INFO CENTRE SHUTTING DOWN

[PHStokes]

Hi all,

New poster to the forum but I have used many of the threads on here before and have found the level of information on here amazing! I really didn't think there'd be so many people dismantling thier maseratis at home. brilliant. I have a 2005 4200 CC.

The problem
So I have an intermittent information centre fault where the unit powers itself down repeatedly until eventually working.
Sometimes it doesn't do it at all other times it can go on for 20 mins rebooting a few times then staying off. Generally I find that if I leave it more than a day it happens. However a couple of days ago it did it an hour into a journey and then wouldn't work for the next 45 mins... This is the first time its done it after its been working before.

During this weird process the buttons don't work and the unit is unresponsive. sometimes it will suddenly try and do all the queued up commands before shutting down other times the buttons have no effect.
I seem to think once it wouldn't shut down as well. As in during its cycling of deactivation taking the key out and trying to power it off does nothing...

I have searched for a while now to find a thread online somewhere which covers this topic and perhaps I've missed it and someone could point me in the correct direction.

Further notes.
⦁ I have replaced the heater core myself (thanks to: https://www.sportsmaserati.co.uk/index.php?threads/how-to-heater-matrix-repair.23166/) So I don't think its wet footwells
⦁ I have a loudlink audio installed (it did it before this installation)
⦁ I don't have the auditorium option.
⦁ I have dismantled the screen unit and the NIT and examined all the boards for loose/cracked solder and all looks clear. I've checked all the connectors between the two and nothing appears to be untoward.
⦁ I have installed an amp and speakers as well which work great (when it's working) the info centre did this long before I touched any wiring.

Some other threads which touch on this issue but are now rather old:

This is the exact problem but tinkering in the fuse box appears to have solved his issue.

Info Centre issue

www.maseratilife.com

Issue gets mentioned here too but never resolved:

https://www.sportsmaserati.com/index.php?threads/4200-problems.16026/

This guys wouldn't switch off, sadly no solution.

Radio and info center doesn't want to shut down

www.maseratilife.com

Working theories...
I had thought it likely to be cracked solder somewhere and when warm made stable connection however after examinations and the recent mid drive shut down I'm no longer convinced. I was using the AC on the drive and started to become convinced that moisture from cabin air was condensing on cold circuitry from the cold air from the pipes behind the dash (especially as I'd patched a hole whilst doing the heater corewhere a screw used to go but was snapped right behind the screen) However I drove the full 1:45hrs home with AC on and no issues it worked fine.
Any thoughts would be greatly appreciated!

Pip Stokes.

 

[Navcorr]

Welcome, haven't looked at the links but one thought is the NIT cable. The grey 10 core cable. Try a continuity test and determine if there's an intermittent fault.

 

[spkennyuk]

Does it improve if you turn the battery off for an hour or so and then turn it back on again ?

Is it just the nit playing up or are you also loosing power to the back lighting for hazard warning light switch etc.

It could be the cable under the arm rest at the back of the NIT thats come loose. If i remember correctly those cables take the input signal from the NIT controls but also supply power to the screen and some lighting above the screen and consol area.

If the loudlink is buried in the arm rest then it may have knocked the cables.

Its a few years since i had the arm rest apart but i think its a green plug for the GSM phone. Grey plug for the Sat nav antenna and the white plug carries the main power etc.

 

[PHStokes]

Thanks for the quick responses!

UPDATE, bizarrely tonight while i was turning it on and seeing if it was working or not (as has become my daily routine..) it decided it wouldn't switch off... I think it's done it before a few months back but this time it seemed like it meant it... I've switched the battery feed off in the end as it was just unstopable otherwise.. again all buttons are non functional and occasionally it shut down then booted up again only to again be non-responsive.

Navcorr, I shall try the NIT cable continuity test tomorrow, I've given up for the night now! persish the thought that a day go by without me dismatling some bit of this car! I've just been wiggling the fuses a bit idly and testing some relays for the on and off with ignition in case somehow they were to blame..! all appear well..

I should also clarify that the infocentre boots up happily with no key in the ignition as well as switching on automatically in key position 2. Is that normal?

SPKenny, It does sometimes work after disconnecting the battery. However it is often working again after being left for an hour parked before I drive it home.. (having malfunctioned on the outbound journey all the way).

I've been in armrest a lot recently doing the dash out heater core, then again for the NIT investigation and then again to fit the amp hidden under the NIT. I've stuck the loudlink in the boot instead of the cd changer. throughout all this tinkering it has had this same fault and I just can't pin down any pattern at all, but there must be one! I feel like its happening more than it did but then I'm using the car a bit more perhaps than I have been. agh mysterious..

Anyway I'm pretty sure the cables are all good and secure. However you make a good point about the power to the other aspects of the unit. The hazards appear to function normally throughout the cycle, both switch light and actual lights.

I'll report back after continuity test.

Thanks

PHS

 

[TimR]

I know you stated that you have made an inspection of the circuit boards,so forgive me if I’m repeating myself...
I had a similar issue with mine.
I tried wiring, then a firmware reset via a disc that I was kindly lent by @davidhowson...all to no avail, sadly...
Eventually, I sent it to a specialist who confirmed the motherboard was fubar... Not the best news, as they would have been able to repair it excepting cost meant a replacement was my solution...! You might have better luck?
I used Cartronics IIRC

Car Electrical Repairs & Installations

Vehicle Component Repairs Cartronics specialise in the repairs of ALL car electronic modules This includes radios, navigations, infotainment screens, amplifiers, ECU's, head units, tuners, control modules, car displays and instrument clusters. We have an in-house repair service with full...

www.cartronics.co.uk

HTH

 

[PHStokes]

Tim,

Hmm not the best news but still really good to narrow it down. Was your issue pretty much identical to mine? What year is yours? Did you buy a new unit or a second hand one from a breaker in the end?

I wonder if there's a common bit of the board that blows.. I'll strip the unit down again and re-flow the MB I guess after I've tested the cable. I don't suppose Cartronics mentioned which bit of the MB was the culprit (he asks hopefully!) ?

Thanks for the contact. I've emailed them anyway to see if they recognise the issue and can offer any kind of ballpark price for repair if its a known fault now perhaps they'll know..

Thanks much appreciated

PHS

 

[PHStokes]

Update:

NIT cable tested and fine! next stop re-flowing the board. It was still completely stuck on and unresponsive today so at least its totally broken now so I guess I'll know straight away when it's fixed.. before it was so intermittent that you could never be sure! when it worked it worked... then it didn't...

 

[CatmanV2]

If it's stuck on, it's getting power from somewhere where, I suspect, it shouldn't be. With the car off it should shut down (20 minutes from memory at most) I'd be looking externally still, I confess.

C

 

[TimR]

So Cartronics told me it was a replacement board that was needed; then quoted me a price for sorting it..
I just bought a used unit.

 

[PHStokes]

Update:
So on Friday I stripped down and tested all the connections on the boards... which was fun!

They all tested okay but I re-flowed various connections on all the boards anyway in case of cracked solder. I then plugged it all in and it worked! But I've been fooled by this NIT before... I left it just all loose and plugged in for a few days to check if it was still working and it continued to work every time I checked.. So on Sunday I rebuilt it and took it out for a spin. it worked perfectly and without any faults for over 2hrs of driving with stops etc.

I think it is actually behaving better than it ever did before even when it was working as the screen fades nicely when you switch it off and the speakers haven't made a popping noise since the rebuild.

Checked again today and it's still working... I'm beginning to let myself believe that its fixed!

My money is on the NIT wire connection I've attached pictures of. its on the board at the front of the NIT and comes out without too much hassle and the solder looked a little tired. Unfortunately I don't know that this was the culprit, as I also re-flowed any other connectors where wires were transferring to boards and connectors were soldered on to accept all the plugs. But I suspect this one as it is more directly related to the fault of buttons not working and shut downs and it looked a bit dodgy... but I suppose once one has reached this point with it in pieces it's not much more effort to do all the main connectors.

Anyway fingers crossed it'll continue to work ! sods law as I click post it'll break again...

Hope someone finds this helpful if they're suffering similar symptoms in future!

(the attached photos show the grey socket which the front grey NIT wire plugs into from the reverse side and then the socket side)

 

[PHStokes]

Thanks to you all for replying !

 

[CatmanV2]

Fantastic. Really hope that's resolved it!

C