Learning the ways of my new "mistress"

Chiveroni

Chiveroni

Member
Messages
187
Hi everyone

Had my 2011 Granturismo S for about a week now and driving it is raising some questions. I'm new to these more powerful cars and so what I think may be wrong could be quite normal. After all my daily drive is a 9 month old Volvo XC90...

The car gets up to temp (90 on the gauge) really quickly when just driving normally - like three or four minutes. Is this correct? It never goes above 90 even when it's 30c outside and I'm giving it some. The fans don't appear to be running wildly either. They come on for short bursts and stop.

Air conditioning is working and I get cool air coming through. It does (eventually) bring the cabin down to 21 / 22 but needs the fans to be quite high to get there. It's certainly not the same kind of cooling power I am used to. Is this more a sign the refrigerant needs topping up or is the aircon in the GT not so effective?

The heating in the driver's seat switched on this morning. Dial set to zero and status screen in the instrument cluster showing it was switched off. Only happened once. Is this a common issue?

Both wing mirrors fold closed correctly when I rotate the internal control. Should they also fold when I lock the doors because they are not? Can't find anything about this is in the handbook.

Not important things but I'd really like to draw on your considerable group experience

Thanks!
 
StuartW

StuartW

Member
Messages
9,314
I trust that you are enjoying your car and in answer to your questions, my temp does the same as have previous GTs before this one. In the summer months, the fans often have a quick burst before I have barely got the garage locked and off the driveway
Again with the AC, it becomes more efficient after it has been running for a while, it certainly isn't ice cold straight out of the box in my experience
I have never seen the heated seat coming on randomly like that, I don't think it should so hopefully just a one off?
I do not believe the mirrors should fold when you lock, maybe something to do with if you use an outside cover which needs the mirrors sticking out for the cover to hold onto?
 
Zep

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,268
In the order you asked:

Yes - they warm up pretty quickly. The rad fans will run faster only when it is super hot outside.

The air con isn’t especially good in most cases. I tend to run it with the temp set down to 17 and the fan fixed fairly high if I get in and it is hot inside already.

There is a problem with the heated seat switches if they get some water in them they can randomly switch on. I did a quick search and found this https://www.sportsmaserati.com/index.php?threads/heated-seat-issue.34163/

The mirrors do not fold on locking. But some members have modified the wiring to do so. Have a search for “auto folding door mirrors”. It’s pretty involved.
 
Tallman

Tallman

Member
Messages
1,833
Looks like your questions have been answered by our in-house experts already, isn’t this a fab forum? Interesting about the airco, in the QPV it works like a dream and I live in a hot climate. I leave mine on 20.

Just a word of caution on the engine temperature. This is water temperature, which heats up quicker than the oil temperature. So don't floor it when the gauge moves, give it a bit more time to get the oil to operating temperature. The engines are pretty bullet proof but no point in tempting fate.

Then the mirrors. The mechanism is not the sturdiest, nor is the switch. So unless you really have to, I would be cautious with using it, you will thank me later.

Re the seat heating coming on, welcome to Italian electrical systems ;) - just make sure the battery is in excellent condition and keep it charged with a trickle charger if you don’t use it every week. That’ll avoid a lot of inexplicable and random problems.

Lastly, make sure you use the Sport button liberally and you’ll never need to use the sound system :cool:
 
Last edited:
MarkMas

MarkMas

Chief pedant
Messages
8,925
Chiveroni said:
Had my 2011 Granturismo S for about a week now and driving it is raising some questions. I'm new to these more powerful cars and so what I think may be wrong could be quite normal......
Click to expand...

All normal in my (QPV) experience.
 
Chiveroni

Chiveroni

Member
Messages
187
Guys - thanks so much. I really appreciate the quick and detailed answers. Heated seat in the weather was a bit of a shocker - I'll monitor. I don't need to fold the wing mirrors but just wanted to check they were working correctly.

I do leave it on a trickle charger. Having read the forums the first thing I did was buy one!

Thanks again!
 
safrane

safrane

Member
Messages
16,854
If you want a kit for auto fold mirrors I have one sat in my boot doing nothing.
 
Gazcw

Gazcw

Member
Messages
7,763
Temp normal.
AC not spectacular but enough.
My seat heater always comes on when I first sit on seat. Quick on/off sorts it out. I will get around to looking at it at some point. Must be a pressure thing on the switch as always OK until my cheeks hits the seat.
Stop being lazy and fold them yourself. :p;)
 
O

ofenomeno99

Member
Messages
354
It’s funny I also think my A/C is perfect in the summer heat of Kuwait (50+ degrees). My car arrived in the UK today and drove it from Southampton to MK and then down to London and A/C was as good as it has ever been.
 
Chiveroni

Chiveroni

Member
Messages
187
Oh - and one other thing I forgot: when I put the key in the ignition and turn to MAR (before I fire up) I don't get the six(?) "peep" noises that I hear from other cars. There are no peeps at all - is this an issue? The speaker obviously works as it "peeps" if I open the door with the key in the ignition and if I turn off when still in gear and not park.
 
c4sman

c4sman

Member
Messages
1,260
I wish all sports car makers fitted oil temp gauges as many must thrash their cars still cold thinking once the water temp is up to normal they are good to go. I have cars with an oil temp gauge and they take 10-15 mins of gentle driving from dead cold for oil to be up to temp depending on ambient conditions. Water temp can is up in less than half of that time (on the ones that have both so easy to compare).
 
bigbadwedge400

bigbadwedge400

Member
Messages
117
c4sman said:
I wish all sports car makers fitted oil temp gauges as many must thrash their cars still cold thinking once the water temp is up to normal they are good to go. I have cars with an oil temp gauge and they take 10-15 mins of gentle driving from dead cold for oil to be up to temp depending on ambient conditions. Water temp can is up in less than half of that time (on the ones that have both so easy to compare).
Click to expand...
Absolutely agreed! The first car I had with an oil gauge was a Clio 1.8 16v when I was 19 and ever since I've been super patient knowing how much longer it takes to warm up.
 
dickygrace

dickygrace

www.richardgracecars.co.uk
Messages
7,339
The heated seat switch tends to get dust in it, spray some electrical contact spray into it and it’ll be fine. The AC should be ice cold, top up the refrigerant and it’ll make a world of difference.
 
B

bigbob

Member
Messages
8,972
Chiveroni said:
Oh - and one other thing I forgot: when I put the key in the ignition and turn to MAR (before I fire up) I don't get the six(?) "peep" noises that I hear from other cars. There are no peeps at all - is this an issue? The speaker obviously works as it "peeps" if I open the door with the key in the ignition and if I turn off when still in gear and not park.
Click to expand...
Mine has never done that before firing up (also a 2011MY 4.7 auto). Perhaps an auto versus MC thing?
 
Zep

Zep

Moderator
Messages
9,268
Chiveroni said:
Oh - and one other thing I forgot: when I put the key in the ignition and turn to MAR (before I fire up) I don't get the six(?) "peep" noises that I hear from other cars. There are no peeps at all - is this an issue? The speaker obviously works as it "peeps" if I open the door with the key in the ignition and if I turn off when still in gear and not park.
Click to expand...

Mine has never beeped on ignition on, which is good because its would be annoying!
 
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