I know there have been a few threads lately about Stilo electrics/dashboard going a bit crazy and I've got a new one to add to the pile.

I gave the car a wash on Sunday and because I didn't have a watering can on me I used a bucket to rinse the suds off. Presumed this would be fine but when I tried to get in the car that afternoon the key fob (or spare keyfob) wouldn't unlock the car.
It unlocked manually using the key in the door but when I turned the key in the ignition there was nothing....dead. No dash lights, radio, wipers, electric windows.
I've given it 24 hours to dry out but it was still not responding when I tried last night.

Can anyone help and advise me what to start testing on the car as I'm a total novice around electrics. I doubt it is the battery as it was fine when driving the previous week.

If your getting nothing look to the simplest explanation, a dead battery.

Get a v-meeter and check the voltage it should be around the 13v mark, if its a lot let its probably flat

I tested the battery with a multimeter and it gave a reading of 2.951 so you were right goodgirl156. It just seems strange that it was fine last week then on Sunday it's flat without leaving lights etc on.

Definitely need to recharge battery to 13/14 volts to get any chance of resetting the Stilo dash electrics. I have 2.4 Schumacher GP, which is used occasionally, but alarmed and voltage drops - recharge works every time. Must get myself a battery miser.

I have a 56 plate Stilo Mutiwagon JTD Dynamic multijet with the same problem, the only difference is that my battery is only 4 months old and I think as the car has not been used for around three weeks the battery was totaly dead!
I removed the battery and slowly fully charged it over 48 hrs, I put it back in the car this evening and now nothing works!!!, no interior lights, no driving lights , no wipers no central locking , radio, or climate control and the gauges wont work.
The dash lights come on but fuel, temp, tacho and speedo do not respond, the engine turns over but will not start.
I reset the date and time etc but when I turned the ignition off and back on again it had reverted back to 1 Jan again and there appears to be no mileage indicated on the dash.
We are supposed to be going away next week towing our caravan but looks like thats not going to happen unless someone can advise me how to fix this fault.
I have a registerd copy of MultiECUscan but it will not connect to the car so cant get any idea as to what's going on,could the ECU be dead? can someone PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!

A multimeter on the battery to get voltage?

boilerman said:

I have a 56 plate Stilo Mutiwagon JTD Dynamic multijet with the same problem, the only difference is that my battery is only 4 months old and I think as the car has not been used for around three weeks the battery was totaly dead!
I removed the battery and slowly fully charged it over 48 hrs, I put it back in the car this evening and now nothing works!!!, no interior lights, no driving lights , no wipers no central locking , radio, or climate control and the gauges wont work.
The dash lights come on but fuel, temp, tacho and speedo do not respond, the engine turns over but will not start.
I reset the date and time etc but when I turned the ignition off and back on again it had reverted back to 1 Jan again and there appears to be no mileage indicated on the dash.
We are supposed to be going away next week towing our caravan but looks like thats not going to happen unless someone can advise me how to fix this fault.
I have a registerd copy of MultiECUscan but it will not connect to the car so cant get any idea as to what's going on,could the ECU be dead? can someone PLEASE HELP!!!!!!!

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Original post's a bit old, but for this one I'd suspect a bad "ground" connection. The cables from battery negative to bodyshell and engine / gearbox corrode disturbing them to remove the battery can finish them off.
For a quick check take a pair of jump leads and connect one from battery negative to a good connection on bodyshell (strut top bolt possibly) and the other one from battery negative to the engine block or gearbox. keep them clear of fans and belts. If it works then, replace the ground cables.


Robert G8RPI.

Tried that after putting it back in the car, voltage 13.5 and fully charged, but nothing apart from the dash lights, works, turn the key and engine turns with vigor but will not start and I can't find any reason why. All main leads and Earth connections good and clean
Does the ECU get affected by having no power for a couple of days? Is there any sort of reset button somewhere? I need to get this sorted by Friday as I'm supposed to be towing my caravan to Sussex for a week away, and it looks increasingly like I won't be going and my site fees will be lost!

Have you tried resetting the inertia switch / fuel cut-off?


Robert G8RPI.

g8rpi said:

Have you tried resetting the inertia switch / fuel cut-off?


Robert G8RPI.

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I would do but have no idea where it is !

boilerman said:

I would do but have no idea where it is !

Click to expand...

Neither do I for a Stilo, but it's normally in the LH foot well / seat area. Have you checked the owners manual for its location?


Robert G8RPI.

The fuel switch is in the left hand footwell against the A-pillar (where the door hinges attach).

I doubt this is the problem though - everything should work except the fuel pump.

The clocks holds its own information so the ECU dying (or the clocks being detached from the car) won't affect the mileage and the clocks operation when you plug it back in.

The clocks typically go strange on a Stilo when the battery dies. In your case the battery sounds good, if it's cranking the engine over. There has to be a problem in the under-bonnet fuse box or wiring.

I'd take the battery out, unclip each connector in turn and make sure they are clean and go back together firmly. Similarly with the little fuse/relay box.. remove each one in turn and give the blades a clean and then pop them back in.

In extreme cases, water can get into the fuse box and short it. There is a thread about someone who dismantled the fuse box and cleaned out the plates/layers and re-assembled it. If that's your problem.. this is the best time to do it.

Finally check the earth connector close to the battery. Take it off, clean the contact face and make sure the wing it is attached to is also clean metal, not rust. Replace the bolt and then put some grease over the contact edges to prevent moisture getting in.

My bet is the fuse box though. If you can find a spare one (breakers) then swapping it to see if it fixes the problem could be worth a punt.. .no other fiddling about required.


Ralf S.

Just a thought, Have you another key you could try??. Seems a bit odd this.