Panda Panda Active ECU problems

Currently reading:
Panda Panda Active ECU problems

Linzi73

New member
Joined
Nov 17, 2018
Messages
2
Points
1
Hi I'm new to the group.My daughter has a 07 panda active.When you drive the car it feels like it's dragging and it loses power,also when you're sitting at lights it judders.Ive been told it could be the ECU.Can anyone help me out with ideas what to do??
Thanks
 
Hi Linzi. And welcome to FF. :)

The pandas are generally pretty good
But the 1.1 engines can have a wiring loom issue :(

Have a look in the Panda section.;)

Generally.. before spending money on ECU work.. I would go through the basics.

Service items.. spark plugs.air filter etc.
Is it a car you have known a while..developing this new fault..?

Or a recent purchase with a running issue??

Charlie. 14 years with a 1.1 Active.
 
Last edited:
ECU wiring fault is very specific and normal kicks in when going over bumps.

Doesn't sound like what's going on here.


i would start by disconnecting the MAP sensor and take it for a drive seeing if it improved or went worse
 
Somebody had a panda that would splutter after speedhumps also..

We need a bit more background info on this 07 Active.

We had a 57 plate in the family that ran mildly rough.. but not ever enough to spend money investigating.

I am convinced that 50% of the ECU swaps only improve things due to the wiring which was cousing issues is wiggled enough to resume normal service.

Almost every FIAT issue I have encountered has evidence of a bodge:butchery before I have gone in there.. :(

My 2004 Active has not needed a bulb..or fuse.. in 14 years of ownership.

So the basic factory installed kit is far from junk.
 
ECU wiring fault is very specific and normal kicks in when going over bumps.

Doesn't sound like what's going on here.


i would start by disconnecting the MAP sensor and take it for a drive seeing if it improved or went worse

I think it worthwhile to start with a wiggling of the wires to account/discount a well known and proven 1.1 Active fault, as shown in the linked post as it's free and quick.

It will depend on how bad a broken connection would be, if it's bad it isn't hard to imagine a problem with the connection 100% of the time rather than just over humps and bumps or perhaps, as the OP is describing the fault second hand, the leap from fault to bump hasn't yet been made.


I suspect the car is misfiring, the judder at idle and sluggish response leads it's self to the car perhaps running on only three cylinders.

Though I wouldn't discount anything yet, I would start with the easy, obvious and cheap in an orderly method to account for the various components, within easy reach, that may be responsible for a one cylinder misfire.


Perhaps after checking the loom wiring, try and identify if it is only one cylinder misfiring and if so, which cylinder is misfiring by removing one plug cap at a time.

(if you pull the one misfiring, there should be no change in the juddering idle and you have found the one misfiring, pull one that isn't and the car will probably not run/start at all on just two cylinders, the misfiring and the one you have pulled, so keep looking)


If one is identified, I would try swapping over the coils to see if the problem moved with that coil or not.

If it moves, it's the coil, if it doesn't it perhaps the wiring OR another issue altogether, like the injector (you can move the injectors around as well and use the same method as the plug leads)

If you discount the one cylinder misfire, then it's time to move on to the components that affect all cylinders, like fueling and ignition timing.
 
Last edited:
There may be a wiring issue, but one of the things I found on my 1.1 Panda is that the ECU has 2 plugs on the top just to right of the engine as you look at it, the plugs vibrate and over time work loose.
a simple fix in my case was to get some long tie wraps and strap the plugs down tightly to the ECU. Its cheap and simple to do yourself, so worth a try.
 
There may be a wiring issue, but one of the things I found on my 1.1 Panda is that the ECU has 2 plugs on the top just to right of the engine as you look at it, the plugs vibrate and over time work loose.
a simple fix in my case was to get some long tie wraps and strap the plugs down tightly to the ECU. Its cheap and simple to do yourself, so worth a try.

Certainly worth a look. :)

Only underbonnet issues in my 14years. 90k miles : the rubber breather hose perished.
Cam shaft oil seal..cam belt side..blows by.

Three engine batteries:total electrical bill. :)

How many miles..or months.. apart did you find they were working loose?
 
How many miles..or months.. apart did you find they were working loose?

I bought my Panda with 30,000 miles on the clock so don't know its history but on my first 200 mile round trip the engine started miss-firing then eventually died with a permanent MIL which said a coil or power to coil had failed

I managed to get it running again to get me the last 20 miles home, I checked the wiring harness and found a dry joint and a broken grey wire (nothing to do with the ignition) After fixing these the same issue kept occurring.
This is when I found the loose ECU plug connections Thought I'd try some tie wraps which has cured the problem completely, well at least for the last 8,000 miles since June!
 
I bought my Panda with 30,000 miles on the clock so don't know its history but on my first 200 mile round trip the engine started miss-firing then eventually died with a permanent MIL which said a coil or power to coil had failed

I managed to get it running again to get me the last 20 miles home, I checked the wiring harness and found a dry joint and a broken grey wire (nothing to do with the ignition) After fixing these the same issue kept occurring.
This is when I found the loose ECU plug connections Thought I'd try some tie wraps which has cured the problem completely, well at least for the last 8,000 miles since June!

Thanks.

A broken wire..at 30k...wierd.

Only issues ours had by that mileage were the clutch judder..and indicator stalk.. sorted for free under warranty.
 
Back
Top