Technical Another oddball electrical symptom - yellow triangle alert!

[euroben]

And an update to the update which updated the update.

New battery a very few months ago - Feb or so. And a good 'un - one of those Yamasakibushis with lots of CCAs and everyfink.

Happy little Fiat, behaved itself very nicely, with just the regular blown DRL for old time's sake, felt rather proud of it.

Until last week. Back to ESC, hill et al switching off upon braking. Sometimes. Or sometimes not.

They're possessed of a certain sense of humour, these little Fiats. It'd better be careful, lest I consummate a so far long distance affair with a certain i3.

I had similar issues with mine a year ago and initially thought it was the battery. Then I discovered it had just had a new battery before I bought it. I then set about cleaning the battery connectors with contact cleaner and also cleaned the metal parts of the intelligent battery sensor thing for the start stop. I then sprayed them all with lithium grease and I have never had a problem since.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Might just treat it to a good seeing to with some fine wet and dry, it was a bit crusty, I recall.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Update to the updated update on the earlier update.

Looks like it's an intermittently faulty brake switch because we've eliminated everything else (and, whisper it quietly, the Man found a code) @chris3234 diagnosed it months ago!

 

[minisandfiats]

My wife’s 2013 TwinAir Trekking is putting out these errors (stop start, hill hold, ESC occasionally etc) so I’m guessing it’s the battery as posts seem to suggest. I’ve got a new brake switch so might change this just to see.
If it is the battery, what brands are recommended? Do new batteries need “coding” to the car, ie connecting to a diagnostic computer? Or is it just swap and hope for the best?

 

[Funky Spike]

Battery; just a straight swap, nothing else needed. Start-Stop means they're not cheap. Make sure you get one up to the job.

Brake switch; had this recently on my Abarth. Threw an airbag warning then as I touched the brakes got the full house of warnings. Easy five min job, cheap as chips part, see no reason why a Panda wouldn't be the same.

Spike

 

[Panda IIs]

Battery; just a straight swap, nothing else needed. Start-Stop means they're not cheap. Make sure you get one up to the job.

Brake switch; had this recently on my Abarth. Threw an airbag warning then as I touched the brakes got the full house of warnings. Easy five min job, cheap as chips part, see no reason why a Panda wouldn't be the same.

Spike

Yes its a quarter turn to remove and fit. Brake light switch has normally closed and normally open contacts so brake lights working is not an indication that it is working OK (but then you may know this?).

 

[The Panda Nut]

By way of an update regarding strange goings-on with Panda electrics...

I was getting error codes, as above. I didn't get around to fitting a new battery, but I started getting a DRL out message. I was just about to change the bulb (odd, because it wasn't long ago changed) when as if by magic it came back on and I began to get the 'check stop light' error (all the time continuing to have occasional Hill Hold, Start/Stop & ESC off messages).

I changed the rear bulb yesterday, even though the filaments were intact (don't really get that, but hey, I did the thing). It's now had 4 trips, maybe 50-60 miles and no warnings for bulbs (obvs), but also nothing for the ESC etc.

Not quite enough miles to be conclusive yet, but what on earth's happening? I know canbus systems work in mysterious ways, but welcome any sense that can be made by anyone?

Some where I read something about small Fiats and similarities with Italian women. Best just shrug your shoulders and carry on.

 

[Bonefish Blues]

Update to the updated update on the earlier update.

Looks like it's an intermittently faulty brake switch because we've eliminated everything else (and, whisper it quietly, the Man found a code) @chris3234 diagnosed it months ago!

Yes, it was. All's working perfik now.