Something isn't right.

[goatherder]

Evening all - I hope everyone is well.

My car, a 4200cc, has been running great recently, well, until today.

Whilst queuing for petrol I noticed a lot more exhaust fumes from the rear exhausts than normal... I put it down to the cold weather.

After filling up the engine wouldn't turn over, I had to put one foot on the brake and the other on the accelerator, managed to start her after a minute or so, followed by a plume of smoke from the rear.

I then went to collect my daughter (still a lot of smoke from rear), car started fine from cold - went to restart and she wouldn't. Was sat there for half an hour. At one point it wouldn't turn at all, more of a clicking. I was about to call the breakdown guys and then she started.

So - now she's home. I had no warning lights, pressures were fine. Bit of a smell around the car, similar to clutch burn? Quite a clunking noise when I turned the engine off.

Anyway - I'll be calling the garage tomorrow - was just hoping for some words of wisdom from the panel.

p.s. wife just asked if we have to cancel xmas this year!

 

[Parisien]

GH...didn't you have that catalytic problem early in the year?

How did the breakdown men start it?

The oil level was ok in it?

So....the battery wasn't turning it over..........could be just that....failed at the start of the cold spell.

Will await for the techno guys to pass by to shed some more light and ask a few more qs!!

Hope it aint an Xmas cancelling prob!!


P

 

[Paco]

Clunking noise when you turned the engine off???

Gulp,

But smell was clutchy not oily? Hmmm.

My brake pads froze on this am because of the weather, smells like clutch lining, doesn't explain clunks or exhaust smoke though....

 

[goatherder]

Hey P - yes one of the cats was breaking up but it was caught early (and replaced with a Larini sports cat), never broke down.

Not really sure what the excessive exhaust fumes indicate... could be a cat issue?

Will have a proper look in the morning when it's light. Prob best I get it towed to local dealership for a once over?

 

[Parisien]

Yeah...a trailer is best........sounds like a combo of probs, but you need an experienced eye cast over it.........good luck anyways.


P

 

[lozcb]

Could be the culmination of a number of things due to the cold , Dont Panic if you havent got any dash lights , my guess is your battery is at fault , its winter time and that sorts out the good from the bad battery wise , £65 will get you a new one , smoke is normal or normalish when cold , if your Maf sensor air flow meter is playing up or lamda has gone it will show with a dash light , Now the clunking could well be the clutch plate/release bearing sticking due to the cold , had this on mine recently starting from cold after a few days stationary had what sounded like a severe rattle from where the bell housing is , soon as i depressed the brake and put into gear it disappeared and hasn't come back since ,

My first thing would be to change the battery and see how you get on , before you start to incurr garage charges, these engines are a lot more robust that we tend to give them credit for


regards loz

 

[goatherder]

Thanks loz - wise words as ever. Battery sounds like a good place to start, I'll see what I can get sorted.

 

[Emtee]

Hi GT,Sorry to hear of this problem. Do you have both larini cats or just one and a stock cat? With this in mind, was the excessive exhaust from both sides or just one? What colour? dark exhaust or steamy white?

If you were on the throttle to try and start her maybe you flooded the engine (is this still possible?)

As for the clunking, maybe an exhaust mounting?

 

[goatherder]

Hi Emtee, both cats are Larini. Exhaust more of a steamy white. I think I'll attempt to change the battery and work back from there... Are there any step by step guides on how to do this?? Also where can I get a good new heavy-duty battery from?

Thanks

 

[Parisien]

GH, I know theres a thread on this......recently, plus get a heavier rating amperage output battery, plus ensure posts are on correct side.....its a bit of an awkward job to do if you aint done it before.....aim for £70-80 for a branded one with 3-5 yr warranty.

http://www.sportsmaserati.co.uk/showthread.php/1413-Battery-charging-replacing?highlight=battery


P

 

[reservoirfrog]

I just bought one last week, went to kwik fit, they told me they only do one that fits, 90 quid. only problem was that for a few stops/starts after fitting it could'nt decide whether it wanted to engage a gear or not , but soon settled down.

 

[Emtee]

Hi Emtee, both cats are Larini. Exhaust more of a steamy white. I think I'll attempt to change the battery and work back from there... Are there any step by step guides on how to do this?? Also where can I get a good new heavy-duty battery from?

Thanks

Hi GH, So Larini both sides and no CEL's so it doesn't sound exhaust related. White smoke either means they've elected a new Pope or it's on the chilly side, so all okay there. Battery is a good place to start, particularly if you're on the original which I think is FIAMM (it was in mine). If you're happy to bung up to £100 at it, then go for it, but might be worth getting yours checked as well as it may be fine but rather just heavily loaded at the moment with heating on high, heated seats, etc.. As for fitting, watch out for the fuses and relays above and expect grazed knuckles. There may be a breather pipe fitting also, though these tend to be blanked off on sealed units. Cheers, Miles.

 

[lozcb]

Think there is a how to somewhere , as a rule of thumb , start off with a roll of duct tape , and a 10mm and 13mm socket ,

1) Lower drivers window by one inch
2) Isolate battery by switch
3) Remove battery holding clamp at the bottom with 13mm socket
4) Remove both neg and positive terminals
5) You will see two black plastic fuse and relay covers directly above the battery, using the tape keep them pulled upwards towards the top of the rear wing
this will give you around half an inch of play to manouver the battery out
6) Be very careful not to break the breather pipe attached to the side of the battery where the rear lamps are disconnect if poss

Replace with new Battery in the reverse order

When you first turn the battery back on by the isolator it will lock the car , that is normal , just unlock in the normal way with the key blip

hope that helps

regards loz

 

[conaero]

Mine had some similar issues after a battery reset (same would happen if you had a flat)

Basically after restart, I touched the accelerator and I think I cocked up the recalibration. After that, when starting from cold, it was excessively lumpy, and had really nasty smoke out the back, loads of it, and you could smell the petrol, basically it was massively over fuelling. I did the battery reset again and idled the car again for 20 mins WITHOUT touching the accelerator, and it sorted its self out.

Now, I have to agree with Loz, and this points to an error with the MAF, getting the mixture completely wrong and telling the ecu to bung in more fuel. It could also be down to the excessive cold weather of late.

Occasionally on a cold start, it will still do this over fuelled exhaust smoke, but only occasionally after a couple of weeks of none use so will be looking into changing the MAF if it continues.

 

[goatherder]

Thanks all - Been out to local Halfords - plus a few other places - but no batteries in stock! Although it did start both times without a problem..

On the way back I noticed a few other things:
1) When I stopped at the lights in first, there was a beep and then it went into neutral.
2) Put my foot down on way home and it appeared to lack a little power, followed by a prolonged beep (5 seconds), I was in 6th - again no warnings on the dash.

Decided I will take it to Meridien first thing Monday and leave it with them.

 

[Emtee]

Hi GH, When I stand at lights for a period of time without my foot on the brake petal it pops itself into neutral. This is accompanied by a short beep. The long beep could have been the ice warning?

 

[goatherder]

Emtee - yes that would make sense. Think I'm just noticing things that I wouldn't normally. Doesn't explain the prolonged beep in sixth?

 

[conaero]

Dont forget the ice warning, beeps when drops below 1 or 2 degrees C. Just make sure your not confussed by it.

 

[lozcb]

Thanks all - Been out to local Halfords - plus a few other places - but no batteries in stock! Although it did start both times without a problem..

On the way back I noticed a few other things:
1) When I stopped at the lights in first, there was a beep and then it went into neutral.
2) Put my foot down on way home and it appeared to lack a little power, followed by a prolonged beep (5 seconds), I was in 6th - again no warnings on the dash.

Decided I will take it to Meridien first thing Monday and leave it with them.

The beeps are warnings as you would expect , usually beeps with snow flake sign below gear selection indicator when 2 degrees or less outside , now that it seems to be dropping out of gear , could be clutch or F1 pump issue , but would be normal to have the CC light come on the dash at the same time unless its intermittent and just starting to go in which case your wise to take it to Meridian , could be as little as a new F1 pump relay needed around £8.50

Do you know what your approximate clutch reading is.....................
If the diagnosis is F1 pump playing up remember that the Maserati F1 pump is £950 ish plus vat plus fitting
But the Alfa selespeed pump is EXACTLY the same and is around £284.00 or cheaper , Emblem are not that far from Meridian and may well be cheaper , for sure Myles at Emblem is THE most knowledgeable on the CC boxes so it would be my call to take it there , he was trained at Meridian


regards loz

 

[duncscot]

I would agree on trying a new battery as first course of action. Excess smoke may be due to you turning over the engine so much, its pumping fuel into the cats! The smell may be due to slightly sticking brake pads due to the weather.... Ive had this myself.... sticking in winter and swelling in summer and causing a slight binding