Hi

Just wondering if anyone can help me confirm this problem. Basically my Sei (1108cc) is having problems starting.

Up until last week my cars been running fine for months suddenly it wouldn't start, It was trying to turn out but wouldn't fire up. So i call a breakdown guy out. checks everything 30 mins later hes none the wiser until he touches something near the cam belt cover then suddenly it fires up. Said it was a loose connection on a sensor or something didn't say which. But it was near the cam belt cover. So my car runs fine for 2 weeks until yesterday same problem. wouldn't start. So i felt it over night went this morning and it started. Now i think it might be the crankcraft sensor any ideas people?

Also since i've moved to leeds at uni the roads around there are crap really bumpy etc.. i think this may have caused the problem.

Finally if it happens again how to i find this sensor so i can sort the problem myself until i get a new what ever need doing at a garage this weekend.

Cheers

crankshaft / TDC sensor, should be around here on the engine (see pic)

might be a dodgy wire, might need a clean.

Have you got a picture of it from the top i.e in the car. So is it definitely the Crackshaft sensor i've booked it into a local garage to get a new one put on. Dont know how much it will cost but if its just a loose wire maybe they can fix the old one.

don't have a photo from the top.. you can't really see it. but thats the left hand (timing) end of the engine.

just down at the bottom.. you might be able to see it from the side.

its not def the TDC, i'm just guessing here!

there is also the cam sensor on the head but this would make it go into limp mode if not getting a reading, so I agree with arc that it is prob the crank sensor, cost me £10 from breakers a couple of months back.

yeah, true - i've never had an mpi engine to play with forget they have cam sensors as well

I had this with my old Punto 55 1108cc. It was the crankshaft sensor. A good blow into the connection and it never happened again.

Well its the Spi my engine. Anyway it happened again today called out the breakdown guy. And same thing again. It wouldn't fire up just kept on turning over then as soon as he touches a wire it starts up fine. It wasn't the crank sensor though it was the one to the left of the oil dip stick, it sort of looks like the end of a HT lead sticks out but is hollow inside. Anyway as soon as he touches that it starts up. Any idea what that is. This is defo an electrical problem.

Im avoiding going into fiat for them to charge me £60 to say they cant find a fault.

Catseyes said:

there is also the cam sensor on the head but this would make it go into limp mode if not getting a reading, so I agree with arc that it is prob the crank sensor, cost me £10 from breakers a couple of months back.

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is there a cam sensor on the cinq sporting and where is it located
??????????????????? this might be a problem ive got

thanks

i had the same problem a few months back and so took it to the local garage and they couldnt find a problem with the sei so they rang fiat and apparently it is a common problem with sei's (car randomly deciding not 2 start) and the garage were advised to put a new sensor in (dont know what kind of sensor tho!) but since the new sensor has been fitted the car has gone back to starting perfectly! i think overall it cost me £90 at the garage but worth it cos dont get stuck in car parks any more waiting for my car to choose when it starts!!

shaunmurray said:

is there a cam sensor on the cinq sporting and where is it located
??????????????????? this might be a problem ive got

thanks

Click to expand...

No cam sensors on the Cinquecentos.

black seicento said:

i had the same problem a few months back and so took it to the local garage and they couldnt find a problem with the sei so they rang fiat and apparently it is a common problem with sei's (car randomly deciding not 2 start) and the garage were advised to put a new sensor in (dont know what kind of sensor tho!) but since the new sensor has been fitted the car has gone back to starting perfectly! i think overall it cost me £90 at the garage but worth it cos dont get stuck in car parks any more waiting for my car to choose when it starts!!

Click to expand...

Hmmm if only i knew which one so i can get it changed coz this is starting to become a huge worry. I dont want to drive my car in case i get stuck somewhere.

satty said:

Well its the Spi my engine. Anyway it happened again today called out the breakdown guy. And same thing again. It wouldn't fire up just kept on turning over then as soon as he touches a wire it starts up fine. It wasn't the crank sensor though it was the one to the left of the oil dip stick, it sort of looks like the end of a HT lead sticks out but is hollow inside. Anyway as soon as he touches that it starts up. Any idea what that is. This is defo an electrical problem.

Im avoiding going into fiat for them to charge me £60 to say they cant find a fault.

Click to expand...

the wire connector for the crankshaft sensor is around that area.i know as on my turbo cinq someone before me thought it was a good idea to cut of the loom side connector and fit spades.is it the connector block you are talking about?

Well i think your probably right. I've taken a picture to show which wire he said he touched and it started up. I've put a yellow arrow to it (its like a plug type thing). The white arrow is another wire which i felt did seem abit loose but i dont know if thats normal.

Finally does anyone have any idea what the wire is on the second picture its been cut like that since i bought the car it goes over the top of the cam belt cover doesn't seem to do much and since my cars been running fine i doubt its important but just in case anyone any ideas?

Dont know which wire you mean,is it a big thick one? Had problems with eart there & easier just to put seperate engine to body on else where.

satty said:

Hmmm if only i knew which one so i can get it changed coz this is starting to become a huge worry. I dont want to drive my car in case i get stuck somewhere.

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:idea:
could you phone Fiat and ask them if they know which sensor it is that causes this type of problem?

oh well never mind thanks OLDSCHOOL

satty said:

Well i think your probably right. I've taken a picture to show which wire he said he touched and it started up. I've put a yellow arrow to it (its like a plug type thing). The white arrow is another wire which i felt did seem abit loose but i dont know if thats normal.

Finally does anyone have any idea what the wire is on the second picture its been cut like that since i bought the car it goes over the top of the cam belt cover doesn't seem to do much and since my cars been running fine i doubt its important but just in case anyone any ideas?

Click to expand...

Anyone manage to look at the picture and help with my problem!!! Its going in tomorrow to local garage. Thats if it starts in the morning.

satty, that connector you are looking at is your temperature sensor, it looks like a ht lead cus thats a rubber cover over it!

i very very much doubt this wud cause ur car not to start.

One thing to note is that the call out guy probably touched the small starter cable which can very easily come loose! i have had this on two fiats! this is the white arrowed wire you have pictured!!

on the starter motor there shud be one big thick wire which is the live from the battery and the second is a smaller thinner wire (white arrow) which is linked to the ignition so when you turn the key it tells the starter to turn. check this connection and the wire and the next time you have the problem try wiggling it and i bet you any money she'll start up

oh yeah, and get those wires on top tidied cus they are connections for the cam sensors etc

cool thanks for that i'll tell the garage tomorrow. The white arrowed wire is loose you can wiggle it about im not sure it thats normal but at least i know whats causing it now.

So them two wires that are cut are from a sensor then? I better tell him to reconnect them. Dont understand why they would be cut though. Strange. Surprise it hasn't dont anything, glad i know whats causing the problem. Looks like it might be a cheap trip in. Im getting a new cam belt cover put on coz mines broke.