General Calling all start 'n' stop owners!

[JimR123]

Well, after writing back to Fiat and complaining about the dealer telling us there was still no fix, the dealer has called again to say they have a fix! ...in the shape of a software update, but we all already knew that (except our dealer, apparently).

So we took it in at the weekend, left it with them for 30mins, and they applied the software update, and replaced the blue&me mic, which seems to have cured it's deafness, for now.

So far, so good. No warning lights, but it's early days yet, as only drove it for a couple of hours after picking it up from the dealer.

Could this finally be it?!?

 

[keeforelli]

Well, after writing back to Fiat and complaining about the dealer telling us there was still no fix, the dealer has called again to say they have a fix! ...in the shape of a software update, but we all already knew that (except our dealer, apparently).

So we took it in at the weekend, left it with them for 30mins, and they applied the software update, and replaced the blue&me mic, which seems to have cured it's deafness, for now.

So far, so good. No warning lights, but it's early days yet, as only drove it for a couple of hours after picking it up from the dealer.

Could this finally be it?!?

KEEP YOUR BLOODY FINGERS CROSSED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[JimR123]

Been out again in it, and still no warning lights! Crikey.

 

[Losty]

Been out again in it, and still no warning lights! Crikey.

Sounds fab, since im getting my 500 tomorrow! Hope everything works

 

[Rogerm]

Been out again in it, and still no warning lights! Crikey.

Hi there, my wife picked up her Start Stop on 23rd Dec and the fault developed just after New Year (yellow general warning light and the start-stop light with a line thru it). I took it back to Lipscombe in Aylesfor (Kent) and they told me that it was a sensor in the gearbox that had failed that needed to tell the system when the stick was in Neutral and they they needed to order a new part. I took it back for them to fix it yesterday and when my wife drove it today, the problem reoccured. If I point them to this forum and the fact that it's a software upgrade, quoting Service News 10.35.09, do you reckon that this will fix it for good? Is your car still behaving itself?

 

[Losty]

Got ours on the 15. Januar, and the S&S system works great. Thou it only works when the engine is completely warm (which takes some time when its minus degrees all the time).

 

[elation]

Since having had the software update my car (when the ss works) is great. I put it into neutral, handbrake on and engine stops. I press the clutch, engine re-starts, put car into gear and drive. This is great seen as my car prior to update wouldn't start after 3 attempts of foot on clutch. However I'm still getting the ss sign and warning triangl intermittantly for no reason. I still have difficutly believing that if car isn't warmed up you will also have the warning triangl and the only way to get rid of it is to switch the car off. Hardly practical on a motorway drive. This triangl and ss not available I find also comes on when your levelling up the clutch and accelerator to move the vehicle. Could it be releated to a sensitive clutch as this has to be used to drive the vehicle in any direction and this also, I'm assuming is linked to the ss as you need to press it once to re-start vehicle once ss is activated.

Haven't been back to garage for second attempt yet. Trying to get through to garage is proving difficult as they are always on answer machine and then we keep missing each other. Why I should have to pay for all the calls to chase them for a fault with a car they have supplied really annoys me, and taxi's there and back. Grrr I know it's fiat not them but I'm exhausted with all this effort. sorry to moan as I know it's not appreciated. Just wish fiat would do something.

I may be teaching you to suck eggs, and apologies if I am, but there are circumstances where SNS will not work, including:

• If any of the doors are open
• If you don't have seatbelt fastened
• If any error codes are stored in the system
• If you have rear screen demister on
• Wipers on fastest settings
• Fuel Light On
• After reversing

So it won't all the time. i have to say, i've got SNS on my Evo, and its faultless, even trying to trick it (putting car into gear while the engine is off, then putting rear screen demister on)

 

[petbal]

My wife has ordered a 500 1.2 pop which will come with start and stop (hopefully at the beginning of March it was at stage 30 last week). Given that her car is mainly used for short urban journeys there is a strong probability that I may need to give it a booster charge at some stage of it's hopefully long existence which would require battery disconnection. Will battery disconnection cause a lot of ECU, stop and start etc upsets?

Peter (who tends to regard new gadgets on cars as something else to go wrong!)

 

[Mark Elvin]

Wht would this require the battery to be disconnected.

 

[elation]

There is a second negative terminal which is used for charging and boosting, no need to disconnect the battery.

 

[petbal]

There is a second negative terminal which is used for charging and boosting, no need to disconnect the battery.

That's good - I am showing my age but for years I have worked on the basis that the battery needs to be disconnected before connecting a mains charger to avoid messing up the electrics - which it would have to be anyway if it is it not possible to get the car conveniently close to a mains socket! Also sods law usually dictates that it is usually p***ng down with rain when i have to charge a battery with no cover available and most mains battery chargers are not intended to be subject to the elements!

 

[JimR123]

Hi there, my wife picked up her Start Stop on 23rd Dec and the fault developed just after New Year (yellow general warning light and the start-stop light with a line thru it). I took it back to Lipscombe in Aylesfor (Kent) and they told me that it was a sensor in the gearbox that had failed that needed to tell the system when the stick was in Neutral and they they needed to order a new part. I took it back for them to fix it yesterday and when my wife drove it today, the problem reoccured. If I point them to this forum and the fact that it's a software upgrade, quoting Service News 10.35.09, do you reckon that this will fix it for good? Is your car still behaving itself?

Hi. Our car is now working perfectly too. Not sure wether the gear lever sensor "fix" actually did anything, but the 30 minute software update seems to have fixed the problem, for good.

Talk to the garage, and mention that you know of other people with the software update fix. If they say they know nothing about it, contact Fiat via their website, and they should (did in our case) contact the dealer and make them aware of it.

Best of luck!

 

[D4nny8oy]

Will battery disconnection cause a lot of ECU, stop and start etc upsets?

You can disconnect the False negative pole for long periods of inactivity, but you must never disconnect the battery negative pole unless replacing it.

Due to the nature of Stop/Start, the ECU needs to monitor the condition of the battery (via the Intelligent Battery Sensor) which includes it's current charge and various other data samples recorded over the last week. If it detects the battery will be unable restart the engine, Start/Stop is disabled.

Disconnecting the battery wipes this clean, and it has to start again from scratch. Once the battery is reconnected, the IBS learns the charge status over the course of the next 5 days, with at least 8 hours between start-ups before the Start/Stop will operate 100%.

 

[elation]

A friend of mine has IBS. Means she can't have spicy food.

 

[306maxi]

 

[petbal]

You can disconnect the False negative pole for long periods of inactivity, but you must never disconnect the battery negative pole unless replacing it.


Disconnecting the battery wipes this clean, and it has to start again from scratch. Once the battery is reconnected, the IBS learns the charge status over the course of the next 5 days, with at least 8 hours between start-ups before the Start/Stop will operate 100%.

Thanks for the explanation. Looks like an extension lead and whatever weather protection i can contrive if a battery recharge is called for then. Now perhaps if I could work up the enthusiasm to clear the carport and garage I might even get the car under cover but we will postpone that until the weather gets a bit warmer!

 

[petbal]

Just curiosity - do start 'n stop 500's - effectively now all new 500's have uprated batteries and alternators to cope with the additional load?

 

[306maxi]

Just curiosity - do start 'n stop 500's - effectively now all new 500's have uprated batteries and alternators to cope with the additional load?

just remember that warm starts put very little load on the alternator, starter motor and battery compared to cold starts.

 

[elation]

Yes, main differences are Battery Condition Monitor, Uprated Starter Motor, and Uprated Battery. Tis the way of the future, and is being introduced across the range.

 

[Rogerm]

Hi. Our car is now working perfectly too. Not sure wether the gear lever sensor "fix" actually did anything, but the 30 minute software update seems to have fixed the problem, for good.

Talk to the garage, and mention that you know of other people with the software update fix. If they say they know nothing about it, contact Fiat via their website, and they should (did in our case) contact the dealer and make them aware of it.

Best of luck!

Well, I took my wife's car back to Lipscombe's on Friday, after telling them it needed a software upgrade. They said it would take 30 mins but it ended up taking 1.5 hours! But it's done now and problem hasn't come back - yet. Fingers crossed! Thanks for all your help