Gert in Belgium writes:

"Enrico,

Can you tell me if it is save to disconnect the fuses in the engine department? With save off course I mean for the car.

I attached some photos in which you see them in a red box.

I want to clean the contacts of them to ensure good connections.

Gert."

Reply from Enrico:

Re: Ghibli II - Cleaning electrical contacts.

"Hi Gert,

If I were doing this job, I would first disconnect the negative terminal of the battery, then remove the fuses.

After you have cleaned the contacts, assuming that they need it, I would treat all contacts with a protective coating to ensure they do not corrode/oxidise in the future.

Regards,

Enrico."

Frederic in France writes:

"Hi,

Here is I concerns of starting up with my alarm SERPI GR 420 is resolved, I changed the systeme of alarm and it works.

Nevertheless I have the “check engine” light on at intervals. Could you say to me what are the conditions of ignition of this “check engine” light?

Regards,

Frederic."

Reply from Andrea:

Re: Ghibli II "CHECK ENGINE" warning light

"It depends on the age of your Ghibli as there is a difference between the early cars (which have a distributor on the engine) and the later cars which do not. There is a diagnostic machine available for the later cars which will pinpoint the fault. However, the check engine light comes on if the computer is given information to say that the fuel mixture is outside pre-set parameters. This is caused by a faulty sensor most of the time.

The most common failures in order are: Lambda sensor in the exhaust, water temperature sensor in the engine, air temperature sensor in the engine. Other possible failures include throttle potentiometer and idle valve.

Andrea."

John in the UK writes:

"Hi Enrico,

I have a '94 series 2 Ghibli ABS which has develped a serious "BURP" from the vacuum pump which operates all the flaps for the climate control system and vehicle heating. On ignition start the burp is continuous and then settles down to an intermittent burp. Once the engine is running the burp continues and no matter which combination of heating/cooling I select the noise continues.

Does this point towards a vacuum pump failure or a leak somewhere? Can you point me in the right direction and is there a specific area I need to look at?

Best regards,

John."

Reply from Andrea:

Re: Ghibli II "BURP!"

"The burp you refer to is a vacuum pump, buried in the driver’s side inner wing. This pump creates a vacuum to operate the various heating system flaps. A certain amount of burp is therefore normal. If, however, it runs all the time when the ignition is on, regardless of which ‘mode’ the panel is in, then you have a leak in one of the pipes.

From what you say, it sounds entirely normal.

Andrea."

Reply from Enrico:

Re: Ghibli II "BURP!"

"The burp you refer to is due to the operation of a vacuum pump, buried in the driver’s side inner wing. If this pump is working contiuously, there is most probably a leak in the system.

Jonny in The Netherlands writes:

"Hi there Enrico (again),

Hope everything's going well and that you're not neglecting your own site for the Maserati Club one!

I'm still having some issues with my Ghibli. I've got the new boost controller (e-boost 2 from www.turbosmart.com.au) fitted and working fine to give me 1.2 bar pressure with the waste gates not opening until 1.1 bar. However, given that I'm running with 3200 GT turbochargers, I'm not getting nearly as much power as I should be (I should be getting about 360 bhp), with the dyno results coming in at 311 bhp (I had 327 bhp with the old turbos last year but running at 7200 rpm) and that's with the help of a new faster processing timing chip (which improved it from 299 bhp (with the stock chip) to the 311 bhp). The problem looks to be getting progressively worse too since the last time I had the car on the dyno it was running with the 3200 GT turbos and 0.7 bar boost and still giving 306 bhp.

So... the car is now running the correct boost, the fuel/air mixture appears to be correct with high revs but the car is down on power... so I can only think that the gas flow through the car is down?

Since the last road worthiness test indicated that the car was running too rich (the CO reading was too high) we suspected that the cylinders may be leaking. So, these were tested... and despite the car being 12 years old the results were pretty good... 4 cylinders with 5% leak, one with 8% and one with about 20%. So that wasn't the problem. the distributor (a pre-MY94 Ghibli) was also checked and the sparks plugs were changed, but the problem persists.

Next thing that's going to be checked is the catalyst and the O2 sensor. Since the car runs at boost OK, we think that there's a problem on the exhaust side of the car. Also, since the car looks to be running rich with the high CO reading (but strangely the chip tuners seem to think the mixture is fine) there's a good chance that the catalyst has blocked up. I'm also concerned that the O2 sensor may not be working correctly, but this should throw the check engine light on shouldn't it? Do you know of any Ghiblis where the O2 sensor has failed or started to work too slowly without activating the check engine light?

Anyway, I'd appreciate hearing and similar stories and fixes if you know of any, since if it's not the exhaust then I'm starting to get a bit stumped?

Incidentally, there's an odd smell that seems to come for the exhaust recently. it's hard to explain since I've not smelt anything like it before this... but it sort of smells like something's getting very hot... like something ceramic (not burning though). I can smell it from the moment I start up the engine and it doesn't get any better or worse as the engine and exhaust temperatures increase. I suspect that it's related to the problems and makes me lean even more towards exhaust/catalyst problems?

Cheers... Jonny."

Reply from Andrea:

Re: Ghibli II folding door rear-view mirrors

"I am not sure I know what a ceramic smell is! If the CO reading is high and the engine has been run for a while like that, it will ruin the catalyst.

The water temp sensor usually fails rich but normally puts the check engine light on.

Andrea."

John in the UK writes:

"I have a 1994 series 2 Ghibli ABS and would like to retro-fit a pair of electric folding mirrors, can it be done, how expensive would it be and does it require any specialist knowledge?

John."

Reply from Enrico:

Re: Ghibli II folding door rear-view mirrors

"Hi,

Yes I'm sure retro-fitting of the folding door mirrors is possible but it won't come cheap. Nothing is in Maseratiland!

Attached is a page from the Ghibli ABS parts manual showing the parts. How you go about installing the wiring, I've no idea but I would recommend having it domne professionally. Either way you will never see the money spent again.

Nino in Australia writes:

"Hi Enrico,

I have a 1995 Ghibli GT which is causing me much angst.

The car has an idling problem which is driving me insane. When not moving in traffic or standing at a set of lights the engine idles very roughly and misfires, the lights dim and sometimes the engine cuts out (I don’t have any problems restarting). I have had Modena Motors, the Australian Maserati dealers, run Engine Diagnostics twice on the car and the only anomaly was the throttle angle sensor was found to be a few degrees out, however, once this was repaired no other faults were found.

Can you help please?

Nino."

Nino in Australia writes:

"HI Enrico,

I was trawling the Maserati pages on the net some time back and came across an accessory to extend the steering wheel. It was a steel ring that could be placed on the steering column enabling the steering wheel to come forward about 1 inch. I have spent numerous hours trying to find the page without luck. Do you have any idea where I could find it?

Many thanks,

Nino."

Reply from Enrico:

Re: Ghibli II won't idle!

"Hi Nino,

There are many pages in the Ghibli II 'Can You Help?' section. You should read them all. I am sometimes baffled by the number of times I am asked questions when the answers have already been published. Any owner of a Biturbo era car should read ALL the pages relating to these models. I am sure most answers can be found there.

I have attached an image which could be the answer to your problem.

Reply from Andrea:

Re: Ghibli II won't idle!

"Hi Nino,

1. Check idle control valve first, both for operation and type – sometimes the wrong ones get fitted – check that the one you have is grey in colour and not green.

2. Because the lights go dim, it may be that you have a dodgy voltage regulator in the alternator (although some dimming as the cooling fans cut in is normal). Have they checked the charge rate under load?

3. If you have no ‘Check Engine’ light coming on during the rough running period, try renewing the five relays on the bulkhead in the engine bay that supply the fuel injection and ECUs with power.

4. If none of that has any effect, then do a cylinder leakage test. It is just possible that you have a burnt out valve which is causing a lack of compression on one or more cylinders at idle.

Andrea."

Jon in the UK writes:

"Hi Enrico,

My interior fans on my 1997 Ghibli GT have stopped working recently during the "hot" spell we've had. There was moisture forming on the vents just before it stopped working and the a/c was on. There may be a block in the drain from the heater box - could this cause a problem ?

I've checked the fuse and relays and both are fine and there's also power to the fan speed controllers under the bonnet (centre rear of engine on scuttle panel).

I believe that there is a connector to the back of the fan under the dash which could also be at fault. Does anyone know the colour of the wires as I don't have a wiring diagram and want to trace it through the system. If anyone has a wiring diagram I can beg, buy or borrow that would also come in handy for future reference.

Whilst writing I have a noisy gearbox and think it's the layshaft bearing in the gearbox (Getrag 6 speed) . Anyone have any experience with replacing this in terms of cost, time etc. If it's not that and the clutch release bearing instead, similar question !

Quick tip in return. If any interior switches for seats, window motors etc are inoperative, they can easily be taken apart and the contacts inside cleaned with a very small piece of emery. Saves having to replace a switch which is a simple mechanical piece of kit and most of the time cleaning will cure the problem.

Best wishes,

Jon."

Stan in the UK writes:

"Hi Enrico,

It was good to see you fit and well at Silverstone and to compare details of our Italian spec Ghibli GTs.

Mine has recently developed a "hesitation" under hard acceleration and I would appreciate your opinion.

During a 3000 mile trip to Italy the car ran faultlessly even with up to 40 degrees C afternoon temperatures. As you can imagine full performance was used whenever required and appropriate, especially for passing slow moving trucks crossing the Alps. After returning home the car has developed a "stutter" or "hesitation" instead of providing the normal rapid acceleration that should be available whenever the turbos are on song.

Under normal driving conditions when only gentle acceleration is all that is required the car appears to be perfectly normal. I suspect that the problem is fuel related as the symptoms do appear to be caused by fuel starvation.

Could this be a relay issue and if so which do I need to change?

See you at the NEC in November.

Best regards,

Stan."

Reply from Andrea:

Re: Ghibli II has a slight hesitation!

"Hi Stan,

1. If this car is early, does it have a distributor on the engine? If yes, then change the rotor arm and check the cap carefully.

2. If no, or if this doesn’t cure it, look at the body ground connection. Try to establish whether cutting in or out of the air conditioning makes a difference. In other words, accelerate hard and operate the panel. If the stutter can be tied up with the point at which the panel operates then the body ground is faulty. Check and clean all earth connections between battery, engine and body.

3. If your car does not have a distributor, then try changing the bank of five relays in the engine bay which supply the fuel injection system as these are well known to give trouble.

4. A fuel supply problem is very unlikely on these cars unless it has never had the fuel filters changed – don’t forget there are two and one is in the tank.

5. If none of the above has any effect, then I’m afraid that you should think about doing a cylinder leakage test. I have seen a number of burnt valve problems on these engines which give this symptom.

Regards,

Andrea."

Very useful information from Alex:-

Re: Ghibli turbo 'T-piece':

"I'm replacing the plastic T-piece with a metal one and in effect, the plastic one was leaking. The plastic seems to harden with the temperature cycles it is put through. I will test the car and let you know. I tested for a leak in the waste-gate system by disconnecting the hose marked "W" on the solenoid boost controller on the front of the engine and attaching a foot pump to it. Sure enough, it would not maintain pressure and when you stopped pumping (when the waste gates have fully opened) you could clearly see the waste gates slowly closing as the air hissing out from the T-piece. It is found in vertical line with the left water hose coming from the water pump when looking at the engine. To best access it, remove the left water hose carefully and place towel to absorb the fluid. Also remove the central cam cover and backing plate behind the cambelt. I will let you know how I get on. Have you managed to solve the problem? I suppose the other possibility might be a faulty controller, or faulty controller relay (next to the fuel pump relay, on the left looking into the engine bay). The only other component to the system is of course the knock sensors, which if they are picking up a knock signal (or think they are), will inevitably cause the boost to be reduced to a safer level.

HOWEVER!!!!: Problem came back after a bit and I discovered how to solve this problem and some other problems I have had:

LUKE'S PROBLEM AND OTHER ISOLATED PROBLEMS:

- BANK OF CYLINDERS NOT WORKING
- CHECK ENGINE LIGHT FLICKERING AND NO READING ON THE REV COUNTER WHEN ENGINE IS RUNNING
- BOOST ISSUES (NOT MORE THAN THE START OF THE YELLOW ZONE)
- BOOST OK, BUT POWER REDUCTION
- FUEL PUMP NOT WORKING AT FIRST TURN OF KEY, OR ENGINE FAILING TO START
- HESITANCE UNDER ACCELERATION OR CRUISING

SOLUTIONS TO ALL OF THE ABOVE:

- CLEAN THE 5 RELAY AND 3 FUSE CONTACTS ON THE LEFT OF THE ENGINE BAY WHEN LOOKING AT THE ENGINE (ENRICO, FAI UNO SCAN DEL MANUALE) - IF PROBLEMS PERSIST OR APPEAR TO DIE AWAY THEN COME BACK, REPLACE ALL THE 5 RELAYS AND 3 FUSES FOR PIECE OF MIND.

- IF STUCK ON THE ROAD IN THE DAYLIGHT, REPLACE THE FIVE RELAYS WITH THE HEADLIGHT AND FOG LIGHT RELAYS UNDER THE COVER (beside the power steering fluid reservoir). READ MANUAL TO SEE WHICH ONES YOU CAN REMOVE. 2 RELATE TO THE RAD FANS, SO DO NOT USE THESE!!!

LIGHTS, RAD FANS, AIR-CON COMPRESSOR ISSUES

INITIAL SOLUTION: clean contacts or replace relevant relays under the cover on the left of the engine bay, beside the power steering fluid reservoir (when looking at engine) closer to the front that the ignition relay stack.

GHIBLI II IN-TANK FUEL FILTER

Maserati fuel filter for Ghiblis with filter in fuel tank is the same as for FIAT 500 second series (90's) and can be purchased from any FIAT dealer at less than half the price Maserati quote.

Alex."

Nadeem in the UK writes:

"Hello everyone...

I have a 1995 Ghibli GT 2.8-litre. Recently it has started displaying the "Check Engine" warning light on the dash. This seems to happen one and a half minutes from the time I start the engine. I timed it 3 times and stays on until I switch the engine off. Apart from the light coming on there does not seem to be any other problem. Engine still running fine etc. Though since this has happened I have not been running the engine very long.

Any ideas much appreciated.

Had a problem recently with misfiring / not firing on some of the cylinders and the engine check light coming on and it ended up being just the relays that control the ignition in the engine bay needed changing.

NOTE: Had to buy the exact same "diode type" relays to solve the problem. But has been running fine since then for months and now this is happening.

Any help is much appreciated.

Thanks,

Nadeem."

Reply from Enrico:

Re: Ghibli II 'Check Light'.

"Hi Nadeem,

Here we go again, it's that "Check Engine" light on the blink once more!

Nadeem, I suggest you read through all the replies in the Ghibli II 'Can You Help?' pages and you will find a variety of possible causes. Most common fault is that one or both of the Lamda probes are playing up, but the check light system is so sensitive that even a slight change in the fuel mixture will trigger it off.

Normally it is only when the light comes on, and stays on, every time you start the engine that there is real cause for concern. My advice is to take it along to a Maserati garage to have it checked out.

Regards,

Enrico."

Richard in Germany writes:

"Hi Enrico,

It seems to be that my cylinder head gasket of the right engine part of my Ghibli II built in 1998 is leaking. I am losing water through the engine, you see dense white fumes coming out of my right exhaust pipe for a couple of seconds after restarting the engine.

So my question is now: If the gasket needs to be changed, is it a must for the engineer to remove the whole engine or is it possible to change the gasket with the engine in its place? What is your experience?

If yes how many hours does a well experienced engineer need to carry out this work? The reason I am asking is that my Maserati agency told me he has to take out the whole engine and the cost to change the gasket is about EUR 4000. I couldn`t believe that.

For an answer I am looking forward.

Best regards,

Richard."

Reply from Enrico:

Re: Ghibli cylinder head case??

"Hi Richard,

On the later model Ghiblis with ABS, it is impossible to remove the left-hand cylinder head (looking from the driver's seat) without removing the engine. The ABS system and brake servo are in the way.

However the right-hand head (looking from the driver's seat) should come off without the need to remove the engine. I should point out that this work should only be carried out by a Maserati expert.

There is a lot of work involved in changing the cylinder head gaskets and it could be that your Maserati specialist has estimated for changing both head gaskets. While the engine is out it may be worth replacing the two small camshaft timing chains as well.

As I've said so many times before in these pages, Maserati motoring is NOT cheap! Even Italy isn't as cheap as it used to be. Maserati dealers assume or think we owners are all millionaires!! I hope they realise that we are not before it is too late!!!

Regards,

Enrico."