Hi Can anyone help we have a Fiat Ducato 2.8d (2002) Motorhome the keycode light is staying on so we can't start it.

over the cold weather we have had to jump start it a few times as the battery got low,we had it towed to the garage and he got it recoded and recharged the battery and it worked for 2 wks (he said the solenoid in the compartment near the pump was sticking and would need doing but would cost £700 as he would need to take of the belt etc and put a new unit in?) but it went again today and we had to call out the breakdown people. They couldn't get it going so I rang the mechanic and he suggested a tap in a strategic location and a turn on and of sequence with the key and it worked but he said it only a temporary fix.Still need the £700 job.
Any suggestions? Is it a new solenoid etc or should I just get a new battery or can anyone suggest anythin else?
I had been told to get it disconnected but apparently this would invalidate my insurance??
Can I get it done cheaper anywhere I'm in the North west/greater Man area
Thanks

mcgran said:

Hi Can anyone help we have a Fiat Ducato 2.8d (2002) Motorhome the keycode light is staying on so we can't start it.

over the cold weather we have had to jump start it a few times as the battery got low,we had it towed to the garage and he got it recoded and recharged the battery and it worked for 2 wks (he said the solenoid in the compartment near the pump was sticking and would need doing but would cost £700 as he would need to take of the belt etc and put a new unit in?) but it went again today and we had to call out the breakdown people. They couldn't get it going so I rang the mechanic and he suggested a tap in a strategic location and a turn on and of sequence with the key and it worked but he said it only a temporary fix.Still need the £700 job.
Any suggestions? Is it a new solenoid etc or should I just get a new battery or can anyone suggest anythin else?
I had been told to get it disconnected but apparently this would invalidate my insurance??
Can I get it done cheaper anywhere I'm in the North west/greater Man area
Thanks

Click to expand...

You can disconnect it yourself I assume if you inform the insurance company that your van has no immobiliser you are covered. Lots of cars from the 90s had no immobiliser and the insurance premium was only marginally higher.

OK, this is clearly a perrenial problem. The amount of misinformation both from Fiat, their dealers and (possibly) even the AA is so great its hard to get an accurate handle on this. :bang:

My cousin left her motorhome here for the winter and although the fault was an oversensitive "collision" sensor we did find that she had no "red" key (just two black ones). The AA man said her van (diesel - reg Mar 2001) was too new to need "master keys" but for some reason I don't believe what anyone says on this subject. There is a security 'pen' you push into contacts on the dash to unlock the ignition.

Its clear that the "red key" (which she doesn't have and nor does the dealer or previous owner) system is an ass and should be bypassed as a matter of urgency in this situation. The problem is that fiat dealers won't do it and most garages have no idea what you are on about (yes, after a whole daysworth of phoning).

What is the advice/comment of the group?

2001 would normally have 2 blue keys no red and a number 2 stamped into the key. bad earth can make code light stay on

dave said:

2001 would normally have 2 blue keys no red and a number 2 stamped into the key. bad earth can make code light stay on

Click to expand...

OK. This definitely has two identical black keys and no red key. They have left now but I did examine the keys and they seemed to be idential: a number in the blade and the pyramid with two concentic circles on one apex and nothing else. I will ring later this evening. Now the accident sensor has been reset, the 'code' light is out. The original owner claims the 'red key' was with the instruction book but seems to have omitted to mention this to the dealer, its certainly not there now and I am confident never was.

The battery went dead flat (as in dead) and I replaced it with a new battery.

I can give chassis number if that's useful.

Call an auto locksmith near you. He will usually give you better advise and be cheaper than the dealer.

ponsaloti said:

Call an auto locksmith near you. He will usually give you better advise and be cheaper than the dealer.

Click to expand...

Sadly, after speaking to several (about 5) I cannot agree. They were no more help than the dealer, maybe less.

I have read quite a few of the relevent threads here!

Ozfred said:

Sadly, after speaking to several (about 5) I cannot agree. They were no more help than the dealer, maybe less.

I have read quite a few of the relevent threads here!

Click to expand...

Get an auto electrician to fit an aftermarket immobiliser that is insurance approved. You can get a cobra one for £40 on ebay or fully fitted for £109.99 if you're near birmingham. Thats less than the price of a key + coding from fiat I bet.

corkman said:

Get an auto electrician to fit an aftermarket immobiliser that is insurance approved. You can get a cobra one for £40 on ebay or fully fitted for £109.99 if you're near birmingham. Thats less than the price of a key + coding from fiat I bet.

Click to expand...

Many thanks.

I have tried, local ones don't know anyting about it. Can you suggest someone competent within 60 miles of hastings?

Ozfred said:

Many thanks.

I have tried, local ones don't know anyting about it. Can you suggest someone competent within 60 miles of hastings?

Click to expand...

Just to double check is there a 2 along with the circles and triangle on your keys?

From cobra site below, I'd call all of them ask them how much to supply a cobra 8510 lcv immobiliser, then ask how much extra for install. Place in kent (soundsalarming.co.uk) does them for about 100 + vat to give you an idea.


Auto Solutions
Mobile Installer

Herstmonceux
Kent
BN27 4NN

Tel: 07967 614637
Directions

BCS Cellular
Mobile Installer

Ashford
Kent
TN26 3QX

Tel: 07949 900121
Directions

In Touch Installations
Unit 6 Verrals Business Centre
The Common, Sissinghurst
Cranbrook
Kent
TN17 2AF

Tel: 01580 713999
Directions

In Car Audio
Unit 2
Geerings Business Centre
Ashford
Kent
TN23 1EP

Tel: 01233 623236
Website - Directions

corkman said:

Just to double check is there a 2 along with the circles and triangle on your keys?

Click to expand...

No, they don't. The problem isn't fitting an immobiliser but disabling the existing fiat one!

Ozfred said:

No, they don't. The problem isn't fitting an immobiliser but disabling the existing fiat one!

Click to expand...

Its a 10 minute job and very common,

I assume these guys will know.

http://www.seebeckservicecentre.com/
http://www.multimap.com/p/browse.cgi?pc=TN38 9BE&GridE=&GridN=&scale=10000&title=LSUK&cat=h

Code light stays on engine wont start

1998 Ducato 1.9TD Motorhome, not a single fault until last year and a wee bhoy racer came haring around a bend on a country lane and had no where to go, apart from down the drivers side and underneath to bounce out at the rear axle, £10k and one year to this coming satuarday when tha accident occoured. Awaiting a respray for the skirts, well now was away in inverness a few weeks ago during bad snow, went to leave and the code light came on, didnt bring master with us,"red one" wifey had her key presto it started of we went to my dads house in dundee, we noticed that the code light was coming on more often , drove to halfords i fitted a new battery as the old battery had lasted 7 years, and the power was down to 12.2 volts, seemed fine, next day drove to cairnryan to get ferry with a overnight stop nearby, next morning refused to start, panic as we had a ferry to catch, finally restarted drove to ferry got onboard and home, went out every 3 or 4 days and ran the engine for half an hour, then this satuarday said to wife i was taking it for a wash, drove to the attended car wash joined the queue and waited, all of a sudden engine stopped abrubtly, couldnt get it started, various keys jumps, so rang recovery smiling knowing i was covered for anywhere in europe!!!! apart for the first 20 miles from the house, anybody in these recovery places tried pushing 3.5 tons of motorhome up and down 1.5 miles of hills, ******s, will study small print in future. got towed home by a very large v6 3.5lt pickup, bought the owner of the wash place a couple good bottles of wine.

Check out chickiboy1 last page at this thread

I thought you might be interested in reading this web page:
chickiboy1 code reader fault, last page

Took me 3 days as i was not pulling the radiator out after just putting a new radiator in after the first frost damage, i went nice and easy removed all the plastic at the back of the pump, poohed my self when i saw a intergrated chip drop on the ground and went and quadrupled check the page print, begining to doubt myself even though i am a very good engineer, i know just enough about petrol and diesel engines to do minor repairs, another member had said it costs £900 so i thought well its bucked anyway, see when i undid the two shear bolts and saw the wire i thought it cant be that easy, cut fingers broken nails, as the rain started tonight i rushed a quick connection threw the engine battery in unsecured disconnected the code box and leapt inside first turn she started, i drove her majestically up the drive in front of all the neighbours and the wifey jumping and waving her arms and screaming with joy, we could now park our cars on the driveway again, i salute chickiboy1, saying that another member went on about wd40 and wires and joints around the control box for the soleniod, if you can get under neath and at the gap between control box and engine case you just may be lucky, i spent one day at it and two tins wd40 big ones plus a few taps with a hammer in strategic places, ps wd40 didnt do much for the driveway, also i rather have a reliable engine also going to get an after market immobiliser fitted

regards to all, on the move again

Did anyone manage to disable the fiat imobiliser as mine is doing the same problem
I want to disable it and fit an aftermarket imobiliser

The usual course of action is to remove a faulty immobiliser. See post #13 above.

Communicator said:

The usual course of action is to remove a faulty immobiliser. See post #13 above.

Click to expand...

How do I do that is it easy ?

Hello
I'm having similar issues, what earth wire could get bad ?

Sean86 said:

Hello
I'm having similar issues, what earth wire could get bad ?

Click to expand...

Yes, but with which engine, 2.8idTD, or 2.8jtd?