Technical Abarth 595 2019 Turismo misfiring issues

[marky7seven]

Hello Everyone

I hope someone might be able to help or point me in the direction of someone that can help.
We purchased (my wife) a Abarth 595 1.4 T-Jet 165 Turismo 70th Anniversary from a auction. The car has some faults and was modified by the previous owner, and for the last 10 weeks I've been trying to sort the issues out.

The car is misfiring with codes P0300 to P0304.

1/ The first thing I did was change the spark plugs. Issue continued
2/ It had been map, so had this put back to stock. Issue continued
3/ The person that put the map back checked the coil packs switching them around, interestingly this change the codes to P0302 and P0304, I don't know if this is still the case as I don't have the machine to test the codes myself. Issue continued
4/ Car went to Derby Fiat to test and services the car. Annoyingly the car drove lovely after 20 minutes driving, they couldn't find the errors, did the service and asked me to fetch the car back saying its in perfectly good health. I asked them to hold firing and test the car again in 48 hours, and the issue returned. so the car runs ok when its warm. Issue continued
5/ They took some injectors our of another car to test on this one. Issue continued
6/ They did a compression test on the engine after I asked them too, they didn't do this originally. Issue continued
They have now sat on it for 3 weeks after telling me they are contacting Abarth as they think it might be the ECU or Wiring. Spoke to them this morning and they haven't done anything as they want to change me another 6 hours ontop of the charges on top of everything else, which has annoyed me as it wasn't what they said 3 weeks ago. And I told them not to do the service unless the issue is fixed (but I understand the car was running ok when they had it).

So I'm at a lose end now what to do. I'm thinking about getting the car back and taking the ECU out and seeing if I can get it repaired, but surely if the ECU is faulty it would show that.

Finally, I don't know if this will make a different but the previous owner installed a aftermarket exhaust, but this was also done by Stoneacre Derby.

Thank you
Mark

 

[AndyRKett]

Changing the coil packs around moved the fault codes, but you haven't said that the coils have been replaced ?

It may just be something as simple as needing some new coils.

What you have to consider is the car was sold at auction, Why? Did the previous owner do something that has caused some damage in the engine or to the ECU and has just decided to cut their losses and trade it in.

The issue with buying cars at auction is that you are almost certainly buying someone else's problems, and unless you are prepared to do work yourself then it's going to get very expensive chasing faults.

Either take the car back and see how it is, settling the bill as it stands. If problems persist and you can't do the work yourself maybe talk to a good local Italian car specialist who will almost certainly be cheaper and probably have more experience than than fiat.

What I would say still, is that if its been remapped and someone has been mucking about with the engine, who knows what damage may have been caused to the engine.

 

[marky7seven]

Changing the coil packs around moved the fault codes, but you haven't said that the coils have been replaced ?

It may just be something as simple as needing some new coils.

What you have to consider is the car was sold at auction, Why? Did the previous owner do something that has caused some damage in the engine or to the ECU and has just decided to cut their losses and trade it in.

The issue with buying cars at auction is that you are almost certainly buying someone else's problems, and unless you are prepared to do work yourself then it's going to get very expensive chasing faults.

Either take the car back and see how it is, settling the bill as it stands. If problems persist and you can't do the work yourself maybe talk to a good local Italian car specialist who will almost certainly be cheaper and probably have more experience than than fiat.

What I would say still, is that if its been remapped and someone has been mucking about with the engine, who knows what damage may have been caused to the engine.

Hello, no the coils haven't been replaced, but I have taken Fiat advice and the mechanic that put the map back to factory. I will say that one of the coil packs is a different make to the others, so it has had issues in the past with this.

I have 100% inherited someone elses issue, and trust me I wouldn't have brought it. Which I think leaves it to me, to try and work out what is going one, as the cost could spiral at a garage. If the ECU is faulty, wouldn't you get a code for that also?

 

[A3jeroen]

I'd change all 4 coils myself (bought a 4pack of NGK's back when I had my 100HP for € 80) and see from there.

What was the outcome of the compressiontest? All good compression?

gr J

 

[marky7seven]

All good on the compression test. I managed to speak to the Managing Direct at the dealership, he was alot more clued up than the service advice. It seems my details about the car had never been passed on, so they didn't realise it had been map and put back to stock.

If its a faulty map that has been put back or the ECU is faulty you wouldn't get an error code. So a download of the ECU is getting sent to Abarth, so hopefully they can spot if there is an error.

 

[A3jeroen]

But if the fault migrated with the coilchange, chances are it is not the ECU or the map, but one or more coils...

gr J

 

[marky7seven]

But if the fault migrated with the coilchange, chances are it is not the ECU or the map, but one or more coils...

gr J

They have confirmed its not the coils.

 

[marky7seven]

Abarth have come back and said the ECU is corrupt from the data they can see.

 

[marky7seven]

So its not December the 6th, and the car is still at the garage, the lack of communication has been a joke, to the point I've had to drive to the dealership today to find out what is going on. Saw the car parked up behind the unit, and they told me they had just done a compression and its not that, which I replied I though you did that when you first had it. They are saying now they need to do a compression test on the fuel line, and that is the final thing to check.

The car has had a new ECU, Coils, Injectors and full wiring check. Anyone know an expert I can get some advice from?

The car has been in the garage for a long time now.

 

[marky7seven]

The car is now coming back, sadly not fixed. I don't understand why the issue goes away once it is warm.

 

[Inge64]

The car is now coming back, sadly not fixed. I don't understand why the issue goes away once it is warm.

I had a misfiring issue and then it ran rough (after a service). I had the coil packs changed next, and straight away the car started misfiring on start or even stalling after just turning over. Sometimes the engine light flashed (catalytic converter warning). But when warm, it goes like a dream. I have been running mine on high octane fuel and two people have suggested I move to 95 - and not to use 98. I am in the process of running the tank of 98 out to see if that will fix it for good. For the last week, it has started each time I’ve tried it. I think it’s unlikely that the problem will go away by itself but at the moment it seems to be gone. Sigh.

 

[Inge64]

I had a misfiring issue and then it ran rough (after a service). I had the coil packs changed next, and straight away the car started misfiring on start or even stalling after just turning over. Sometimes the engine light flashed (catalytic converter warning). But when warm, it goes like a dream. I have been running mine on high octane fuel and two people have suggested I move to 95 - and not to use 98. I am in the process of running the tank of 98 out to see if that will fix it for good. For the last week, it has started each time I’ve tried it. I think it’s unlikely that the problem will go away by itself but at the moment it seems to be gone. Sigh.

Mine’s an Abarth 595 Competizione - built late in 2018

 

[marky7seven]

I never got to the bottom of it, but the chap I sold it too in the end said it is most likely the Cylinder head, he has how too that done it now around the same age.

 

[marky7seven]

This is the chap that took the car: https://www.redwoodmotorcompanyhampshireltd.co.uk

 

[Cbr338]

I have this same issue with a 2018 that we had brought it does it randomly this missfire and if you turn the ignition off, then back on again, it starts up perfect in five months of owning it. It’s done it twice so far.