[RDM]

I have a 1999 550. I had a new radio installed today and no now no power to AC compressor or radio. Worked for a while and stopped. No instrument cluster power either. Fuse 22 and 5 both appear to be good. What could cause all three to be simultaneously out if not the fuses? Thanks for any ideas, Doug

[tazandjan]

Doug- Take it back to whomever installed the radio, tell him he screwed it up royally, and have him trace down the malfunction. Sounds like you have a short in there, and the installer is the one who made it happen.

Good to hear from you again, even if the circumstances are not gigantically happy. Did you give him access to the 550 workshop manual with electrical diagrams? If not, you can download one from ferraridatabase.com or I can send you a DVD with the WSM.

[RDM]

Taz, thanks for the WSM offer. I have it downloaded from ferraridatabase. While I am an electrical engineer, I can't make heads or tails of the wiring diagrams. While the audio shop is a well known, exotic car installer, I think their capabilities are maxed out here.
I have an appointment to take it in to the dealer next week. I think the tech closed the fuse box door on some wires. However, it is a mystery to me why the fuses are not blown and there is no power unless the wires are broken. Well at least the car runs and the weather is, finally, cool. Doug

[sclja]

what all did they install in the 550?

Scott

[Boxer]

It sounds more like a loose / bad connection that has worked its way free as the car has been driven.

[RDM]

Scott, the installer swapped a 2005 vintage alpine radio with a new Alpine with XM etc, same wiring harness. Ran the antennae wire to the rear shelf. Doug

[tazandjan]

Doug- It should be fairly easy to remove the A/C control panel and see if the connectors are loose. I have a manual showing how to do that on the 575M, but its switch/AC panel is one piece and the 550's is two piece. Here is how you do it on a 575. Something similar will work for the 550. You might give Robbie a call at Sticky No More and see if he knows the trick.

[sclja]

Does your power mirror control work?

[tazandjan]

Scott- I bet you have pulled a bunch of those panels.

[sclja]

probably 20+ Taz, I was working on one yesterday...

[RDM]

Thanks Taz, Scott, the power mirror control works. This may be more than you want to know. The installer opened the fuse box because the new radio didn't have power. When closing the fuse box cover with the car on and radio working, he crimped the wire bundle in the door. Saw sparking. Green and orange/black wires insulation was split. Taped them up. Everything worked for a few moments, them AC/radio ( fuse#22) and instrument cluster (fuse #5) circuits opened. Fuses replaced. Worked, same circuits opened, fuses not blown.

It seams strange that both circuits are working/not working concurrently without blowing the fuses. So both wires may be broken. I am reluctant to untape these wires as I will need the Ferrari of Atlanta to confirm the problem to the audio shop.

I wanted to get the radio replaced and before I send off the sticky party parts to Robbie so, Taz, the diagrams are helpful. I believe that some of may WSM is incomplete. Anyone have a source for a complete 550 WSM? Doug

[tazandjan]

Doug- Arggh. That is when you really wish someone like Scott Cairncross at Lajolla Audio had done the job. He has done hundreds of exotics. Long way from Atlanta, though.

[sclja]

Doug, never seen that one before on the 550.... I am sorry you have to go through this as it baffles me that they actually found the problem and just put a bandage on it... It will no doubt cost them as soon as the dealer gets ahold of it.... What ferrari dealer do you go to?

Scott

[RDM]

Scott, I use Ferrai Maserati of Atlanta. I purchased the car from Foreign Cars Italia in Greensboro, NC. Doug

[sclja]

I know a ferrari tech that works there, don't know if he is still there/// Richard Winfree (used to be in San Diego)...

[RDM]

Scott, yes Richard is at FOA. I took my car in today. He speaks fondly of you. Thanks for your help, Doug

[tazandjan]

Doug- They are a good group that evolved from the old FAF dealership and parts distributorship, IIRC. Are they still near Stone Mountain?

[sclja]

Doug you are in good hands! Let me know what the find...

Scott

[RDM]

So Scott, Taz I got it repaired. Thanks for your help. Before I took the car in, solved one mystery. Why were the instrument cluster(fuse 5) and AC compressor/radio (fuse 22) circuits both failing at the same time, every time? Well the instrument cluster was ok all along, the rheostat was just turned off.

Turns out the air temp controls circuit (fuse 20) was blown because another (red) wire was also broken and shorting out to ground when the fuse box door was closed. The reason the radio didn't work was because the aftermarket amp was tied into this circuit (red wire). I am not sure why no power was available to the radio, just because the amp power was off. No other connection problems.

Wires repaired and bundled back up, out of harms way. Take away is...protect the wire bundles in the fuse box

While it was functional, the 7.5A #20 fuse isn't large enough to handle the amplifier and air temp control circuit, replaced with 20A.

Well the first alpine installation wasn't very tidy and second one went down hill. It would be helpful for aftermarket modifcations, particularly electrical, to be documented for future service.

[tazandjan]

Doug- Glad you got her fixed. I hate chasing electrical gremlins. Not a big deal for guys like Scott, but chasing spare electrons with a VOM meter is not my idea of fun.