I took my Stilo in for its annual service today and trundled off in the courtesy car, only to receive a call from the mechanic saying that he couldnt start the car and was there some sort of immobiliser.

I went back because there is a bit of a way of turning the key which I do automatically but have noticed that others starting my car struggle with.

Anyway, I turned the key and NOTHING. No ignition, no point at which the key turns to the 'sprung' position to turn the engine. It just seemed to be loose in there?

The mechanic said he would ring Fiat in the morning and ask them what the procedure for changing the ignition barrel would be, as apparently there are some decoders built into the ignition for signals which are sent from the key which would need to be reprogrammed if the barrel was to be replaced. Can anyone give me some advise on what on earth is going on here, please?!

I should also add that the remote locking has never worked from the key fob, and apparently that is not to do with a dead key battery but a problem with the cars remote sensor... :bang:

If nothing happens when you turn the key and it all feels like nothing is connectng with the key then it's very likely just the ignition barrel which is very easy and quick to change. Especially if it's been feeling a bit weird lately and you've had to fiddle with it to get it to work



There is an aerial pick up ring there which won't be affected and this excites and picks up the immobiliser chip signal in the key fob. If there was a problem with that then ignition would still come on but car security failure warning would occur

Thanks Deckchair I will order this part and get it fitted, hopefully this will solve the problem as I phoned Fiat and they said I needed a new lock set which would cost £650!!

I have just found this on ebay, so that I don't have to bother with having two different keys for door and ignition would this set fit straight onto the car with no problems? Need quick response as listing ends in 2 hours!!!

Always best to supply the link


But hold it! You might only need the ignition switch itself as there's nothing wrong with the key operated steering lock. I've never changed it but I would guess you just detach the electrical switch from the lock assembly by pushing in the lugs and just change that

Need to test it first though so you simply need to bridge the ignition switch connections (Gone in 30secs style) only with the key in there and see if the ign comes on

Oops, here you go!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fiat-Stil...CarParts_SM&hash=item3369ed2d82#ht_500wt_1156

My Stilo is a 3 door 1.4

Nice thanks for that info I will tell my mechanic!

Sorry it was actually this one I was looking at!

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-STIL...CarParts_SM&hash=item3f0c686d28#ht_500wt_1156

Simply ask the mechanic to test is power is detected on the output wire of the ignition switch when key is turned to MAR. If no then it's a dead switch, if ok then it's something else


Here's your ignition/ starter circuit

So check there's power across the ignition switch input fuse F3 20A
H1 is the ignition switch.

Battery feed is on H1 connector A pin 2 wire colour M=brown
Ignition is output to BC on H1 connector B pin 2 wire colour L = blue

Ok so I have spoken to my mechanic and apparently the barrel is broken, it is worn and is in bits! Where do I go from here? If I buy a new barrel and key will i have to carry around 2 keys to open the door and start the engine? And to solve this can a second hand lock set be installed and programmed?

If I buy a new barrel and key will i have to carry around 2 keys to open the door and start the engine?
It depends, if you have a remote key fob then if you just swop over the key metal blades then you will be able to open the doors remotely and start the car the same as normal but to manually open doors and boot (and locking fuel cap if you have that type rather than the locking small door) then you would obviously need the old blade

Yes you can swop all the manual locks over

Very good idea, I had not thought of that! Unfortunately, my remote locking doesn't bloody work!! So I am left with swapping all the locks over and having a new key... so my next question is; What about coding this new key to the car for remote locking and immobiliser?

Yes there's lots of different ways you can go about it. If you swop over the immobiliser chip from your old fob to the new fob then the car thinks it's still the old fob so no car programming required to start engine. If you swop the new blade over to the old fob (much easier task) then that's the same too

To get remote c/locking working then you need a transmitting remote fob and the car programmed to accept it

Remote c/locking and engine immobiliser are entirely different and separate systems you see

A lot depends whether the new fob is a remote button operated one or not

So there are 3 security systems
the blade- purely mechanical
immobiliser chip - ecu allow engine start yes/no

remote c/locking circuit board

Ok so I replace all the locks, then swap the blade from the new fob over to the old one. Genius!

Although I guess that means the remote central locking still wont work but oh well I have had to live without it for so long anyway.

Its annoying though, apparently the remote key does transmit but car isnt accepting it. Thats what the dealership charged me a fortune to tell me a year or so ago. But what you are saying is that for the remote locking to work the car needs to be reprogrammed?

Also if changing the blade from new fob to old fob I assume you would have to change the transponder from the old barrel to the new barrel?

what you are saying is that for the remote locking to work the car needs to be reprogrammed?
Yes provided fob is putting out a recognisable signal

Also if changing the blade from new fob to old fob I assume you would have to change the transponder from the old barrel to the new barrel?
When you put the new blade into the old fob and change the ignition key barrel then you have a fully working key for the steering lock and immobiliser.

The new fob with the old blade in it will not work at all for the steering lock or the immobiliser. To make the new fob work then you would need to have another blade cut the same as the new blade and put that in the new fob and then have the car programmed to accept the immobiliser in the new fob

Bolty said:

Ok so I have spoken to my mechanic and apparently the barrel is broken, it is worn and is in bits! Where do I go from here? If I buy a new barrel and key will i have to carry around 2 keys to open the door and start the engine? And to solve this can a second hand lock set be installed and programmed?

Click to expand...

Bolty said:

Ok so I replace all the locks, then swap the blade from the new fob over to the old one. Genius!

Click to expand...

If it's just the barrel that's broken, you could buy a secondhand barrel and get a locksmith to change or modify the tumblers in it to suit your original key.

That way you wouldn't need to carry 2 keys or replace all the other locks, and you wouldn't need to swap the blade and transponder.

The new fob with the old blade in it will not work at all for the steering lock or the immobiliser. To make the new fob work then you would need to have another blade cut the same as the new blade and put that in the new fob and then have the car programmed to accept the immobiliser in the new fob

Click to expand...

Right, but if I used the old fob, together with the blade from the key which suits the new barrel, I would be OK surely...

I have ordered from Ebay a second hand door lock and ignition barrel including key. I intend to take the blade from this key and put it onto my original fob.

If it's just the barrel that's broken, you could buy a secondhand barrel and get a locksmith to change or modify the tumblers in it to suit your original key.

Click to expand...

Interesting, I will bear it mind if this doesn't work

Right, but if I used the old fob, together with the blade from the key which suits the new barrel, I would be OK surely...
Yes that's it

Thanks for your help Deckchair! I will let you know how it goes.

All sorted

Apart from that when the garage swapped the blades over they lost the spring for the flicker so i think i'm going to buy a new key and see if i can swap all the internals over.