My Karif 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!

 
 
 

Simon in the UK writes:

 

"Hi there,

I was wondering if there was any way I could find out the correct stud pattern (pcd), offset (et) and centre bore diameter for the wheels of my 1990 Karif? Maserati don't know and there are no markings on the wheels itself.

Also, do you happen to know if they would be the same as other Biturbo and/or Ghibli models as I am considering some new wheels (maybe Ghibli Cup Speedlines).

Thank you very much for your help.

Kind regards,

Simon."

 
 

Reply from Gareth:-

Re: Karif wheels?

"Simon Hi,

I saw your question..

Your Karif wheels which I assume are the ones we affectionately call "Dustbin Lids" will be one of two types, either 7" wide or 6.5" wide, I know that the 2.8 Spyders and the 228 had the wider ones, whereas the 430, 422 and 222 etc. had the narrower type. I am not too sure on the offset but if you definitely want to know I do have examples of both wheels and can check.

I can also measure the centre bore if you wish. The stud pattern "PCD" will be 5x106mm which seems to be unique to Maserati, from the second series Ghibli onwards this was changed to 5x108mm, presumably because of the imminent Ferrari takeover and making it easier for maching them all the same (Ferrari is 5x108).

Are you planning on changing the wheels? I have seen later Maserati wheels fitted on early cars but its not something I would do myself, the 2mm difference would in effect "bend" the bolts. I have seen a solution where special "wobbly" bolts are used which seems to work but is a bit bodgy from an engineering point of view. I have explored a few avenues as I intend changing the wheels on my cars but there aren't many options out there.

Gareth."

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Simon in the UK writes:

 

"Hi,

I am a member of the Maserati club UK and was wondering if you knew of somebody who could help me with recharging/regassing the system on my Maserati Karif's air-con?

I recently had a guy 'round to carry out the above work, but he was unable to do so.....We couldn't find the relevant connection to discharge/refill the system!

Any information on this would be gratefully recieved.

Many thanks,

Simon."

 
 

Reply from Enrico:-

Re: Air conditioning problem?

"Hi,

Check this site under the heading WORKSHOP, click on Air Conditioning and you should be able to ndownload all the info you need.

Regards,

Enrico."

 
 
 
 

Simon in the UK writes:

 

"Hi There,

I was wondering if you could help me with a problem I’m having with the nearside turbocharger on my Karif?

I’m trying to find out what pressure (or how far down the ‘shaft’) the actuator is set to ensure the turbo is running the correct boost…..

My wastegate has become loose/separated twice now,and I suspect this is because it hasn’t been reassembled properly.The mechanic wanted to be cautious as winding the actuator too far down the shaft = potentially too much boost,so he literally just did the minimum to ensure that it was attached.

Hope you can help,

Kind regards

Simon."

 
 

Reply from Andrea:-

Re: Turbo problem?

"The best way to set up the wastegates is:

Locate the adjuster on the wastegate push rod, make sure everything is lubricated and loose and then adjust so that the wastegate valve is just resting against the housing with no real spring pressure. Then turn the adjuster through one complete revolution, adding spring pressure. This gives the correct amount of preload on the wastegates.

Hope this helps,

Andrea."

 
 
 
 

Mike in the UK writes:

 

"Hi,

Any ideas where the electric windows relay is on the Karif? They only work intermitently.

Mike."

 
 

Reply from Andy:-

Re: Electric windows on a Karif.

"Hi Mike,

There is no relay as such. If they are slow then you may just have an adjustment problem. If they get stuck half way down then the problem is with the mechanism inside the door and there is no option but to fit a new one. If however, they just don't work at all, then look at the fusebox. If a blown fuse is not obvious then try a new fusebox.

Hope this helps,

Regards,

Andy."

 
 
 
 

Keith from Australia writes:

 

"Thanks for all the info in Enrico's Maserati Pages. Very interesting but a bit light-on for Karif owners.

I have had a 91 Karif for about 8 months now. It had the speedo replaced about 5 years ago, and it is not working again. It bounces around anywhere between zero and 250km/h. My service guy has just replaced someone else's speedo as well.

Are these sorts of problems common on Bi-Turbos?

Is there a better/cheaper solution than just replacing the speedo again?

Is the instrument pod easy to get at so I can try re-seating connections before I waste more money?

Thanks in advance,

Keith."

 
 

Reply from Andy:-

 

Re: Karif Speedo.

This is a common problem on all Biturbos. The speedo is an electronic one which runs on a very low voltage and works by taking a pulse from the gearbox output shaft (on manual cars like the Karif). Problems with the needle fluctuating wildly are mostly caused by a breakdown in the connection between the sensor on the gearbox and the speedo head on the dashboard.

To find out:

1. get underneath the car and locate the sensor. There is a rubber gaiter over it which you should peel back to reveal two spade connectors. Pull them off and check for corrosion on the terminals. Clean, refit and try. If there is still a problem then try soldering these connections as they are notoriously fussy. Try again.

2. If the problem persists then remove the dash binnacle (two screws underneath and a lot easier than you may think). Locate the cable that leads to the speedo head and again, pull off and clean the connections. Try again.

3. If it still doesnt work properly, you have a choice. You can either replace the sensor or the unit itself (sensor is far cheaper). By a process of elimination, you may still be left with a faulty speedo head.

4. If this proves to be the case, then you can have them repaired (again a lot cheaper than a new one). This can be done by a company called Speedy Cables who advertise in all the classic car magazines. The only problem is it takes a few weeks. A pain on a daily driver, but OK on a summer toy!

Regards,

Andy.

 
 
 
 

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