Right I'm starting to get blown bulbs and I've been told that I need a better earth lead as the standard one is a bit pants.

1. I'm asuming the earth lead is a wire thats bolted to the body of the car and bolted to the engine block?
2. what do I ask for in an electrical shop?
3. when I change it would it be adviseable to disconnect the battery when I do it?

bit of a beginner at these thing as you can tell

Cheers!

Got standard bulbs in there?
Is it always the same ones that are blowing?

Yep standard bulbs and both my headlights have blown on different occasions.

Maybe just bad luck? A couple of headlight bulbs blowing doesn't mean a whole lot wrong
Get a voltage and earth check if you're worried, might save a lot of unnecessary work. Any auto electrician could do that for you in no time

There's a lot of earth leads and Fiat spares will be your only souce for most of them

Always best to disconnect battery when working on electrics

There is a modified loom section available to fit to prevent this,enquire at your local dealer.

Cheers guys! I'll ring up FIAT tomorrow and enquire

Just rung up 2 FIAT dealers and they've never heard of a modified loom for the Stilo

Now what did you expect bloody miracles after all its a fiat parts dept if T14 says they exist then they do maybe he could get you some more info on the modified loom maybe that would help these morons what the hell they doing in a job they quite obviously are incapable of doing make my blood boil :bang:

T14086 said:

There is a modified loom section available to fit to prevent this,enquire at your local dealer.

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Can you tell us a little more about what sort of modification, or is that classified information?

Reason being that I can only think of four causes for blown bulbs:
1) Over-voltage
2) Vibration
3) Poor-quality bulb
4) Handling during installation (quartz-halogen, headlight only)

Given that a loom modification could only affect 1) and not 2), 3), or 4), I'd like to know just how an over-voltage situation arose in the first place - there should be 14.4V in the system, that's the limit of the alternator, so what is the modification going to achieve?

-Alex

PNL said:

Now what did you expect bloody miracles after all its a fiat parts dept if T14 says they exist then they do maybe he could get you some more info on the modified loom maybe that would help these morons what the hell they doing in a job they quite obviously are incapable of doing make my blood boil :bang:

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I rung them while I was at work and someone who was sat next to me said "you know more about FIATs than they do, you should work there" lol

Part number is the answer, then even an idiot should be able to find it, I expect T1 will be able to provide you with the number if you send him a pm

Alex
"Reason being that I can only think of four causes for blown bulbs:
1) Over-voltage
2) Vibration
3) Poor-quality bulb
4) Handling during installation (quartz-halogen, headlight only)"

The missing killer is fluctuating voltage, I would guess that's where the mod comes in, to improve cabling and contact connectors to get more reliable connections.

Tell them to read service news 55.09.04

lol ok they kept asking me where I got the information from and I just kept saying "internet"

these FIAT dealers not reading their service bulletins

well I haven't had chance to go to FIAT yet and ask them about the modified loom, BUT my other headlight blown today :bang: passenger side, so I'm off to the dealer on friday with them service news number armed and ready

oh and another thing, the parts guy on the phone said "lets put it on examiner and see what we find" now am I being silly or would that do naff all? blown bulbs should have nothing to do with examiner because it wouldn't have logged an error

dan-the-man said:

my other headlight blown today :bang: passenger side, so I'm off to the dealer on friday with them service news number armed and ready

oh and another thing, the parts guy on the phone said "lets put it on examiner and see what we find" now am I being silly or would that do naff all? blown bulbs should have nothing to do with examiner because it wouldn't have logged an error

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I feel for you Dan...... wouldn't fancy changing a bulb in these temperatures

Considering that Examiner can't even work out which glow plug is faulty (on a diesel) then I can't see it helping you with your headlights.

I know, I'm not exactly looking forward to it I'll have to see if FIAT will change it for free for me, doubt they will though

I think what he ment was examiner can operate the lights as its through the body computer.Personally I'd get the service news loom done as I had similar problems with a customers stilo which was only cured (after 5 bulbs) by the fitment of the modified loom section.

Just spoke to a very helpful guy in the service department and he has contacted FIAT head office and got a reply saying that there is a modified loom available.

And also that from what he's seen it will be done under FIAT warranty even though my car is over 3 years old, he's gonna ring me back next week to confirm this when he gets the parts in.

this information maybe useful to anyone who's having blown bulbs like me.

The ones I have done the customer have paid for however if they are offering it to you free dont knock it!

well the glow plugs are all wired throu one wire so how could it also the examiner will only tell them wich bulbs are presently blown not why or when

i fink your best bet is to find another dealer who actualy read their service bulitans yours sounds prety crap