Technical coil pack and ECU light. Grrrr!

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Technical coil pack and ECU light. Grrrr!

rosswald

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Hi all.

Hopefully someone can offer me some help. After a recent head gasket failure, which has now been fixed, my ECU light started flashing at me whilst I was drivng at motoway cruising speed, If i backed off the gas the light went out, this happend a couple of times so I took it back to the garage and the diagnostic machine said that it was a fault on the coil pack for cylinder 2.

I replaced the coil pack on Friday but on the motorway again this morning the ECU light started flashing at me again, there are no other symptoms no loss of power etc.

Has anyone got any ideas as to what could be wrong? If there was a problem with an HT lead or spark plug would my ECU light be flashing? I want to explore all posibiliteis before I go back to the garage and get charged £25 for him o tell me it's the same thing. Have had an expensive month and cant afford endless amounts of diagnostic checks. I have a horrible fear that I'm about to enter the world of replacing endless amounts of elctronic sensors :(

If the light is just flashing at me am i likely to be doing any damage. I wish thie thing would just bloody misfire so I could actually pin the fault to the igntion system instead of constantly wondering if my car is going to make it to where it's going.

Cheers
Ross
 
If your car is a Mk 2 Punto the handbook says that the flashing engine management light is warning you that there is liklehood of damage to the catalytic convertor and that you should back off the power until the light stops flashing, so I would imagine that the fault may be something to do with fuelling or more to the point, over fuelling
 
referance mk2 puntos and coil packs - diagnostics show a fault as being a coil pack, but it is in fact a coil pack trigger in the e.c.u thats the fault. How many people on forum with a mk2 punto have needed a new e.c.u due to coil pack failure?, plenty i would think. However fiat have a recall to update the e.c.u software to eradicate this problem with earlier mk 2's.
As already stated though, your problem sounds more than a coil pack, if its a coil pack normally it just packs up as in "runs on 2".
 
Hi all.

Still having the same problem in reply to your posts...

Spark plugs where replaced when the car was serviced, which was about 1 day before I got the head gasket done. Is there a need to replace the spark plugs, considering they are almost brand new?

I read on another forum that the coolant going through my exhaust when the head gasket failed could have damaged my lambda sensors. Could this be a more likely reason for the ECU light coming on?considering that the light first flashed at me when my car started billowing steam out of the exhaust and that my car hasnt been noticeably misfiring?

Would a faulty spark plug or old HT lead cause the ECU light to come on?

Cheers for all your help folks

Ross
 
is possible when the headgasket went, or if the car has been mis-firing for some time (coil pack u mentioned) that the cat has been damaged by excessive amount of un-burnt fuel being chucked through it, the flashing management light during your motorway driving is also an indicator to a cat related problem, as the mangament light comes on and stays on static to other e.c.u detected faults.
 
Last edited:
hallo all. I have a punto 1242 8v 2001. While i was driving the engine management light apear on my dashboard , the car runs in 2 cylinders. Took it for a diagnose,and gave an fault PO351 that means : wireing ,coil ,ecu.Change the coil...same. Took the ecu to someone who said he can fixed it . When i took the ecu back and put it in his place the key code apears and the car wont start. Took the car to the Fiat dealear who said that the ecu has to be changed because the car doesn't recognise it . When i switch the ignition on, on my dashboard apear the key code and the engine managenet light but after 3 sec the engine management light goes away and the key code stays.
My question is : could the immobiliser to be faulty or i'm solving the problems with a new ecu?
 
isn't that the code thing asking for red key, with mk1's it won't rememeber and you have to reprogramme, but with mk2 etc ecu it remembers milage and code does it not.

If the guy who so called fixed it reset it totally, then you will have 0miles on your clocks and won't start, fiat should be able to re code it, but if they demand you buy a new one, then I'm afraid thats the only way AFAIK as fiat have the kit to do it.
 
Thank you for reply so soon. My fiat is Mk2 and does not require a red key and i dont know if "the man who fixed it" reset it totaly but the computer remembers the milage.The problem is that the diagnose computer from FIAT does not recognize my ecu. I want to know if there's a chance that the immobiliser could be faulty.The Fiat mechanic said that is not possible but i dont trust them verry much and i want to know what is your opinion. Normaly , on my dashboard should appear the key code light and the engine management light, but in my case, the engine management light is on about 3 sec then off, while the key light is permanently on
 
The ecus are virtually sealed, and I havent heard of anyone being able to repair them. I suspect either your "repairer" has damaged it completely or he has got a second hand one and passed it off as yours. Either way ask for your money back, and buy a recon ecu from Fiat approx 220 pounds.
 
pitt said:
hallo all. I have a punto 1242 8v 2001. While i was driving the engine management light apear on my dashboard , the car runs in 2 cylinders. Took it for a diagnose,and gave an fault PO351 that means : wireing ,coil ,ecu.Change the coil...same. Took the ecu to someone who said he can fixed it . When i took the ecu back and put it in his place the key code apears and the car wont start. Took the car to the Fiat dealear who said that the ecu has to be changed because the car doesn't recognise it . When i switch the ignition on, on my dashboard apear the key code and the engine managenet light but after 3 sec the engine management light goes away and the key code stays.
My question is : could the immobiliser to be faulty or i'm solving the problems with a new ecu?

You could of tested it yourself in the first place!
https://www.fiatforum.com/showthread.php?t=49818&highlight=coil+ecu+test

Flashing engine light could also mean phonic wheel.

Agree with Numan...he's switched your ecu/f*cked it:rolleyes:
 
Thank's for your reply.
So let me tell you how it was... when the engine management light apear on my dashboard i took the car to a friend of mine,a very good mechanic, who tested it and on the tester apear a fault: P0351. This fault means: wireing,coil,ecu.He identified what coil was not working: it was the coil that spark 1 and 4 cilynder . I changed that coil with a new one, and the same , so he told me it is the ecu .
Now my engine management light is not flashing ,only the key cod light is there .
I agree with you too,he f*cked it for good
 
pitt said:
a very good mechanic, who tested it and on the tester apear a fault: P0351. This fault means: wireing,coil,ecu.He identified what coil was not working: it was the coil that spark 1 and 4 cilynder . I changed that coil with a new one, and the same

As with any diagnostic equipment it is only a tool/guide,you should always test the component & check the wiring to verify the fault.A few simple checks would of verified the coil was not at fault.As you mentioned the fault could of been in the coil/wiring or ECU this is because the ecu cannot distinguish where the fault actually is & all said areas should be thouroughly tested.
Slightly off topic here but when people complain about prices for diagnostics its not just a case of plugging examiner in-reading code-canging part(s) the technician should be verifying the fault by wiring checks,subsitution or component testing...this is what the customer is paying for not £40/50 "just to plug the laptop in".
Anyway hope you get it sorted(y)
 
my local fiat, DO only plug a machine on wheels in, leave it for a while, take note of the number of flashy lights, then wheel the car back out again, how do i know, as i asked to watch. charge me £57 for the pleasure too, bum raping getts.
 
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