Sorry for digging this Thread up after nearly 3 Years.
My wife drives a Fiat Grande Punto 1.2 with 69hp.
Two weeks ago, the battery light came on and we smelt some "burned" electronics. The original alternator died on us after 120tkm.
Luckily we were still able to drive the car to a local workshop. The steering started to became stiff. The car has a recently new battery (2 Months old) and probably thanks to this we were able to move the car to the workshop.
The mechanic told us, that the alternator was bad and even had a big crack.
He replaced it with a new 120A generator, I yet have to ask the guy which brand the new unit was. It definitely is not a genuine one. The replacement costed 260€. I assume a new one from the FIAT dealer would be twice as much.
Long story short: I now have the exact same issue!
On random startups (1 out of 10), the battery light comes on and steering is stiff. Shutting down the car and starting it again fixes it. While driving the issue is not reoccurring. The battery is new, the alternator is new. I also cleaned the grounds and then I found this thread here.
I'm not eager to replace the alternator again, but just out of curiosity:
What is the original brand for the 120A Generator in a GP with A/C and Start/Stop function?
Is it a Bosch unit? I was not able to find a 120A Magneti Marelli unit.
I have no problems turning on the ignition for a few seconds, but this car needs to undergo annually inspection and I fear that this error pops-up during it.
I also think to try the capacitor mod described by
@damted .
I'm proficient in soldering but not in deeper electronics.
Why is a capacitor "helping" with this kind of issue? I understand that providing a load in form of a bulb between 12V+ and D+ increases excitor-current, thus making the alternator quicker ready. But why is a small cap between earth and D+ sufficient for this case? Aren't they just for smoothing voltages when installed in such a setup?