So.....I'm hoping someone can advise.....

2010 500 pop

My daughters car, started off with yellow triangle and Start/Stop unavailable along with fuel cut off unavailable. Shortly thereafter, airbag lights/seatbelt warning/and mileometer flashing !

Some searching around suggested battery, so I put in an expensive (!) start stop battery. Made no difference.

My local guy now has it and he's just told me its the airbag module, at around 700 quid !!

ANyone go any other opinions ?

Thanks !

Gerry

Strange as this may seem .....have you checked the wiring on the boot hatch ? slice the corrugated cover carefully and see if the wires beneath are ok. You can tape it shut if they are. If not, there is a kit to replace them. Have a look then post your findings back here.

Boot cables were my first thought but the flashing milometer has cropped up before too just can't remember why.

Flashing odometer reading is a communication error in the CAN system afaik. I could be wrong but I am pretty sure that's what it was.

I get it from time to time on my car when there is actually nothing wrong, nor is there any codes stored.

This combination of faults has been seen before.

The primary cause is always failure of the hatch wiring.

This needs to be properly checked before doing anything else and before running diagnostics. I'd strongly advise disconnecting the battery before doing this. It shouldn't be necessary to cut the grommet - just peel it back carefully. Fix the wiring if found faulty. It is futile, and perhaps dangerous, to run diagnostics if there's a hardware fault in the loom.

Then, keeping all fingers and toes crossed, use MES to reset all the warning lights and hope the wiring failure hasn't caused secondary electronic component damage.

I have a theory, as yet not proven, that the well-known hatch wiring failure fault can, in certain circumstances, permanently damage the airbag ECU.

I hope I'm wrong - otherwise the implications are rather serious.

Wow ! Quick responses.

A glimmer of hope, my fingers and toes are crossed. Am I looking for fried, frayed or loose wires?? Car is still with electrician, I'm going to go over in the morning and suggest that he takes a look at the hatch wiring.

Thanks all !

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48POP said:

Wow ! Quick responses.
A glimmer of hope, my fingers and toes are crossed. Am I looking for fried, frayed or loose wires?? Car is still with electrician, I'm going to go over in the morning and suggest that he takes a look at the hatch wiring.
(

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Read this thread.

Picture in this post.

jrkitching said:

Read this thread.

Picture in this post.

Click to expand...

Brilliant, exactly what I needed !!

I'll update when I've had a look tomorrow

Thanks again

So, I just got back from the Electricians......

I mentioned the hatch wiring, he knew of the issue and had already been there, (hatch was open when I got there....)

He told me that here was no comms with the airbag ecu As it happens, he has another 500 sitting in the workshop, (with the dash out for an aircon issue). He borrowed the ecu, but it in my 500 and established comms. So it seems that it is the ecu

Second hand ecu is an option, but at my own risk, he advised against....Going to get one from Fiat.. On top of the expensive battery, this is a 'kin expensive repair.

Irony is that its my daughters car and does less than 3k miles between MOT's. On top of insurance and other repairs, would be cheaper paying for taxis !!

kids.......

48POP said:

So, I just got back from the Electricians......

I mentioned the hatch wiring, he knew of the issue and had already been there, (hatch was open when I got there....)

He told me that here was no comms with the airbag ecu As it happens, he has another 500 sitting in the workshop, (with the dash out for an aircon issue). He borrowed the ecu, but it in my 500 and established comms. So it seems that it is the ecu

Second hand ecu is an option, but at my own risk, he advised against....Going to get one from Fiat.. On top of the expensive battery, this is a 'kin expensive repair.

Irony is that its my daughters car and does less than 3k miles between MOT's. On top of insurance and other repairs, would be cheaper paying for taxis !!

kids.......

Click to expand...

Not sounding good, condolences.

I'd be worried about why the previous airbag ECU failed. If there is an intermittent loom fault, perhaps one that's not immediately obvious on visual inspection, then the replacement isn't going to last long.

I'd ask for the old ECU back; someone with the right knowledge might be able to work out why it failed, and that will help us all.

Why did the guy say not to use a secondhand unit? I can't see a reason why not and should the brand new one fail again it will be even more expense? and possibly not covered under its guarantee?

You can get an Airbag ECU for £50 on eBay, or you can send your own one for resetting for £30 or £40 on eBay. It's only 3 bolts to undo, it's behind the centre console on the floor.

I understood that its not just a matter of replacing the unit? Some resetting needed, requiring his diagnostic kit?

I'll be paying for the electricians time and will be expecting some guarantee that the fault has been fixed......If not, I don't expect to pay again ! Ultimately its my choice. I'll have a wee think before finally commiting

48POP said:

I understood that its not just a matter of replacing the unit? Some resetting needed, requiring his diagnostic kit?

I'll be paying for the electricians time and will be expecting some guarantee that the fault has been fixed......If not, I don't expect to pay again ! Ultimately its my choice. I'll have a wee think before finally commiting

Click to expand...

As I mentioned above you can get a reset second hand ECU on ebay for about £50. Fiat will charge you for resetting. At least if you invest in £50, as long as you have got to the bottom of what caused the lights to come on in the first place, a reset ECU will put them out. Some lights will go out when the problem is rectified without resetting.

I have one sitting on the shelf of my garage, ready for when I need one. Multiscan will reset the airbag ECU and I have just done that on my latest car where I have changed curtain and seat airbags but my previous Cat C where I changed 5 of the 7 airbags, it wouldn't reset so I bought a second hand reset one, installed it. Job done.

The issue is what broke the ecu in the first place? your new one( £700 ) may last years or minutes if the fault is still there, but if its an intermittent one it may not show up for a few months? so £50 is way better than £700?

It could just be a faulty ecu. You really need to plug it into MultiECUscan to find out why

So its back....I've been away at work all week so not yet been out for a look. I'm assuming its all better.

I also have the failed unit......Fancy paperweight or useful for something?