QPV weird NIT problem - any ideas?

[mowlas]

Just an update. I pulled fuse MF68 that feeds the amp and although I no longer had any sound from the speakers I also no longer had any of the clicking noise coming from somewhere in the passenger footwell - not conclusive I know but perhaps this does indeed point to the amp being at fault?

Next steps (unless anyone has any better suggestions?) :

1. Remove centre console / NIT and disconnect Parrot and replug associated wiring back to standard
2. If problem persists (which I suspect it will) then I know 100% for sure it’s not the Parrot so I will dig deeper into the passenger footwell to try and identify what module is clicking.

If in the meantime anyone knows for sure where the amp is located in a 2007/08 QPV (Blaupunkt NIT, Bose speakers and I am assuming Bose amp) then it would be great to know, likewise if anyone has any other suggestions about what else it might be that is clicking in the footwell and causing the sound to drop in and out then I am more than happy to hear from you!

Many thanks,
Tim

I don’t believe your parrot has anything to do with the problem so you can save yourself a lot of trouble with not needing to pull the NIT out.

I’d first of all find where that darned Amp is! You’ll hear the click noise more discernibly with the Amp exposed - panels and soundproofing etc removed.

On one of the other threads I shared above, I believe someone found a way of bypassing the amp to see if sound came through to speakers, confirming the Amp is the culprit…

 

[spkennyuk]

I don’t believe your parrot has anything to do with the problem so you can save yourself a lot of trouble with not needing to pull the NIT out.

I’d first of all find where that darned Amp is! You’ll hear the click noise more discernibly with the Amp exposed - panels and soundproofing etc removed.

On one of the other threads I shared above, I believe someone found a way of bypassing the amp to see if sound came through to speakers, confirming the Amp is the culprit…

Im not 100% sure but i think the Bose amp is in the boot on the drivers side.

The thing thats throwing me with the parrot system is the OP said that streaming music files from the parrot is still causing the drop out which shouldnt touch the Bose amp at all as its using its own amp.

If the amp is indeed in the boot then it suggests the clicking and buzz in the cockpit is coming from a relay thats fubar.

 

[Harvey_Tim]

Im not 100% sure but i think the Bose amp is in the boot on the drivers side.

The thing thats throwing me with the parrot system is the OP said that streaming music files from the parrot is still causing the drop out which shouldnt touch the Bose amp at all as its using its own amp.

If the amp is indeed in the boot then it suggests the clicking and buzz in the cockpit is coming from a relay thats fubar.

Yes that is correct, the sound drop out (and associated clicking in the footwell area) occurs regardless of the sound source - radio, cd or streaming via Parrot. As mentioned earlier I completely removed all power from the parrot and the issue continued. The only time the clicking in the footwell stops is either if I turn the NIT off or when I pulled fuse MF68 which feeds the amp.

One other odd thing that I forgot to mention is that i only get sound from the cd when the ignition is off, as soon as I turn the ignition on the sound stops but the NIT screen still shows the track playing as normal - this symptom only happens with the cd. I have found something on an American forum of someone who had this same issue and that turned out to be the amp.

I will keep searching for the amp !

 

[Harvey_Tim]

After a very frustrating couple of hours disassembling and (doing my best to) reassembling the passenger footwell I have another update, I can confirm the following :

1. The amp is not located in the passenger footwell.
2. A Bose subwoofer unit is.
3. The Bose subwoofer unit is definitely the source of the clicking.

So having confirmed the source of the clicking noise I unplugged the Bose subwoofer unit and I still had music and the clicking had gone …. but the music was still cutting in and out every 10 seconds or so ….. arrrgh !

It would therefore seem that the clicking noise is just a symptom of rather than the cause of the actual problem, I guess something is just powering up the subwoofer on and off.

I tried again disconnecting both live and ignition live from the parrot so it was definitely deceased and the problem persists.

So the only thing that seems to have stopped the 10 second pulsing was pulling the fuse to the amp, but that also stopped the sound.

Guess I need to strip out the boot now to find that elusive amplifier !!!

Any other suggestions or thoughts welcome.

Thanks all,
Tim

 

[mowlas]

Keep going! You are definitely making progress!

This video of a GT may imply that the QP amplifier is indeed in the rear of the car! GT and QPs essentially the same platform…

 

[alastairb]

Take a look at 'billydv' or 'Beeton' posts on MaseratiLife, one of them has jus let fixed an Amplifier cutting out problem. Might give you some ideas for wiring when you get to it

 

[Harvey_Tim]

Cheers Alastairb

 

[spkennyuk]

Maybe pm the op on this thread for the exact location of the amp.

https://www.sportsmaserati.com/index.php?threads/2010-qp-bose-amp-repair-replacement.36125/

 

[Harvey_Tim]

Latest update ….

All my internet research indicated that this problem was probably caused by the amp and I even contacted a Bose amp repair specialist who said it certainly sounded like an amp issue. I found that the amp is indeed mounted in the boot on the passenger side (of a right hand drive car) so I removed it hoping that I could test the wiring or bypass the amp however I could not find any pin out diagrams that matched the amp in the QPV so I could not attempt any of my own diagnosis.

So I could either send the amp off for a £150 repair or buy a “guaranteed working” second hand amp for £60 … I chose the latter which arrived this morning. As soon as there was a gap in the rain I excitedly went out to the car and connected the amp, then with bated breath I sat in the passenger seat and turned on the NIT, the sound of Radio 2 filled the cabin …. for about 15 seconds and it then went quiet again for a few seconds and then came back again - i.e. exactly the same as before!

Very sad as I had hoped this would be the fix and I could finally enjoy some music in my QP.

So either I have bought a second hand amp that has exactly the same problem (which seems very unlikely as this does not appear to be a common issue from what I can tell) or the problem is elsewhere - which I think only leaves the NIT itself.

Does anybody know if a proper diagnostic scan also ”talks to” the NIT unit and if that might reveal the problem - do SportsItalia have the actual Maserati diagnostic gear and how much do they charge for a scan?

Also does anybody know if the NIT can be reflashed with the latest firmware / software?

Any other ideas anyone?

Thanks,
Tim

 

[j s pollo]

Last week I fired up my old 42 gt coupe which had not been used for three weeks and the radio was not working no sound and showing on the screen the words searching so I done the battery reset.
when I do my battery reset I remove both battery leads and touch them together I then reconnected them jumped in the motor fired her up and the radio was working again.

 

[Harvey_Tim]

Last week I fired up my old 42 gt coupe which had not been used for three weeks and the radio was not working no sound and showing on the screen the words searching so I done the battery reset.
when I do my battery reset I remove both battery leads and touch them together I then reconnected them jumped in the motor fired her up and the radio was working again.

Thanks for the suggestion. When the problem originally started the first thing I did was a battery reset and it did seem to fix it, until the very next day when it came back again!

I will however try it again, who knows it may fix it permanently this time.

 

[Harvey_Tim]

Another update … so I have just done another battery reset (this time had the battery disconnected for over 2 hours) and the stereo is now working ok, but it did that last time too so I am not holding my breath yet - let’s see what tomorrow brings !

 

[Harvey_Tim]

So yesterday evening after a battery reset the radio was working completely fine, this morning I try it and it’s back to how it was again fine for 15 seconds, then cuts out, then fine again for 15 seconds, then cuts out ……WTF how can it just go wrong again when it hasn’t even been used ???

Does anyone have any other ideas, or know if a diagnostic scan would interrogate the NIT?

Just in case anyone needs to know in the future this is where the amp is located in boot by the passenger side wheel well of the car (2008 QPV right hand drive):

 

[j s pollo]

Just a thought before you done the battery reset did you put everything back to how it was when it left the factory ? .

 

[Harvey_Tim]

Just a thought before you done the battery reset did you put everything back to how it was when it left the factory ? .

The only thing different to how it left the factory is the Parrot Bluetooth, but as per an earlier message I have already disconnected all power (permanent and switched live) to the Parrot box and the problem remained.

I guess my next step will be to remove the centre console and the front of the dash to get to the wiring at the back of the NIT so I can completely remove the Parrot from the equation, but I have a feeling that it must be the NIT unit itself.

 

[Harvey_Tim]

This car just cannot make up its mind … I have not touched it since my last post but I drove the car today and the stereo was perfect no issues at all despite the fact that when I had previously switched it off it was continuously cutting in and out. Weird.

 

[j s pollo]

This car just cannot make up its mind … I have not touched it since my last post but I drove the car today and the stereo was perfect no issues at all despite the fact that when I had previously switched it off it was continuously cutting in and out. Weird.

Hey remember it is a Maserati we get this all the time on here just keep your fingers crossed.

 

[spkennyuk]

This car just cannot make up its mind … I have not touched it since my last post but I drove the car today and the stereo was perfect no issues at all despite the fact that when I had previously switched it off it was continuously cutting in and out. Weird.

Faulty volume control knob maybe ? Im guessing it may be a coper track rotary control. If there is dirt on the track or a worn area on the track then it could in theory cause the issue you were having.

If the dirt has now moved then it would explain why its now working as it should. Dont touch the volume control on the head unit and use the steering wheel controls and see if it happens again as a suggestion.

If it behaves then at least you can plug the Parrot system back in again.

 

[Harvey_Tim]

Hey remember it is a Maserati we get this all the time on here just keep your fingers crossed.

Indeed - you make a valid point !

Faulty volume control knob maybe ? Im guessing it may be a coper track rotary control. If there is dirt on the track or a worn area on the track then it could in theory cause the issue you were having.

If the dirt has now moved then it would explain why its now working as it should. Dont touch the volume control on the head unit and use the steering wheel controls and see if it happens again as a suggestion.

If it behaves then at least you can plug the Parrot system back in again.

Hmmm that’s a possibility I guess, I certainly had not considered that … nice suggestion but I am pretty sure my steering wheel controls don’t work either !

Re. the Parrot its still plugged in, I have not got round to pulling the centre console out yet.

 

[j s pollo]

Leave it for a couple of weeks see if the stereo behaves itself and if you decide to reconnect Parrot etc and the problem returns well then you know wot you have to do.