
 

ZAM400209

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585
I've re-read that a few times; you mean 'hot-start' relay? as in hot-wire it?

Ha! well, it's not past me; but I didn't need to go THAT far (this time!)

ask me on the 22nd May!
 

allandwf

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10,958
I've re-read that a few times; you mean 'hot-start' relay? as in hot-wire it?

Ha! well, it's not past me; but I didn't need to go THAT far (this time!)

ask me on the 22nd May!
It has potential starting issues when hot, the dreaded "click". Fix is to have a relay from ignition switch which then routes power directly from the battery to the solenoid. It wasn't an issue until I changed the cats, and now with higher engine bay temperatures it reared its head at mot time. It's a well known problem with various makes of car.
 

Corranga

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1,219
I should probably get mine out of the garage and make sure it still goes further than the drive way. Washed it last weekend, but it's not been anywhere since last year...

Still looking at tyres too
 

Needamaser

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1,491
Replacing a melted air con relay which I hope will result in attendance of said event.
Of course there is a chance that then highlights another problem.
 

ZAM400209

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585
Do you need a relay-base, Stewart?

I've got some spare FIAT / Lancia ones knocking about on my desk here...

Is that on the 348, Allan..?
 

Needamaser

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1,491
Got the air con relay today and being fitted Monday. Temperamental headlight(went on or off when air con was turned on!) was down to a dodgy earth.
Will see what, if any, issues are left to deal with once that new relay goes on but really appreciate the offer.
 

ZAM400209

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585
Hey Allan, it might be worth wiring a radiator fan override-switch to give things a really good cool-down before turning off.

I've got one in the Cup; it utilises a spare relay position under the bonnet. Have you got any blank switch positions in the cabin..?
 

Needamaser

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1,491
Well I fitted the new relay and now when I press the auto button on the air con the radiator fans come on! Even at cold and engine off.
You need one of these relays Allan. lol
 

ZAM400209

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585
good crikey-

that's bizarre; although not entirely bonkers- is that with the electrics-on Stewart..??

(obviously??)
 

Needamaser

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1,491
Yes. The aircon was on all the time before replacing the relay and that is "cured". However this is a new development but it may be linked to radiator fans coming on and not switching off and engine running cool all the time which was another previous issue.
Given up and getting an auto electrician to have a look. Not sure if the wallet will handle it but my sanity isnt so no choice!
 

ZAM400209

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585
I told you the story about the crazy chip (PROM) that I had in the a/c controller in the Cup once, didn't I..?

Most a/c systems are supposed to bring in the radiator fans when the compressor is running to get more charge in the condenser. But it shouldn't be doing that all the time.
On my setup (when it went nuts) the a/c was running permanently.

Did you ever sent your control panel down to David Askew for the once-over..?
 

Needamaser

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1,491
Not sure if you did tell the tale? I could have easily forgotten at my age!
If the system needed a recharge could that affect it?
Didn't send to DA as it looked as if it was behaving itself for a while.
 

ZAM400209

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585
ok- well here's the story then;

once upon a time, during one of the first service-outings for the Cup, when it was getting the inherited niggles sorted- it was established that the A/C control panel wasn't acting upon the mixer-valve for cabin ventilation heat.
Various things were tried and in the the end it was unavoidable that the controller (panel) itself was going to have to be replaced. The unit was £700+ at the time, and I think I had the airhorns replaced at the same time.

I've always tried to collect cast-off bits of the car, whenever they are swapped out (I drew the line at the airhorns!) but I asked Glenvargill to retrieve the A/C controller from the bin in the workshop. They seemed bemused, but did so, and off I went.
Over the weekend, I realised that I now couldn't get the A/C to actually turn off; it was running all the time- all other functionality was correct.
I went back to see Glenvargill and they told me that 'some Ferraris run with the A/C on all the time', but I pointed out that the car had had never had this functionality before.

A date was established for the car to return for the fault to be investigated, but in the meantime I took the top off the A/C controller that I had rescued from the workshop-bin and could see a large PROM-chip in a socketed location on the PCB. Clearly some kind of programmed 'firmware' (for want of a better analogy), complete with version No & date.
I had already tried to cultivate a good relationship with the workshop-guy who looked after my car, and knowing them to already be somewhat befuddled by the fault, I asked his opinion for a change of the chip within the controller.
They looked into it, and he swapped the chip between the original and new-replacement unit; and Hey-Presto; everything worked!

I still have the old unit, which wouldn't adjust cabin-temp, now fitted with the newer crackers-chip.

David Askew has a test-rig for this stuff; he would be able to establish if the controller from the Zagato was functioning correctly in the 1st instance. You should definitely discuss it with him over the phone.

If the system needed a recharge, would it affect the radiator fans..? Not likely - these systems have a pressure-switch which will inhibit operation if there is too much or too little pressure in the system. I can't see how incorrect pressure would bring the fans in...


Two-weeks to MOT for me. I need to start the car this week, and start to make preparations...
 

ZAM400209

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585
well, the Cup rolls again-

MOT passed!

so, theoretically; I'm already on-the-way to Hopetoun House...


Any movement on the hot-start issue, Allan...?
 

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allandwf

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Any movement on the hot-start issue, Allan...?
Errrr, no. Got the bits, but not got round to fitting it yet. It's intermittent so hope that it won't happen that day, either that or I will just sit for 20mins and it will be fine lol.