General Bravo 1.8 HLX 1997

[bearhouse]

Hi,

New to forum and hoping for help.

I have a Fiat 1.8 HLX 1997 (R reg). Recently it has failed to start first time but turning the key to off and on again has normally worked. When not starting, you can't hear the fuel pump running.

However, the car now won't start at all. I've noticed the code warning light stays illuminated on the dash and the injector light doesn't illuminate. It's been suggested that it might be a relay as the problem was initially intermittent or it might be the immobiliser.

Can anyone point me toward the relays to check. I've found 3 relays on the rear of the fuse board above the pedals and 4 relays behind the glove box. I'm not sure if any of these are associated with my issue.

Any advice or guidance much appreciated.

 

[Adrian Bravo]

Welcome to the forum Bearhouse, I have the same car. If the CODE light is staying on then your immobiliser is stopping the car from starting.


I don think it will be a relay but if you open the glove box and completely remove the glove box housing not just the access panel there are two hidden relays. One for the injection system and one for the fuel pump. they are grey and square mine have metal covers and get quite hot.


Ill take a look at a wiring diagram later to see if they immobiliser goes through a relay.


Here is another post about the immobiliser system;

Hello frostbite

Have you tried using one of the other blue keys that came with your car? That would be my first check, it would prove the condition of your key's immobiliser chip.

I think I would check in this order;
1.Spare blue key or try copy of your blue key's chip.
2.Aerial wire check/change
3.Immobiliser itself and its wiring. (maybe check earth points in the cabin under the dash)

This is the imobiliser aerial/reciver wire

The loop end goes over the key barrel. and the connector goes into the immobiliser box. You could check it for damage, check it's physical position is good, and could try cleaning the electrical contacts. I noticed from reading the forum people have had to replace these aerial wires in the past as a solution.

In England a copy of a Bravo imobiliser Key costs about £25 which is not too much money and it takes minuits.

The Bravo's immobiliser system is made up of 3 parts;
1.The chip that is inside your key
2.The black aerial/reciever wire.
3.The immobiliser electronic box, that is matched to and communicates with your cars ECU.

This is a picture of the immobiliser chips inside the keys; Ignore the PCB (printed circuit board) that is just the remote central locking and a utterly seperate system. The key's chip at the top is from a Mk2 1998-2001 Bravo it is a black flat and almost rectangular a more modern style. At the bottom is the Mk1 1995-1998 immobiliser chip and it is brown shaped like a capsule or pill.

I can say my immobiliser turns off much much quicker since i had my original pill style chip copied to the more modern black rectangular style chip.

Sorry for the long post hope it makes sense and good luck

Hello Paul
The Key chips, ECU and Immobiliser are electronicaly matched toghether for each Car. So you need all three matched parts for the swap to work.

The immobiliser is a small black box, as seen here with the key reading ariel wire attached. If you find this black wire next to your ignition barrel just follow it back to the immobiliser box.

 

[bearhouse]

Hi Adrian,
Actually the problem turned out to be a faulty relay behind the glovebox. A simple £12.50 fix so thanks very much for advising of the location of the hidden relays...

 

[bluejohn125]

Sweet result....

 

[Adrian Bravo]

Ace! and thanks for the update.