My 425 isn't feeling very well.
Can you help? Please!
 

Any owner having a problem with their Maserati can send me details and I will publish these, together with any subsequent advice I receive, on this page.

Just drop me a line at maserati123@btopenworld.com

 

Even if I don't succeed in helping you with your problems; and I do try, it would help other Maserati owners a great deal if you could let me know how you managed to solve your problems. THANK YOU!

 
 
 
 

Fredrik in Sweden writes:

 

"Hi,

I have just purchased a Maserati Biturbo 425i with dual intercoolers. The car is a 1988 and has only 20,000 km on the clock as well as in real life. Everything is like new on the car.

I now have a very big problem and look for someone who can help me find a place where to repair at a reasonable cost.

An earlier owner, or workshop, have apperantly taken off the servopump for the steering and when re-assembling have not tightened the bolts holding the pump. This has resulted in the pump getting loose and in the process throwing off the cam-belt. As expected this has caused damage in the cylinders and the engine must now be taken apart repaired.

I am looking for someone who can do this for me during the winter and at a reasonable price.

The car is in the Stockholm area, Sweden.

Best regards,

Fredrik."

 
 

Reply from Daniel in Sweden:-

Re: 425i engine

"Hi!

I can do some mechanical work on his Maserati for a reasonable pay.

But if he wants an expert he should turn to:

-Sportvagnsservice in Lidingö (Official Ferrari and Post-Biturbo-Maserati mechanic). The prices are actually resonalbe compared to what Volvo or VW charges for instance...

-AMK in Saltjö-Boo. (Official pre-Biturbo Maserati and Alfa mechanics) A lot of cars in the swedish Maserati club are taken care of by AMK.

-Autokinito in Uppsala. (very good racing mechanic. Espescially with older cars)

-Motordepån in Veddesta (does a lot of special sports cars)

-Serra in Spånga (works alot with Lancia, but also with Maserati)

Regards,

Daniel."

Daniel can be reached at lindgrendaniel@yahoo.se

 
 
 
 

Andy in the UK writes:

 

"Dear Henry,

I hope you can give some good advice on what might be wrong here! I recently got to the stage in repairing my '88 Biturbo 425 when I was ready to try to turn the engine over. I got a great sound from the starter motor, but nothing more. It was out of petrol obviously... On putting some petrol in I tried to turn the engine over again, and got nothing at all, not even from the starter motor- the battery voltage dial had dropped to nothing. The lights / seat electrics etc worked, but nothing more. All the wiring seems intact, and connections sound, including to terminals of new battery. What do you think might be the problem?

Thanks for your help,

Andy."

 
 
 
 

Lars from Denmark writes:

 

"Hi Enrico,

I hope that you can help me with the following question.

Can you tell me if the engine and gearbox from a 425i from 1987 are similar to the 2.24v, by this I mean, is it easy to just change the engine and gearbox from a 2.24 v and put it into a 425i?

Thanks in advance and best regards,

Lars."

 
 

Reply from Andy:-

Re: 425i engine transplant!

"Hi Lars,

Yes, the engine and gearbox will both slot straight in. However, the electrics for the fuel injection will be the largest problem you have. Ideally, if you are purchasing a 2.24v engine and box, you should get the fuel injection wiring loom and especially the ECUs. Otherwise, it will not work!"

Ciao,

Andy."

 
 
 
 

Andrei from Russia writes:

 

"Dear Enrico,

How are you? My name is Andrew. I am from Russia, Moscow.

Recently I have fortunately subscribed to the Maseraty society having won the ownership of a rather used Biturbo 425i, 1986 year of origin.

My window lifters stopped working and I was trying to find the fuse in charge of this function but failed.

I was seeking under the dash board everywhere both from passenger and from the driver's side but useless. I only found two flat silver-iron boxes no the both sides of passinger feet section. By the way what can this be?

The fuses in the motor section seemed OK and now i am quite confused not knowing where else to try finding.

Can you please give me the idea of this trouble's reason and explain where there can be this damned fuse box.

Thank you in advance.

Best Regards,

Andrei."

 
 

Reply from Enrico:-

Re: 425.

"Hi Andrei,

Attached are scans from the Owner's User Manual. They show how to access the main fusebox.

 
 
 

By the way, did you know that you can now download the entire contents of an Owner's User Manual for all models from The Official Maserati Web Site!!!

Best regards from the UK,

Enrico."

 
 
 
 

Jarle from Norway writes:

 

"Hello!

Dave from the UK wrote this on your site:

"There is still a knocking noise under the bonnet with idling, but when I press in the clutch, the noise is gone completely, or if the idling speed is increased slight higher to 1000 rpm."

I own a 425 and I too have this sound, but it's only there sometimes. It's basically just sometimes when my engine is hot, never when it is cold. Can this be something else?

It can be a week without this noise, then suddenly it's there again...

I have another question to. When driving, I can hear a small metallic noise from the gearleaver. Like there is a small rubber fitting or something holding the lever that's been worn out. Have you any idea what it can be? In which case, is it expensive to fix? The gearbox works fine apart from this.

Thanks for a great site...

Cheers, Jarle, Norway."

 
 

Reply from Andy:-

Re: 425.

"Hi Jarle,

It sounds as though the noise you describe from under the bonnet is the same as David has. It is the layshaft bearings in the gearbox. The fact that it is not there all the time is probably due to different heat levels in the gearbox. It also sounds from that as though it is not very bad and therefore don't worry for now! I have heard lots of cars make this noise for years without ever being unreliable. Also, the noise through the gearlever is normal. There is a zinging noise which all the cars with a five speed dog leg ZF make. The injected cars are worse for some reason. Over the years, there have been many theories on how to fix this noise but none of them work in the long term. Again, maybe annoying, but don't worry!"

Ciao,

Andy."

 
 
 
 

Dave in the UK writes:

 

"Hi,

Its David with the Biturbo 425. I have asked these questions before, maybe you might be able to help......

1) There is still a knocking noise under the bonnet with idling, but when I press in the clutch, the noise is gone completely, or if the idling speed is increased slight higher to 1000 rpm.

2) There is a leak from the PAS sump, I can't see the leak, but I have been putting a lot of transmission fluid in every week.

3) The green antifreeze is dripping very lightly down the front passenger side, where the feet are.

Apart from that the car is really brilliant, I'll have to e-mail you the picture next time.

Please say if you can help in anyway, many thanks, talk to you soon.

Best Regards,

David."

 
 

Reply from Andy:-

Re: Biturbo 425.

"Hi David,

1) The noise you describe is the layshaft bearings in the gearbox. At a certain mileage, all Biturbos make this noise. It gets gradually worse but does not necessarily need fixing straight away! The fix is to remove the gearbox and have the bearings renewed. Assuming that there is nothing else wrong with the gearbox you can expect a specialist to charge you around £1000 for this job.

2) The main sources of leakage in the power steering are either the supply hose from the reservoir to the pump which can be replaced by a superceded Ghibli item which is better or a leak from the pinion seal in the steering rack itself. The rack will then need overhauling or replacing. Leaks from the PAS pump are very unusual.

3) If you are convinced that the fluid is green like antifreeze then you are looking at either a leaking heater hose (which comes through the bulkhead from the engine) or a leaking heater matrix. The latter is the bad news as the whole dashboard will need to be removed to replace it. Are you certain however, that the leak is not just condensation from a blocked AC drain?

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Andy."

 
 
 
 

Peter from Canada writes:

 

Hello. Like your site.

I have just purchased a 1986 Biturbo 425 and have a question (just one for now).

The carb/revs seem to stick around 2000 rpm even after a run. The fellow who was selling the car didn't think it was a problem but I assured him it wasn't normal and priced down the car accordingly.

I have done some quick poking around and it seems as if the throttle cable doesn't return all the way down after pushing on the gas. I haven't had my mechanic look at it yet and he won't have time for a week or so. Does this sound like the most likely problem or did the carbs have problems with the choke assembly? Exhaust doesn't blow black or blue and turbo's still reach yellow (tried only once).

Thanks,

Peter.

 
 

Reply from Andy Heywood:-

 

Re: Biturbo 425.

Hi Henry,

You are right that this is abnormal. Normal idle speed when hot is around 1000 rpm.

When you say that the throttle does not return, are you sure it isnt just a silly cable related problem (carpet stuck in the way etc).

Assuming you have checked this and that the cable does not return at the carburettor end, what happens if you try to pull it off manually? Do the revs go down? If yes, then the cable is at fault. If no, then the problem may be as follows:

1. Is the choke cable connected? If so, are you sure that the choke is fully off as this will create a fast idle speed? There is a warning light on the dash to show that the choke is on but don't trust it. Check at the carb or even disconnect it - you don't really need the choke to start these cars anyway. Just a couple of good prods on the throttle before starting will do.

2. Assuming no choke problems, disconnect the throttle cable completely at the carb and try then. Is the idle speed now good or not. Again yes means cable problem, no means move on to 3.

3. You are now going to have to lift the plenum chamber. This is attached by means of a series of cap head bolts. Be VERY careful with the sequence in which you undo the bolts as the one on the right side corner has a habit of snapping the whole corner off the chamber if it is not undone first. When the chamber is off, you can see the carb. Try running the engine now. Is the idle now good? If it is then the problem was in the linkage between throttle cable and plenum which you will be able to work out when you see it. If the speed is still too much....

4. Either the problem is internal in the carb in which case it requires an overhaul, or the ignition timing is wrong. Check against the manual for your spec. Euro spec cars should be 13 degrees BTDC but US versions are different.

Hope this helps,

Andy.

 
 
 
 

David from London, England writes:

 

"Hi there,
A week ago I bought a 1987 Maserati Biturbo 425 from a garage down in East Sussex. On the way home I noticed that the battery warning light came on after changing down from third to second gear and the engine stalled. The car also appeared to vibrate a little at idle. This happened on several occasions, so I took the car back to the garage straight away. The garage was very helpful and after working on the car for about one and a half hours, they told me everything was fixed. It was something to do with the vacuum pipe, that it was split, so they replaced it. They told me everything was OK, and that the vibration at idle had disappeared.
Sure enough everything appeared to be fine, the vibration had stopped. I got into my car and set off back to London. Unfortunately an hour later, it started again, but by then the garage had closed. The next day I booked another appointment to take the 425 down to East Sussex to fix the problem. Now, as well as the vibration at idling speed, the rev counter dips a little on pressing the accelerator pedal in first and second gear?
Very annoying, can you please help or advise as to what to look for? This is my first Maserati.
Best Regards,
David."

 
 
 
 

JP in Sweden writes:

 

" I am about to become an owner of a MASERATI 425i Biturbo, built 1988, (87000 km) good condition, green.
What should I look out for?
What price do recommend as a good price?
Hope to here from you soon,
A new maserati fan,
Regards
JP"

 
 

Reply from Andy Heywood:-

 

"I presume that this is not a UK car as it would not be a 425i. However, basically the advice is the same. Look out for everything! First check service history. Is it complete and who did it? This is a quirky car and a Maserati service centre will have done a better job than an independent garage.
Then check as follows:
1. Assess engine, gearbox, PAS and axle for oil leaks - all are common and most really need to be fixed quickly.
2. Assess axle for noise. It was the achilles heel of the early cars.
3. When engine is hot, let it idle for 10 minutes. Check cooling fans cut in (AND OUT!) and then look for blue smoke from exhaust. Puffs of smoke after prolonged idle suggest turbo bearings have failed.
4. Ask when the cam belt was last changed. Should be done every 24,000 miles or four years. A major service is looming if this has not been done and it is expensive if it breaks.
5. Check over body. There are no particular structural problems with these cars so any corrosion is likely to be visible on the outside. Lower sections of doors, leading edges of front wings and bonnet and edge of bootlid are the favourites. Also look at the outer sill panels which could be holed.
6. Now check for accident damage. The original panel fit on the car was good and so if there are any irregular lines then there could have been a problem. Look in particular at the rear door apertures as a rear impact can cause these gaps to close up. Look at the lower corners of the windscreen where they join the scuttle panel. Any ripples here would suggest front end damage. Look underneath the car at the front chassis legs as they curve under the bulkhead. Any ripples here also suggest front end damage.
7. When driving the car, try to obtain maximum boost. this should mean that the boost gauge goes to the beginning of the orange section on it's gauge. If it doesn't reach this then there may be an MABC problem. If it goes into the red then the car could have been modified and is overboosting. These engines can take a little extra boost but not all the time. It will accelerate wear in the turbos and make the engine breathe heavily (look for oil in the air filter which is the result). Alternatively, excess boost could be caused by a seized wastegate for one of the turbos. Get this checked out by a professional.
8. While driving, try all the switches and electrical items. Even things like window lifters are expensive on these cars and on a four door, this can add up! Check in particular the air conditioning as repairs are similarly expensive.
If you are not able to carry out these checks yourself then ask a friendly mechanic to come with you to look at the car. These cars can be very expensive to sort out if they have been let go, so treat everything as a problem until proved otherwise. The average prices for the 425 (carb car) in the UK are £7,000 for a perfect low mileage car, £4,000 for an average but usable runner and £500 for anything else!
This is not a complete list of all the faults that it is possible to incur on these cars, but hopefully will be enough to get you past the worst of them!
Andy."

 
 
 
 

Matt in the UK writes:

 

"Can anyone help me?
I have just purchased a 1988 425 Biturbo which now needs new tyres.
I would like to buy bigger wheels 16" or 17" to fill the arches.
My wheels are 4 stud.
Can anyone tell me what wheels will fit and from which marques?
Thanks."

 
 

Reply from Andy Heywood:-

 

I presume this is a Biturbo (?). The original carburettor cars and Italian injection cars used four bolt wheels. These are quite tricky to find alternate rims for - We have never really tried. I have seen cars fitted with Revolution five spokes and with TSW Hockenheims and the stud pattern is the same as Lancia Delta. Basically, your man will have to go to someone like Elite wheels (with car) and have them measure it up. The largest wheels I have seen on a four bolt fitting are 7 x 16, although beware as these rub on the track rod ends on lock at the front.

 
 

Reply from Theo Kyriacou:-

 

The 4-stud Biturbo wheels are the same fitting as a number of Fiats (e.g 124 Coupe) and Alfas (early Alfetta).
Janos at Auto Delta [www.autodelta.co.uk] can (used to!) supply wheels to fit Biturbos.

 
 

Matt's reply:

 

Enrico,
Thanks very much for your reply regarding my wheel "problem".
I will keep you posted as to what I find.
Happy New Year
Matt

 
 
 
 


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