There are two screen versions: for biturbo and for Ghibli, the difference is on the back of the screen.
Some discussions about it here, beware it’s in French
http://www.maseratitude.com/public_html ... f=7&t=6012
To put it short I bought a 222E, after few days it refused to start, I spent about 20 hours trying to make it run, have exhausted all ideas, then decided to create a diag system because without it I was blind. Spent 5 months 3-4 hours per day almost every day.
Once BTIM was ready I spent 2 hours fixing everything that was wrong: an inversed sensor connection (the main problem), loose contacts, leaking gasket. I even don't know how that car was able to run before, but the seller said it was not working well. (I drained 6L of oil from this engine, from the smell I'd say it contained at least 0.5L of fuel).
The system is named BTIM: BiTurbo Ignition Monitor
What it is:
- - An Eprom that replaces the original eprom inside the Ignition ECU (next to the right passenger foot). The Eprom is specific to engines: 2L 18v, 2.5 18v, 2.8 18v, 2.24/424 (all versions), 2.8 24v, Ghibli 2L non-ABS
- An LCD 16x2 screen that connects to the ECU diag port and to an empty pin on the fuxe box (the red long wire on the picture). The screen is the same for all engine versions
- A 40 page PDF User’s Manual with installation, step-by-step usage, engine diag procedures and few explanations for your mechanic (if you’re lucky to have one). It's a side-by-side French/English manual with many pictures. No free access to the doc, sorry, too much proprietary info inside.
BTIM permanently monitors and shows the state of the ignition system. It's built-in in the ignition and does not disturb it.
It monitors engine sensors, shows run-time ECU errors, displays the knock signal (which is in fact very unreliable and is not working in the original ECU). See pictures below.
The screen can remain connected all the time, it does not affect the ECU, or it can be reconnected when you need it (after an engine restart, these old systems did not have permanent memories to store errors).
The installation takes 15 minutes, is easy and requires two screw drivers.
Price :
- - Every eprom : 300 euros
- LCD screen : 80 euros (only cost of components + 30 minutes of assembling work)
- Shipping: depends on destination
What it’s for ?
- To give as much as possible information about the engine in order to ease diagnosis
- Not starting or dying engine
Random problems
To better know your car
To get the real RPM (you’ll be surprised)
To be confident with your car - Not starting or dying engine
The biturbo engine management is more complicated than on other cars of the same period because it contains two ECUs: injection and ignition. In case of loose contacts or faulty sensors there is no way to diagnosis except by trials and mistakes.
Originally there was a Maserati diag box but it was very primitive and it’s very hard to find today.
How it’s to be used ?
I know by experience that embedded engine diagnostic systems don’t work: except for very simple situations they make wrong conclusions because real-life failures are too complicated for stupid machines. Modern cars have OBDII with a run-time data flow, old cars had nothing.
Instead of trying to be clever BTIM gives as much as possible information in order a smart human can find problems.
What was made to the ECU:
- - The original firmware related to the Maserati diag system was removed. This code costs a lot in performance.
- A new diag code was added
- Many many bugs were fixed and performance widely improved. The original ECU does not keep pace above 5600 RPM, now it has margin even at 8000 RPM (rev limit)
- - Checks and shows crank and cam position sensor information, detects which one is failing
- Shows- - engine belt timing
- pressure sensor signal (to find leaking hoses)
- error codes
- - engine belt timing
Once engine started :
- Checks crank and cam position sensors and shows errors
Shows- Engine belt timing
Pressure
RPM
Ignition advance
Coil precharge duration
Knock signal data for every cylinder
Error codes since last startup
- Engine belt timing
The screen has clamps on the back, it can be fixed on an aeration grid. There are two clamp models: biturbo and Ghibli
Picture of clamps on a PROTOTYPE screen (same size, wrong color and poor quality)
Sales and usage restrictions.
BTIM Eproms are only sold for usage on personal cars, no sales to professionals (but they are welcome as private persons).
Every sold Eprom can be used on personal cars of the Eprom owner (specified at acquisition) and on cars of his/her close family. So the eprom can be used by a third party on the cars of the eprom’s owner.
No loan, no helping others with your eprom. The Eprom's price is low, please respect my work.
If your mechanic needs BTIM for your car you can buy it and provide it with your car. You'll have to take the eprom back along with your car (it will certainly remain in the ECU).
Sharing screens is allowed, all screens are the same.
You can use eproms on your cars as you want. If you have two cars with the same engine you can use the same eprom (or the chipped ECU) on both.
If your cars have different engines then you'll need different eproms but you can use the same screen.
I’ll do my best to help buyers but I may want to check the owner’s identity first.
I'm not a store, I've got no obligations, I will refuse to sell if I suspect a professional usage or attempts to reproduce BTIM.
Please contact me on ap360@netcmail.com or through this forum.
Feel free to ask me here or by email and I'll add missing information to this description. As already said no free access to the User's Man.
