Skyhook / Sports Issue 4200GT

FIFTY

FIFTY

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As some of you know my SPORTS mode has not been working since shortly after buying the car.

I got a new switchpanel under warranty to replace the old SPORTS button which the SD2/3 reader was showing as not switching on/off

Once fitted it shows that the switch panel is now working (progress)... The way the system works is that the ECU in the switch panel sends a signal to the dash ECU which sends another signal to the suspension ECU telling to change to dampers to the harder setting so next port of call was to test the ECU

I did not manage to "borrow" one for a test so I bit the bullet and bought a used one from Eurospares which was taken out of a 2006 GS being broken for parts (potential suspension upgrade), this arrived today and I have fitted it - turned the car on hoping to press the sport button to see the light come on but instead I have a solid Skyhook warning light...

Interestingly I did once get a skyhook warning light back in February but it disappeared after a battery reset never to return until now I have swapped the ECU: http://www.sportsmaserati.com/showt...ut-no-light-on?p=546955&viewfull=1#post546955

Swapped them back over no warning light but not SPORTS either so I put the GS ECU back in and will run the car for a while to see if it clears as AV recommended

I know Kyle had a similar issue: http://www.sportsmaserati.co.uk/showthread.php/20551-Skyhook-Sport-Mode-amp-ASR-guru-s-please/page3 but who knows if it is the same guess the only way to know is to get the car on a diag with AV over the next few weeks but my gut feeling is that the vertical acceleration sensor(s) have failed
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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Just took the car our and I confirm the suspension is now stuck on the harder setting so it could be anything even down to the used GS ECU not working.
 
Andy Marshall

Andy Marshall

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Your car is a manual, but I thought most GS (all?) were cambiocorsa.
It could be that the GS ECU is looking for some sort of gearbox response?
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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No the suspension ECU is not manual/CC specific in the M138... once the button is pressed the signal goes from the ECU in the switchpanel to the dash ECU which sends two signals one to the suspension ECU and a separate one to the cambiocorsa ecu to switch into SPORTS. As you can see on the left hand ECU in the photo it does not mention the transmission only the chassis code M138

We will know more next week, could be that the used ECU is just not working or it is not compatible, who knows until it's on AV's diagnostic. Eurospares sent it to me under the correct part number for my car - despite a totally different GS specific part number being on the label - if it is compatible then I'm happy with it as it should improve the handling characteristics of my car plus it is a more expensive part than what I was invoiced for as it is the updated post 2005 software... should be more like £300 used as opposed to £105.

To be honest the reason for this thread is because there is very little information on this issue online so I thought if anyone else gets stuck with a 4200 with an aloof sports mode then maybe there can be a solution here.
 
hladun

hladun

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From what I've gathered the early Skyhook systems did not use wheel accelerometers but later systems may have. The early systems only measured body accelerations at a few points. So there would different ECU's.

Skyhook seems very similar to the more common Magneride so that may be a place to look to figure out the system.
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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Finally I have a confirmed cause, big big thanks to Voicey

The Sports function itself has been switched off on the dash ECU's firmware. AV found this in one of the configuration menus

IMG-20171116-WA0006.jpg
Photo by AV

To fix it I need to visit a MD to have them do "proxi alignment" which involves the full dealer software and getting the firmware from the factory so none of the indi's can help sadly

I called Giallo as I heard they have a MD diagnosis but Matthew conformed the above so I called a couple of MDs, Joe Macari as they are pretty local but after a conversation with them I was put off by the lack of knowledge.

Matthew suggested Meridian who were very helpful the guy there seemed to know a bit about this era and said he will speak with their chief tech and call me in the morning to discuss further. He admitted that it has been a while since they have had to carry out this sort of procedure on this era maserati so they will need to request the firmware from Italy etc. I think I will go with them

It doesn't make sense for someine to take the car to a MD to switch off the sports mode, suggestion is that it got somehow corrupted due to a flat battery or during a firmware update on the car

Also on a side note what the **** is an Arabian buzzer??
 
spkennyuk

spkennyuk

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FernandoIsFasterThanYou said:
Finally I have a confirmed cause, big big thanks to Voicey

The Sports function itself has been switched off on the dash ECU's firmware. AV found this in one of the configuration menus

View attachment 46171
Photo by AV

To fix it I need to visit a MD to have them do "proxi alignment" which involves the full dealer software and getting the firmware from the factory so none of the indi's can help sadly

I called Giallo as I heard they have a MD diagnosis but Matthew conformed the above so I called a couple of MDs, Joe Macari as they are pretty local but after a conversation with them I was put off by the lack of knowledge.

Matthew suggested Meridian who were very helpful the guy there seemed to know a bit about this era and said he will speak with their chief tech and call me in the morning to discuss further. He admitted that it has been a while since they have had to carry out this sort of procedure on this era maserati so they will need to request the firmware from Italy etc. I think I will go with them

It doesn't make sense for someine to take the car to a MD to switch off the sports mode, suggestion is that it got somehow corrupted due to a flat battery or during a firmware update on the car

Also on a side note what the **** is an Arabian buzzer??
Click to expand...

Is it possible a previous owner had a fault with the skyhook that they either couldnt trace or couldnt fix ?

Cheap solution at the time may have been to switch skyhook off in the ecu.
 
safrane

safrane

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16,911
Noted the buzzers too.

All those H&S gizmos for the US and UAE... what ever happened to common sence.

Still at least they are isolated unlike a DB7 I tried that constantly buzzed and pinged.
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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3,100
spkennyuk said:
Is it possible a previous owner had a fault with the skyhook that they either couldnt trace or couldnt fix ?

Cheap solution at the time may have been to switch skyhook off in the ecu.
Click to expand...

That is what I initially thought but the system is reporting errors OK as it turns out the GS ECU is not compatible which is what the skyhook error light was for

With the incorrect ECU fitted the car defaulted to the hard suspension setting and all four shocks seem to switch fine.

What none of this explains is why the SPORTS button on the switch panel was broken, maybe the previous owner used a heavy handed approach and hit the button until it broke. At any rate I got a new switch panel which included new buttons to replace the nasty scratched ones paid for under warranty so I'm not complaining
 
spkennyuk

spkennyuk

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Is there a forum member nearby that could swap out your skyhook ecu with a known working one for an hour so you could test and see what happens ?

Just thinking if your original ecu has gone corrupt it may still not work even with main dealer software update.

Changing the ecu for a GS ecu activated the skyhook from what i understand but on all the time. So on that basis the system is recognising the change in ecu.

If there is a member nearby who will let you swap out the skyhook ecu to test then it may prove that you just need a replacement skyhook ecu from a 4200.
 
FIFTY

FIFTY

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3,100
That is a very sensible suggestion, don't worry I'm not in a hurry to take it to a MD, I have spent enough on it this year it can wait until Spring 2018, in the meantime I will try to find out if there is anyone local with a 2003-2004 4200 coupe who doesn't mind swapping round suspension ECU's to find out a. if mine is corrupt by testing it in their car and b. how my car reacts to their ECU

Another thing that I thought of is that a previous owner could have changed the skyhook to adjustable coilovers (FD or KW) and in the process turned off the skyhook through a MD, the same owner or a subsequent one might have set out to revert the car back to standard by putting the skyhook shock absorbers back in but did not take it to a MD to have the system turned back on - thing is I am the fifth owner so who blo0dy knows. If I had a spare £3k right now I'd buy the KW coilovers and sack in the skyhook but it's probably not a good idea as I'm getting married next year!
 
spkennyuk

spkennyuk

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Anyone with a 2003/2004 4200 that can help Fernando out with a quick temp swap of the skyhook ecu to test the theory ?
 
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