Technical 2006 Panda cuts out whilst braking

[Kung Fu Panda Po]

Hello all,

My 2006 FIAT Panda Dynamic currently has a problem where the engine cuts out. It cold starts fine. Drives fine to whatever destination. Starts fine again, but then starts cutting out on the return journey.
It seems to be doing it mostly when applying the brake, but it has also occured when beginning to move like when in traffic of at lights. Most of the time it catches itself again, occasionally with the power steering light remaining on afterwards. But some of the time it doesn't kick straight back in and may need a few turns of the key to get going again.
When it originally happened a couple of weeks ago, after the fifth time of it cutting out, it wouldn't start at all. No lights on the dash and not turning over. Luckily, I was in a supermarket car park at the time, and a good samaritan gave me a jump and I managed to get it back home. I had an auto-electrician come out to have a look at it, but of course it didn't show any of the issues I'd been having, and the only things that flagged up were battery related.
New battery fitted. Other than briefly seeing the power steering warning light on start up, it seemed to be working fine again. This was until yesterday, when it cut out again, on approach to a motorway on-ramp. Sat there, hazards on, with a queue of traffic behind me, trying to start it back up. It took several attempts but it did eventually come back to life. But it happened again, and again. Six more times in total before I made it home. Each time it cut out I was either slowing down, or moving off.
The auto-electrician is coming out again this week.

Any ideas? Anything I should point him in the direction of? There's a good chance none of the issues will happen when he's looking at it.

Thanks in advance.

 

[Kung Fu Panda Po]

Great while it's failing in such a dramatic way, it's fairly easy for an auto electrition to diagnose

I don't know how far you want to go yourself

My best guess sitting at home at this end

Is it's either in the blue area at the top

Fuse box in the engine bay

Or

Blue area at the bottom

The ignition switch

It's worth pulling out fuse F3 large 20Amp in the black fuse box and checking its legs aren't corroded, it's surprising just how often reseting a component fixes the problem

I am surprised we don't see more ignition switch failures, I have changed two in the three pandas I have owned, but neither had these symptoms

It's a pretty basic failure, these cars turn over even without most of the electronics plugged in

We can dignose with a basic test light or multi meter

I wouldn't even know where to start with this one hahaha. Probably save it for the auto-electrician.

 

[Kung Fu Panda Po]

Going to give this a try.

Not sure if I'm doing this correctly...
Which cable?

 

[koalar]

This cable from the battery top orange line

It bolt onto the chassis rail just out of sight bottom arrow


Try wiggling both ends with the ignition on, would be handy if you had a helper to watch the dash

 

[Kung Fu Panda Po]

This cable from the battery top orange line

It bolt onto the chassis rail just out of sight bottom arrow


Try wiggling both ends with the ignition on, would be handy if you had a helper to watch the dash


View attachment 437478

No, no dash light action.

 

[koalar]

Cool let move on

Does the interia light work

Does the headlights come on ignition needs to be on

Do the hazards work with the ignition off

 

[Kung Fu Panda Po]

Cool let move on

Does the interia light work

Does the headlights come on ignition needs to be on

Do the hazards work with the ignition off

Yes. Including their associated lights on the dash.

 

[koalar]

Mmm not the answer I was expecting

Do you have access to some jump leads

 

[Kung Fu Panda Po]

Mmm not the answer I was expecting

Do you have access to some jump leads

yes

 

[koalar]

Using one lead

Jumper from here

To here, Engine mount on the left side as you face the engine

Does any of the dash lights now work on ignition on

 

[Kung Fu Panda Po]

Using one lead

Jumper from here

View attachment 437479

To here, Engine mount on the left side as you face the engine


View attachment 437480

Does any of the dash lights now work on ignition on

Nope.

 

[koalar]

Great

We now know quite a bit

It's not an earth from the battery to the chassis, headlights work, plus it been jumpered

The body computer is alive with all it's power and grounds and fully functional

We can ignore the ECU as the car will crank with it disconnected

We need to check the block ground next

Let me find a photo of somewhere easy to place the lead

Back shortly

 

[koalar]

Anywhere on the aluminum valve cover, you need somewhere not painted as the paint is an insulator

Here looks doable just right of the engine mount used before

 

[koalar]

Anywhere on the aluminum valve cover, you need somewhere not painted as the paint is an insulator

Here looks doable just right of the engine mount used before


View attachment 437481
Sorry for the delay the Internet on a slow down

 

[Kung Fu Panda Po]

Valve cover is plastic.

 

[koalar]

Anywhere on this aluminium would do

Don't use the eye at the front, I fell into that trap, the paint on it is none conductive

 

[koalar]

This bit looks easier

It's bolted directly to head

 

[Kung Fu Panda Po]

Nothing from there either.

 

[koalar]

Great

It's not an earth, we can move on

We have power to indicators, headlights, dash, body computer, the ignition switch is at least partly working as the headlights work

The body computer is fired up controls the central locking see when a door is opened

So either we are missing a voltage at the ignition switch or the switch is faulty

I'd start by opening the fuse box and give each fuse and relay a firm push


The lid pulls off, there's a latch by the arrow

 

[Kung Fu Panda Po]

Great

It's not an earth, we can move on

We have power to indicators, headlights, dash, body computer, the ignition switch is at least partly working as the headlights work

The body computer is fired up controls the central locking see when a door is opened

So either we are missing a voltage at the ignition switch or the switch is faulty

I'd start by opening the fuse box and give each fuse and relay a firm push


The lid pulls off, there's a latch by the arrow

View attachment 437489

Opened it up and made sure everything is in firm. Still nothing though.

 

[Kung Fu Panda Po]

In case it helps