[kpytoi1]

The light came on in the battery gauge, battery tested good. Moving on to the alternator, I removed the fuel rails, disconnected the hoses and took out the air intake manifold. Alternator tested bad, so was replaced. Everything was put back together per original configuration. Now when I go to start the car, it will crank but not fire. When it cranks, it only does so for less than a second, then shuts off even if I keep the "START" button pressed, I'll get bursts on the starter but no continuous cranking. When it does fire, sometimes its after 4 tries, sometimes its after 10. Once running, it runs great. No CEL or other lights. Seemingly no difference to the difficulty in starting whether the car is cold or hot. If anything, perhaps more attempts at cranking when cold. Please see link below for a video description. Any ideas? Thanks guys.
I realize that the alternator is a secondary issue, I mentioned it to give an idea of what was disconnected and unplugged in the process.

 

[[email protected] Enzo`s Atlanta]

I would check your chassis ground to start..J

 

[kpytoi1]

I would check your chassis ground to start..J

Jason - thank you, and sorry but, the starter button or the starter motor?
Never mind, I got. To start = to begin with. Sorry.

 

[kpytoi1]

I would check your chassis ground to start..J

Jason - I've checked the grounds in the engine bay, in three places coming out of the harness, and double checked the connections that were undone (the fuel injectors and the Bosch MAF tube). I didn't touch anything else when I pulled the air intake manifold off. What's your advice on how to continue? I got into the car this morning, it cranked for longer than a second and fired up. I moved it over a spot so I can get under it, and tried to start it again, and all I got was the quick blips of the starter, not long enough to actually get it to fire. It seems like it needs to crank for about 2 seconds to fire up, but I just get intermittent bursts of the starter that are less than a second. Like in the video I posted. The car did not do this prior to the alternator replacement, and would always crank for as long as the "START" button was depressed.

 

[Masera]

Check your battery, make sure it is good (fully charged). These ladies are sensitive to not fully charged batteries.

 

[[email protected] Enzo`s Atlanta]

The chassis ground is on the RH by the transmission..I know you didn't mess with that, but it needs to be checked...I would also check all your megafuses on (+) battery connector...Also make sure your ground at the battery is secure...J

 

[kpytoi1]

Guys - thank you very much for all the suggestions. I've checked the fuses in the engine bay, on the firewall and the wheel well, re-checked the battery bay, even undid the "START" button just to double check its functionality. Still - I press that START button, and it cranks for a split second and cuts out. If I keep the button pressed, I don't get a continuous cranking, but bursts on the starter that are under a second, and not long enough to fire the engine. Every once in a while, all of a sudden, it will crank for 2+ seconds and the engine will fire. Sometimes, on the first push but more often than not after many tries.
The battery was tested at the Interstate battery dealer, they sent me home with my current one, instead of selling me a new one, because all the cells tested good.

 

[[email protected] Enzo`s Atlanta]

That isn't the megafuse I talking about...They are in the black plastic box on the (+) terminal..

Check the 13mm nut for tightness.....J

 

[kpytoi1]

That isn't the megafuse I talking about...They are in the black plastic box on the (+) terminal..
View attachment 143594 Check the 13mm nut for tightness.....J

Jason - thank you for sticking with me. I looked by the battery, re-tightened the terminal post connections, but did not see the Megafuses. Is that a GranTurismo thing? I only saw two fuses, 40amp and 50amp above the battery, checked both. And the smaller ones in the fuse boxes above the battery as well.
Also tried to tighten the posts for the + wires on the firewall by the passenger side, both are tight.
Over the past three days of trying to figure this out, I've noticed that the car usually starts (cranks for longer than 1 second) and fires when its cold. Then, even if I run it for under a minute, and attempt to start it again, I get the pulsing starter even if I press and hold the "START" button without releasing. It will spin for a split second, cut off, then give another burst on the starter motor, and keep doing that. Not cranking long enough to actually fire. Just like in the video I posted above. I'm going to try to remove the air intake again, to see if I find anything, as I've been through just about all the fuses and rechecked every wire/connection I undid when replacing the alternator.
Is there a relay that keeps the starter engaged until the car fires or you release the "START" button? Because that starter keeps spinning in half second bursts, just not long enough to fire the engine.
Thank you, again, for all of your help.

 

[[email protected] Enzo`s Atlanta]

Yeah, my bad..That is only on a GT..I answer a lot of post plus all my own crap going on so I can screw up occasionally...Did you see them test that battery? Interstate usually use a small digital battery tester and not a load tester...I have been burned by those things previously and we no longer use them...I think I would want to test that battery with an old school carbon pile load tester at this point.....Even something like this is better than a digital IMO..
https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-B...33555&sprefix=battery+tester+au,aps,99&sr=8-4

 

[kpytoi1]

Yeah, my bad..That is only on a GT..I answer a lot of post plus all my own crap going on so I can screw up occasionally...Did you see them test that battery? Interstate usually use a small digital battery tester and not a load tester...I have been burned by those things previously and we no longer use them...I think I would want to test that battery with an old school carbon pile load tester at this point.....Even something like this is better than a digital IMO..
https://www.amazon.com/Schumacher-BT-100-Battery-Load-Tester/dp/B000AMBOI0/ref=sr_1_4?crid=3WJZ4PWVK11P&keywords=battery+tester+automotive&qid=1655333555&sprefix=battery+tester+au,aps,99&sr=8-4

Jason - I took the battery out last night and took it to AutoZone and then O'Reilleys, where both places hooked it up to a battery tester with a load, and both said that the battery is good.

 

[[email protected] Enzo`s Atlanta]

This is a weird issue..I can't help,but think this issue was related to your original issue and you didn't create it...I think I would try to jump the starter to isolate the issue...Key off...Get a large wire and jump the small wire on the starter to large one for a few seconds...The engine should crank the entire time and not pulse like it was doing...J

 

[Tony H]

I would do a very careful check for manifold leaks. Did my oil pressure sensor last year and manifold gasket didn't seal properly. Leak was 1" length of the thickness of the gasket and the car sounded like it was falling apart. Remember a small manifold leak causes problems at idle which seems to be what you have.

 

[[email protected] Enzo`s Atlanta]

I agree if a car starts and then just dies it most likely has a large vacuum leak.. I don't see how that would affect the cranking...Plus it runs great when it does start running...Jason

 

[kpytoi1]

Guys thank you very much for your suggestions, I've been working through them as they come in. After starting the car two days ago, I drove it and while it was running connected to OBD to see any pending codes.( No CEL on dash) It showed a P0162, Control Unit:11 Status: Pending OBDII: Immobilizer/ECM Communication Error.
Could this be causing/contributing to my issue? But then again, the car will star (crank and fire up) and run issue free on the 1st try in the morning, then consequent attempts will cut the starter to less than a second of cranking, just like in the video.

 

[[email protected] Enzo`s Atlanta]

Yes, that totally could be an immobilizer issue..There is a company that can disable it, but it is not that cheap...J

 

[kpytoi1]

Shoot. Oh man, so this immobilizer issue will cut power to the starter continuously, and give me less than one second bursts of the car trying to start as I press and hold the "START" button? But then, seldom (usually when the car hasn't run in a while, like overnight) could potentially let it crank long enough to fire? If that's the case, and there's no work around where do I find this company?
I've tried disconnecting the battery several times, both physically and via the switch in the trunk hoping to reset it, but no luck. Keys were always in the car during alternator replacement, although it was without power for about 10 days.

 

[Catmanv2]

Do you get the CODE light on the dash when you starting issues? Car with a padlock on it? Flashing on and off maybe?

C

 

[[email protected] Enzo`s Atlanta]

Maserati Cambiocorsa (2002-2006)

Porsche, BMW, Ferrari - We'll make any used ECU work - Send us your damaged ECU and we'll TEST and REPAIR your unit and send it back to you with our 5 YEAR WARRANTY.

www.ecudoctors.com

Remember you are diagnosing all this...I'm going on your post and the fact you have a fault code for the immobilizer ....Jason

 

[kpytoi1]

Do you get the CODE light on the dash when you starting issues? Car with a padlock on it? Flashing on and off maybe?

C

Thank you for replying. No CEL or other lights on the dash. If you could please take a look at the video I initially posted, (or the new one below) the same situation still persists. Once the car starts and runs, no undue lights or symbols appear on the dash, even after going for a 30 miles drive. I pulled that pending code after I got lucky and finally started it, then cleared the code thinking that was my solution, drove the car for 40 min, checked again, and it had no codes pending or otherwise. But when I try to restart, it will just give me short bursts on the starter but no fire. Here's another video, of my situation. I'm not lifting off of the "START" button, it keeps cutting off cycling like that itself. Every so often I get lucky, or the stars align, or the valves do, or the teeth on the starter, I don't know - and it cranks long enough to fire, and then runs great. Until the next time I have to start the car. Then we crank again, many times.