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Technical Start / stop - engine cut out

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Technical Start / stop - engine cut out

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Graemeboynton

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Hi everyone.
I’m new to this group and I hope I’m in the right place to pick some of your brains!
I bought the wife a fiat 500 1.2 sport last year (2015 plate) and over the last couple of weeks it’s coming up with an engine fault and cutting out whilst being driven.
Engine management light comes on and says start stop not active and all power is lost. (Couple of time She’s been on dual carriageway ways and lost complete power so had to coast to a stop). Took it to an independent specialist - had coils, cam sensor, spark plugs and battery replace - at a decent cost - however problem is still occurring.
Been told they need to send the ECU back to fiat - just wondering if any of you guys have had the same and what the out come has been.
Any advice and info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
 
Graemeboynton said:
Hi everyone.

I’m new to this group and I hope I’m in the right place to pick some of your brains!

I bought the wife a fiat 500 1.2 sport last year (2015 plate) and over the last couple of weeks it’s coming up with an engine fault and cutting out whilst being driven.

Engine management light comes on and says start stop not active and all power is lost. (Couple of time She’s been on dual carriageway ways and lost complete power so had to coast to a stop). Took it to an independent specialist - had coils, cam sensor, spark plugs and battery replace - at a decent cost - however problem is still occurring.

Been told they need to send the ECU back to fiat - just wondering if any of you guys have had the same and what the out come has been.

Any advice and info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks
Click to expand...


typecastboy will have an idea!
 
What the fault that's coming up?
The speak plugs and coils part and being on a dual carriageway make me think it's coming up as a misfire
Caused by s recently replace cambelt which would tie in with it being a 2015 car
 
Graemeboynton said:
Hi everyone.
I’m new to this group and I hope I’m in the right place to pick some of your brains!
I bought the wife a fiat 500 1.2 sport last year (2015 plate) and over the last couple of weeks it’s coming up with an engine fault and cutting out whilst being driven.
Engine management light comes on and says start stop not active and all power is lost. (Couple of time She’s been on dual carriageway ways and lost complete power so had to coast to a stop). Took it to an independent specialist - had coils, cam sensor, spark plugs and battery replace - at a decent cost - however problem is still occurring.
Been told they need to send the ECU back to fiat - just wondering if any of you guys have had the same and what the out come has been.
Any advice and info would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks
Click to expand...

Hi and welcome :)

You have not mentioned a new earth cable..
A common fail point

Thats quite a list of parts.. how did they end up changing so many items..?
With no obvious benefit :eek:
 
chris3234 said:
What the fault that's coming up?
The speak plugs and coils part and being on a dual carriageway make me think it's coming up as a misfire
Caused by s recently replace cambelt which would tie in with it being a 2015 car
Click to expand...

It came up with ‘start / stop unavailable’ and then was a loss of power.
I’ve have had the car for the last 15 months and not had the belt done - was supposedly done before i bought it - would a belt which may need replacing cause this problem.
Thanks
 
Graemeboynton said:
It came up with ‘start / stop unavailable’ and then was a loss of power.
I’ve have had the car for the last 15 months and not had the belt done - was supposedly done before i bought it - would a belt which may need replacing cause this problem.
Thanks
Click to expand...
Start stop unavailable it's not a fault code
That comes on because of the engine management light is and and they should generate a fault code that can be read which is what we really need to begin to offer ant solution
 
varesecrazy said:
Hi and welcome :)

You have not mentioned a new earth cable..
A common fail point

Thats quite a list of parts.. how did they end up changing so many items..?
With no obvious benefit :eek:
Click to expand...


They checked the battery and said that it was not holding a proper charge so suggested this maybe the cause - that was changed first - and the problem still persisted.

On the second time of been in they have reset the faults on the ecu and then on a test drive it has happened again (as the mechanic was driving), he turned everything off and left it for five mins and then when he tried to start it again - it started with no fault lights on the dash but the fault had registered on the ecu.

Upon taking it back - they stated that the likelihood was that it was coils, leads and plugs.

Never mentioned an earth wire.

So now we are without the car as they are meant to be sending the ecu back to fiat (at god knows what costs) - and am already £500 into it already.

Thanks
 
Have they ever worked on a 500 before..?

It sounds they are playing 'parts roulette' ...at your expense :(



WHAT FAULT(s) registered in the ECU..?

The first few after battery swap..

Then the one registered when they decided to treat you to an ECU..

I didnt see a description of that ?
 
chris3234 said:
Start stop unavailable it's not a fault code
That comes on because of the engine management light is and and they should generate a fault code that can be read which is what we really need to begin to offer ant solution
Click to expand...

If I remember rightly - P0300
 
I have had a look and it’s misfiring in the cylinders

At this rate I’m looking at a new ECU - any idea at cost of that?
 
Random misfire..

Why would the car be immobilised through this..?

There are several electrical circuit failings.. common in a 500.. that they seem to have ignored

Im not a fan of swapping £500 parts unless its guaranteed as a fix..

Been there done that :(

As I asked earlier .. what kind of garage.. are they likely to have the correct diagnostic kit ?

Their approach this far says no.
 
Last edited:
He’s a VAG specialist however he does all top of the range sports cars, Porsche, Ferrari, Bentley etc and is well known and respected in the area, and came with numerous recommendations.

He has worked on my non VAG car before too with no problems

I’m not sure why the misfire would cause the it to loose power (I’m not very technically car minded) - only go off what people tell me - and it’s the first time having a car from a fiat range - therefore you guys all seem to know what you’re talking about and are very knowledgeable - hence me asking
 
The finer points of the OBD CODE system is make specific..

So VW.. or Honda ..are different

Tailgate wiring failure..
or main earth cable.. battery to engine are the best starting points

Links here

https://www.fiatforum.com/500/423837-maybelline-has-thrown-hissy-fit.html?423837=#post4063061


https://www.fiatforum.com/500-guides/341281-how-replace-engine-earth-strap-also-includes-battery-removal-upper-earth.html?p=4503862


Both cheap : simple to test..rule out
 
Last edited:
Thank you for the info.

It is greatly appreciated.

I can now at least go back to him on Monday and request he tries these before sending the ECU to fiat like he was planning on doing on Monday.

Fingers crossed it isn’t a new ECU needed!

Thank you!
 
My money is on the the earth cable. Take the battery and battery tray out and you will see the braided cable. It's likely a dirty oxidised area where it's bolted to the chassis rail or the cable is failing. It's a cheap fix if it's that. I feel that you shoud be the next thing you try.

As for the parts, if they are taking your parts off and replacing them with new, not only are they playing parts roulette but they are keeping the parts from your car that are clearly OK, so at the very least, get those parts back.

It's not necessary to keep putting new parts on, you can get second hand parts as cheap as chips. If you're trying to eliminate certain things, I would rather pay £20 for a coil pack and leads than whatever the highly inflated new price is.
 
I’d 100% follow with what typecastboy has recommended!
I too had issues with the gearbox earth strap bloody car wouldn’t start for an example!

New one is £5 on eBay!! And if I can fit one.... anyone can!
Just ask us for tips & advice we are here to help & guide instead of being fleased £££££

We have all been there! Sick of shelling out when in many instances you don’t have to!
 
Hey Christine, a question. The earth strap that we always bang on about, is that the cable that goes from the chassis leg to the gearbox just under the slave cylinder?

The reason I ask is I'm having an intermittent power steering problem and I took the battery tray out today and found that the braided cable is actually snapped in half. Problem is, there doesn't seem to be anywhere that it bolts to under the slave cylinder. Do you have to remove the slave cylinder to do it. You just can't get in there to even see and I can't feel anywhere where the gearbox end is.
 
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