JTD Loose Connection Problem [crank sensor]

Hi Everyone

The sun is shining outside, the kids are wanting to go to the seaside but alas my trusty old steed, Stilo 1.9JTD 115BHP has let me down.

It keeps coming up with Loose connection. I've read all the other posts about loose connection so it could be anything from D4 connector, new battery, coils, or crankshaft sensor. I had a go at the D4 connector yesterday but that hasn't cured it, was going to have a go at the crankshaft connector but couldn't find it.... will look harder this afternoon.
My question is can it be anything to do with a thermostat problem ??
The symptoms are as follows, the car will run for approximately 3 miles and then cut out, alarming with "loose connection", if left for 15 mins it will restart no problem. If you attempt to restart straight after it has cut-out then the engine just turms over without starting.
The 3 miles before cutting out co-incides with the temp gauge reaching normal operating temp, ie right in the centre of the dial. May just be coincidence but the restarting after 15 mins could be temp affected ie engine cooling down...
I had a high coolant temp alarm about 3 weeks ago...just topped radiator up and that fault never reappeared...... just wondered if this could be connected...... some advise would be much appreciated, the car is booked into the Fiat garage on tuesday but would hate myself if it was something simple.

re: JTD Loose Connection Problem [crank sensor]

"the restarting after 15 mins could be temp affected ie engine cooling down..."
I think you're on the right track


rpm/timing sensor is up near the flywheel on diesels. Phonic wheel next to the flywheel and mag pick up. I'd check connections to it and, depending on what test gear you have, check it out electrically

re: JTD Loose Connection Problem [crank sensor]

Hello peeps

Just got the car back from a fiat garage.... if you recall it was getting a "loose connection" alarm.... the diagnostic showed it was the crankshaft sensor as expected.
Just want to know if the garage is charging me a decent price?
total cost was £150 inc VAT.

Part cost £18, diagnostic cost was £50 +vat..... my basic maths suggests that the cost for fitting the part was £67..

Question for the techs.....could I have done this repair on my own without access to a ramp or pit??

Another question is I do 80% of my miles on the motorway driving sensibly can I expect a timing belt to last 80k miles (currently on 68k). I dont fancy forking out £320 I have been quoted just yet. I can buy the part for £48 on the net..... is it really £270 worth of work for a tech to change.... roughly 5 hours at £55 per hour ???

Happy fiat motoring until the next sensor alarm!!!

re: JTD Loose Connection Problem [crank sensor]

"could I have done this repair on my own without access to a ramp or pit??"
Not without an extensive tool kit and a 2 year technician's course. That's what you wanted to hear wasn't it

Timing belt could go tomorrow. Someone's will, so are you feeling lucky? It's an impossible question to answer and you just have to do the sums and estimate your risk. The effects of one going are quite spectacular though

re: JTD Loose Connection Problem [crank sensor]

I wouldn't gamble a timing belt not failing for £320. Mine was about to go ping on my Stilo after 52k. Tensioner bearing was shot. If you buy proper FIAT parts, you can have them fitted by your local dealer. I replaced my water pump at the same time to be on the safe side.
Having lost a car to a cambelt, it's once bitten, twice shy for me.

Hi all long time since I last posted so I suppose that is a good thing really as I have had no problems till now. My Stilo has started to suddenly stall with no warning and just comes up with the good old engine warning light and a message saying "loose connection". All the electrics are still on in the car but the engine will not restart, it will happily turn over but does not come to life. If I leave it for 20mins or so, as I had to do on Monday morning on the M62 in rush hour!!!!!! it will restart and run again for a little while before it stops again with the same problem. So has anybody else had a problem like this or do I need to "trust" the Fiat dealer and hope they know what they are doing!!!! Any help would be good as I have a 15mile bike ride now at 6am

Mat

I think that's going to be the rpm sensor. Pretty classic symptoms of cutting out entirely- loose connection warning- and when it cools down it starts like nothing ever happened

Yes I'd go initially for the connector of the crank sensor (item 1) and give it a clean up with some contact cleaner


But after that then it would more likely be the sensor itself as it's an internal phonic wheel pick up off the flywheel with the JTD (similar to the ABS pickup)

unlike the mag pick up straight off the crank pulley of the petrol versions (apart from Abarth)

Well checked all the connections for the D4, all look nice and clean but sprayed them with contact cleaner anyway, engine ran for 30mins on drive and died again, will try with help from your nice pics to check the sensor this weekend. where do you get all your pics from these are very helpful.

Thanks again, thankfully only one more day of peddle power at 6 in the morning!!!! then I have a week to fix the stilo.

Thanks again deckchair5

Mat

hey dude, im about 90% sure i no whats goin on as it happened to me. If it is wat i thk it is its about £85 for the part and you can sort it urself.

What i found when my car had the same symptoms was that the fuel pump was cutting out when driving...at first i thought it was a broken wire however this was eliminated and managed to track it down to a broken solder in the engine bay controll unit.

the part number is 51759555

If you want to be certian before purchasing the part, next time the car dies lift up the back seat and you will find the fuel pump with a black plastic cover over the top of it, get someone to listen for it when you turn the key one click forward. if you dont hear it starting up i would recoment replacing the controll unit.

the controll unit is located under the battery cover

Hi All

I had exactly the same symptoms, after good advice from Deckchair I had the crank sensor changed and have had no further problems. Cost £50 diagnostic check and £100 for the sensor change.

Dallyman

Thanks for all the help guy, just to let you know it was the crank sensor, changed it myself only 1 fixing and a connection to undo and part only cost £35 with a 3 year warrenty, bargin when Fiat was going to charge me over £150 to do test and replace it!!!!!
If any one else wants one try http://www.ignitioncarparts.co.uk/, they have 3 different ones for a stilo just take your old one off and check part numbers.

Thanks again Mat

Hi,
Recently on three sepertate occasions my JTD has juddered just once then "loose connection" displayed for a second then all fine. No loss of power or electrics, except for the split second. These were all days apart and all in the dry weather.

The first time it happened was just after a bend that i'd taken at speed, the two other occasions have just been while driving no hard acceleration, all three times between 30mph and 60mph.

Then last night it did it again but cut out completely, still had all electrics but engine died, refused to restart, fired but no go.
i whipped off the engine cover, pushed and wiggled everything i could see in the dark and it restarted perfectly only 2 mins after dying so not cooled down, then nothing for the 20 miles journey!

So this morning if stripped out the battery which is giving a good 12+volt charge and cleaned everthing i can see. we'll have to see if that helps.

Does this sound like crank sensor to anyone or just a dirty contact somewhere?

Yes could well be crank sensor, it often is, but for "loose connection" read "lost connection" and a poor contact at the crank sensor connector will do the dirty just as well

The crank sensors usually seem to start playing up at anything over 50000 miles, its probably the only thing that I will change automatically on mine if she gets that far under my ownership.

cheers guys,
Did the judder again twice yesterday but no cut out, once on way to work and once on the way back, both approx 20 miles into the journey so this may link to something Decks said about a part gettng hot?

Both times i was in forth gear at approx 2500rpm, 60mph. The whole car shakes just once, beep beep then warning message for a second.

i'll check out that thread decks and try and locate the sensor.

Deckchair5 said:

Yes I'd go initially for the connector of the crank sensor (item 1) and give it a clean up with some contact cleaner

View attachment 31164
But after that then it would more likely be the sensor itself as it's an internal phonic wheel pick up off the flywheel with the JTD (similar to the ABS pickup)

Click to expand...

Decks,
where abouts is the sensor, i can't make out what part of the engine that picture is, at a guess is it down near the slave cylinder?

back of engine,get a new one as they aint expensive & often breakdown with heat so best bet is to just renew it.

Yes, it's probaby best to go from underneath and around the back of the engine. Easier on a ramp of course. The connector is a little higher up and a bit more accessible I'd guess

Right an update,
Got the sensor from my dealer was about £23 but had to wait for it to come from italy, anyhow been busy at work no real issues..............

so got to fitting it today, up on axle stands, i slide underneath and find the sensor nice and easy on the back of the engine to the left while laying underneath, one hexbolt and out comes the old one, great so far,

Now i trace the wire to find the connector which runs 6-8 inches up towards the top on the right, now i say to myself that looks f&%king awkward to get to and i was right
an hour later i managed to get the connector out of its fastening.

The problem was that as i have fitted a strutbrace so there is no room to get a hand let alone an arm down the back of the engine from the top, everything had to be done from underneath.
The fastening is obviously designed to be opened from the top as it has one of those annoying little catches on that they use througout the engine bay to hold pipes in place.
they are easy to open with two hands and a small screwdriver but have you ever tried to undo one with one hand while laying in your back only able to get half an arm up into the recess nd you can't see what your doing because of the dark, even with bonnet open and a torch

It was quite funny now when i think back, LOL

I did manage to undo the b@st@rd thing and then the connector was easy as you can drop it down to get two hands on.

Took it for a 55 mile roadtest on various roads and also got stuck in some traffic, not a peep, a beep or a judder from anywhere, so i think it's fixed (touchwood).
Another perfect diagnosis from members of Fiatforum, donation to follow.