Mystery resistor from a Ferrari 308

[SeanB]

Trundle off to the VW dealer ( or preferably the aftermarket suppliers as they are cheaper) and get a fan resistor for a VW golf/polo/passat. They have 4 connections for spade connectors, and a thermal fuse that fails open circuit when it gets too hot. The resistor needs to be mounted in airflow, so will go in the AC ducting somewhere.

I have replaced a few, as they both fail from a poor fan motor design, and from condensed water from the AC system. I buy the aftermarket one and do a transplant of the resistor block as the old one no longer is available except as OEM ( and at a price out of proportion to the size) but the connections are the same ( aside from 1 extra spade lug that is easy to cut off) and it can be put into the other housing with no problems.

If you drive a BMW you will be well aware that they also have a fan speed control using a MOSFET cooled by the air in the ducting, which is rather notorious for self destructing and leaving you with either no fan or uncontrollable max speed.

[Nerull]

Ferraris have a reputation for burning all on their own, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. 

[borud]

Ferraris have a reputation for burning all on their own, so I wouldn't worry too much about that. 

I'm probably a pariah among purists since I have a pretty modified old car.  (Turbo moved forward so as not to fry the brake reservoir, aftermarket engine management system + new ignition system + new injector system and custom made intake, much bigger intercooler,  upgraded brakes etc).

The status displays inside the car never worked right though.  Brake and the wiper fluid light comes on (the sensor isn't even connected so I have no idea why it suddenly gets the idea I have no wiper fluid). 

Brake hard, and the master alarm flashes like you're on the Apollo 13.

In fact, Alfa Romeo had so little confidence in the electronics the dashboard has a reset button.  And that button is worn.  If you drive those cars on track you pay attention when the dashboard doesn't go apeshit.  Because that usually means the car is going to stop soon

(Not many cars from 1987 that get 45-50mpg if you drive them carefully though )

-B