My boy's 2012 Punto Easy (1.4 8 valve) has a microswitch operated latch on the rear hatchback. It's been intermittent in operation for a month or more and now won't open at all when the badge is depressed - I don't think it's operating with the remote key switch either. The car's not here at my house just now but my boy will be bringing it over as soon as covid rules permit and I'd like to get a head start on what I'm doing.
So, first question is, can I trigger the latch manually? I've seem you tube illustrations of a wee button on the side of the latch which can be depressed to manually release the catch from inside the vehicle, but this was for an earlier model of Punto - a grande I think it was.
From what I've discovered it would seem that there are 3 main problem areas. In no order of importance:-
1) It seems that broken wires inside the rubber boot between the hatch and body is a common problem (I've come across this many times before on many different makes of vehicle - why can't they come up with a better design!).
2) Failure of the microswitch in the FIAT badge on the hatch is also listed as common.
3) failure of the actual latch itself, but I gather that this is less common?
Can anyone tell me what is the most common reason for this failure to operate and are there any other problems with it which I haven't yet discovered? - Does anyone know what the circuitry for the microswitch is? I'm wondering if it can be pulled from the badge plug and shorted to force activation? Which would help me diagnose the microswitch itself. I think, from the limited view offered on one of the videos, that there are 3 wires to this plug? If so and if a shorting procedure can be carried out, which wires are connected together (with a paper clip or similar) to achieve this?
Many thanks to anyone who can advise me.
Jock
So, first question is, can I trigger the latch manually? I've seem you tube illustrations of a wee button on the side of the latch which can be depressed to manually release the catch from inside the vehicle, but this was for an earlier model of Punto - a grande I think it was.
From what I've discovered it would seem that there are 3 main problem areas. In no order of importance:-
1) It seems that broken wires inside the rubber boot between the hatch and body is a common problem (I've come across this many times before on many different makes of vehicle - why can't they come up with a better design!).
2) Failure of the microswitch in the FIAT badge on the hatch is also listed as common.
3) failure of the actual latch itself, but I gather that this is less common?
Can anyone tell me what is the most common reason for this failure to operate and are there any other problems with it which I haven't yet discovered? - Does anyone know what the circuitry for the microswitch is? I'm wondering if it can be pulled from the badge plug and shorted to force activation? Which would help me diagnose the microswitch itself. I think, from the limited view offered on one of the videos, that there are 3 wires to this plug? If so and if a shorting procedure can be carried out, which wires are connected together (with a paper clip or similar) to achieve this?
Many thanks to anyone who can advise me.
Jock