General Multiecuscan Confusion
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General Multiecuscan Confusion
I have a a hunch that the TPMS system throws up that warning every so many months, or miles, to make you check the pressures. Somewhere in this forum is a thread about this... [Edit: no, it was a thread that says the 'check oil level' comes on with a TwinAir engine every x thousand mlles regardless of the actual level]
Also, it can only alert you to a tyre with a pressure different to the others if driven a fair way on a flat smooth road at a faily constant speed. Typically this means it only comes on when on the motorway. if your driving is round town, bendy or at variable speed then you may not get a warning. The handbook also explains it cannot warn you of a sudden deflation (such as a blowout) -- presumably because it needs that bit of distance to make a judgement.
Pete
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On a stable temperature day/evening/early morning with no sunlight on any tyre the set all the pressures to the same value. Then using the cars menu system reset the TPMS reference point.
If you then get repeated warnings and the tyre wear is low (compared to other wheels) and they are all at the same pressure and temperature then this *could* indicate a dirty / clogged / malfunctioning wheel ABS sensor/ring.
Perosnally I've never had to actually diagnose and trace/fix/.... a TPMS issues so what I have posted could be all irrelevant (was going to say B... S...!
)Hi.
This is interesting. When I bought the car in the first week of May 2019 it had 9980 miles on the clock. The original Goodyear Vectors were total rubbish. Noisy and would squeal and get louder on the slightest of bends, handling was very poor as was fuel consumption. I replaced them with a full set of Nexens Nblue HD. Terrific tyres, quiet and vastly improved handling. Tyre pressures set per the handbook. The following January on comes the TPMS warning when I was on a motorway, stopped on the HS gave the tyres a visual as OK, reset the TPMS when home. Then September last year it did it once again. Went through the same procedure, now its done the same. Tyres are checked regularly but the pressure never changes bar a drop in winter and a rise when the weather warms up. Today it was on the motorway at 65mph.
Incidentally stop start has stopped again but I notice when slowing down and using the brakes harder it works, so the first thing I checked was the stop lights are coming on at small pedal travel which they are.
So this is the first issues that have come up. Mileage is now 20,160 miles.
This is interesting. When I bought the car in the first week of May 2019 it had 9980 miles on the clock. The original Goodyear Vectors were total rubbish. Noisy and would squeal and get louder on the slightest of bends, handling was very poor as was fuel consumption. I replaced them with a full set of Nexens Nblue HD. Terrific tyres, quiet and vastly improved handling. Tyre pressures set per the handbook. The following January on comes the TPMS warning when I was on a motorway, stopped on the HS gave the tyres a visual as OK, reset the TPMS when home. Then September last year it did it once again. Went through the same procedure, now its done the same. Tyres are checked regularly but the pressure never changes bar a drop in winter and a rise when the weather warms up. Today it was on the motorway at 65mph.
Incidentally stop start has stopped again but I notice when slowing down and using the brakes harder it works, so the first thing I checked was the stop lights are coming on at small pedal travel which they are.
So this is the first issues that have come up. Mileage is now 20,160 miles.
This will be down to the fact the alternator only really provides charging current during braking and, to a lesser degree on the overrun. Using engine braking (by changing down) adds to this. The car will not stop/start if the sensor on the battery detects low state of charge.
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The Goodyear’s have a good reputation for quiet ride, good grip and long life. Did they by chance fix badly-set tracking when replacing them? If that was ‘out’ before, that would cause tyre squeal, poor economy and shorten their life... also, those Nexen are a summer tyre, so should give better economy than the Vector 4 season. (Vectors are E rated for fuel efficiency, those Nexen a C rating) https://www.tyrereviews.com/Tyre/Nexen/N-Blue-HD.htm
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gar074
Prominent member
My Goodyears squealed like a stuck pig on tight bends and roundabouts. Otherwise I was very happy with them. Fuel consumption was no worse than the CrossClimates I'm on now (i.e. ruddy awful )
)
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I'm 90% sure that technology isn't used on "normal" non hybrid Pandas. I've monitored the battery voltage in real life with a multimeter and it stays the same no matter if you are accelerating, braking, cruising or have the lights on or off.
My Goodyears squealed like a stuck pig on tight bends and roundabouts. Otherwise I was very happy with them. Fuel consumption was no worse than the CrossClimates I'm on now (i.e. ruddy awful
Certainly for me I really didn't like them. Winter tyres again are IMHO unnecessary certainly round here with very little snow and enough salt to rust out the best cars in winter. Even on the test drive I complained about how bad the road noise was and sloppy handling. When they were removed the wear was in line with the Nexens I have now with similar mileages. The tyres hsve totally even wear so no thoughts of mis alignment.
My 2018 Multijet 4x4 seems to have an intelligent alternator: the biggest clue is you hear the heater fan (non climate version) speed up noticeably when you back off the accelerator. I’m pretty sure all the later models (non hybrid) do this. Again, somewhere there’s a past thread about this.
Added later: this very long thread does indeed confirm Pandas with stop/start use a smart alternator that varies its output according to engine load (the tread was all about 4x4 being unavailable but that was caused by insufficient voltage, or I suspect more accurately insufficient current being available) https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-iii/480389-4x4-awd-not-available-what-might-cause-2.html
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That sounds like poor regulation or cabling inadequately rated.
In the diesel the injector pump takes a fair amount of power when running or accelerating but when you back off the pressure in the system will rise until the sensor throttles back the pump so its power usage drops. I'd connect a multimeter to say the power socket and see what it reads during this time. Once you've done say 10 miles the system volts should be between 13.8v and 14.2v cold between 14.4 and as much as 14.8v. Once the battery is topped up it should be at the lower figures. If when easing off it goes to the higher figures and remember that if you can hear the fan speed up then that voltage is in my opinion rising too much, this will overcharge the battery and could explain the large amount of battery failures. I'll say again this seems like poor regulation or wiring that's too thin.
EDIT. That of course is for the diesel. I'll try and do a video today of how the battery voltage behaves on a 6 mile trip and put it on my YouTube channel.
In the diesel the injector pump takes a fair amount of power when running or accelerating but when you back off the pressure in the system will rise until the sensor throttles back the pump so its power usage drops. I'd connect a multimeter to say the power socket and see what it reads during this time. Once you've done say 10 miles the system volts should be between 13.8v and 14.2v cold between 14.4 and as much as 14.8v. Once the battery is topped up it should be at the lower figures. If when easing off it goes to the higher figures and remember that if you can hear the fan speed up then that voltage is in my opinion rising too much, this will overcharge the battery and could explain the large amount of battery failures. I'll say again this seems like poor regulation or wiring that's too thin.
EDIT. That of course is for the diesel. I'll try and do a video today of how the battery voltage behaves on a 6 mile trip and put it on my YouTube channel.
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Did you look at the one thread I linked to? That (for a TwinAir 4x4) has graphs of the voltage at various points in the system as read from MultiECUscan. (See post 28, here: https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-iii/480389-4x4-awd-not-available-what-might-cause-2.html?p=4538362). They do indeed seem to show that these cars have a smart alternator. Most cars do these days (especially Euro 6 models) to reduce load on the engine and so reduce emissions. I suspect if you measure the voltage across the battery it will not rise above 14.4v (the chemistry controls that), but the output from the alternator can be higher to provide 'rapid charging' when called for. This also means it is essential to use the correct battery type. If I understand it right, this is controlled by a clutch on the alternator pulley, which allows more or less output depending on what the ECU tells it to do? (that from here, as it is an issue that affects caravans and motorhome owners and tends to confuse a split-charge system: https://garagewire.co.uk/news/compa...arge-alternators-everything-you-need-to-know/ )
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The injection pump is driven off the cam shaft isn't it for fairly certain the high pressure pump isn't electric driven anyway unlike the low pressure pump
Hi.
I did a video of the charging on a 22 minute run. At the start of the video the EML and triangle came on again. The video is here https://youtu.be/gmhQQSOkGgM
After I checked the code again and P0555 came up and lo and behold the brake booster vacuum switch open or short circuit was the result. My car DOES have said switch and unplugging it results in the same code reappearing within 20 seconds. The report back initially says its intermittent so I think this is the issue.
I've called the dealer and they cannot identify the part, I hope I'm not fobbed off with a complete servo for a silly switch.
I did a video of the charging on a 22 minute run. At the start of the video the EML and triangle came on again. The video is here https://youtu.be/gmhQQSOkGgM
After I checked the code again and P0555 came up and lo and behold the brake booster vacuum switch open or short circuit was the result. My car DOES have said switch and unplugging it results in the same code reappearing within 20 seconds. The report back initially says its intermittent so I think this is the issue.
I've called the dealer and they cannot identify the part, I hope I'm not fobbed off with a complete servo for a silly switch.
Could that also show a lack of vacuum, perhaps owing to a split pipe somewhere?
Hi.
This post on the 500 forum gives the answer and cure, best read the whole thread.
I'll be doing the same...........hopefully.
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/439650-fiat-500-p0555-fault-code.html?p=4331505
This post on the 500 forum gives the answer and cure, best read the whole thread.
I'll be doing the same...........hopefully.
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/439650-fiat-500-p0555-fault-code.html?p=4331505
Hi.
I dismantled the switch, it didn't have the issue as in the above post. What I did find is when under vacuum the plunger although retracting when you put this together the switch opened where it should be closed. So in the meantime I've not closed the clips and loosely cable tied it and it's now perfect. Looks very much like the plunger is swollen perhaps through oil..... and this is on a car with a catch tank. I can get a new assembly with pipe forv£58 from shop 4 parts.
EDIT.
I've deleted my video as it is not relevant now. Thanks
I dismantled the switch, it didn't have the issue as in the above post. What I did find is when under vacuum the plunger although retracting when you put this together the switch opened where it should be closed. So in the meantime I've not closed the clips and loosely cable tied it and it's now perfect. Looks very much like the plunger is swollen perhaps through oil..... and this is on a car with a catch tank. I can get a new assembly with pipe forv£58 from shop 4 parts.
EDIT.
I've deleted my video as it is not relevant now. Thanks
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Actually, it does work around town, it alerted me to a puncture on a 1 mile drive around town where the max speed was 30mph
Good to know - thanks
