Technical Central locking not working but lights flashing

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Technical Central locking not working but lights flashing

Monky

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Hi all,

Had a good look through the forum but can't find a specific answer.

My central locking on my Fiat 2008 1.2 Lounge hatchback has stopped working. The buttons on my remote key broke away, Fiat said I would need to buy a new key for £280.00. Instead, I bought some new buttons online and re-assembled the key with the new buttons.

When I click the lock button, the lights on the car flash, but the central locking does not work, no locks make any noises and the doors will not open or close, I have to manually insert the key to open the door, but the key only opens the drivers door, the passenger door and boot stay locked. The key works fine and starts the car but will not activate the central locking and I can't get the central locking to work even when in the car.

I don't know if it's a coincidence but the boot also will not open and hasn't for a while. I've been using the spare non remote key for about 6 months since the buttons fell out the remote key. The boot stopped working around 1 month ago (I have to manually release from inside the car via the back seats) - I understand the wire can chafe on the hatch or the microswitch can fail / need cleaning up. The central locking was working though on the driver/passenger door. Since changing the buttons on the remote key, the central locking on the doors has now stopped working as well as the boot opening.

Any ideas? Does the remote key need to be re-programmed for example and the boot is a separate issue? I have tried disconnecting the battery over night, as recommended on the forum, but it hasn't solved it.

Thanks for any input, have tried to research but this is as far as I got. So the order went, key buttons fell out, used spare for quite a while (non remote), central locking was fine, then the boot wouldn't open about a month ago, then replaced the key buttons, now central locking not working.

Many thanks,

M
 
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I suspect someone will be along shortly to give you specific advice. In the meantime, concerning your boot release, microswitch has probably failed. I've just had mine replaced under warranty, but yours is well out of warranty and you'd be forking out of your own pocket:

Many thanks re boot, probably a separate issue from the central locking I would assume. I will check the wire/loom in the hatch where they go into the body of the car first and see if I can find any broken wire, then look at the microswitch.

Can't I just buy a microswitch from maplin for £1.00, cut the old one out and glue a new one in? I had a Micra before this, same thing happened, Nissan wanted £70.00 so I bought a new "push to make non locking switch JB00A" from Maplin, cut a hole in the button, removed the old microswitch, soldered in the Maplin one and glued the rubber back into the button. Is this possible on the 500?

Thanks though Frupi :)

If anyone knows re the central locking please let me know, hoping it just needs re-programming as the lights are flashing when I click the remote button, just the locks are not opening and closing. The central locking also does not work inside the car when pushing the handle in so thought it might be something more sinister.

Thanks again
 
Many thanks re boot, probably a separate issue from the central locking I would assume. I will check the wire/loom in the hatch where they go into the body of the car first and see if I can find any broken wire, then look at the microswitch.

Can't I just buy a microswitch from maplin for £1.00, cut the old one out and glue a new one in? I had a Micra before this, same thing happened, Nissan wanted £70.00 so I bought a new "push to make non locking switch JB00A" from Maplin, cut a hole in the button, removed the old microswitch, soldered in the Maplin one and glued the rubber back into the button. Is this possible on the 500?

Thanks though Frupi :)

If anyone knows re the central locking please let me know, hoping it just needs re-programming as the lights are flashing when I click the remote button, just the locks are not opening and closing. The central locking also does not work inside the car when pushing the handle in so thought it might be something more sinister.

Thanks again

Not sure about 'sinister' but possibly expensive. The fact that the lights flash should mean the system is receiving and accepting the code and that the fault is in the central locking circuit, especially as they don't work when you push the inner handle to 'lock' - have you checked the fuse? I should do that first.

The original boot release problem sounds more like the solenoid isn't operating and there may be a wiring fault as suggested. Again have a look at fuses then check the wiring.

Replacing the boot micro-switch (if you have to) should be fairly easy. Remove the inner boot trim, undo the four nuts holding the chrome 'handle' (housing the boot switch and number plate lights), unplug the wiring loom and pull the handle off the car. The underside is sealed by a rubber foam which you'd need to cut to get to the switch - I haven't gone that far so from here you're on your own;).
 
Personally, concerning the boot handle release on a 2008 car, I wouldn't even bother trying to arse about cutting out micro switches, sealing stuff up again and all the general faff and time doing it. Ok, so its money, but I'd recommend just replacing the whole thing.

I realise these boot handle release switches are prone to failure, but I can't believe that in six years from when your car was made to when the part that was fitted to our own car just 48 hours ago, there hasn't been some sort of small upgrading of components. The quality control sticker on the part fitted to our car shows it came out of the factory in April this year. Let's see how long this one lasts lol! :D
 
Can't I just buy a microswitch from maplin for £1.00, cut the old one out and glue a new one in?

You can repair almost anything if you can work carefully using intuition and basic engineering skill, providing you can source a suitable part, or one that can be modified to do the job.

I'm all in favour of folks doing stuff like this. You save a few pounds (probably about seventy of them), you have the satisfaction of the achievement, and you likely will have a 'better-than-new' repair. (y)

Please take some pictures as you go & come back to tell us how you got on.

...but I can't believe that in six years from when your car was made to when the part that was fitted to our own car just 48 hours ago, there hasn't been some sort of small upgrading of components.

Personally I wouldn't bet the farm on it. Fiat have a proven track record of continuing production with known weak components for much longer than most right-thinking folk would imagine.
 
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You can repair almost anything if you can work carefully using intuition and basic engineering skill, providing you can source a suitable part, or one that can be modified to do the job.

I'm all in favour of folks doing stuff like this. You save a few pounds (probably about seventy of them), you have the satisfaction of the achievement, and you likely will have a 'better-than-new' repair. (y)

Please take some pictures as you go & come back to tell us how you got on.

You clearly have far too much time on your hands lol! :D

The reason I'm so blasé about the issue is because of course, the two times the boot handle switch has failed, I got Fiat to replace under warranty. Plus, if it were to happen to me out of warranty, I still couldn't be bothered to waste part of my life fixing it and I'd just buy the replacement part lol! Perhaps I need to settle back into retirement again :devil:
 
The fact that the lights flash should mean the system is receiving and accepting the code and that the fault is in the central locking circuit, especially as they don't work when you push the inner handle to 'lock' - have you checked the fuse? I should do that first.

:yeahthat:

Checked the fuses?
 
You clearly have far too much time on your hands lol! :D

The reason I'm so blasé about the issue is because of course, the two times the boot handle switch has failed, I got Fiat to replace under warranty. Plus, if it were to happen to me out of warranty, I still couldn't be bothered to waste part of my life fixing it and I'd just buy the replacement part lol! Perhaps I need to settle back into retirement again :devil:

I too have had a boot switch failure repaired under warranty. If it happened outside warranty I'd definitely be looking at repairing it myself, not only for the reasons above but also because a; Fiat's 'fix' is to replace the entire chrome handle affair (not just the switch) with the attendant cost and b; because the part took over six weeks to arrive!

Now that the design is over six years old you'd have thought these niggling little faults would have been ironed out but maybe it's cheaper for Fiat to fix those that fail rather than redesign the dodgy assembly.
 
My fob doesn't work though hehe so kinda need to fix it :D

I will check the central locking fuses and report back my findings :)

Once I have resolved the central locking I will move onto the boot issue, if needed I will check the wires in the boot hinge first, if I can't find a noticeable break, I will look to replace the microswitch rather than spending 70 quid :p At least if it's not the microswitch and there is a break somewhere else I would have only spent £1 and an hour of my time.

See how I get on, mission accepted :slayer:
 
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See how I get on, mission accepted :slayer:
Lol! Will your last post self destruct in 5, 4 ,3, 2, 1......
grenade-emoticon.gif
 
lol made me chuckle!

Well good news is I've fixed everything, for future reference for anyone with similar issues.

Wires had split where they go into the boot and shorted on the body, repaired all these, central locking now working! :)

Boot still didn't work, so replaced rear handle with a used one on ebay, now boot opens on button, woop. Have a new issue now, time for a new thread :D

Thanks for all your help though, great forum!!! (y)
 
I've got this same problem on my 500 pop, the fuse blows as soon as the key is turned to activate the central locking, boot also will not open from handle switch. Locking the car manually and opening the boot from the inside at the moment.

If the boot won't open.... is it most likely to be the culprit?
 
lol made me chuckle!

Well good news is I've fixed everything, for future reference for anyone with similar issues.

Wires had split where they go into the boot and shorted on the body, repaired all these, central locking now working! :)

Boot still didn't work, so replaced rear handle with a used one on ebay, now boot opens on button, woop. Have a new issue now, time for a new thread :D

Thanks for all your help though, great forum!!! (y)
Is this yet another boot wiring issue?
 
I've got this same problem on my 500 pop, the fuse blows as soon as the key is turned to activate the central locking, boot also will not open from handle switch. Locking the car manually and opening the boot from the inside at the moment.

If the boot won't open.... is it most likely to be the culprit?

Could be tailgate wiring failure. Do the number plate lights work, or the rear wiper / screen heater?
 
I've got this same problem on my 500 pop, the fuse blows as soon as the key is turned to activate the central locking, boot also will not open from handle switch. Locking the car manually and opening the boot from the inside at the moment.

If the boot won't open.... is it most likely to be the culprit?

Mine did exactly this. About 90% of the boot wiring was broken/breaking. I'd start there.

Could be tailgate wiring failure. Do the number plate lights work, or the rear wiper / screen heater?

Surprisingly mine all did! Must've just been holding contact enough!
 
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