Good morning folks, live from the bus - sadly.

Yesterday Gennaro decided to stop (again) to take a rest. Symptoms: fails to recognise the flip key, padlock light on. Spare key fine. Few hiccups on releasing the throttle when engilne was cold. Then one day it has lost power and stopped, fuel pump. Seemed okay for a week, then yesterday it did the hiccups with warm engine then lost rev amd stopped. Fuel pump zooms away, towed to my mechanic to read error codes.

The reading gives "key system failure" error, but the padlock light doesn't come up as if the key would be faulty. Starter runs, bit the engine won't catch.

Did any one of you had similar? If yes, what helped and how much are we looking at? Any help is appreciated.

Cheers,
G.

Most cars the immobilizer will not come on while the car is running even if communication with the key is lost.

Is the also true for the Panda ?


As with most intermittent gremlins on a Fiat the usual port of call is the connectors.

Not really come across the same symptoms. But I would check the pins on the ECU for corrosion.


Hopefully someone has had the same and chime in soon.

Are you saying this did happen with 1 key..
But now happens with both..?

Fuel pump running and sparks at plugs when cranking mean its not ACTUALLY immobilised

Unusual in a panda... so cannot be 100 per cent sure.

Poor connection sounds likely. Try using the rake adjuster to pivot the steering column..and the looms strapped to it..

Charlie

The connection issue seems like a good idea. I'll try to look for that before I'll get it towed to have some diagnostics done on it. Keep you posted, thanks for the replies.

So BOTH keys have the same result..??

Tbh..Try disconnecting battery overnight..
Something may reset on power-up..
At least thats FREE..

Where is the car based..??

Both keys are the same, with the only difference that the spare key does not give the padlock light. Keys tested in Autokey, they say spare is fine.

The car is in Dublin 12.

caffeinedealer said:

Both keys are the same, with the only difference that the spare key does not give the padlock light. Keys tested in Autokey, they say spare is fine.

The car is in Dublin 12.

Click to expand...

On a 13yr old Panda, I'd be thinking outside of the box.

Something along the lines of cloning the chip from the spare key and securing it close to the transducer, thereby effectively disabling the immobiliser. Admittedly I do live in a low theft risk area, but who's to know?

caffeinedealer said:

Both keys are the same, with the only difference that the spare key does not give the padlock light. Keys tested in Autokey, they say spare is fine.

The car is in Dublin 12.

Click to expand...

Hi
Do you mean the spare is fine but the flip isn't, or both read OK?
If both read OK then suggest you look at connector/earth problems, from battery through to BCU (search forum for more info). Also check battery. Dodgy voltages at startup can cause similar symptoms.

If only spare is OK then I would disconnect the battery for a couple of hours (or overnight) and then try again using only the spare key.
I do remember a flip key which started behaving strangely after someone crushed it slightly. Eventually turned out to be damage to the coil leading to the immobiliser chip, which was sorted by an auto-locksmith. Spare key worked fine, but owner kept using the flip key until they got stranded & recovered... would have spotted the problem earlier but they only ever gave me the spare key until then!

Ok back to basics...

Using the key that does NOT light the key symbol.

See if fuel pump runs..buzz under rear seat

Crank engine...do you get sparks at plugs?

They are the fundamentals.
Along with the keysymbol ..self.testing..at MAR ignition barrel position


Let us know how they stand


A slipped cambelt isnt unheard of either. Will do no damage..just wont fire/run

Ours was SEVEN teeth out. Slackened..retimed..retensioned.. all good

Charlie

caffeinedealer said:

Good morning folks, live from the bus - sadly.

Yesterday Gennaro decided to stop (again) to take a rest. Symptoms: fails to recognise the flip key, padlock light on. Spare key fine. Few hiccups on releasing the throttle when engilne was cold. Then one day it has lost power and stopped, fuel pump. Seemed okay for a week, then yesterday it did the hiccups with warm engine then lost rev amd stopped. Fuel pump zooms away, towed to my mechanic to read error codes.

The reading gives "key system failure" error, but the padlock light doesn't come up as if the key would be faulty. Starter runs, bit the engine won't catch.

Did any one of you had similar? If yes, what helped and how much are we looking at? Any help is appreciated.

Cheers,
G.

Click to expand...

Doesn't sound like an immobilizer


Isn't the error code from the previous flip key problem.

koalar said:

Doesn't sound like an immobilizer


Isn't the error code from the previous flip key problem.

Click to expand...

Could be, but we didn't get the code at the last read. I think I was already using the spare at that stage.

varesecrazy said:

Ok back to basics...

Using the key that does NOT light the key symbol.

See if fuel pump runs..buzz under rear seat

Crank engine...do you get sparks at plugs?

They are the fundamentals.
Along with the keysymbol ..self.testing..at MAR ignition barrel position


Let us know how they stand


A slipped cambelt isnt unheard of either. Will do no damage..just wont fire/run

Ours was SEVEN teeth out. Slackened..retimed..retensioned.. all good

Charlie

Click to expand...

I didn't even think of the cambelt... Interesting, as soon as I get the car back from diagnostics without a solution I'll look at that as well. (It's about a year/12k mile old, but who knows?).

On the keys: the snap key with the broken transponder won't get the fuel pump running, only the spare. Might not be immobilised after all.

Update: I couldn't make progress on my own so far, had to get it to a electronics/ECU/key specialist garage in order to get it back as soon as possible. (I use the car for work.) Hopefully I'll know more in a day or two, I'll keep you posted.

Lets hope you have more luck than when my diesel went in for a key recognition issue.

They charged 120.00 and made it worse...

Eejits