Hi all,

Can anyone help me out here. I have a 53 2.2 Eleganza. 6 months ago the battery terminal came loose on a journey and since then the car has been dead. The main dealer want an open cheque to investigate, but the bank manager (wife) is reluctant to support this. While investigating the fault myself i have replaced the under bonnet fuse box as i found it was badly corroded due to water ingress (what numpty designed this car and the water ways????) And i have also sent the BSI (body computer) off to be tested and repaired, but the car is still dead. There are no ignition lights, no central locking, no electrics at all other than the radio works and the headlights are permanently on. It cranks over but does not start. I need some advice on what to look at next.

Does anyone have the wiring diags for this car? Does anyone know where the immobiler is and can this stop all the electrics from working etc the bsi feeds, ignition lights at all that jazz.

Any help would be very helpful.

Thanks very much peeps.

Richard

Just though i would add this update for anyone who's interested.

The BSI module that was tested and repired changed nothing. In the end i went for broke and put the vehicle in to my local Dealer. They were very good and called out Fiat Technical from Slough. Diagnostics proved the the BSI module had not been repaired and a new one was required. I gave the dealership the go ahead to buy and fit. Ouch £370 +vat! Another £380 in diagnostics and programming time, but the car now functions again.

The BSM-B5 module (under bonnet fusebox) relates to the ECU and engine side not the car controls.

There are 2 additional modules under the dash near the body computer, one alarm and the other???

The dash is easy to take apart yourself and will save you money in dealership time when they come to look at your car, but they are all torx screws and 10mm nuts.

Check your battery terminals regularly to make sure they do not work loose, the sprung loaded +ve is poor and vulnerable.

A loose battery terminal has cost me £800 to repair, but that said, i have a brand new BSI (body computer) and the latest software installed, so the car is good to go for another x years. After all it has only done 40,000 miles in the last 7 years!

I have learnt alot about this car and without doubt what could have been a fabulous car has been let down by very poor design. Waterways drain into the electrics, cheap terminals come loose and the car is difficult and time consuming to work on which means you get a heavy bill. I have taken additional steps when putting it back together to waterproof those vulnerable parts properly, but do keep your water gullies clear of crap or your engine bay will get flooded in a heavy downpoor.

We have had this car from new and my kids love the independent seats and space,the real reason i have bothered to fix it i suppose. Would i buy another Fiat again of any type?, simple answer is CERTAINLY NOT! What has let this car down more than its poor design has been the incredibly poor service we have had from Fiat UK and the Dealerships (except the last one). They were all happy to sell me a car, but when things went wrong, they all ran for cover and wearnt any real help.

So to recap, +ve terminal came loose when the engine was running, spiked the supply and duffed the BSI body computer. £800 for buying and fitting and its running again. If you can afford this level of running cost then its a great car. Otherwise avoid like the plague!

One last note...When the brown sticky stuff hits the fan, you are likely to find little help with your problems. Either few know anything or just don't want to help. Posting questions on forums has yeilded no replies to date, but the dealership was talkative at £72+vat an hour!

Good luck!

R