Sorry to start yet another thread - I've read a few and there's too much info to take in across them all.
'Norma' the Active which we recently purchased has just thrown a wobbly when my friend was reversing out of a parking spot. She was on full lock when the power steering went off and the red light came on. She continued to drive the three or four miles home, even though the steering was a little stiff. She's been out since (an hour later) and it is still OK.
There were no issues when we collected it last week (driven 30 miles, mostly motorway), nor in the past week when it had been MOT'd and then collected by my friend - two drives of 15 miles (across town) and then 50 miles (along another motorway). Today was her first local drive out...
It has had a brand new battery (063) since the other was flat/dead (had been standing three months or so).
What issues are we looking at?

PandaMark said:

Sorry to start yet another thread - I've read a few and there's too much info to take in across them all.
'Norma' the Active which we recently purchased has just thrown a wobbly when my friend was reversing out of a parking spot. She was on full lock when the power steering went off and the red light came on. She continued to drive home and it was OK. She's been out since (an hour later) and it is still OK.
There were no issues when we collected it last week (driven 30 miles, mostly motorway), nor in the past week when it had been MOT'd and then collected by my friend - two drives of 15 miles (across town) and then 50 miles (along another motorway). Today was her first local drive out...
It has had a brand new battery (063) since the other was flat/dead (had been standing three months or so).
What issues are we looking at?

Click to expand...

Normal fault for power issues. Battery rested

Full lock

Reversing light on

Brake light on.


Check the auxiliary belt and/or clean earth straps. Read of the amperage of the battery and make sure they sold and/or fitted the correct one.

I noticed that they fitted a 063, which doesn't sound like the one that came off it (this type of battery fits my 2CV).
How much difference would this make?

if its a cheap battery which it sounds like it is
and the cars just been started and put on full lock it sounds as if the ecu was turned off to conserve battery power to keep engine running
next time tell friend to start engine let it tickover for 20 seconds then try a tight rear reverse on full lock
these power steering systems in fiats are very power hungry on full lock
if light of doom comes on again tell friend to try restarting car after waiting 30 seconds parked obviously
its all in the handbook by the way

PandaMark said:

I noticed that they fitted a 063, which doesn't sound like the one that came off it (this type of battery fits my 2CV).
How much difference would this make?

Click to expand...

Good spot. 063 should surpass the original 002. In both amp hours and cold cranking. I say should as a quick search for a 063 found a new one for £15 that can't be right can it ? Fake/reconditioned ?