I've searched but can't nail down the answers to the following:

1. Approximate Lengths of earth wires that I'll need to replace the OEM wires with some heavy gauge amp wire.

2. Best alternative battery specs for my 1.6 2002 Stilo. Min amperage or similar so that I'll have the best setup to prevent low voltage issues.

Thanks in advance.

hi adrian... are you actually in florida?

I'm unable to help with the ground wire question

I'm pretty sure the Stilos can house 'type 096' batteries if so go for a good make, good warranty and a good power (75Ah +) such as Varta or Bosch.

All you need is a regular lead acid kind not the fangled 'silver' technology (which is more suited to clever alternator technology found on fords and mercs) or 'leisure'/'Gel' type (that are designed to be deeply cycled and more suited to boats and caravans).

No, no longer in Florida.....Near Blackburn for the moment, till I move down towards Silverstone for work...

Thanks for the advice on Batteries. In the States, they're sold by group size and cold cranking amps, so I wanted to make sure I get a "beefy enough" battery to replace the current one.

I've had the stalls, loose connection, ASR and Alternator fail (and an immobiliser failure for added measure). Did a cursory cleanup of the existing earth's and actually made it worse, until I loosened the earth's again and re - tightened them, so I know I'm on the right track. Just have to pick up wire and terminals in the morning along with electronic parts cleaner for the D4 (and other ) connectors.

+1 on Richy's battery advice - the Stilo loves a good strong battery! And while you're at it, why not install some additional earth leads? There's a how-to here:

https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo/121470-engine-bay-grounding-earth-lead-improvements.html

i was gonna say you wont find a fiat in florida something to do with lemon laws... the last i think that was there was the old 500 the latest after that was, strangely, also the 500 but the new one, probably because fiat are in cahoots with Chevvy.

anyway, i digress... if it fits in the battery tray and the terminals are in the right place then get the largest Ah rating you can. (something the yanks also did 'Ain't no replacement for displacement')

That's what I'm planning on doing (earth lead how to) just wondered what lengths the various leads are.

richydraper said:

probably because fiat are in cahoots with Chevvy.

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even worse.....They are affiliated with Chrysler. Worst. Manufacturer. Ever.



I work on Ferraris for a living......how hard can it be to keep a Fiat in good nick.

Gotta post the photo of my Stilo parked up next to a 458 Italia at Silverstone a couple weeks back. No family resemblance at all.

At least my Schumacher has a genuine Ferrari paint! As far as length of leads is concerned, I just got out a tape measure and ran it between the earthing points for an approximate length.

By the way, go to most motor factors and you can buy earth leads in pre made-up lengths, so avoiding the need to make your own leads. What I did anyway...

AdrianInFlorida said:

That's what I'm planning on doing (earth lead how to) just wondered what lengths the various leads are.

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The length of the wires don't matter, and by that I mean they don't have to be an exact length. Just make sure they're thick, I've placed 6mm2 wires. The resistance that is being gained by adding more lenght only matters when you add a few meters. So don't 'wind up' 5 meters of wire, it's cost inefficient anyways.

The best way to get to work, at least for me:
Connect one end of a wire to the component (engine, gearbox, ECU, etc) and manage it to the battery earth. Take a route that makes sense, and in such way that you be able to tie them to a part that doesn't get extremely hot. If it's in place you can connect the other end to the battery.

Get wire that's relatively easy to bend, so don't use your standard indoor solid-core wire. Hope this helps.