2010 MC Shift won't start

[ensignia]

Evening all, I'm having an issue getting my 2010 4.7 started, and need the collective wisdom of the geniuses on here.

I went to start it the other day and it seemed dead, I could hear relays clicking as soon as I opened the door (car was unlocked luckily) and the handbrake/park lights were flashing. Put the key in the ignition, turned it and nothing. Completely lifeless although some of the interior accessories showed signs of life.

I know usually the culprit is the battery, but this one is a decent one less than a year old, the weather has been warm and the car is being used every day so was slightly confused as to why it suddenly died. I left the battery on charge for 3 days and tried to start it, but no dice. It powered a few accessories, but as soon as I turned the key just lots of clicking of relays.

I then connected the battery to a portable jumpbox (controversial, I know), and this seemed to wake it up: dome lights fully lit, interior screens on, F1 pump primed etc, but still it didn't start. No crank, just lots of clicking relays again, even though there was evidently enough power to get it going.

See video below:

IMG_1087

Watch "IMG_1087" on Streamable.

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As soon as I disconnected the jumpbox from the Maserati's battery, the car was basically dead again, no electrics available or any real signs of life.

Any ideas? It's obviously an electrical issue, which relays/fuses might be responsible for something like this? Or could it be something else entirely? Heard even the F1 pump can cause similar problems.

I've lent my multimeter out so couldn't test the battery or connections, but surely the battery isn't completely goosed after 9 months?

 

[Gazcw]

Battery would be my first port of call if a battery pack livens things up.

Could be a dodgy alternator not charging. I would disconnect battery and give it a full charge and see if that works then get the alternator tested.

 

[philw696]

Need to do some proper tests with the multi meter but my guess will be battery and hot weather can goose them easily.

 

[ensignia]

Battery would be my first port of call if a battery pack livens things up.

Could be a dodgy alternator not charging. I would disconnect battery and give it a full charge and see if that works then get the alternator tested.

I did try that already, my portable charger isn't the strongest so I left it for a few days until the green light lit up to signify a full charge. Alternator is interesting, I changed the original for a new one a couple of years ago when the old one stopped charging the battery. Hope it's not that, took the garage about 7 hours to swap it out last time.

Need to do some proper tests with the multi meter but my guess will be battery and hot weather can goose them easily.

God, cold weather can kill them and also warm weather too lol! I might just get a new battery so I can eliminate that as the problem because it's quick and easy to change.

Any fuses or relays to check? There seems to be hundreds of the buggers on our cars...

 

[Gazcw]

I did try that already, my portable charger isn't the strongest so I left it for a few days until the green light lit up to signify a full charge. Alternator is interesting, I changed the original for a new one a couple of years ago when the old one stopped charging the battery. Hope it's not that, took the garage about 7 hours to swap it out last time.



God, cold weather can kill them and also warm weather too lol! I might just get a new battery so I can eliminate that as the problem because it's quick and easy to change.

Any fuses or relays to check? There seems to be hundreds of the buggers on our cars...

Defo battery first. It may well have got overcharged which has killed it. I guess dodgy earth/connection may also be possible.

 

[ensignia]

I forgot to mention the other day when I first noticed the battery was flat, the climate control was flashing the number 99 as well, but haven't seen it again.

Searching on MaseratiLife has thrown up a few threads of people with the same fault and it turned out to be fuses or wiring. Hope it is just the battery because it has a 5 year warranty, although whether they'll honour it is another matter....

 

[Zep]

You’d have to test it, but it certainly sounds like the battery related. I assume you have checked all of the connections are tight and clean? As Gaz says, the battery might be the symptom of an iffy alternator, happens a lot due to the heat in the engine vee.

 

[ensignia]

OK, so went out and tested it with a basic multimeter.

Connecting the terminals showed an appalling 2.3v with the ignition off and no jumpbox connected.

Connected to the jumpbox it showed around 13.5v, but was floating in between 12.8-13.5 if any small current was drawn.

As soon the key is turned it dropped to 8v, then 5v and obviously this wasn't enough to get it started and the relays just clicked.

Think that's pretty conclusive that the battery at the very least is goosed. Off to Halfords to get another one and hopefully once it's running I can test the alternator.

 

[JMS]

Don’t forget to Take your old battery with you for the warranty exchange.

the Bosch exchange policy is usually no quibble through Euro Car Parts who are more specialist than Halfords

 

[ensignia]

Don’t forget to Take your old battery with you for the warranty exchange.

the Bosch exchange policy is usually no quibble through Euro Car Parts who are more specialist than Halfords

I bought the battery online from Tayna, who were excellent and the cheapest by some distance.

I'd like to get the car sorted today so I'll have to contact them and see what they say re refund/replacement because otherwise it'll take a few days at least arranging a collection or sending a replacement. With the way this car goes through batteries it might actually be handy to have a spare one in the garage! The last battery only lasted from Jan 19-Nov 21...

 

[allandwf]

but this one is a decent one less than a year old, but surely the battery isn't completely goosed after 9 months?

First rule of fault finding that I teached my apprentices, never make assumptions.
Re the jump box, unless it is heavy duty, ie for trucks, it probably wouldn't start the GT. I needed a truck one in the past for my Cerbera, a normal one wouldn't look at it.

 

[Zep]

Good luck with Tayna, they may well decide that the battery has been damaged rather than failed.

My gut thinks this isn’t the end of the story, I’d be surprised if you didn’t also have a grumpy alternator.

 

[Gazcw]

I did try that already, my portable charger isn't the strongest so I left it for a few days until the green light lit up to signify a full charge. Alternator is interesting, I changed the original for a new one a couple of years ago when the old one stopped charging the battery. Hope it's not that, took the garage about 7 hours to swap it out last time.

Was the alternator change oem or an alternative?

 

[ensignia]

Good luck with Tayna, they may well decide that the battery has been damaged rather than failed.

Will be difficult to prove either way, but will give them a call.

My gut thinks this isn’t the end of the story, I’d be surprised if you didn’t also have a grumpy alternator.

That's what I'm fearing too Are alternators a bit of a weak point on these cars then? The last one went after I accidentally hit the rev limiter in MC-SHIFT mode and seemed to overload the alternator as I had an exceeded voltage code afterwards if I remember correctly.

Was the alternator change oem or an alternative?

It was OEM Denso from a low mileage 2011 car. Was from these guys so not some backstreet garage, unless I've been taken in by their spiel...

 

[Gazcw]

Will be difficult to prove either way, but will give them a call.



That's what I'm fearing too Are alternators a bit of a weak point on these cars then? The last one went after I accidentally hit the rev limiter in MC-SHIFT mode and seemed to overload the alternator as I had an exceeded voltage code afterwards if I remember correctly.



It was OEM Denso from a low mileage 2011 car. Was from these guys so not some backstreet garage, unless I've been taken in by their spiel...

So it may have failed itself being from a 2011 then. Worth a proper test when battery is in place and working.

 

[ensignia]

So it may have failed itself being from a 2011 then. Worth a proper test when battery is in place and working.

Yep, possibly. Although last time the battery symbol was illuminated on the dials and this time there was nothing of the sort, so I'm clinging on to that for hope it's just a bad battery.

Anyway new battery bought from Halfords with the exact same specs as the outgoing one so will pop it in and see what the deal is.

 

[ensignia]

So the new battery is in, car fired up right away.

BUT checking the multimeter with the engine idling is showing 13.5v which I understand is on the low side which points to the alternator not doing its job.

Balls.

 

[Oneball]

Not necessarily, was that at idle? Were headlights or anything on? Where were you measuring? What do you get at 1200rpm?

 

[ensignia]

13.5v was the peak, I left it running without any accessories on like lights and it was gradually dropping to around 13.3v.

Holding the revs at 1500rpm showed a very small increase, but nothing close to 14v+. All measurements taken directly from the battery.

The battery was showing 12.68v when bought, and now after leaving the car running for 20 minutes it's at 12.44v which is fairly conclusive that it's not being charged by the alternator.

As I said before - balls

Could still be a dodgy fuse or earth somewhere, will need to investigate before I buy another alternator. Any starting points?

 

[Zep]

That's what I'm fearing too Are alternators a bit of a weak point on these cars then? The last one went after I accidentally hit the rev limiter in MC-SHIFT mode and seemed to overload the alternator as I had an exceeded voltage code afterwards if I remember correctly.

They all do that code, so wouldn’t worry about that. My alternator failed in a peculiar way, every now and then it would miss shifts and get stuck in gear. What was happening was the alternator wasn’t charging when it got hot. They are a weak point, sadly, and this is just the weather for it. If you have a good code reader you can log the voltage while you drive, get it good and hot, and see where you are. When you measured it did you have a lot of load? Lights, fans all on full? If so it’s not so bad. Sometimes a dodgy battery is just a dodgy battery.