Bigrinks said:

Actually anyone tried to do a software flash? I wonder what system is needed. Certainly not MES. Ps sorry about typing. Touch screen phone and big fingers!

Click to expand...

Software flash?
For what?

chris3234 said:

Software flash?
For what?

Click to expand...

To update bcu software and solve the headlight turn off issue this thread discusses?

Does anyone know the headlight signal voltage? Im prety sure its pins 3 and 4 and volatge is 3v for lighta off. Toying with connecting a seperate power source to these pins to see if triggers bcu to lights off.... Of course may also end up deploying airbags!

UPDATE. So the next chapter.... Right i've now got hold of 2 headlight switch units. One from the Chrylser that share the parts with the panda and the other off a slightly newer same model panda. Both confirmed working before receipt. Predictably, both make no difference.

So by process of elimination, we have either a wiring fault under dash (highly unlikely) or a software issue @ BCU. Other forum posts suggest the garage will do the latter option and resolve the issue.

Can anyone advise how this is actually done? i'm assuming the dealer will connect to the comms port and have software that allows fiat supplied software version to be flashed onto the BCU. Anyone any information on the detail?

Or anyone able to advise how to test the wiring integrity between the headlight connector block and the BCU connector block to rule out wiring short as the problem?....ANYONE????

Did you trace the clicking from LH glovebox area....??

Not a bad relay?

varesecrazy said:

Did you trace the clicking from LH glovebox area....??

Not a bad relay?

Click to expand...

Since confirmed through help of this forum that there isnt a audible click to trace. In either case any relay must be functioning as i can turn lights on and off via laptop with mes.
Further update is ive taken dash off again and inspected wiring harness. It all looks fine, untouches and undamaged. A wee wiggle of wiring with all unita unplugged except the switch battery and light makes no change. So im now thinking it must be software issue and recall 5780 by fiat would fix it.

Hello Bigrinks - thanks for working through this so comprehensively for the benefit of the forum.

Did you get anywhere with it in the end? Any joy with the main agent network...?

Having exactly the same issues currently on a 2012 Panda....

And has anyone been through the MoT process with the fault presenting?

Nick

puntodeltathema said:

Hello Bigrinks - thanks for working through this so comprehensively for the benefit of the forum.

Did you get anywhere with it in the end? Any joy with the main agent network...?

Having exactly the same issues currently on a 2012 Panda....

And has anyone been through the MoT process with the fault presenting?

Nick

Click to expand...

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

Short answer is no. The dealers are uninterested in diy diagnosis and prefer to instead start at the begining and systematically throw bits at it. Of course charging labour along the way.

Im 99% sure its a firmware issue but havent found a dealer that would take that diagnosis and reflash. Im sure there will be one somewhere!

In the end i left the lights on. Its passed mot with no issues or advisories and caused no operational or maintenance issues either.

I concluded just too much time investment to fix.

I did try to get hold of firmware software and investigate how this is actually applied but gave up pretty quickly withiout any conclusion.

Do keep us all informed on progress as would be good to bottom this one out.

I feel for you.
You've done really good diagnostics here and gone far deeper than any dealer could do.
I got totally peed off with the dealer after I spent time and money on my City Cross with a running issue. They wanted to fit parts I'd already changed but didn't listen, I had a strong and logical feeling the ECU was the issue. It was confirmed but along with other parts with an estimate just under £2000, I only bought the Panda with funds from my late wife's life insurance payout and the plan was to keep it till it dropped, I couldn't logically afford a two grand bill and sold it as is. Arnold Clark can fix it for a fraction of the bill I would have to pay. I've now a C3 Picasso. So I'm afraid Fiat are going to loose loyal customers if they don't improve the way they work.

Yes this is a deeply unsatisfactory situation for customers though I am going to try some of what should be the more enthusiastic dealers (the ones that advertise in Auto Italia) to see where I get. I'll keep you posted.

It would be great if there was an aftermarket answer. If I had the skills I might pursue it myself but I'm much more comfortable with the spanners than the software!

That said I'm thinking body computer replacement now as there may be ways of getting a new one decently below the FIAT retail price. I'll post separately with a couple of questions on that....

Nick

Watching with interest.
My 2012 Panda was OK till the Fiat dealer did an update about 3 years back.
Lights were fine for a couple of weeks but then the heads were stuck on.
Dealer said it might happen.

Took it back a couple of times and got nowhere even though I'd got info from this forum as to the cause.
Anyhoo, gave up (life is too short at my age).
Heads stuck on ever since...passed three MOT's since...

g4jvf said:

Watching with interest.
My 2012 Panda was OK till the Fiat dealer did an update about 3 years back.
Lights were fine for a couple of weeks but then the heads were stuck on.
Dealer said it might happen.

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Out of interest are you willing to reveal the dealer? They at least know it is an issue...

Forgive me butting in, don’t own a panda, but if you think it’s a software problem, typecastboy had a engine running rough problem that was cured by a garage doing a software reset/relearn which was above what could be done by mes on a laptop, well worth dropping him a PM

puntodeltathema said:

Out of interest are you willing to reveal the dealer? They at least know it is an issue...

Click to expand...

It was Autoworld then, now Stoneacre just outside Chesterfield.
They certainly knew about it. When I went to collect it after it's service, the guy said " We have done the service and a software update as scheduled by Fiat". He then jokingly said "so we've fixed it but may have broken it as well". When I queried that, he said "In some rare cases, the update might cause the headlights to stick on but yours seems OK".

It took about two weeks before the heads stuck on. A couple of visits to the dealer later I'd got no where. They said they were trying to work with Fiat on my behalf to resolve the problem.
Anyhoo, I now have a decent set of tools and for the last three years have done all the services and some minor repairs myself with help from this forum.
I wouldn't trust a Fiat dealer to fit a car mat to be honest...

Bigrinks said:

Sorry to hear of your troubles.

Short answer is no. The dealers are uninterested in diy diagnosis and prefer to instead start at the begining and systematically throw bits at it. Of course charging labour along the way.

Im 99% sure its a firmware issue but havent found a dealer that would take that diagnosis and reflash. Im sure there will be one somewhere!

In the end i left the lights on. Its passed mot with no issues or advisories and caused no operational or maintenance issues either.

I concluded just too much time investment to fix.

I did try to get hold of firmware software and investigate how this is actually applied but gave up pretty quickly withiout any conclusion.

Do keep us all informed on progress as would be good to bottom this one out.

Click to expand...

Software updates of the body computer will only be able to do be done Via fiat wiitec ( ithink that's what's it's called now) the fiat official dealers diagnostic tool

Just to say that Lispscomb Fiat in Aylesford nr. Maidstone managed to sort the "headlights always on" issue for my customer's Panda. It took a bit of persistence, but in the end he took it there and was, in the first instance, sold a diagnostic "health check", which cost £120. Whilst in theory anything beyond the check was chargeable, the dealer reprogrammed/updated the software which sorted the light issue, for free as a "goodwill gesture". We have taken this as some acceptance that the original recall (which the car had) was not satisfactory. NB this was after a new steering column stalk switch unit had been fitted (by me - though that was paid for by the indy dealer who sold him the car).

So it can be done....

Nick