Ferrari Mailing List: Re: 308 Door Problems

[Doug & Terri (dnt]

The joy of reassembling a real nice restoration and other tricks and traps - -

 

·       the overhead light no longer turns on with the door open

Those cheap ass button door switches selling for $30 to $70 fall apart upon installation.  Besides the paint may prevent a good ground some place.  (Try the “direct ground test wire trick. Read on)

 

·       (oh and the radio doesn't work either, but that's not a door issue).

Bad ground someplace.  Test Wire Trick.  Attach  a separate test wire ground from radio ground to a known good solid ground like a bolt on the steering column OR in extreme cases get a 25 foot roll (length doesn’t matter just get enough) of wire and attach it to the radio ground and then go directly to the battery ground terminal under the spare tire.  If no joy, is any juice getting to the radio?  So (first) remove ALL test wire ground attachments and THEN attach test lead to radio 12v input and (THEN) go directly to positive battery terminal.  If no joy still – buy a Tubi and leave the radio in place to simply look complete and drive thru tunnels and underpasses at 5,000 rpm with the windows down and listen to your engine music.

 

·       Also, now the windows are slower than ever, particularly the passenger side.

Windows out during painting?  Was the felt removed (and replaced) and reset in channels?  May just need to readjust the channels and unsqueeze the window a bit.  OR – read on.  Voltage drop test.

 

·       The power locks don't work, and the passenger door lock now won't lock at all (shh, don't tell anyone I can't lock the passenger side door on my Ferrari).

Go for the bad ground test again.  There may also be a bad fuse.  If you don’t have the Birdman Fix and your car still has the cheap ass VW ceramic fuses (like mine still has) double check continuity, polish off tips on a wire wheel to insure no corrosion and scrape the cheap ass connectors on the fuse panel.  Do voltage drop test.

 

·       SO what is a voltage drop test?  Either do it yourself or have someone do it.  Simply checking for ohm connection continuity or voltage will simply tell you that there is a connection – even if its only one thread like strand of wire. I’d guess the number of Pebble Beach concours painters that understand voltage drop is in the neighborhood of 2.73%.  The number engine builders (pre-OBD II) who understand voltage drop goes up a bit to 61.7%.  What I am saying is damn few techs really understand Kirchhoff’s Law.  Shops who deal in emission repairs as licensed by the state may be better – but try dragging our 308’s in there to test window operation.   BUWahahahahahah

 

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=youtube+voltage+drop&pc=EUPP_&mkt=en-us&httpsmsn=1&refig=0b73f0adf9c445e3b076029f8756eb00&ru=%2fsearch%3fq%3dyoutube%2bvoltage%2bdrop%26form%3dPRUSEN%26pc%3dEUPP_%26mkt%3den-us%26httpsmsn%3d1%26refig%3d0b73f0adf9c445e3b076029f8756eb00&view=detail&mmscn=vwrc&mid=3187DEB32C8EC56FD2EB3187DEB32C8EC56FD2EB&FORM=WRVORC

 

So if your equipment (also called the ‘consumer”) isn’t working full chat – there is a resistance someplace.  Either mechanical as in window felt too tight or an electrical ground as witnessed by one really dim headlight.  I have seen where the electrical spade connectors miss each other – sorta.  Because they are covered with their plastic foreskin protectors the male connector my slide to the outside of the female recipient connector.  Yeah it touches and sort of makes a connection but it aint full on.  The window connectors have a plug for input but check their ground connection.  The ground wire color for Ferrari’s is usually black.  In German stuff, Bosch chose brown for earth.

 

·       You do have to slam the passenger side door harder than the driver side in order for it to be fully closed.

Did you replace the door surround rubber?  If so – did you use jan-u-wine Ferrari stuff or after market?  Actually in either case new rubber can make a terrible difference.  Hoods and doors are the most affected.  If the aftermarket rubber is just the tiniest bit stiff by the time you go full circle – that equals a lot and further equals slamming said door.

 

Well Matt – that’s it.  Since my advice is free – you know what it’s worth.  Buona Fortuna.

 

Cheers

Doug