[dogdoc]

need I say I am mad! Just got the car on Saturday and it just had a complete fluid service/check up at the stealer when it was turned in before I bought it; can someone explain this code. I read it but do not understand; AND....does this have to be fixed by a dealer and how many of you use the dealer VS. independent mechanics provided they of course have the OBD equipment to read these codes...and finally, any idea if this is an EXPENSIVE fix or it could be something minor????

 

[tgriff]

I bought an 04 Coupe CC recently and the same thing happened. The dealer checked it out and it was nothing. They think that it hadn't been driven much so when I took it out and drove it for an extended time maybe the computer triggered some old OBD II codes that were still stored. Also, check to make sure that the gas cap is on tight. That's a common source of CELs on Maseratis. As someone on this forum told me, mysterious CELs are part of the charm of owning a Maserati.

 

[Vincent Eng]

There are a number of things that can trigger the check engine light. In most cases it’s a temporary glitch in one of the sensors or some other error related to emissions. There are two types of CEL faults - one that will reset after xx starts and a second that will require a hard reset. You'll need an OBDII scanner/reader to decipher the fault. You can purchase an OBD II reader off EBay, any auto part store, and even at Sears. It's a good tool to have because you can read and reset your own codes. Some OBD II codes are manufacturer specific, while other codes are generic. In general I just reset the fault codes and in most cases the fault never occurs again. I would recommend this action especially if you notice no difference in drivability when the fault occurred. If it does occur again you can either trace the fault yourself or have a tech attend to it. Also,you can take the fault code number and do an internet search for causes.

 

[dogdoc]

thnx I feel better

now, how many shops will have the OBDII?

 

[Vincent Eng]

now, how many shops will have the OBDII?

Every auto repair establishment will have at least a generic OBDII reader - including your local gas station. In many cases the technicians will also have a more advance version, which will allow them to gather additional information. The OBDII connector is always located on the driver side (except on my range rover, which has a sticker on the driver side indicating that the connector is on the right hand side - too lazy to spec the car for the US market). On the QP its located under the small leather knee bolster panel closest to the door. Remove the two bottom thumb screws to gain access.

 

[Fred]

All shops will have a code reader.
They should include one with these cars, as they throw codes all the time.
It's no big deal.

I picked up a cheap one to keep in the car, and I also picked up one that hooks up to my laptop.
The laptop one is pretty cool, in that I was able to use it on my truck to diagnose a problem with the brake system.

 

[Vincent Eng]

I picked up a cheap one to keep in the car, and I also picked up one that hooks up to my laptop. The laptop one is pretty cool, in that I was able to use it on my truck to diagnose a problem with the brake system.

I have the standard Actron and have contemplated if it's worth buying something that provides more detail. Which laptop system did you purchase?

 

[Fred]

I picked up this one

http://www.autoenginuity.com/products.html

I needed it for my truck, so I have not had a lot of time to play with it on the Maserati.

 

[Sieze Giorno]

I picked up this one

http://www.autoenginuity.com/products.html

I needed it for my truck, so I have not had a lot of time to play with it on the Maserati.

Fred, that looks pretty nice. What is the cost? and where did you purchase it? Thx

 

[paulc]

Autozone will check the car for free and give you the code(s) on a printout. All for free.

 

[Fred]

Fred, that looks pretty nice. What is the cost? and where did you purchase it? Thx

I got it here
http://www.itpdiesel.com/store.php?crn=135&rn=426&action=show_detail

But note that I needed the Ford Diesel stuff.
There are other on line retailers that should have the base model.

 

[Fastfreddy]

As an alternative, you could reboot by turning off the battery for a few minutes and turn it back on. Maserati makes this easy by having a switch knob just above and forward of the battery. That should clear the code so you can hope it doesn't come back. Of course, the downside is you can no longer read the code to try to figure out where it came from. A generic OBDII reader is about a hundred bucks.

Maybe it's just a loose gas cap.

 

[Vincent Eng]

As an alternative, you could reboot by turning off the battery for a few minutes and turn it back on.

I could be wrong here; however, my understanding is that the disconnecting the battery to clear the check engine light was discontinued in the OBDII programming. I do, however, clearly recall this working with OBDI. Also, my understanding is that one should try to avoid disconnecting the battery on the Maserati because of the initialization programming. I replaced the battery on my QP by myself and I had to drive the car to the dealer because dashboard lit up with a number of sensor faults.

 

[Eurodino]

try to get autozone to read the code, i had a similar situation a couple years ago. i did not tighten the gas cap correctly and the engine light came on.

i ended up buying an OBDII reader after the fact.

if you are in southern california, i take my Maserati to Tillack & Co. (Redondo Beach) for routine services. i highly recommend them, if you Google the name you can get the relavent information.

 

[Fastfreddy]

My experience is with the Coupe. When you change the battery or otherwise disconnect it, you have to follow the initialization procedure in the book. Lower windows a few inches before disconnect. After reconnect, turn key to "on" for 15 seconds (IIRC) before starting. It cleared my code, which never recurred.

 

[dogdoc]

thnx! I may try an Autozone store! But can most shops fix the problem?

I would like to know what it is and are most codes Maserati dealer ONLY fixes?

 

[paradon]

I have an OBD reader that I use all of the time. My understanding is that all manufacturers have to provide an interface that allows you to check basic engine codes and reset the CEL. Disconnecting the battery will clear the CEL but any codes stored in the ECU should remain until they are manually cleared.

Some codes will clear themselves after 3x successful starts while others (generally more serious) remain until they are cleared. As a general rule. I note the code any time I need to reset the CEL manually but I don't get too worried unless the CEL comes back on. Most cars I have had threw bogus CELs every once in a while.

 

[RickBullotta]

need I say I am mad! Just got the car on Saturday and it just had a complete fluid service/check up at the stealer when it was turned in before I bought it; can someone explain this code. I read it but do not understand; AND....does this have to be fixed by a dealer and how many of you use the dealer VS. independent mechanics provided they of course have the OBD equipment to read these codes...and finally, any idea if this is an EXPENSIVE fix or it could be something minor????

Don't panic. Have the code read or get an Actron OBDII scanner ($99 USD), and read it yourself. I've had many innocuous lights/codes.

What code did you get?

 

[GrndLkNatv]

Answer to the dogdoc...

Question:
"I would like to know what it is and are most codes Maserati dealer ONLY fixes?"

Answer:
Chances are this is not anything serious that would require a stealer visit. I would have the code checked, find out what it is, post the results here and we'll provide you an idea of what to do. The firmware that Maserati has written is slightly better than Microsoft Windows in regard to stability so don't be to alarmed yet..

 

[Rusty G.]

If your car is still running fine, it's probably nothing. I had just refueled my "05 Coupe and the same OBD light came on. I called Maserati of Long Island and spoke to the service manager there. He asked me if the car was running fine, and it was. He said to go check the GAS tank and make sure that the cap was on tight. I did, and it wasn't. He said to make sure it was closed and run the car. He said I'd have to drive it for a couple of days before the computer re-set itself. I did, and it did. End of story.

Hope you have the same luck!