A few years ago my Cinquecento began stalling. There was no obvious pattern to this. Having been to three separate Fiat dealers on FOUR different occasions none of them could find anything wrong. Eleven different ANWB (Dutch AA) mechanics have looked at it on 13 separate occasions and they can find nothing wrong. However, last year the ANWB had an article on the news that they had noticed a problem with various vehicles all different makes and models and their conclusion was the only thing these vehicles had in common was they all ran on the same fuel, namely Euro unleaded 95. This year there were incidents in the UK where cars began stalling because the fuel was contaminated with silicon. Is this a coincidence? Have I, over the past several years, had contaminated fuel? Well, I don’t know. Here are the details:

- sometimes it can start and run no problem for several hundred kilometres
- other times it can start and stall and start again and run no problem
- sometimes it starts and stalls and starts straight away and stalls again
- other times it can start and stall and not start again and again and again
- other times it will start, stall, then after an hour or two start again and run no problem
- it can start and run fine for a few days and then goes back to stalling
- seems to do better after being parked for long periods (like months) and then the problem comes back
- problem doesn't seem dependent on engine temp, stalls when hot or cold, night or day, wet or dry, winter or summer, and so on
- battery is good, fuel pump works, timing is good, oil level good, etc., etc., it’s MOT’d
- NO ONE can find anything wrong!! (Dutch AA guys, Fiat mechanics, and so on, see above)
- everybody seems to have looked at all the obvious stuff and no one can find anything.
Who knows what this could be? Any suggestions welcomed!
Thanks in advance! Great website!!

Have a good look at the wiring to the crank sensor and --- if you don't see anything, consider changing ther crank sensor itself. Unless the Netherlands are full of silicon contaminated petrol (which usually wrecks the lambda sensor), it doesn't seem too likely to me.

Agreed, if it was the silicon in fuel problem it wouldn't run beyomd warm up at any time.

I find it strange that during the 'won't start' one of your problems that the problem can't be identified. It is very difficult when the car gets to the garage and performs perfectly, but it should be easy enough when its not actually starting.

Cheers

D

Thanks for the suggestion about the crank sensor - I'll check out the wiring and see about replacing the sensor.

Glad to hear that the problem most likely isn't due to bad fuel.

It is incredibly frustrating trying to replicate the problem at a garage. One mechanic even took it back and forth from his home to work for a couple of days with no problem and then it stalled a day later when I got it back.

I'll let you know how I get on - thanks again for the input!

Hi, after a ridiculously long time I finally got a Hayne's manual for the Cinq and have looked up the crank sensor. A few questions:

- is it also called the TDC sensor? I don't see crank sensor listed.

- how do you get to it to check or replace it? There is a diagram of where it sits on the crankshaft but the instructions are all about how to set TDC and nothing about checking/replacing the sensor. I'm assuming that distmantling and take out sparkplugs is not required?!

Thanks again - I feel I'm getting closer...!