I have a very intermittent starting problem with my 500c, maybe months between occurrences. When trying to start her I just get a rapid clicking sound and rapid dash lights flashing? The dealer replaced the starter motor a month ago believing that was the problem but yesterday she did it again and not is behaving once more.

My husband has checked the battery connections and thinks the clicking sounds like a relay behind the dash somewhere. She hasn't even reached 40K on the clock and my confidence in her is completely shattered.

If anyone has come across this problem before please help by letting me know, I stuck a quick video on Youtube but can't post url's yet. It can be found by searching Youtube for "500c intermittent starting problem".

Thanks in advance

MyWeeRuby said:

I have a very intermittent starting problem with my 500c, maybe months between occurrences. When trying to start her I just get a rapid clicking sound and rapid dash lights flashing? The dealer replaced the starter motor a month ago believing that was the problem but yesterday she did it again and not is behaving once more.

My husband has checked the battery connections and thinks the clicking sounds like a relay behind the dash somewhere. She hasn't even reached 40K on the clock and my confidence in her is completely shattered.

If anyone has come across this problem before please help by letting me know, I stuck a quick video on Youtube but can't post url's yet. It can be found by searching Youtube for "500c intermittent starting problem".

Thanks in advance

Click to expand...

hi,

it'll be either the battery is getting tired.., ( 3 to 5 years normally)

or just as likely..the main battery to gearbox Earth cable - they can break down internally..,

not enough power supplied to starter to actually fire the solenoid

Charlie - Oxford

Thank you, I hope it is as simple as that. My husband thought it might be the battery but couldn't understand why it only happens months apart. Anyway the dealers have the video so hopefully they will find a permanent solution.

I will update here and Youtube once I am sure it is fixed, hopefully it might help someone else.

how old is the car..?

worth having a quick look under the bonnet,
check where the black earth lead is, then IF it plays up again..you'll know what to give a wiggle..,
Charlie

I will get my husband to run his eye over all the connections again tomorrow.

Experienced a similar issue with a smart car same symptoms and even made all sorts of other errors come up too.

Turned out it was a £5 earth strap!

MyWeeRuby said:

I will get my husband to run his eye over all the connections again tomorrow.

Click to expand...

https://www.fiatforum.com/500-guide...lso-includes-battery-removal-upper-earth.html

Thank you again, he has looked and that connection does not look good, see below. I am now very hopeful that even I can see this that my problem will get sorted and I can start to build confidence again.

Thank you again for taking time to respond.

MyWeeRuby said:

Thank you again, he has looked and that connection does not look good, see below. I am now very hopeful that even I can see this that my problem will get sorted and I can start to build confidence again.

Thank you again for taking time to respond.

Click to expand...

amazing the "dealer" fitted a starter..no doubt at YOUR EXPENSE , without running a 2nd earth cable as a test..,:shakehead:

no problem,
please feel free to respond once you're happy all is well,
Charlie - Oxford

Actually I can't complain, the car was just out of warranty and Fiat agreed to cover it as goodwill so I can't complain. The car will be back in on Wednesday so hopefully finally sorted then and start building confidence again.

Well the earth strap was replaced just over a week ago and the problem happened again earlier today. The noise is coming from under the bonnet and my husband says it sounds like the starter motor is not engaging with the flywheel but he doesn't understand the lights on the dash flashing :bang:

Back to the garage next week and we will hopefully move another step closer to understanding the problem, original video is here - [ame]https://youtu.be/bGnDJug5iQ8[/ame]

This underbonnet clip was taken earlier - [ame]https://youtu.be/pn2K-U7-pMs[/ame]

Suggest the following:

a) Fiat a new battery OR

b) Use a jump start battery unit

Depending on the usage cycle (ie charge into battery, for how long and left standing for how long) coupled with battery/air temperature then it could be that the battery is actually on it's way out and not always on it's best behaviour.

I also noticed in your video a couple of other errors/warning come up on the dash. This is also very characteristic of bad system voltages, again pointing to battery or other high impedance connection. As you have already checked the connection, had a new battery/earth strap then we come back to the battery.

I bet a new battery will solve the problem.

While I agree a faulty battery is possible, but before going to the expense, next time it happens connect a single jump lead cable between the battery negative and solid metal on the engine or gearbox. There is more than one earth connection. I really frustrates me when a supposedly professional garage can't sort this kind of problem. Being intermittent makes it harder, but a couple of quick checks with a voltmeter will soon tell where the fault lies.

Robert G8RPI.

My husband has been in troubleshooting all his life and wrote this:

The problem is really puzzling I have now discovered from my wife that on several occasions the car turns over normally in a healthy manner but fails to fire!, so very doubtful it's a battery problem.

As seen in the first video this clicking (which I first thought was the starter motor solenoid) upsets the cars electrics. The turning over in a very healthy manner and not firing happened when I was present months ago, I thought imobilizer, got out of the car, locked it, unlocked it and tried again and it fired first time.

The car is back to the dealers tomorrow with a hire car being supplied. I know they have ordered a flywheel and starter motor. If the noise is the starter not fully engaging with the ring gear then there will be damage there but it still doesn't explain the flashing lights unless there is some feedback from the starter motor to indicate it is fully engaged.

That leads me on to my ignorance of the start/stop system and how some intermittent defect there might be part of this problem?

Anyway the car will be away for an expected week so hopefully we will move closer to a conclusion and once I am happy that has happened I will update this thread with the details.

Thanks everyone for their contributions.