General Christmas lights on my dash

StiloJoe · Dec 19, 2006

Not really a christmas tree or any of the sort but loads of error messages

To list a few

Engine fault
Loose Connection
ABS fault
Airbag failure
Alternator failure
and maybe more

All i did was after a few seconds with my front+rear fogs on (due to weather) it all went a bit pair shaped and in the end the lights on my dash and outside dulled down then the car stalled leaving me in middle of the road

I sat there a bit then tried again to drive off then same again In the end left the car off for 30 min then all seemed fine and has been since

Anyone got any ideas cos im baffeled on this one lol

alexGS · Dec 19, 2006

Well the battery is the first thing that springs to mind, isn't it

I've found that even these days you can't overlook the basics: the importance of clean, tight battery terminals. Oxides can be pretty much invisible and yet interfere with the current flow, 'confusing' the alternator and probably giving all those messages.

You can get a special wire brush for cleaning the battery posts. Mine was cheap and includes a 'bottle-brush' in the handle, for cleaning the terminal clamp.

You could also inspect the fusebox that's clamped to the battery - look for signs of water ingress, that sort of thing. And then there's the mysterious D4 connector commonly mentioned here; it's somewhere near the battery (though I don't know exactly where).

-Alex

StiloJoe · Dec 19, 2006

Well when i finally got home this evening i removed the battery and all the terminals was clean Took it to halfords to price up a new one and i knew the guy there anyway So he did a quick voltage test on it and it came up pretty good. He advised me to goto a test place that test alternators and batterys in kirkby. When i got home put the battery back on and its fine like nothing was ever wrong So going to pop there tomo to that test place LEt them do a few diagnosis on it

Rich · Dec 20, 2006

You might have just caught out the Body Computer and it threw error messages down the CAN line.

If it comes up again I'd start checking and considering a new battery, if it's a one-off thing then I wouldn't worry!

StiloJoe · Dec 20, 2006

rroope said:
You might have just caught out the Body Computer and it threw error messages down the CAN line.

If it comes up again I'd start checking and considering a new battery, if it's a one-off thing then I wouldn't worry!

Well it happened at the w/e not as crazy as that Just got a airbag failure and a engine fault after going through a Ford (not car) and parking up with engine running

Turned it off a bit and it went away

Going to have my battery + alternator checked see what throughs up

Feed back later

Rich · Dec 20, 2006

Ah, going through a Ford = D4!!!

Had the same when I went through a puddle

. Wouldn't bother with altenator test, just take the battery cover off, unplug the 4 connectors from the grey junction box, ensure all are dry, refix and tighten.

J J · Dec 20, 2006

today i had

Abs
Asr warning

low oil warning

and stop engine warning

dan-the-man · Dec 20, 2006

there's a game in this somewhere :chin:

I only had abs warning this morning, so I've lost

StiloJoe · Dec 21, 2006

dan-the-man said:
there's a game in this somewhere :chin:

I only had abs warning this morning, so I've lost

Looks like im in the lead then with my list

rroope said:
Ah, going through a Ford = D4!!!

Had the same when I went through a puddle . Wouldn't bother with altenator test, just take the battery cover off, unplug the 4 connectors from the grey junction box, ensure all are dry, refix and tighten.

Which junction box do you mean?

Ive had the battery off the other day and its been fine

Also last night popped to County Battery (In Kirkby Notts) and he said the battery is just too down to keep charged by the alternator but the alternator is fine and so is the battery Its just low on charge just with putting after market HU and amp in (+ playing loud recently) But all he advised to do was charge the battery till its full charged and shouldnt have a problem If i get further problems later down the line with power failure it maybe the case of going to a auto electrition and getting to test how much everything of mine is drawing out and may advise on a bigger amp/hour battery to keep up with the drain

Rich · Dec 21, 2006

Yeah, I whacked a JTD battery in our 1.6; due to the Stilo's electronic complexitity and demand, I concluded FIAT had underrated the battery (we had this with a Citroen XM years ago, it would go along revving at 2000rpm for no reason, Citroen spent close to £1000 putting in new ECU's, coils, actuators, sensors . . . turned out to be the battery, and the Engine ECU was over-revving to compensate) - now startup errors are a thing of the past! (touch wood, and apart from the steering column playing up

).

D4 is the connector under the engine junction box. Take the battery cover off, and you'll see a grey fuse/relay box with a red wire going to the battery. Undo the small +head screw, and dismount it, and very gently pull it up; you'll see 4 connectors there, and one of them is D4. Best to take the 2 3-pin and 2 multi-pins off, ensure they are dry and resecure them. Some people say use electrical-lube but I myself have never bothered.

StiloJoe · Dec 22, 2006

Cool Know where ya mean. Mate got all engine diag stuff for my car so he gunna give it a plug in and see what errors comes up

I just hope its something not too crazy to sort as use the car alot

Hay hoo its Christmas

StiloJoe · Dec 22, 2006

Just come back from mates garage and he is nearly possitive that its the battery

Had all the fuses and connectors out the battery fuse box and cleaned them up but he said if there was a constamt fault then the engine man system light should stay on

Reason behind thinking battery is that its only ever gone wrong on low revs or starting up so the battery cant give enough power out

So conclusin ive just ordered a biggest battery for my model of a guy that supplies my mates with batterys so see how i go lol

ChrisF · Dec 22, 2006

It's the new essential mod for the Stilo:slayer: Shove a big battery in it. Will be interesting to see if it cuts down the number of mysterious errors it likes to throw for no apparent reason. I've done the same recently, so far, the only bing i've heard is the Ice warning.

StiloJoe · Dec 23, 2006

ChrisF said:
It's the new essential mod for the Stilo:slayer: Shove a big battery in it. Will be interesting to see if it cuts down the number of mysterious errors it likes to throw for no apparent reason. I've done the same recently, so far, the only bing i've heard is the Ice warning.

Sorry to disappoint folks (more so myself) but played up again last night

Most light im getting now is Car Security Failure and a clicking noise from the internal fuse panel

Rich · Dec 23, 2006

That'll be a loss of communication with the CODE computer, had that once. Is it still playing up or a one off?

One assumes the new battery is now fitted . . .

StiloJoe · Dec 23, 2006

rroope said:
That'll be a loss of communication with the CODE computer, had that once. Is it still playing up or a one off?

One assumes the new battery is now fitted . . .

One is correct

Biggest battery for my model of car 500amps of pure cranking power

Shame its not the prob

Anywho yeah the prob is coming and going when it feels like it Since friday only error message on and off when starting is Car Security Failure and not start Ive tried my other key just incase my main one has gone wrong with the CODE for some reason but still happened on that one

StiloJoe · Dec 28, 2006

UPDATE

Took car to Sunwin fiat derby today where i had it from and they have come to the conclusion its something wrong with the ignition barrell and the steering wheel (airbag side i prosume) but its all covered on the 3rd year so see what happens when i get it back sometime sat or tues

Meantime ive a 06 plate Grande Punto which does look and drive nice just no go compared to my car lol

Rich · Dec 28, 2006

Hmm, maybe the CODE fault is a dodgy antenna. It's located on the ignition barrel, and they could be replacing that.

StiloJoe · Dec 29, 2006

Ive no idea tbf Ive left them to sort it So should get it back at the latest next year (2nd Jan)

Meantime i do like this punto Nice size and shape Think i might go check the grande punto section see how many folks had probs with the 1.9 jtd sport

Aresby · Mar 12, 2007

@ Stilo Joe - any resolution on this problem because by Punto Grande had the same problem over the weekend (see link).

Be nice to know if there is a known fix...

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