Felix in The Netherlands writes:

"Hi Enrico,

I hope you doing fine.

I have a question, my Ghibli GT has a starting problem at the moment.

When I start the engine, in the morning when the engine is cold, it is not turning correctly. The first 10 to 15 seconds it turns arround 500 to 600 rpm and then after it goes to 1300-1400 rpm, and when I accelerate I hear some explosions in the exhaust and in the air filter boxes.

In the garage they already changed the VAE and some thermo contacts, but no result.

Have you any idea what can be wrong on this car?

Thanks & regards,

Felix."

Yiorgos in Denmark writes:

"Dear Enrico,

I write to seek some advice as I have discovered a couple of new problems with GT. As I was driving (it hadn't been more than 15 minutes or so since I left the garage) I noticed that the check engine light came on; as soon as I could I pulled to the right and switched off the engine. I restarted it after a couple of minutes. Then the check engine light disappeared. It did not switch on again for the rest of my trip which was approx. 2 hours.

Do you have any ideas what could have caused this and if I should do something about it?

The other thing that happens often to me lately is that while I try to put in the 1st gear, I notice that when I press the clutch down it does not release itself all the way up again but it rather stops midways and as a result 1st gear won't go in - so my engine stalls. It happened to me a couple of times at a traffic light (a little embarrassing!). When I have 2nd, 3rd, 4th, 5th or 6th gear it does not seem to happen.

Very annoying this one indeed and a little dangerous when driving, so I would really appreciate your help on this one.

Best regards from Yiorgos."

Reply from Enrico:-

Re: 'CHECK ENGINE' light:

"Ciao Yiorgs,

The CHECK ENGINE light is perculiar. What happened to you has happened to me. I have had no problems as the last time it happened to me was about two years ago. You did the right thing to pull over and turn off the engine. The thing to look out for is if the light comes on after you switch on again. Candini told me that it takes the slightest imbalance in the fuel mixture to cause the light to come on but if it fails to light on re-starting the engine then not to worry. If it persists, it may be worthwhile taking it to a Maserati expert to have it checked out.

Re. the clutch, check for any fluid leaks, especially on the hose from the clutch master cylinder to the slave cylinder. It could be leaking or damaged and should be replaced. (Yiorgos will see the funny side of this reply!)

Enrico."

Jerome in ? writes:

"PLEASE CAN ANYONE HELP?

My Ghibli failed to start - disaster! I managed to start it later but it was sounding very rough, as if firing on only three cylinders and the rev counter would only go up to 500 rpm.

I isolated it to a fuel pump problem. At first I changed the fuel pump relay with one of the non-essential relays but this did not work, so I fitted new relays. Still it would not start!

I then took apart the fuel pump relay and connected the bimetal strip switch with a piece of wire and everything worked fine. Do you know what the cure is? I reckon that there is insufficient voltage arriving at the relay to activate the switch? Could this be so, and if so what is the solution?

Thanking you in anticipation.

Jerome."

Reply from Andy:-

Re: 'Ghibli won't start!':

"Ciao Jerome,

Can't really add much to this but if one side of the engine is working and the other not, it is not likely to be a fuel pump related issue. More likely relays for the ECUs.

Hope this helps,

Andy."

Reply from Patrice:-

Re: 'Ghibli won't start!':

"I read in the 'Can you help?' area of your site that Jerome has an electrical problem with his Ghibli. If I could help I would say that Andy is right if only one bank of cylinders is working, this could mean a problem with one of the ECUs (the one driving the bank not working). But Jerome says that making a short on the fuel pump relay "everything is working fine". If that means that the engine is running normally, I think the problem is with the relay.

OK, but using another relay does not solve the problem!

So I think Jerome might be right thinking it is a problem of power supply of the relay. The relay could be OK, but if there is no voltage on the coil (or a weak voltage), the relay will not close the contacts, whatever relay he uses. That could explain why the engine is running only making "by hand" a short on the contacts.

So he has to check, with a multimeter or a DC voltmeter, the voltage driving the relay, and if it is less than 11 volts, the problem will be to find out why.

This could lead to check the wires connected to the coil of the relay, the fuses, and everything being in the circuit driving the relay, referring to the electrical documentation.

I hope this can help Jerome,

Patrice."

David in the UK writes:

"PLEASE CAN ANYONE HELP?

I am looking for a Ghibli 2.8 GT differential but can not find one anywhere. I always get offered new ones but the price is crazy.

Also if anyone would like to buy this 1996 Ghibli GT LHD (blue metallic / tan leather interior) which apart from the diff is in top condition with all bills etc. (full engine rebuild 13,700 km ago).

Please let me know on either issue as a new baby means my old baby has to go either repaired or as is, car is just taxed and tested. GB £12,500 will buy it.

David."

Peter from Germany writes:

"Hello Enrico,

My name is Peter from Germany. I'm considering buying a Ghibli. After having sat in a Ghibli (MY '94, with ABS) I noticed that the driver's and the co-driver's seats are quite short for me (I'm 1,89 m tall).

Even when the headrest is pulled out to it's maximum, it's in the perfect position to break my neck if I should have an accident. Although I'm not planning to have any accidents with my (still to be bought) Ghibli, I'm not feeling comfortable about this. I'm still delighted by that car and want to have one, so I am looking for a solution to my problem. Maybe you or anybody visiting your excellent site can help me:

- are the seats in the later Ghibli's (i.e. the GT- or the Cup-Models) larger, so it would be helpful to look for a '96-'99-model?

- there are several suppliers of sports-seats like Recaro, König, Scheel-Mann etc. but the consoles offered by these manufacturers don't fit to a Ghibli. Has anybody made some experience in installing this kind of seat in a Ghibli?

Thanks a lot four your help.

With greatings from Germany,

Peter."

Gert in Belgium writes:

"Enrico,

I'm considering buying a Ghibli II.

The question therefore is off course which model should I go for? A 2.0L model or a 2.8L model.

Some people say the 2.0L is not that reliable as the 2.8L model!? Others say this is the other way around? I personally think there is no significant difference in quality! It's more like the way you drive it a suppose?

Are the body parts of the Ghibli Open Cup still available?

Because I would like to transform the Ghibli into this kind of race-monster!!!

Gert."

Massimo in Italy writes:

"Ciao Enrico,

Avrei bisogno di un'informazione sulle turbine dela mia Ghibli GT 95.

La Turbina della 2.24 1992 è la stessa della Ghibli 95?

Sono due IHI la mia è RHB 5.2 ma quella del 224 non lo so!

Se perfavore mi mandi la sigla della turbina della 224 per vedere se è compatibile con la mia.

Ciao e grazie,

Lorenzo."

"Hi Enrico,

I need some info concerning the turbochargers on my 1995 Ghibli GT.

Are the turbos from a 1992 2.24v the same as those of a Ghibli 95?

They are both IHI, mine are stamped with the code 'RHB 5.2' but I don't know the code on those from a 2.24v!

Could anyone let me know the code stamped on the turbochargers from a 2.24v so that I can compare it with mine?

Bye and thanks,

Lorenzo."

Reply from Enrico:-

Re: Turbochargers:

"Ciao Lorenzo,

I can only give you the parts numbers for the two relevent models:

Model 2.24v 2-litre Turbo right-hand side 2 types - parts no. 312053026 and 475360040.

Model 2.24v 2-litre Turbo left-hand side 2 types - parts no. 312053029 and 475360140.

Model Ghibli 2-litre Turbo right-hand side 1 type - part no. 496360001.

Model Ghibli 2-litre Turbo left-hand side 1 type - part no. 496360101.

Hope this helps,

Enrico."

Massimo in Italy writes:

"Hi Enrico

I have now put the Ghibli (with ABS) Electric Manual on a CD-rom.

Attached are two reduced images of two diagrams in its content.

Saluti,

Massimo."

Yiorgos in Denmark asks:

"Hi Enrico

How are you and the Ghibli doing?

Me on the other hand is doing great but my Ghibli challenges me once more; and where would we all be without these challenges? Well this is how it goes this time. Irrespective of me pressing the throttle flat down or pressing it gently, the boost does not build up. As I look at the manometer of the turbo it just reaches the end of the white zone (and that not quickly enough as it ought to do) and will not go into the yellow zone, or red zone at all.

Eventually, and no matter what gear I am in, the same thing happens; the turbo manometer needle indicates very little pressure so I reckon I am lacking quite a lot of horsepower. As a result I have very little pressure and no proper acceleration. The check engine light does not come on and I know that it is connected.

Before I am about to go to the Maserati agent, do you have any ideas what and how serious this can be? If it proves to be the throttle valve and its potentiometer, any ideas of the price?

Thanks once more for taking the time to help.

Best regards,

Yiorgos."

Reply from Andy:-

Re: Ghibli II:

"Henry,

Yes, hose off or split is the most likely cause, but look at the small diameter boost control hoses as much as the large ones between intercoolers, turbos etc..

Andy."

Reply from Yiorgos:-

Re: Ghibli II:

"Dear Enrico,

I hope my email finds you well and that your Ghibli is going like the wind it is named after.

My GT is now fine again. The last problem I had mentioned regarding loss of turbo pressure is gone. The cure was to replace the leaking emballages/gasket from the left turbocharger as well as to replace the left turbocharger exhaust manifold which was damaged. Apparently, there was nothing wrong with the hoses - small and large diameter ones, i.e. none was split or come off. Luckily the job was done without need for removing the engine.

Best regards,

Yiorgos."