I have a starter issue. I replaced the starter and the battery, my fiat has been sitting for 2 weeks and i have a no compression spinning sound. I went to the dealer and spoke to a master technician who told me that I needed to keep trying to start the car because the oil needs to prime. Well I have been doing this for days now and I cannot seem to get any compression. Is anybody else having this issue. I now have the car on rear jacks for the oil to flow more towards the engine. Please help.

Welcome, no compression has nothing to do with the oil, however whilst cranking does the oil light go off?

How do you know you have no compression?
Has the timing belt been changed? Has it snapped?
I'm assuming it won't start?
Is it a 1.2 or 1.4? American cars are often 1.4's and are different to UK spec in terms of engine.

The oil light stays on while cranking, It initially sounds like it wants to start then goes into a spinning sound, like a no spark issue, some people refer this as to no compression. The timing belt has not been replaced. I have 70K on the odometer. 1.4l Tech told me its not getting compression because the oil has drained from sitting to long. I have the oil light on, CEL is yellow solid, then goes to yellow blinking after the 10 second start cycle finishes. The ESP and hillstart lights are on. and the flashing lightning bolt. Again, already changed the oil, starter and battery. I even cleaned the ground wires to the trans and the chassis. would a code reader help me diagnose this? The car was running excellent one day then wouldn't start after I went to drive it, but was sitting for 3 weeks or so.

You need Fiat specific code reading software a generic code scanner won't work.
Try getting a mobile auto electrician to read the codes explain what's happens and ask if they have the correct computer software to read the car before committing?
Sounds like a simple fault like no spark/fuel or say camshaft position sensor example?

Did the starter actually fail or did you replace it because of this problem? If the oil light is staying on when you crank, then there is no oil pressure. No oil pressure would NOT stop the car starting, so it sounds like the engine is not actually cranking, since that turns the pump and you get oil pressure.

So... did you change the starter and was it a new one? When you crank it over, does the engine actually turn over (have a look at the crank pulley - what's it doing)?

Next one; When the beast had been sitting around for three weeks, did you charge the battery (was it flat) or was it still charged up and you just attempted to start the car? If you had a battery low voltage it may have been not enough to spin the engine, just to engage the starter on its clutch... that whining high pitched sound).

Alternatively, if the battery went stone-cold dead flat you may now have a problem with the immobilisor (low residual voltage might have caused the code to become corrupted compared to the key. If there's not enough juice, the code can't be properly recycled, so it gets out of synch' with the key chip).

It sounds like your battery is a brand new spunky young buck ... so you need to work out what Scotty is actually doing down there in the engine room. Remove one of the HT leads and stick an old spark plug in it. Earth the electrode against the engine block and (take care not to electrocute yourself) crank the engine, to see whether there's a spark.

This test will be useful to prove that the engine is actually cranking over, rather than just a noise from the starter but nothing actually turning. No spark might suggest the engine isn't actually turning over and all the noise is just the starter.

Next, if you have a voltmeter (or a light bulb holder and a pair of wires attached) remove one of the plugs from an injector and connect up to it. When you crank the engine, the injector (multimeter/bulb) should flash.

If you have no sparks and no injection but the engine IS turning over (you'll have to watch the crank pulley as you crank it over), then the problem is related to the immobilisor or potentially the TDC sensor (a code reader would spot this).

Anyways... probably enough things to try for the time-being. Let us know if you actually have sparks and a flash/signal at the injectors while you crank it over. I fear your immobilisor is out of synch' though, which is a bit fiddly .. you would need someone to re-synch the key with the ECU... not a big job (20 mins if you have the kit) but you have the hassle of getting the car to the kit. But don't worry for now.. check the other stuff first.


Ralf S.

Don't they use the 1.4 multiair unit over there?

If that's so they low oil pressure will cause lack of compression and stop starting and the ECU won't deliver fuel
Some people have reported that towing them in hear a short way have helped them build the pressure up this of course is risky
Also seen mentioned something a drain valve type device for getting rid of trapped air in the multi air unit under the oil filter cap but never seen this myself on any car

I have herd od a sort of one way valve ball thing that gets stuck on the oil filter apparently its quite a common issue
I have read this on one of the other 500 posts it the last couple of weeks
LUIGI

chris3234 said:

Don't they use the 1.4 multiair unit over there?

If that's so they low oil pressure will cause lack of compression and stop starting and the ECU won't deliver fuel
Some people have reported that towing them in hear a short way have helped them build the pressure up this of course is risky
Also seen mentioned something a drain valve type device for getting rid of trapped air in the multi air unit under the oil filter cap but never seen this myself on any car

Click to expand...

There's a fundamental problem that is not related to the oil, or the oil pressure.

The US engine is a multi-air, which I'd forgotten, so it does need oil pressure at the valve gear in order for the valve gear to operate correctly.

And an engine obviously needs oil pressure in order to not seize... but no oil will not stop it actually starting.

The car was sitting around for a few weeks and then it wouldn't start, so it's most likely a flat battery/flooded engine mode/immobilisor issue rather than something broke in the engine while it was just sitting there doing nothing.


Ralf S.

Ralf S. said:

There's a fundamental problem that is not related to the oil, or the oil pressure.

The US engine is a multi-air, which I'd forgotten, so it does need oil pressure at the valve gear in order for the valve gear to operate correctly.

And an engine obviously needs oil pressure in order to not seize... but no oil will not stop it actually starting.

The car was sitting around for a few weeks and then it wouldn't start, so it's most likely a flat battery/flooded engine mode/immobilisor issue rather than something broke in the engine while it was just sitting there doing nothing.


Ralf S.

Click to expand...

In the car of the multi air engine it will stop it starting as if the ECU detects insufficient oil pressure it wont allow the fuel and spark

If the Multi-Air doesn't start when it detects low oil pressure then that changes things a bit.. but the lad has been cranking it for 3 weeks and there's still no joy.

I dunno where the oil pressure sensor is, but whether it's just the regular oil pressure sensor, or a special M/A sensor inside the head, then it should have done its thing by now and told the ECU there's plenty of pressure. You only have to peer into the oil filler to see whether there's a lot of fresh oil in there, in which case there must be "pressure".

I can imagine that a hydraulic valve could lose oil when it's been standing but like the old T/Spark variators, some oil must remain in there, and it ought to be capable of priming itself pretty quickly.... so I think that's a red herring. My money is still on an electrical issue.


Ralf S.

I posted a problem a few weeks ago that had similar symptoms. A previous post had explained a "low compression" "hard start" scenario after sitting for a long period. Here is the post that I created in response.

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/476044-oil-pressure-warning-light.html?476044=#post4497685

Worth a try to reset the check ball. Good luck.

With the twin air: multiair system.. it does indeed require oil pressure to function

We had a post last year where a TA HAD HOLED ITS SUMP.

Was rebuilt.. but would not fire until low pressure stored faults were reset.


Its worth cranking a little.. then removing battery power for an hour.

It may just reset for you..


Good luck..and do let us know what you find

Charlie

WetCoast said:

I posted a problem a few weeks ago that had similar symptoms. A previous post had explained a "low compression" "hard start" scenario after sitting for a long period. Here is the post that I created in response.

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/476044-oil-pressure-warning-light.html?476044=#post4497685

Worth a try to reset the check ball. Good luck.

Click to expand...

This it what I was referring to at the beginning
LUIGI

Charging up the battery as I killed it. Code reader gave me a U0100 code.


Fiat OBDII Trouble Code U0100-00-LOST COMMUNICATION WITH ECM-PCM

Where do I start. Waiting for my niece to bring me the spare key to see if the key chip may have fallen out of sync? What do you think?

if you have the space and facility, i would tow it...slowly in 2nd or 3rd...(worth a try?)

Backstrum19 said:

I have a starter issue. I replaced the starter and the battery, my fiat has been sitting for 2 weeks and i have a no compression spinning sound. I went to the dealer and spoke to a master technician who told me that I needed to keep trying to start the car because the oil needs to prime. Well I have been doing this for days now and I cannot seem to get any compression. Is anybody else having this issue. I now have the car on rear jacks for the oil to flow more towards the engine. Please help.

Click to expand...

Is it stick, or automatic.