21 Turbo 21 Turbo Fuel Computer not responding... Ctrl-Alt-Del?

[r5gordini]

The fuel computer on my 21 Turbo was stuck at 4.7 Gallons - I was very surprised when the low fuel warning light came on today! Pushing the button on the stalk did nothing.

I have tried disconnecting the battery and holding the reset button for 30+ seconds and also the stalk button... Now the display just shows 88888888 or whatever it is...

It's not responding at all. Is it toast? It was working fine, except for not showing the last gallon of fuel properly.

 

[Andyquadra]

think it needs the car parked on the level with the battery disconnected for a good few hours

 

[r5gordini]

Thanks! Will try it tonight

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[DaveL485]

The fuel computer on my 21 Turbo was stuck at 4.7 Gallons - I was very surprised when the low fuel warning light came on today! Pushing the button on the stalk did nothing.

I have tried disconnecting the battery and holding the reset button for 30+ seconds and also the stalk button... Now the display just shows 88888888 or whatever it is...

It's not responding at all. Is it toast? It was working fine, except for not showing the last gallon of fuel properly.

8888 is fine. Park it on a level surface (if you dont the fuel reading will miscalibrate) and twist the trip reset button clockwise, then release. You push the button to reset the mechanical trip on the speedo, twist to reset the digital trip numbers on the computer.

If you push the wiper stalk button while the trip is on the 8888 you can scroll through the 3 readings it uses for calculation- Speed, Fuel level and fuel consumption.

 

[r5gordini]

Thanks guys... I can report it's not working this morning after leaving the battery disconnected. Resetting doesn't work. The button doesn't cycle through the readings.

Reckon it's knackered! Luckily I have a couple of spares I can try. In fact, my A610 has a 21 computer in it, which is completely wrong for the 610 and misread the other day meaning I broke down 'cos I ran out of fuel!!!

 

[DaveL485]

So you get the flashing 8888, but neither the twist or stalk button work?

 

[r5gordini]

Yes except for the fact that 88888 isn't flashing. It's constant. Again suggesting it's toast?

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[DaveL485]

Yes except for the fact that 88888 isn't flashing. It's constant. Again suggesting it's toast?

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Yes, when the 8888's are up they should be flashing.

 

[r5gordini]

Hmm... They are constant. It's dead, Jim.

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[r5gordini]

For an update: I replaced the computer but it seems Iike the display driver was at fault and the computer was fine. I have tried gently peeling the flexible ribbon cable and reseating it on another display driver board but it doesn't seem to work.

Have also replaced the fuel computer on my A610 as it had a 21 computer in it, which lead to incorrect readings culminating in me running out of fuel!

A610 a pain to get to the computer... And the dash all broken inside, necessitating bodges galore to fix the button switches.

I now have a 21/610 computer graveyard of about 4 computers and no spare displays for the future! Given their propensity to fail, I want to source a spare or two...

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[r5gordini]

A610 repairs:



My welding skills strike again! I have run out of gas so I have had to use no gas wire. I'm not really concerned about how it looks. This is a switch support. The original dashboard switch supports are just flimsy plastic sprues that are so fragile and brittle. They just break.

And one of the switches had broken so I transferred its function to a spare (blank) switch. Unfortunately I couldn't swap the switch front across as one was offset and the other wasn't. So now I have an unlabelled computer reset switch. I had to glue the original computer reset switch to the dash.



It's such a shame that the quality of this part of the 610 is so poor. I imagine buyers of the cars were disappointed by this in the day. Contemporary road testers mentioned that the interior of the car wasn't special enough and they were right!

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[BIG MVS]

Hey Andrew if it's any consolation you are not alone.



Poor quality plastics, I'm pretty sure there are none available new anywhere so you will have to carry on with the fixing. You might be able to make use of a GTA set of buttons as they are very similar. As for the trip computer I thought Mr Dini had got it working with the 21 Turbo one. Has he still got the original he can give you?

 

[r5gordini]

Thanks Martin, photos show exactly what I was up against. The broken switch was a challenge. Unfortunately the plastic pin on my computer reset switch was broken twice. The spare switch I moved it to was latching but I managed to remove the latching part of the switch so it no longer latched.

Phildini did replace the computer with one from a 21 but it gave weird readings. Luckily he gave me the original A610 computer so I swapped over the displays. Not yet tested it all, but initial indications are good.

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[r5gordini]

My dash also rattles dramatically when going over big bumps so I am hoping that when I put it all back together again it will be better. I did find one of the air vents was loose but it's difficult to bolt the dash into place with the air vents in place, hence why it probably wasn't done up tight.

I also wanted to clean out the tweeter grille and replace the tweeter while I was at it but I don't think I'll have time this time. Need to get the car back together in time for the 6th Jan, which is when Ian from Subzero is coming to do the air con. He visited a couple of weeks ago and pronounced the system basically sound. Leaking a bit from the seals at the compressor and there's a broken wire at the compressor, but other than that, it's all working!

Very much looking forward to having it all back together again.

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[DaveL485]

Heap of crap switches. I was thinking on my 21 where there is a couple similar, i'd set the whole lot in the switch panel with expanding foam so they wouldnt move lol

 

[r5gordini]

Talking of switches on the 21, there's one on mine that is a big X and another unlabelled small push button. I have no idea what either does!

Any clues?

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[r5gordini]

And good idea for the expanding foam! Would have been easier than the brackets I made up

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[BIG MVS]

The 21 switches are far better than the 610's! From memory I think the big X turns off the electric windows in the rear (child safety init). Got a pic of the small push button one?

 

[Andyquadra]

Talking of switches on the 21, there's one on mine that is a big X and another unlabelled small push button. I have no idea what either does!

Any clues?

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isn't the X for disabling the rear electric window's?

 

[r5gordini]

Sounds likely, guys! Will get a pic of the other button and repost here later on.

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