Technical 500 TA stalling and not restarting for 30minutes

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Technical 500 TA stalling and not restarting for 30minutes

Mrtim66

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Dec 2, 2013
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Can anyone shed some light on my problem. I've had my twinair 500c 2011 from new. It's done 33000 miles in just over 2 years.
My problem started in August when it intermitantley started to occasionally stall in first gear and then would not restart for 30 to 40 minutes.
I have worked out that it does it when startstop is engaged or not so this is not the problem. It only does it when the car is half way warmed up ( when the temperature light has between 2 or 3 bars lit on the dash). Once the engine is warm and when it is first started it does not happen.
It also only happens when I am crawling along in heavy traffic in first gear, usually going home from work on a very busy road at peak time! If the traffic keeps moving or I get into 2nd gear it doesn't seem to happen.
Once the car has stalled it will not start, the starter ticks over but no engine start up until the car has cooled ( 1 bar lit on the dash of temp gage) and at that point it takes a good 3 attempts of the turning the key for a good few seconds.
The dealership cannot find anything wrong and have kept the car for a week and of course it won't cut out for them, nothing shows up on their computer data either. I have Fiat UK involved from today as the dealer want me to pick the car up and see if it does it yet again but I feel I cannot keep risking it cutting out in heavy peak time traffic yet again.
I have called green flag out but of course by the time they arrive I get it started again and the same would be with the dealer as I am a good drive away from them.
Anyone else having the same problem?
 
Let the dealer sort it out, they won't take advice from a forum sadly.

Sadly they're not! (sorting it)

They need to keep the car for for an extended period, use it, and probably look at the live data from the engine management rather than just seeing what fault codes are being recorded. As is often the case, proper diagnosis is the key, rather than just hoping the computer will tell them everything.

So it's difficult to tell you without proper investigation. Sounds like the dealer are trying to be as helpful as possible though, so I would try and work with them (and FIAT).
 
Don't accept the car back till it's sorted would be my way of assisting them in sorting it. If they don't sort it tell them you want a mew one etc etc :)
 
Thanks guys, I'm going to be persistent. I don't feel it should be my problem that it won't do the stalling for them. I feel it's irresponsible to drive it in heavy traffic knowing it will cut out at any time.
The dealer hasn't been that helpful, the receptionist called today saying in a very chirpy voice that my car was all ready for pick up, then when I excitedly asked what problem they had found she said ' they havnt found one' . I asked to speak to a machanic but was told he was out in a test drive. So that's when I decided to involve Fiat UK. Will keep you posted.
 
Thanks guys, I'm going to be persistent. I don't feel it should be my problem that it won't do the stalling for them. I feel it's irresponsible to drive it in heavy traffic knowing it will cut out at any time.
The dealer hasn't been that helpful, the receptionist called today saying in a very chirpy voice that my car was all ready for pick up, then when I excitedly asked what problem they had found she said ' they havnt found one' . I asked to speak to a machanic but was told he was out in a test drive. So that's when I decided to involve Fiat UK. Will keep you posted.



Don't want to put a dampener on your optimism that Fiat UK will be much help. What will happen is you will now get 2 calls, one from the dealer and one from Fiat, both advising you that your car is sorted. Doubly frustrating when you find it is not sorted.
 
Lol, thanks for that! I've already got that feeling that I won't get very far. It's my first Fiat and my experience so far over two years is terrible. I've had 9 brand new cars over 20 years and this is by far the worst car I've ever owned. It's had several other faults, definitely not worth the money at all.
 
Lol, thanks for that! I've already got that feeling that I won't get very far. It's my first Fiat and my experience so far over two years is terrible. I've had 9 brand new cars over 20 years and this is by far the worst car I've ever owned. It's had several other faults, definitely not worth the money at all.

It's par for the course I think. I too have had many new cars over the last 25 years and I'm sad to say that out of all of them, it's only the 3 Fiats that have been delivered with assembly faults, with other developing faults on top too.

Still, they have character (well, the Grande Punto didn't have much really :eek:) so I'm willing to put up with it (to a point)

Good luck with the fault finding. :)
 
I will keep you all posted, it's certainly got character all right, but one that I'm not getting on to well with ?
 
You are not filling me with confidence people; my 500 is only my 2nd car and my first new car and I wanted one for years before I got one. So far the only issue I've had with mine is the speed beep thing not actually working at all...
(not forgetting the dodgy front wipers!)

It sounds like this one is overheating somewhere though, as I can't remember ever seeing the temp go over 2 bits in the 2-3 months I've had my TA.
 
You are not filling me with confidence people; my 500 is only my 2nd car and my first new car and I wanted one for years before I got one. So far the only issue I've had with mine is the speed beep thing not actually working at all...
(not forgetting the dodgy front wipers!)

It sounds like this one is overheating somewhere though, as I can't remember ever seeing the temp go over 2 bits in the 2-3 months I've had my TA.

It is worrying alright as I've ordered a TA for Jan delivery, having said that no new cars are immune and lots of other makes have problems too. The forum by its nature tends to attract problem cars and there's probably lots of 500's out there that are fine, we just dont hear about them here.
 
Could it be something as simple as a crank position sensor? In the Alfa circle, if the engine wont restart when warm it is always the crank position sensor.
 
It sounds like this one is overheating somewhere though, as I can't remember ever seeing the temp go over 2 bits in the 2-3 months I've had my TA.

Should be sitting at half way, 4 blobs, on temp display, anything less and it's over cooling and thermostat sounds defective.

Could it be something as simple as a crank position sensor? In the Alfa circle, if the engine wont restart when warm it is always the crank position sensor.

I was thinking similar. Although isn't normally intermittent once the fault starts to occour?
 
I think you need to cut through the 'ahh, it's only a bit of character' posts - the car shouldn't do it, ever.

BUT, you've got to see it from the dealer's point of view, if the fault doesn't appear when they're testing it, then what can they do?

They can't keep the car forever - so you have to play the laws of averages, and keep taking it back until it's fixed. You're right, it's not your problem that the issue doesn't appear for them, but it's not theirs if it doesn't either.

My advice would be to work with them where you can (and this advice is coming from someone with a pathological dislike of dealers and who will NEVER let my car be touched by them now) - unless they're doing something clearly stupid. Or, if you're not getting anywhere, go elsewhere. You haven't put your location, so it's difficult to advise of good dealerships/independents, so it might be worth letting everyone know where you are?
 
Ok everybody, I'm agreeing with you all in one way and another.
I want to point out that it's not overheating and it only happens when 2 or 3 'blobs' on temperature display ( it always stay at 4 blobs when warm) and only when I'm stuck in traffic for about 10 minutes slow enough as to stop and start only in first gear. ( it's nothing to do with the stop/start function by the way)
This is really hard to simulate at the garage as you only have a few minutes window of opportunity for it to happen at the right moment and you can't just stop in the road pretend you are in a traffic jam.
Yes it is difficult when the garage have not seen it happen even though I have a video of me trying to start it for 38 minutes before success( time and temp on dash displayed on video and full sound if engine refusing to fire up.
I have taken it to D. Salmon in Colchester which is a 40 minute drive from me , they are who I purchased from and dealing with it at the moment.
It has been taken to Disera in Bury St Edmunds also when I first had the problem as I work there but they could not find anything either.
My only other garage maybe Chelmsford, I'm waiting to hear from Colchester first.
 
I will also point out that although it's intermittent and therefore difficult for the dealer to solve, it's not a good idea for me to drive it peak time knowing I will cause a dangerous obstruction for 30 to 40 minutes before a break down service or garage can get to me ( then it will restart as if nothing happened once they arrive)!!!
If it stalled and restarted I would carry on until it got worse in the situation I feel it's not a great idea. I feel very stuck ?
 
I have produced the problem at will 2 weeks ago but could not do it at the garage! this is my big problem.
 
As I say, it's something that really needs a proper tech to look at.

If you brought this car to me, I'd want to run the car whilst looking at live data/data logging. To not be able to be started for 30 mins or more will mean there will be something fundamentally wrong as far as the engine management is viewing the world (through sensor readings) at that time. I suspect it'll actually stick out like a sore thumb.
 
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