Solange in Belgium writes:

RE: 3200GT electronic drive by wire throttle:

"Good morning!

We seek following second-hand part for a customer:

1 x ELECTRONIC THROTTLE BODY DRIVE BY WIRE for a MASERATI 3200 GT from 06/2000.

I know this is not easy, because these are a weakness on these cars and are grabbed every time someone is breaking a 3200GT.

I wonder if there is somebody who can repair them ?

Can you help us?

Thanking you in advance for a quick reply,

We remain,

Sincerely yours,

Solange."

Steve in the UK writes:

RE: 3200GT handbrake adjustment:

"Hi Enrico,

Do you know how to tighten up the handbrake on a 3200GT, the lever pulls to the top?

Regards,

Steve."

Reply from Enrico:

RE: 3200GT handbrake adjustment:

"Hi Steve,

I have attached the relevant pages from my 3200GT Workshop Manual CD.

Stuart in the UK writes:

RE: 3200GT weak horn problem:

"Hi,

The horn on my 3200GT seams to have gone very weak and insipid. I feel sure it used to be far louder. I have located a horn mounted just above the front of the left front wheel and it seems to be working fine.

Is there another horn somewhere?

Stuart."

Reply from Enrico:

RE: 3200GT weak horn:

"Hi Stuart,

The mind boggles!

Apparently there are two horns, a high tone and a low tone. I have attached the relevant pages from the 3200GT Parts Manual.

Reply from Stuart:

RE: 3200GT weak horn:

"Enrico,

Many thanks. Bass horn found and sorted and now back to full volume. A Maserati with a horn from a scooter was shameful!

Stuart."

Gerard in The Netherlands writes:

RE: 3200GT engine problem:

"Enrico,

I would like to ask you the following.

I recently purchased a 2001 3200GT automatic with an engine problem, and I could use some suggestions. I measured the engines compressions and cylinders 1,2,3,4 have approximately half the compressions of the cylinders 5,6,7,8.

Valve clearances are in order, and a pressure test for head gasket blow has turned negative. No blow in between the cylinders. An endoscope check into the cylinders via the sparkplug hole has shown good valve and seats.

I vacuum tested the cylinders and found a significant difference with cylinders 5,6.7.8. No cylinder bore damage was detected through the endoscope, so the piston rings must be stuck in some way.

The engine does not overheat in any way and has only done 41,800 Km.

I heard a story about the pre-catalyst being blocked or burned and the material being pulsed back into the cylinders to cause the piston rings to seize.

Before stripping the engine I would like your view on the matter, or has any of the forums readers encountered this problem before?

Thanks Gerard from Holland."

Reply from Myles:

RE: 3200GT engine problem:

"Hi Gerard,

I would be surprised if all the piston rings were stuck on one bank, with no signs of cylinder damage. I would carry out a cylinder leak off test to see where the pressure is going, i.e the piston is set to tdc on the firing stroke with the valves closed, the cylinder is then charged with compressed air through the spark plug hole. Any cylinder leakage will be identified by escaping air, check exhaust tail pipes, inlet manifold (remove throttle housing) and dip stick tube.

I think you have a cam timing/valve overlap problem and is out of adjustment. Has the car had any engine work recently?

Let me know what you find.

Regards

Myles."

Rohan in Australia writes:

RE: 3200GT dashboard removal:

"Hello,

I have a 2001 3200GT Assetto Corsa in Australia.

I need to replace the leather on the dash top but my upholsterer is unsure as to what is required to remove the dashtop.

Do you know the steps involved?

Thank you for your assistance and congratulations on a great site!

Kind regards,

Rohan."

Reply from Enrico:

RE: 3200GT dashboard removal:

"Hi Rohan,

Here are the relevant pages from the 3200GT Vehicle Manual.

Puzant in the UK writes:

RE: 3200GT shunting forward:

"Hi Enrico,

I have a 3200gt 1999 autobox, that while driving in traffic the car shunted forward while i was on the brake and started accelerating rapidly to the redline even while my foot was on the brake. When i tried to restart the engine it continued to do this time and time again. Had been driving for a while so the car was hot. Funnily enough the check engine sign has not come on during these acceleration attacks, even though i had a check enginelight problem before on the car which no garage seemed to able to diagnose the cause

The next several days the car would intermittently do this, sometimes behaving with no problems and other times accelerating by itself on start.

When I called the AA, the guy said it sounded like the enginewas getting too much air through a leak, any ideas?

Thanks and Regards,

Puzant."

Reply from Enrico:

RE: 3200GT shunting forward:

"Hi Puzant,

Sounds like Gremlins have entered the 'fly-by-wire' system that operates the throttle. The Maserati 3200GT was the first car to utilise such a system.

My advice is to take it to a Maserati specialist to have it checked out as soon as possible. Personally, I wouldn't drive it as it is, and would have it transported to a Maserati garage.

Where are you based?

Regards,

Enrico."

Miket in the UK writes:

RE: 3200GT thrust bearing failure:

"I have a 3200GT and recently the thrust bearing failed, one of the lugs the actuating fork engages sheared off making the clutch inoperative.

The part in question has only covered 12,600 miles, was fitted 2 years ago as a complete clutch, by a Maserati main dealer, so I can only assume it was fitted correctly.

Do you know if this is a common fault with this part or have I just been very unlucky?

Thanks Miket."

Reply from Enrico:

RE: 3200GT thrust bearing failure:

"Hi Miket,

I have seen the clutch fork/bearing break before but I would not say it was a common fault, it is usually caused by the pressure plate seizing or the bearing being tight on the input shaft.

The clutch assembly is very exposed underneath and open to the elements you can normally feel when it is starting to seize with a heavier clutch pedal.

Fit a new bearing with plenty of grease and remove the fork and lubricate the pivot.

Regards,

Myles."

Phil in the UK writes:

RE: 3200GT re-charging the air conditioning:

"Hi Enrico,

Excellent site to come across.

I have a problem with my Air Conditioning and need to Re-Gas it, would you know the gas required and the weight I need to use.

Thanks in advance,

Phil."

Reply from Enrico:

RE: 3200GT re-charging the air conditioning:

"Hi Phil,

The 3200GT Driver's Manual gives you this information on page 174.

If you don't have one the list R134A as the gas required and suggest between 700 and 800 grams. Unfortunately it doesn't list information on the oil/lubricant recommended.

The compressor is a SANDEN SD7V16, this should help you locate the correct lubricant.

Regards,

Enrico."

Neil in the UK writes:

RE: 3200GT blowing a fuse:

"Hi Enrico,

Sorry to bother you again! My Maserati 3200GT keeps blowing a fuse that is associated with the audio equipment & the main display on the dash - the main display being the one that displays the faults, asr, sport mode, low oil etc etc.

The audio head unit (which is the factory fitted Mexico one) has been playing up since the problem started. When I say playing up, I mean it use to cut out from time to time & make noises like you would except when a radio station signal gets weak, but I wasn't listening to the radio, I was listing to CD's via the CD stack in the boot

. I noticed however that the sound would cut out all together when the steering wheel was turned clockwise more than about 10 degrees & then it would play again when the steering wheel returns to centre. I must make it clear that the stereo never actually lost power when it cut out, it was just the sound that stopped coming out if that makes sense...

I have also noticed that the amp meter has dropped from 13 amp charge under normal running conditions down to about 7/8 amps since this problem started. When the fuse blow I just replaced it an all was fine - well sort of, lol.

However if blow again today & I now when I replace it just blows straight away.

Any advice on what the problem is???

Many thanks & Best Regards.

Neil."

Reply from Myles:

RE: 3200GT blowing a fuse:

"Hi Enrico,

Had a read through the problem with the 3200, almost sure it has a wire shorting causing the problems.

I would have to see the car to fix that one, fault could be on a number of wires, though a good place to start would be to remove the steering cowling and have a look.

Regards,

Myles."

Brad in the UK writes:

RE: 3200GT wiring loom replacement:

"Dear Enrico,

I have a 99 3200GT auto. A few weeks ago, fuse no 16 in the passenger footwell went (15A, IGE light control, direction indicator, heated seats, ele windows etc). I replaced this, a few days later it went again, and then again. I booked it into the only dealer we have in Northern Ireland - but before it went in - a few days ago one of the main large green 30A fuses went, replaced this and went on - a few minutes later smoke started pouring out of the vents. AAAHHHHH!

Stopped and switched off. To cut a longer story short, the small 15A fuse that should have blown (cheap for eBay - be warned) didn't, but the plastic had melted, not only that but a section of the main wiring loam behind the fuse box had melted a good 10 or so wired together.

Car still drives but the electrics are shorting out all over the place.

Question: In cases like this, I take it the dealer will replace the wiring loom? Is the wiring loom in sections, and at a guess am I now bankrupt after paying the bill!?

Many thanks.

Brad."

Reply from Enrico:

RE: 3200GT wiring loom replacement:

"Hi Brad,

The loom could be repaired by a competent electrical engineer, but I would recommend replacing that wiring loom.

You can see from the atached pages that that wiring loom is complex and it could involve removing the dashboard and all ancilliaries. This will be inevitably be time consuming.

Pete in the UK writes:

RE: 3200GT windscreen replacement:

"Hi,

Just trying to find out if anyone has a 3200GT windscreen, or knows of one cheaper than £950 plus VAT?

Cheers,

Pete."

Reply from Enrico:

RE: 3200GT winscreen replacement:

"Hi Pete,

Good and bad news.

The good news: Meridien-Modena charge £575 plus VAT for a 3200GT windscreen.

The bad news: as at the 15th July 2006, the factory is out of stock and no one will know what the new price will be when Maserati re-stocks, hopefully the same or less!!!

Sorry,

Enrico."

Gary in the UK writes:

RE: 3200GT that whistles!:

"Having just bought a 3200GT auto (2000) for the first time, I have enjoyed reading your website and found many comments of great use! But, also a few which seem to be quite worrying the more you read into them, I'm sure like all cars you can be "unlucky" at times.

I thank you for the information on general items and about some parts and where to go as "the main dealer" scenarios seem to be quite £££ all the time.

I will try Lancasters of Colchester as they seem to pick up the phone to 2nd hand Masser owners and are probably my nearest even though I live in Chigwell, Essex. Any thoughts about them?

I enjoy my car but am suffering from a "whistle like noise then blow type after" when I accelerate I've only noticed on the back of the actual manifold (near the firewall) there are 4 small brass nipples/hose ends (2 on either side) but one of them has no hose or tube on it??? Is this the air or sucking/whistle noise maybe???

Regards,

Gary."

Reply from Enrico:

RE: 3200GT that whistles!:

"Hi Gary,

It sounds like one of the vapour recovery system hoses is either missing or become detached. This drawing should help.