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General Starter motor issue

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General Starter motor issue

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smiley24

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Hi all,
First time poster, hope someone will be able to help. I tried to post on the official Fiat Forum but I couldn't figure out how!

I have a 2007 Grande Punto and have so far covered 36,000 very happy and trouble free miles. Recently, however, I have been having a few issues with the starter motor, particularly in cold weather. Often, the starter makes a loud grinding noise when I turn the key and sometimes takes longer than usual to start.

The car has been into my local Fiat garage who told me that the problem is that the battery is not getting enough power to the motor, and that is what is causing the grinding and slow starting.

I was told that they (Fiat Garage) could replace the battery for me at a cost of £90. Now, I don't know much about cars, but I knew that I could get this done cheaper, so I took the car to an independent auto electrical place. They tested the battery for me and told me that there was nothing wrong with it...

Back to Fiat, who told me that the test that the independent had carried out was on the battery's voltage and not the amperage, the current running through the battery, which is low and hence causing the issue.

A few people I have spoken to have questioned whether or not this is true, so I would like to hear from anyone who has had a similar issue and to see if anyone can confirm for me whether or not low amperage would cause this problem.

Thanks for your time :)
 
hmmm sounds a similar problem to mine however I've changed my battery to a Bosch S4 and it still occurs.. I'm suspecting a Fuel Management type issue as I get now and again a small cloud of smoke from the exhaust... What engine is it? mines a 1.3 M-jet 90bhp 6 Speed 5 door
 
smiley24 said:
Hi all,
First time poster, hope someone will be able to help. I tried to post on the official Fiat Forum but I couldn't figure out how!

I have a 2007 Grande Punto and have so far covered 36,000 very happy and trouble free miles. Recently, however, I have been having a few issues with the starter motor, particularly in cold weather. Often, the starter makes a loud grinding noise when I turn the key and sometimes takes longer than usual to start.

The car has been into my local Fiat garage who told me that the problem is that the battery is not getting enough power to the motor, and that is what is causing the grinding and slow starting.

I was told that they (Fiat Garage) could replace the battery for me at a cost of £90. Now, I don't know much about cars, but I knew that I could get this done cheaper, so I took the car to an independent auto electrical place. They tested the battery for me and told me that there was nothing wrong with it...

Back to Fiat, who told me that the test that the independent had carried out was on the battery's voltage and not the amperage, the current running through the battery, which is low and hence causing the issue.

A few people I have spoken to have questioned whether or not this is true, so I would like to hear from anyone who has had a similar issue and to see if anyone can confirm for me whether or not low amperage would cause this problem.

Thanks for your time :)
Click to expand...

That's quite right. You should call the independent garage that you took it to and ask them what tests they did. A voltage check will not tell you all there is to know with a battery. In order to assess the battery's performance, you need to carry out a heavy discharge test.

The loud grinding noise certainly doesn't sound like a battery issue though. I'm unsure what type of starter motor GPs have, and there are many noises they can make. When it makes a grinding noise, is it also turning the engine over, too? If it's not, this could mean that the motor is not engaging properly and is simply spinning and catching the cog.

Can you describe the noise more, including when it happens and what's happening?

jetweed said:
hmmm sounds a similar problem to mine however I've changed my battery to a Bosch S4 and it still occurs.. I'm suspecting a Fuel Management type issue as I get now and again a small cloud of smoke from the exhaust... What engine is it? mines a 1.3 M-jet 90bhp 6 Speed 5 door
Click to expand...

You have a diesel engine. They all release a puff of smoke on start up! Try seeing what a 1.9 kicks out on start up :p This is especially true if you gave the car a boot full shortly before turning it off. What can help this is switching to premium fuels; I did and mine's a lot better for it now.
 
Hi Garree,
Thanks for your detailed reply. The grinding noise is inconsistent, it doesn't happen every time. When it does happen, however, it is usually when it is cold. When the key is turned, there is a loud grinding noise and the engine does not turn over. Usually disengaging and starting the car again does the trick.

I have been informed that this could be due to a problem with the solenoid? In your experience do you think this could be the case?

Thanks
 
Could well be the solenoid. However, the solenoid is mainly there to prevent the full force of the battery's current from reaching you! Like a relay does. It may also be the mechanism that moves the end of the starter motor out to make contact with the engine. If this is the case, it needs a refurb, or you can replace it and let someone else refurbish it!

Wouldn't be the first time I've seen a starter motor begin to seize :)
 
Last edited:
I won't be tinkering with anything myself as the car is still under warranty, but I will bear those points in mind when I take it in again.

Thanks for your help.
 
I had this same issue about a year ago. Fiat replaced the starter motor straight away. No blaming batt or anything else.
 
90% of the time the battery is at fault and this can be easily proven without even checking the battery. Best solution is to fit a slightly higher rating of battery, i have seen damaged teeth on starters aswell (no doubt caused by battery) so in some cases both items should be changed.

Dont be easily fooled into thinking the starter is jamming...some models have a starter relay fitted, some dont.
 
Hi Folks,
Just to give you an update. My Dad made a few calls for me today and spoke to a couple of garages, who told him that the diagnosis on the battery was correct and that this is a known fault. The battery fitted to my car was a weak one, and Fiat has recently changed the specification to include a more powerful battery on later models as it has caused this problem with a lot of cars. The garage told him to call Fiat directly as this was the only chance we would have of getting it replaced for free. Hey presto, they have agreed to fit a new, more powerful battery under warranty.
 
how about starter that like getting stuck once awhile. like the starter just spin 1/4 and stuck and not spinning. how it get stuck i do not know. but if i let it rest for 10 minute, it will work again. i do not thin it the battery problem as when it spin at high rate ( the sound i hear) before it just stuck. is it solenoid problem?
 
Hi there. Just signed up and dont want to repeat the same discussions as has already been addressed. Ive had exactly the same problem as smiley described for a year. My car is a 57 plate. Returned to dealership who said it was the starting motor needing replaced. This did the trick for a couple of months then the displayed the same symptoms upon starting. Returned to dealership who again diagnosed starting problem in march. Everythings been fine until today where the same issue has occured.

Would arnold clark (the dealership) be aware of the problem with battery? Im guessing they would have checked this when i handed the car in the previous two occasions.
 
Hi Dee,
I wouldn't trust Arnold Clark as far as I could throw them!

Your best bet is to get in touch with Fiat directly and explain to them the problem. When we got in touch, we had spoken to a number of garages who had told us that all mk1 GPs were fitted with weak batteries and that this was a known fault.

Armed with this info, you can press for a new battery to be fitted, which if your car is anything like mine will solve the problem :)
 
HI I have a FIAT PUNTO 1.2 DUB and mine has the same screeching start problem when i turn the key but my car starts whilst doing that. Its only a 58 Reg its done 37,000 miles and it does it in cold conditions and when its below a certain temperature it doesnt start at all.
 
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