Technical ECU problems! Contact WATCHDOG

[Moneypenny]

I am being driven insane as a Punto owner. Bought new - problems since start! Now told I need ECU... been messed about car is just out of warranty! I have emailed WATCHDOG. There are no end of people on here with ECU failure problems. I have contacted FIAT who want nothing to do with me about it, so I have contacted WATCHDOG. If you have similar problems - like engine management light and power steering etc etc like mine then join in and we may get somewhere!!

 

[T14086]

While your there complain about Fords,Vauxhalls,Merceded,VW etc

 

[charlieboy]

tell them i want a pay rise, and a pony for christmas too

itll take ages to get it sorted, theyve got so many other things to sort out that the list is longer than santas list of good boys and girls. but good luck getting it sorted, but if it got a warranty shouldnt it be covered?

charlie

 

[beau]

why would fiat want anything to do with it if its out of warrenty? of course they will do something but it will cost,

contacting watchdog is pointless, cars out of warrenty so fiat dont have to do anything, all it will do is give fiat an even more bad name when there actually getting better?

 

[charlieboy]

contacting watchdog is pointless, cars out of warrenty so fiat dont have to do anything, all it will do is give fiat an even more bad name when there actually getting better?

good point, fiat cant replace it for free if no got warranty. and if your not prepared to pay then they not going to anything about it.

charlie

 

[dave]

fault was reported before warenty ran out, so a bit of good will should be shown.

 

[T14086]

Yep some goodwill would be nice,but are you giving us the full story moneypenny?

 

[Moneypenny]

I have had same problems with the car since new - even before warranty ran out Fiat said there was nothing they would do. Car has always had faults showing, lights flashing on and off, coming on and staying on, power steering failure whilst driving. Engine management light starting problems. FIAT garage have always deleted the faults saying that this will over time solve the problems... now out of warranty a garage I have paid for have said that it actually needs a new ECU. This was a fault which made FIAT recall earlier Puntos... but mine isn't included. There are plenty of forums with Punto owners complaining about it. Even Clarkson put it in his top three worst cars for silly computer faults! The point is - even though the car isn't new there have been continuous unsolvable faults which FIAT have told me directlty that they are going to do nothing about... I have been complaining for the last 3 years!

 

[dave]

who was dealer? arnold?

 

[T14086]

I have had same problems with the car since new - even before warranty ran out Fiat said there was nothing they would do. Car has always had faults showing, lights flashing on and off, coming on and staying on, power steering failure whilst driving. Engine management light starting problems. FIAT garage have always deleted the faults saying that this will over time solve the problems... now out of warranty a garage I have paid for have said that it actually needs a new ECU. This was a fault which made FIAT recall earlier Puntos... but mine isn't included. There are plenty of forums with Punto owners complaining about it. Even Clarkson put it in his top three worst cars for silly computer faults! The point is - even though the car isn't new there have been continuous unsolvable faults which FIAT have told me directlty that they are going to do nothing about... I have been complaining for the last 3 years!

OK for starters! Firstly,the recall you are refering to is for 'updating' the software drivers in the ECU,it does NOT stop the ECU from going faulty (like they are prone to.....not just a Fiat problem,VW & Ford etc all have their ECU problems by the way) & the said recall was never to renew the ECU.
Secondly.....who cares what Clarkson says,he drives them but has very little technical experience.
Thirdly,I honestly doubt (and no disrespect to yourself) that Fiat said there is nothing they can do.Despite what you may read here or anywhere else Fiat are a damn sight better than alot of car companies.
Fourthly,there is no such thing as a unsolveable fault,if there is a cause then there is a solution.There is also a procedure that the garage should follow...ie...if they cannot cure the fault they should contact Fiat technical for advice,if the fault still cannot be solved then Fiat send out a field engineer who will take aslong as it takes to fix the fault/car.
Now you said the car is not new so how old is it,when you brought it & how old is it now,do you have recipts of any work carried out etc/fault code lists?

 

[KeithT]

Local Trading Standards Office can help or advise you Fiat are normally pretty good at sorting problems I have even got advice from Fiat Technical in Italy very helpful. If all else fails send the ECU to one of the online ECU doctors for £30 they will diagnose problems & usually have a fixed price for repair.