new to Coma's so learning about them, so please bear with me as I ask silly stuff.

Picked up my car at airport parking lot that sat for 5 days. Car started fine. However every time I put into reverse and tried to back out of the stall the engine died. (if there was a message was on the screen i was too tired to notice)
finally i pushed it back out of the parking slot and it drove forward fine. Drove home and hit the sack.
Today i tried to place it in reverse and after it died, a message came saying "low engine oil"
However when i checked the oil it was about a qt over (more) .

This seems very weird.
I had backed up just before parking the car so it was working fine before my trip.
Any ideas what might have happened? Or what I should check next?

Hi,
Weird one. What engine do you have and is the transmission manual or automatic?

Robert G8RPI.

the 2007 Croma is a diesel, 1.9 5 speed

Technor said:

the 2007 Croma is a diesel, 1.9 5 speed

Click to expand...

OK,
Couple more questions. Have you smelt the oil? does it smell of diesel? If there have been repeated DPF regenerations the oil can be diluted with fuel running the bores. 5 speed? They didn't sell a 5 speed 1.9 in the UK. Manual or auto?
Does the engine stall when you put the shift into reverse or when you let the clutch in? If it dies as soon as you move the stick into reverse it may be related to the signal that tells the ECUs that the car is in reverse.
I'm looking for clues here, so bear with me.

Robert G8RPI.

I am new to Croma but have worked on many cars. I am working overseas and bought an “Island beater” I bought if from someone rotating out. So they are no help.
I didn’t expect to have problems getting a repair manual for it as it’s only a 07. There is no Fiat dealer locally and getting correct information from some Italians can be hard if you don’t speak fluently.
It’s a sweet ride and this is totally unexpected.
Thanks for your inquisitive mind. I think your questions are great.

Have you smelt the oil? does it smell of diesel? No it doesn’t have that distinct smell.
I have been running MB Diesels for many years and it smells and feels like decent oil. I’m thinking its synthic oil.

Manual or auto? Its Manual. Nothing says 6 so could be. I’ve only run it up to 5th.

Does the engine stall when you put the shift into reverse or when you let the clutch in?
Its has done both. It kept running while the clutch was in but the gear in reverse and ran for some time. Died when I let the clutch out.
And then it has also died as soon and the shifter moved into the reverse gate.

If it dies as soon as you move the stick into reverse it may be related to the signal that tells the ECUs that the car is in reverse.
I'm looking for clues here, so bear with me. Now these are Great questions.
A couple from me.
What is the ECU and what does it do?
The whole key fob issue. I only have the one key. Was thinking I should get another, I’m assuming from the Fiat dealer. Could this be the issue?

Hi,
On manuals, you don't need to buy them. Click on the downloads tab n the blue bar, scroll down to Croma and download the eLearn files https://www.fiatforum.com/downloads.php?do=download&downloadid=373
you re-assemble them with RAR software and burn to a CD. You now have the same information that the dealer has.
I'm puzzled by this fault and will have to think some more about it. I don't think it is related to the key.
ECU was originally Engine Control Unit, the electronic "brain" that controls a modern engine. ECU is now used for any Electronic Control Unit. The Croma has many of them, for th engine, body system, ABS, security system etc. They communicate digitally. You can buy a lead that plugs into the EOBD (same as OBDII in the USA) socket and software for a PC (Multiecuscan or AlfaOBD are Fiat specific) and monitor the data and read fault codes.

Robert G8RPI.

On start-up I've had the occasional "low engine oil" message and the car fails to start. I've never had it appear and engine cut-out when running unless I've stalled the engine. I've put this occasional start-up "glitch" down to electrical noise, battery voltage dip.

This reported problem when going into reverse is indeed very odd.

So my thoughts are, and things I would try are:

1) Get battery and alternator charging checked and/or have second battery connected as well. Reason for this suggestion is the many odd problems occur when batteries are weak. Also the car was at rest and not run for 5 days so charge would not have been 100%

2) Try lifting the engine revs to 2000rpm before pressing the clutch and selecting reverse. Does the problem still happen. My thinking is that if it is a genuine engine low oil pressure then lifting the RPM off idle should raise the oil pressure. Also if in selecting reverse for some mechanical reason is loading/causing engine drag then if idling then this unknown load/drag could be dipping the RPM, thus pump pressure and thus triggering the low oil want followed by engine cut-out.

3) Electrical wiring / earthing problem. Selecting reverse will a) engage parking sensors and b) turn on reversing lights. Both of these, especially the reversing lights will be an instant electrical load change. Removing the reversing light bulbs and/or disconnecting the rear light connectors could be worth testing/checking out.

4) Electrical/Mechanical. The cable loom across the back of the engine to the battery box has dropped down / sagged onto the gearbox top mounted selector arm which also has a large lump metal attached to it. This arm/weight also do not move in a horizontal plane so contact/disturbance is only made when selecting reverse. If this is the cause then the cable assembly should be very carefully visual inspected and the out protection sheath may have been worn through and the inner cables damaged

Well these are my initial thoughts. As to which order to check/try the above ????

Could try pulling the fuse for the reversing light.
Loom on gear selector is a good suggestion.

great ideas
the battery seems fine. after driving for half an hour and then putting into reverse engine still dies.
the back up lights do NOT light up when shifter put into reverse gate.
so potential short their?
don't know which fuse to pull to check if tis is the short.
there are two fuse boxes inside and in engine compartment, assuming inside?
will look and pull fuses.
if you pull the one for the radio do you have to put in the radio code? where do I find that?
thanks for all of your help

Hi Technor just read through this thread it must be be a pain not being able to back up! we recently got back from a weeks holls in Devon and there are many car's in Devon are allso unable to reverse sory i digrese. I think it might well be worth disconecting the reverse switch on the gearbox as this tells the cars brain that you have selected reverse gear if it does not know then it should not turn off the engine. It is I think under the battery tray on the front of the gearbox it has a lift up tab and pull it out.No back up lamps but if it works at least it will reverse.

Ok problem solved.
Under the battery pan is the mechanical linkage for reverse. Above it was the wiring harness bundle. the wiring harness bundle had dropped down and rubbed the wires and shorted out when placed in reverse.
When the battery pan was removed it released the small amount of pressure on the bundle, the arm when put into reverse did not short out the system.
So rewrap the harness, tie it up proper so it doesn't repeat the process.

Yippeeeee

Moi - Dix points

Autres - Nil points

And just pleased you found the problem.

Nick /////

s130 said:

Yippeeeee

Moi - Dix points

Autres - Nil points

Click to expand...

And not for the first time either

Joking aside I'm sure I've got it wrong other times as well.

More interestingly when I have problems and things go wrong for some reason I often tend to panic or get frustrated and this sometimes throws my more rational thinking etc. out the window. Whereas reviewing other peoples problems either online or hands on always seems to go so much better.