Hey Fiat folk.

I need your help! I will tell the short version of my weekend, but if you're not into storytelling, but love solving Fiat problems,
please skip to near end of this post

My very very VERY reliable 2005 Fiat Panda had a change of heart this weekend, and decided to go all in with breaking down.

Long story short: After a lovely evening in my little garage, changing the oil on the Panda, and tinkering with my project mx5 (Eunos) I locked up and started my drive home as per usual. Down the road about two kilometers I got a phone call, and as there was a p-spot right by the road, I stopped there and turned the car off. When I tried to start it again - nothing. NOOOOO:bang:

As the fuel pump had been making a weird whining noise the last three starts for the first 5-10 seconds, I kind of knew what had happened. Only problem was that I was now 2 kilometers away from my rented garage, and nobody was home there (I thought, wrongly). I don't have AAA or what you call it, so I had to leave the car there, stranded on a b-road in the country and start walking - or did I? I decided to be a bit adventurous, and started pushing the car back. Of Course it started raining, but I was determined to make it, and I did! One and a half hours later soaking wet, and exhausted, but I made it :slayer:

After drying up, and having a well deserved cup of tea and a few biscuits I had in the garage for emergencies, I made my bed in the Panda and had a few hours sleep.


I was woken early this morning by the very friendly wife of the owner of the farm where I rent my garage. She had a good laugh, told me she had been home all night, and I should just have called. She continued to laugh, but took pity on me and made me breakfast
As hunting down new car parts on a sunday is virtually impossible here, I had to look for a used pump. I found only one for sale, but the owner left for a holiday, so I couldn't get that part for at least two days. Crap...

I took the old one out any ways. Easier said than done. I had to fabricate a tool for removing the large plastic ring holding the whole fuel pump/ filter/ sender unit in. I got it out, and tried to connect 12v direct to the pump - no reaction at all.
I started looking through the web for a new pump, and quickly found out that they only sell the whole assembly, and not just the pump, and in Denmark the cheapest price was 1395dkr = 168£
I found one place selling a loose pump, but I wasn't sure if it was right and the price was still around 70£

If the cheapest option was indeed an option, I had to figure out how to take the pump out and relatively quickly did. I prepared for a new pump and cleaned the filters, and for the hell of it blew some air through the pump. What came out was black and muddy, to a degree that surprised me quite a bit. Optimistically I gave the pump another shock with the 12v defibrillator "CLEAR" - "ZAP" - still dead...

I then gave the pump a few whacks with a piece of wood, pumped it's chest three times, said tem hail marys and crossed my heart followed by another 12v zap. Low and behold: It's alive!!!
Baffled by the stroke of luck I had a cup and a rest, and the installed the now spick and span old pump in its old home.
Car started right up, and I celebrated with a caveman YEARRRRRRRWWW caveman victory call.

Car runs so all is well you might ask? Well thanks for asking, but no such luck. This is where I need your help!

The drivers side window was down while I repaired the fuel pump. After connecting the battery up again, the window would not go up?!!
Passenger side window won't go down either.
Central locking also doesn't work anymore. The rear doors and the hatch still lock, both by remote, and when I push the driver's side door handle inwards (from the inside of the car)

I took the driver's side door card and checked if the motor got power - it didn't. I was so tired that I didn't do much more, but I connected 12v directly to the motor and the window went straight up no problem.

I am really at a loss here! The relays are clicking when I push the switches, but nothing moves. It seems that the power to the doors has been cut completely off, although the radio and speakers work fine, and so does everything else - including the steering wheel servo motor.

All fuses have been checked (drivers side and engine bay - are there any more?)

If you have any idea what this could be, please do not hesitate to reply.

Have a good night

The power to the windows are wired in series (one after the other) so if there is a break anywhere neither side works.

Connection to the switches or a break in the wiring that goes through the door jam would be my guess.




Possibly as you were just pushing the car.

Thanks Koalar!

I had read about the being a big risk of that happening between the body and the door, and now that you tell me they are wired in series, I think your diagnosis is right on the money.
Although I did push the car with the door closed and the window down, I think all the way there, so the timing for the wires breaking must just be a weird coincidence. I will check that out tomorrow, and fingers crossed getting it fixed.
I will report back

Fuses ok? Try disconnecting the battery for half an hour. Cured the weirdest electrical problems for me in the past.

gr J

Your pump problem is classic worn and stuck brushes. As it's hard to tell how much life is left in them I suggest you invest in a spare pump and keep it and your removal tool in the car. That way you will never need it .


Robert G8RPI.

A3jeroen Thanks, I checked all the fuses and none were blown. I did disconnect the battery before removing and checking the pump, so sadly no luck there either.


g8rpi Haha that's very likely. I am waiting for a used pump already.I didn't know it was such a common thing. I was really impressed with it coming back to life.


I had too much work today, so no chance to take a look this evening, but tomorrow hopefully.

Fuses there three lots. Engine compartment by the steering wheel and on the body computer.

F35 passenger compartment to a short circuit coupling no idea where its situated but its in the blue and yellow wire from the fuse

I am guessing on right hand cars it means the fuse panel to the right of the steering wheel.

Also f47 and f48 on the body computer. From memory there over to the left under the steering wheel

Here the generic fuses but each car seems to be wired slightly different

Thanks buddy!

Those will come in handy. I have half the day off, so plenty of time to mess with the car
I did find all three fuse boxes on my car it seems then. I have a left hand drive car, and the are two boxes left of the steering wheel, and one in the engine compartment, and they all look like on the pictures you uploaded. Good to have that cleared up. I will have a look for f35. f47 and f48 are not blown.

Really appreciate the help!

Fixed! :slayer:

I'm a bit embarrassed to be honest, but what a lovely and easy fix this was

Before: No electric windows or central locking working.


After: Click! Now everything works


I have no idea how that plug came loose. I did have the fusebox completely out about 6 months ago, to solder in a new wire as the one for the right side headlight was melted, so maybe I didn't plug it fully back in then?

After everything worked again, I did check the wires in the drivers side door, and I'm happy I did. Weird cuts in the insulation, but no wires cut completely


I didn't solder anything or change wires, I just opted to wrap each of the 3 broken wires in electrical tape, and then a good layer on the outside as well. 30 mins in and all done - levely jobly


I feel like showing off my precision made fuel pump retainer ring tool, so here it is. My finest work to date Did the job though.




Thanks a lot for all the inputs, and helping me solve the problems.
That really meant a lot to me.

Happy days. Nice and easy.


Caught the broken insulation just in time. If they had got wet they would have corroded through eventually. Probably what caused the wire to break in the video

Easy fixes are the best!

gr J

A little follow up to this thread:

So the miracle of bringing the fuel pump back to life was short lived, so to speak. Two days I got out of it.

I was being cheap, and after a lot of time wasted on a guy that supposedly has a used one, I decided to order a new pump. Again I was being cheap, and found this gepco branded one.

It took me 3 hours to fit the new pump, mainly because the fuel return and the filter connected directly to the pump are VERY hard to put in place!!! It didn't help that the supplied fuel filter was such bad quality, that I had to use the old one. The quality of the pump it self seems ok, but I doubt it will last 12 years like the last one - fingers crossed though!

A few notes to someone replacing a panda/punto fuel pump. I really would not recommend buying the pump alone, but get a complete assembly! The fuel line cannot be reused, so take note of that too. The fuel hose I got on, fell off after 1km, so I had to get some hose clamps, and I just finished putting those on, and it seems to hold.

Good feedback

Well done on sorting it out.

Cheers Koalar

I have done 100 trouble free kilometers, and at least 10 starts today.
S finally it seems to hold up. Man I wish I had gotten a complete pump unit instead.
Oh, well - live and learn.

testacorsa said:

Cheers Koalar

I have done 100 trouble free kilometers, and at least 10 starts today.
S finally it seems to hold up. Man I wish I had gotten a complete pump unit instead.
Oh, well - live and learn.

Click to expand...

Well at least you did the hard work for the rest of us

The wire insulation in the door looks like cracking rather than cuts to me. Over time the plasticiser in the PVC leaches out or evaporates, the PVC goes hard and cracks in that very distinctive manner. Big problem on old aircraft too. I wonder how many sports men, celebrities and millionaires realise how old a lot of executive aircraft especially helicopters are. A fresh coat of paint and new trim and the passengers don't realise it's 30 odd years old and equivalent of 300,000 miles in car (hours flown V car at 60MPH). Does not mean that the aircraft are not safe of course.


Robert G8RPI.

Well at least you did the hard work for the rest of us

Click to expand...

Haha, that's right. That's the good thing about forums. You can often find someone who did the mistakes for you. I guess this is my little contribution

I think you are very right about the insulation cracking.
But your thoughts about aircrafts didn't exactly help my decision whether or not I should take the silly long flight to Indonesia this fall

I wouldn't even dare to use the words fall and flight in one sentence

gr J

Lol

It's always gratifying when a member asks a technical question, even better when other members reply. Passing this kind of info on to others is what makes a good forum; well that and the ability to have some good natured p**s taking.

Thanks for asking the question testacorsa and giving the updates and thanks to the chaps who replied.

Good job.