Technical Abarth Loose Connection Issues

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Technical Abarth Loose Connection Issues

Thanks Decks,

I thought I'd followed the diagrams and got the right pins - printed the diagrams you posted out and took them to the car with me, but..... I'd have expected to see *something*, so I suspect I didn't get it right.

For the sake of my sanity I'll give the car wrangling a rest tomorrow, borrow the Mrs' car & go & complete the family visit that was was banjaxed by the Stilo's breakdown on boxing day.

I'll come back at this fresh on Sunday, redo those tests, and see if any more ideas bubble up. I think at least, given the amount of work done so far, I can rule out a simple dirty connection - don't think any of the connectors could have been better cleaned (in terms of contact cleaner etc..) even when the car was new :D

Cheers for the help & advice :worship:, and you allhave a good weekend, no doubt there'll be a fresh update from me on Sunday
 
AFternoon guys,

Update time:

Didn't get much chance to do anything yesterday due to other committments, so dropped the car to my local garage this morning.

They have *just* phoned to say they think they have cleared the faults apart from a remaining issue with a canbus error linked to brake switch and throttle position sensor - apparently the car 'thinks' its doing 20mph even when stationary (?).

They are going to double check the connections / switches and if necessary replace them tomorrow.

Bit of a short phone call, so will try & get more detail on what they did to clear / track down the problem when I (hopefully!) pick up the completely cured car tomorrow - this Garage have been very good on this & several things in the past, so keep your fingers crossed for me on that!

Thanks for all the moral support & advice guys, and once again, I learned more than I ever thought I would want to know :D about how the car actually works over the last few days.
 
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Another update...

After a couple of days at my local garage, and replacement of the brake switch (delayed by a day after wrong part was sent), my Stilo's still non-operational :(

Apparently there's a Canbus error linked to the braking system, and very good though the garage have been they aren't equipped to take this any further - which is fair enough.

Looks likely it's going to have to be a trailer job to my nearest Fiat Dealer on Monday.

Any last minute ideas on what I might look at meantime (I'll pick the car up & bring it home tomorrow)? Or know of any good fiat specialists in the Llanelli / Swansea area other than the dealers?


Thanks all
 
Apparently there's a Canbus error linked to the braking system, and very good though the garage have been they aren't equipped to take this any further - which is fair enough.

Looks likely it's going to have to be a trailer job to my nearest Fiat Dealer on Monday.

Isn't that what we've been telling you all the time?


According to the Fiat manufacturer code list I have, U1706 is "CAN Network NCM - NFR" (Engine Management ECU - ABS Brake ECU).

U1706 as you've said is ABS / Engine Communication
So that's CAN network (NCM-NFR)

NCM = ECU
NFR = ABS ecu

Bear in mind it is a CAN line fault ie communications inter nodes between the engine ECU and the ABS ecu, (not between the ABS sensors and the ABS unit)

Hope you're not paying the garage to tell you something you already knew.

Dave.
 
Hi Dave,

No, not really - I hadn't picked up the Brake Switch error - if I'd been lucky that would have been the end of it, and it sounds as if that may well have gone anyway. This CanBus error appears to be another underlying issue (which I did pick up as you say, and mentioned to the garage). Guys at the garage have been very fair and honest, which I appreciate.

I've pretty much reached as far as I am confortable in going with testing wiring - though I may have another go at testing those pins in the ECU & ABS connectors (as per earlier suggestions) when I get the car back... will be a break from wondering how the heck I'm going to get the car c20 miles to my nearest Fiat Dealer :D
 
Well, I'll recheck everything I can over the weekend, inc D4, as I ain't gonna get the car transported to a willing delaer before Monday now anyway. I've got a real niggle in the back of my head this is something simple, but I strongly suspect Fiat might come up with 'replace Engine ECU, replace ABS ECU' based on my last experience with them.. Will probably try the dealership in Cross Hands this time to see if they are any better.

I'm in GreenFlag (they got me home on Boxing Day when this problem occurred), but I don't think they'll transport the car to a garage now - basically it's get you home. I'll investigate local transportation companies over the weekend.

Will check in here over weekend in case I make any progress, or anyone comes up with any new ideas.

Thanks & good night all
 
Well, heard from the Fiat Dealers today, and they claim to have fixed the problem - they are calling it a 'Faulty Wire Repaired', and charging £86 + VAT

This is a bit suspiciously close to the £86 + VAT I was quoted just for the diagnostic, which makes me think it was something dead simple - will try to find out more from the Techs when I pick the car up tomorrow. Still, I couldn't get anywhere, neither could my local garage, so ultimately money worth spent.

..in sadder news, after several conversations with Mrs HSSB, we have decided its time for me & the car to part ways now - she no longer trusts it, and with a new job & lots of back road motoring now, to be honest I could do with a cheaper to run car (though inevitably less fun).

I'm going to post a classified on here at the weekend when I can get pics, but any ideas on what it might be worth - 2002 Stilo Abarth, c76000 miles, 5 door, in metallic burgundy (brown I guess).

MOT'd till May, Taxed until November 2010, cambelt changed last June, springs changed last year too, and serviced regularly, good car aprt from the odd little 'episode' (as with this problem)

2 faults with it - passenger airbag light (which I suspect actually is the OCS rather than connection error, but could be wrong), and the CD player does not work - it doesn't read the disc properly - have been told it could be the lesne out of aligment (?), and prob could be fixed, but never got around to it as I just use my ipod & an FM transmitter, plus I don't bother with sat nav.

Parkers give value at about £1640 in good condition, or £2015 as Dealer forecourt, so would £1750 sound about right?

Thanks all for all the help & support I've had on here - you;ve been brilliant, hopefully I may converse with you guys again one day
 
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Thanks Dave,

I admit to be being intrigued as to the fix - my local garage who worked d@rned hard on it I know have also asked me to let them know - of course I will let the forum know too in case anyone runs into similar problems. Given the price, I'm strongly suspecting D4, and some sort of very quick fix by them that I just failed to see / do.

Have been offered a 3 series BMW diesel very cheap by someone I know - which might hack me around for 12 months while I save some money up - quite fancy a new Fiat 500 in a little while (plus I may need 12 months to persuade Mrs HSSB to set foot in another Fiat :D - the total failure of the car when trying to join the motorway on Boxing Day shook her up badly)

Will be sad to see the Stilo go, and I hope it goes to someone who appreciates the car (if they don't know about this place, I shall inform them too), but logic dictates... :(

All the best guys
 
Right, picked the Stilo up, and its seems okay (apart from a new 'beep, beep, beep' and a message telling me a rear fog light has failed - that noise caused me a few flutters on the drive home, I can tell you :))

Could not talk to the mechanic as he was on another vehicle, but the invoice reads

"Diagnostic Test - unable to gain access to ABS system through examiner. Checked wiring through ABS & ECU, found continuity good, but poor earth. Traced Earth contact, removed & cleaned & erased fault from system. Carried out road test, fault rectified'.

..does not look as though the main battery earth has been off (I don't think so anyway), so wonder what Earth is being referred to. Still, the price was ok, and the car now runs, so I am happy.

..car is still going to go though, so I shall get some pics & post a classified over the weekend

Thanks
 
Glad it's all fixed:)
A bad earth can happen on any car and is more to do with the elements and luck rather than the car

You were on the right track too
Checked wiring through ABS & ECU, found continuity good

That's what you were trying to do and it was the tech's first step too
but poor earth
but they then found a poor earth there and I would guess it was the ABS unit earth point C12 which is a simple little eye connector up by the bulkhead.


ABS unit earth C12 Abarth.JPG
So ABS unit unable to function properly means drop out of CAN messages between the ABS and the ECU. You can be happy to know you were right there on top of the fault and a 5min fix once you've found it
 
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To be fair, I was close more due to guidance from here than any talent of my own, but nice to know we were not far off target...

I had a feeling it was going to be on the extremes of either *really* simple, or hideously complex & expensive (if you know what I mean), so glad it turned out to be the former :D.. and the £86 charged included VAT in the end, so I am counting myself very fortunate indeed.
 
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