Peter from Canada writes:

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.

Paul M. from England writes:

Paul S. from England writes:

Reply from Daniel Zerr in Germany:-

Re: Buying a car in Italy:

Hi Enrico,

I have bought several cars (6) from dealers and from private individuals in Italy.

Most car sellers in Italy (private or dealer) will contact a "Notaio" (Notary) to finalise the deal.

So you can calculate on taking a minimum of one full day (in most cases 2 days) to complete the deal.

There are 3 documents in Italy:
1. Certificato di Proprieta (transfer of ownership, proof of ownership).
2. Libretto (Log book or V5).
3. Foglio di immatricolazione (Details of car's type approval).
and the registration plates.

A. The seller will have to stop the registration of the car in Italy.

For this, he needs the "Certificato die Proprieta" and the "Foglio di immatricolazione".

The "Foglio" will be held back by the Italian state and the "Certificato di proprieta" will be returned to the seller which will be passed on to the new owner (the buyer).

Sometimes this will take a few hours, sometimes it can take weeks (4 weeks in the case of my Ghibli).

In this case, the seller will have to send the "Certificato die Proprieta" by post.

Remember that you need the original document, and on this document it must be stated that the car's registration in Italy has ceased.

2.The seller will contact a Notaio (Notary).

He will draw up a legal contract contract and a stamped copy of the "libretto". This stamped copy of the "libretto" will be yours.

In the libretto are the technical datas, the owners and the original date of registration.

3.The plates can be a problem.

Here in Germany you need the "Certificato die Proprieta", a stamped copy of the "libretto" and the plates to immatriculate the car. I think there is the same in GB. So you have to tell the seller, that you need the plates for registration purposes and that the plates will be held by the state you live or that you will send them back to Italy when you have registered the car in your country.

Please note that buying a car in Italy can be a "horror". There are only 3 steps, but these 3 steps are very difficult.

Here are the waiting times when I bought my cars:

From a dealer - Maserati Biturbo S - 2 days, totally finished.

From a dealer - Maserati Ghibli - 2 days, and about 6 weeks waiting for the "Certificato" by post.

From a private seller - Maserati 2.24V - 2 days, and about 3 weeks waiting for the "Certificato" by post.

From a dealer - Alfa Romeo 75 Turbo - 2 days, and about 4 weeks waiting for the "Certificato" by post.

From a private seller - Maserati Spider - 2 days, totally finished.

From a private seller - Alfa 90 2,0 V6 - 2 days, totally finished.

Greetings,

Daniel.

Gwen from Belgium writes:

Reply from Enrico:-

Re: Ghibli GT.
1. If this noise is coming from the differential and is just a slight 'clunk' it is quite normal in any Biturbo after a period of time. It should only require attention if it gets much worse.

No 2. I have heard of cars having covered 160,000 km but to date I have not heard of any surviving for 320.000 km. At what mileage was the engine and gearbox changed?

No 3. The suspension changes for the Kit Sportivo were made for the driver who requires a stiffer and lower set-up. The standard car is designed for most drivers and ordinary road use and are therefore not the same. I have listed the relevant part numbers to illustrate this point!

The front struts (shock absorbers) on your Ghibli GT are Part No. 366604108, the front struts for the kit arePart No. 366603108.
The rear struts (shock absorbers) on your Ghibli GT are Part No. 367004110, the rear struts for the kit are Part No. 367003109.
The front springs on your Ghibli GT are Part No. 366604333, the front springs for the kit are Part No. 366603333.
The rear springs on your Ghibli GT are Part No. 367004338, the rear springs for the kit are Part No. 367003333.
The front anti-roll bar on your Ghibli GT is Part No. 396650357, the front anti-roll bar for the kit is Part No. 366603357.
The rear anti-roll bar on your Ghibli GT is Part No. 367004362, the rear anti-roll bar for the kit is Part No. 367002387.

No 4. No, I have never dealt with them., However I do know a German owner who purchased some wheels for his car from them:

"Hi Enrico Yes, I have bought my ATS wheels there. Competent people, but the prices are high. For the wheels I've got a discount. I have to look how much %. Daniel."

Reply from Andy Heywood:-

Re: Ghibli GT.

Hi Henry,

No I. Sounds like it could be a faulty actuator.

No 2. It sounds to me as though the cable that operates the left-hand corner lock may require some lubrication as it mat not be releasing the locking mechanism properly after opening. Have you lubricate the bonnet (hood) locks? There are two cables for each lock, one cable is the emergency cable. Get somebody to tell you what is happening to the bonnet lock when you pull and then release the cable. There is also a rubber spacer situated in each corner of the bonnet, make sure this is set correctly. Be careful not to set the gap too narrow in case you damage the hood when closing. Some cars have repeated problems in this area and it is actually possible to fit another return spring for the locking mechanism to make sure that it always comes back fully when the bonnet is closed. Harry Metcalfe reported in Performance car when his car was new and managed to get the left hand side of the bonnet to come up at 166mph!

No 3. This seems to be a problem that afflicted a lot of the earlier Ghiblis. The heater is not good enough to pump the coolant round without help and Maserati suggested a modification which involved fitting an electric water pump in the plumbing going to the heater matrix. This mod did have a part number as I remember so it would be worth enquiring at your local agent.

No 4. I too experienced a similar problem and when the car was checked over, the rear left-hand shock absorber (damper) was found to be faulty and was replaced. These are very expensive to replace (I was lucky my car was still under the dealer's warranty), so I would wait for an answer from Andy in case it is something else. This could well be a shock absorber fault as Henry says and the way to check is to switch the ignition on and get someone to move the keypad through the four positions while you listen in turn at each corner of the car where you should hear the servo motor in the shock absorbers buzzing faintly as they change the rate. If you find one corner that is silent then that is likely to be the problem. Before you order a new unit, pull the wiring plug to the shock and clean the connections before trying again. It may just be a bad connection. HOWEVER, shock problems usually put the red light on constantly and flashing of the light is curious. There is a diagnostic procedure with these shocks which involves plugging in a wiring loom connector beside the gearbox which is normally left unplugged. On a few cars we have seen that errant mechanics have plugged this loom together thinking that they have cured a fault when in fact all they have done is put the keypad into diagnostic mode, at which point it will flash a code in red!

Hope this helps,

Andy.