Gents,

I have dodgy headlamps (high-beam) which are the last thing I need to fix before the beast can go to meet Doctor Death, the MOT man with a fighting chance of making it out the other side.

If I pull the stalk for "flash" (or press/click the stalk for high beam) the little blue light on the dash comes on.. but not the lights themselves.

But if I power the headlights relay directly, the high beams come on.

I've tried a different relay and that acts the same... so the headlights relay is probably okay. Fuses 14 & 15 are okay.

So.... between the relay and the lights all is well... and between the stalk and the instrument console, all is well... but the high beams / relay don't get the message from the stalk.

Where's the weakest link? I just don't get juice at the relay, which would solve it.

Can the problem be the headlamps/indicator stalk?

The blue light comes on, so it's doing *something* but is the blue light in fact a red herring?
Could the stalk be the culprit but still power the blue light?
Any other illuminating suggestions?

Grazie.



Ralf S.

Bloomin' 'eck Ralf - that sounds like a brain teaser.


Have you checked the circuit board (relay holder) to see whether the relay is getting a signal? It might be that it's getting a signal but it's only very weak because of a corroded joint or something.


I think that has to be the next step, checking the circuit board (relay holder box thingy) with a multi-meter. You need to see that one of the pins is showing a switched supply, so link the neg side of your multi meter to earth and get prodding at the pins to see what does what.


If it does show a switched supply then you can try giving the contacts a clean. You can also try giving the relay a tap with the head of a screwdriver, if a relay is dying or sticking a tap can sometimes be all the convincing they need to work. That'll tell you the relay is duff or current to the switch side isn't strong enough.

The relay is okay since I swapped it with another and it didn't make any difference (two relays both not working would be a strange coincidence).

I think the feed on the circuit board will not show a current (since if there was one, the relay would work) so I was wondering if the culprit could be the light stalk.

It's just odd that the blue lamp on the console illuminates.. but then Stilo has a strange old wiring system so anything is possible.

Ralf S.

I would give it a check and see, a dry corroded joint or a poor earth, both of which are completely possible, would be enough to prevent the relay from working properly.


Otherwise you're going to be stuck working out what control module is responsible for the headlights and working out why it isn't acting on the switch. If you head to the downloads section the Stilo's eLearn is on there, which I think should include the wiring diagrams, so you might have to get stuck in.

I have obtained a new seconda-mano indicator/washer stalk assembly and the ring piece they poke out of.

If I fit this it will eliminate (I hope) the "moving parts" / stalk control module from the equation.


Other than I should disconnect the battery for a day before I take the airbag out... is it all pretty straightforward in there?

I presume I'll just have to remove the steering column shroud.. prise (?) off the steering wheel centre .. lift out the airbag/disconnect it... unbolt the wheel and pull if off... then unscrew the ring-piece (or the ring-piece may be in front of the steering wheel?)

Are there any peculiarities or randoms in there to catch out the unwary?

Ta,



Ralf S.

Ralf S. said:

I have obtained a new seconda-mano indicator/washer stalk assembly and the ring piece they poke out of.

If I fit this it will eliminate (I hope) the "moving parts" / stalk control module from the equation.


Other than I should disconnect the battery for a day before I take the airbag out... is it all pretty straightforward in there?

I presume I'll just have to remove the steering column shroud.. prise (?) off the steering wheel centre .. lift out the airbag/disconnect it... unbolt the wheel and pull if off... then unscrew the ring-piece (or the ring-piece may be in front of the steering wheel?)

Are there any peculiarities or randoms in there to catch out the unwary?

Ta,



Ralf S.

Click to expand...

Nah. frankly you could leave the battery connected the entire time and have no issue - airbags are pretty difficult to accidentally set off. Just disconnect the battery and get cracking.


Airbag is held in with allen head / hex head bolts to unscrew then it will just lift out. There will be a couple of connections, horn and bag, on the back to undo too.


The column surround, unscrew from the bottom, I think there are 4 screws recessed in the bottom half from memory. Then the bottom half will unclip from the top half - you might need to drop the steering column adjustment lever to get it all to come off as it's threaded over the lever.


The top half is screwed on as well, I can't remember off hand how many screws for certain but I recall two of them being tucked up right at the top behind the steering wheel - really hard to see and just as awkward to get to, care needed not to break the fittings is needed here.


Then it should all be obvious, the steering wheel will only be held on by a big retaining nut or bolt to undo. Just check that the wheels are straight in case the column isn't keyed otherwise you'll not get the wheel on straight and it'll drive you crazy!

Well.. I did it. Heart in mouth most of the time whilst handling that A-bomb.. but it didn't explode in my face after all.. and it all went back together with no problems either cancelling the indicators or the airbag light staying on (I made sure to not turn the ignition on with the airbag disconnected).

The new module I tried didn't fix the problem so I guess the old module wasn't the cause.

I have an auto-electrician going to come to trace the problem... prime suspect (if it wasn't before) is the little grey fuse/relay box behind the battery.


Ralf S.

Green fuse

Hmmmmm...

Still trying to sort out my headlight high-beams which don't work... I stumbled across a spare fuse box from (I think) a petrol engined Stilo without a/c. Mine is a JTD with a/c.

I swapped it over, even though some of the relays and fuse slots were "blanked off" (no connectors behind the physical holes).. and fiddled about a bit. The "Engine Fault" light came on and I ignored it... since the relays and fuses had a slightly different layout... so I expected some stuff not to work.

In the end the fuse box didn't fix the headlight high-beams... so I replaced my old fusebox (since it has all the relay slots I need) .. but the Engine Fault message now won't go away... even after a week of driving around (when it should clear itself).

I did notice at the time.. a green 30A fuse separate from the fuse box (clipped to the battery case) and that looked ropey, so while I was there I replaced the connectors. What is this fuse? Since the fuse box and relays and fuses are back to "original" / how it was... I dunno why the EML stays on.

That green fuse is the only thing I really "touched".


Ralf S.

Re: Green fuse

The separate green 30 Amp fuse inside the battery housing is for one element of the optional additional PTC electric heater fitted inside the heater casing of some models. Both of my Stilo JTD MWs have the fuse, but neither of them have the PTC electric heater.

The main beam switch (H5) sends a signal to pin G33 of the Body Computer (M1). The BC then sends a CAN signal to the blue warning light in the instrument cluster (E50), and a separate non CAN signal to earth the main beam relay (T2) in the engine compartment fuse box (B1).

As the blue light is working, you can eliminate the switch and its wiring to the BC. As you say the relay (T2) and fuses F14 and F15 are OK, I would suspect a faulty BC, or the wiring or connectors between pin A9 of the BC and pin A12 of the fuse box.
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Most excellent thanks.

I am taking the beast to an Auto Electrician tomorrow morning (not a mobile one who will woose out at the slightest hint of rain... This one can't avoid me! ) so I'll bring him this information. I'm sure it'll help him get to the cause/not spend hours trying to figure it all out first.


Grazie.


Ralf S.

I'll have another poke around with the fuse box, to make sure none of the relays/fuses are loose.. to get rid of the EML. I did take everything off the fuse box (relays and fuses) and that might have upset something... although I did put everything back where it was before (I took a photo before I dismantled it.. )

I'll ignore the green fuse by the sound of it. I'm not sure I have the aux heater.. and even if the wiring has been disturbed, it doesn't sound like it'll light up the EML.


If the worst happens and I have a dodgy body computer, where does that live and if I plugged in another one, would it all work or would I need to re-program things? (My clocks already flash since the old ones died.. but is there anything else)?


Ralf S.

Ralf S. said:

I'm not sure I have the aux heater

Click to expand...

It's not for the auxiliary heater, it's for the additional electric heater. The auxiliary heater is a small diesel engine fitted under the passenger side floor. It has its own fuel supply and exhaust system, and is designed to heat the main engine coolant and heater matrix before you get to the car. It can be switched on by a remote control from inside the house, and was only an option on the JTD. Usually, it was only specified for very cold climate countries.

Ralf S. said:

If the worst happens and I have a dodgy body computer, where does that live and if I plugged in another one, would it all work or would I need to re-program things? (My clocks already flash since the old ones died.. but is there anything else)?

Click to expand...

The Body Computer is the grey box attached to the back of the dashboard fuse box. They are not stocked by Fiat dealers because each one is programmed to the individual car. If a dealer wants one, they order it from Fiat for the car's VIN number.

If you had one with the same part number as yours, it may work, but would probably need the Proxy Alignment procedure carrying out at a dealer or with MES. However, the car's immobiliser code is stored in the BC. I'm not sure if that can be reprogrammed with MES.
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Thanks for this, again. It's very helpful.

I don't like the looks of that grey box though. I can just tell it's made of Expensium.

It all sounds a bit terminal (no pun intended) for Gerrard if his BC is knacked then... ? I can try a different BC (if it turns out that's where the problem is) but if the immobilizer code is in there, it means the beast won't start, unless someone can reprogram it?

Unless me' matelot Sparks can rig something up to bypass the BC so that the high beams come on with the stalk (or a separate switch) without troubling it. I dunno if the CAN will come over all moody if we hack it...


Ralf S.

I would be inclined to check the wiring and connectors between pin A9 of the BC and pin A12 of the fuse box before anything else. Get your auto-electrician to check for an earth at pin A9 of the BC and/or pin A12 of the fuse box and/or pin 86 of relay T2 when the high beams are switched on.
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The latest update is that there is either a short in that circuit (between BC and fusebox) or the BC has the problem. The fella couldn't get as far as working out which it is on Saturday (he was only in till mid-day) so he'll continue this week...

But he spotted some signs of previous delvery and prodding so whatever the problem is, it looks like someone else has had a go at it before. I'm expecting it's the BC since if you delved and found a simple problem, you'd presumably also fix it, unless you couldn't...

Thanks again for all the inputs... it's saving Matey Sparks a lot of time.


Ralf S.

Hmm... the BC looks like the problem.

What are the options? If I fit a new/replacement one will it need programming?

Who can do that?


Or failing that, can the old one be repaired?

Who can do that?



Ralf S.

Last 2 paragraphs of post 12 above.

The latest is that the BCM got tested and didn't show up any faults, although the fella did say that without everything being connected up it's occasionally tricky to get everything to work how it does when it's in the car.

Since all the tests pointed to the BCM (everything fine either side of it) we decided to replace it.

The matey took off the EPROM chips from my old BCM and soldered them onto another BCM with the same part number and from a similar age car. This means the immobilisor or other stored codes are transferred to essentially the bare board from a (hopefully) working BCM.

I plugged the new BCM in over the weekend and the car started okay and ran fine.. so the immobilisor didn't grumble about the methodology... it found the stored codes okay and Roberto is my mother's brother.

The high beams still didn't work.. but while I was musing WTBF to do next over a cuppatea and a mince pie, I noticed the headlight relay on the kitchen window sill, where I'd put it to not forget to refit it.

So I refitted it.. and the beast now properly works (at least the headlight high beams.. there's other stuff which will keep)... BCM was proved to be the problemo.

Now I need to MoT it.. but the dash is still showing an engine fault (Post #8 above) which only popped up when I was swapping out the fuse box to eliminate that as the cause of the headlights problem. I presume Doctor Death the MOT man won't pass the car with an engine light?

I've cleaned and checked all the connections around the fuse box... but the light doesn't go out, despite several dozen switches off and re-starting the engine. The beep/light only comes on when I actually start the engine. Anyone knoe what else I can check?


Ta.



Ralf S.

Re: Green fuse

Ralf S. said:

In the end the fuse box didn't fix the headlight high-beams... so I replaced my old fusebox but the Engine Fault message now won't go away... even after a week of driving around (when it should clear itself).

Click to expand...

As the EML only came on when you replaced and refitted the fuse box, I suspect you've missed, or damaged, one of the numerous connections to it.

The EML fault only clears itself (after 3 clear starts of the engine) if the fault has been fixed.
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