General Calling all start 'n' stop owners!

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

I'm having the same problem! A generic failure indication light as well as the start and stop (deactivation) light appears at the same time, not 100% sure why it comes up, only had my 500 3 weeks


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Do you mean the stalling issue? My TA tended to stall very easily in the early days especially with ECO on but as the engine bedded down it's more forgiving - either that or I've adapted to it. To be honest I haven't noticed what lights might have come up at the time.

 

[EJ192]

9 times out of 10 I keep getting the "stop&start unavailable" message. No warning lights. Other times it doesn't "stop" and I don't get a message or it does actually work.

When I had work done on my car last month the battery was disconnected and I don't know if the system is possibly confused?

 

[Squadrone Rosso]

Having recently swapped a TA+ 500 for a TA Panda Cross, the difference in the way the two systems work is night & day.

I never really had any errors with the 500 but it hardly ever kicked in.

The Panda system works superbly, always kicks in, always restarts

 

[AdrianB]

Well after three years of happy motoring with our Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge, we have given up trying to get the Stop/Start warning lights issue fixed. Didn't matter what our Fiat dealer did, they couldn't resolve it,so we just lived with it. Seemed if you kept your foot on the clutch at a junction for a second longer than the car required, the stop/start failed and the warning lights came on.
Having said that, we have absolutely loved this car and guess what, we have just part-exchanged it for another one. The last one was white and the new one is a cool mint green. Only difference appears to be the seats are half leather with the '500' logo on them and there is a bumper strip running down the bottom of the doors...oh and the stop/start works perfectly with no warning lights sporadically coming on! Great stuff!

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Well after three years of happy motoring with our Fiat 500 1.2 Lounge, we have given up trying to get the Stop/Start warning lights issue fixed. Didn't matter what our Fiat dealer did, they couldn't resolve it,so we just lived with it. Seemed if you kept your foot on the clutch at a junction for a second longer than the car required, the stop/start failed and the warning lights came on.
Having said that, we have absolutely loved this car and guess what, we have just part-exchanged it for another one. The last one was white and the new one is a cool mint green. Only difference appears to be the seats are half leather with the '500' logo on them and there is a bumper strip running down the bottom of the doors...oh and the stop/start works perfectly with no warning lights sporadically coming on! Great stuff!

Nice one!

 

[Guitarmaker]

My wife's stop/start isn't working on her 12 month old 500, stopped a few months ago.

The service receptionist suggested it was our fault - did we use the air con? I pointed out this is December. How about the windscreen de-mist? This is so deafening it's never left on for a second longer than required.

I'll check battery voltage later, if this is low, it shouldn't be from the way we drive. If it isn't low, why no stop/start?

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

My wife's stop/start isn't working on her 12 month old 500, stopped a few months ago.

The service receptionist suggested it was our fault - did we use the air con? I pointed out this is December. How about the windscreen de-mist? This is so deafening it's never left on for a second longer than required.

I'll check battery voltage later, if this is low, it shouldn't be from the way we drive. If it isn't low, why no stop/start?

Most likely the battery. The battery needs to be 100% for S/S to function normally. If it's lost its edge after only 12 months it might suggest your car, like mine, spent some time in storage. Mine had been built 10 months before I took delivery and the S/S didn't work properly from the start. Armed with information from this forum I tackled the dealer and they finally replaced the battery 12 months later - it's worked flawlessly ever since.

 

[PuntoHowTo]

The service receptionist suggested it was our fault - did we use the air con? I pointed out this is December. How about the windscreen de-mist? This is so deafening it's never left on for a second longer than required.

An idiotic response and typical from a fiat dealer, any car should be about operate both stop start, aircon, windscreen demist and any other system without seeing failure of another.

Basically the fiat system seems to give up working at any sign of anything other than a perfect battery.

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

To be fair, the S/S system is designed to cut out if the A/C is on, at least until the car reaches the desired temperature and the compressor is no longer required. In demist mode the climate control system also requires the compressor.

Nonetheless, as you say, the S/S does seem far too sensitive to battery levels and a bit more flexibility wouldn't have hurt.

The trouble with dealers is that they will latch onto any excuse they think the customer might swallow to avoid taking responsibility and the biggest advantage I had when confronting mine was the information I'd picked up here. When they finally realised I had all the answers and they couldn't palm me off they had to take me seriously. Thank you Fiat Forum!

 

[Guitarmaker]

I've checked the battery voltage and found it to be 12.5 volts. I know little of electrics and electronics, but is it possible for the battery to be giving 12.5 volts (without the engine running) and yet be run down?

Not that it should be run down, on Friday it did two 20 mile runs, yesterday one shorter run, and today two six mile runs. Air con not used, de-mist only before first trip on Friday.

I have to admit I used the indicators from time to time, maybe I was at fault here. In future I'll leave the driver's window open and use hand signals.

 

[Mercky]

You could try disconnecting the battery for a few mins and then reconnect, it takes a few miles for SS to relearn so it won't work immediately regardless.

 

[Mick F]

I've checked the battery voltage and found it to be 12.5 volts.

Can I just say a little about the S/S and battery issues?

Please don't get me wrong, i'm no technological expert, but I do know what I know and have found out from experience, plus learning stuff on here.

We bought a 2011 500TA in 2014 just after its 3rd birthday. I had no real idea about these cars or even S/S at all.

I spent ages learning about the 500 but mu immediate concern was that the S/S didn't work. The eventual conclusion and obvious one, was that the battery was the issue.

I had the battery checked a number of times, and each check found it perfect and fine and a good battery.

Eventually, I replaced the battery, and all of a sudden, everything was perfect! S/S worked perfectly!

Meanwhile, the "Old" battery was fitted into our old Renault Clio because her battery was on its last legs. The battery from the 500TA worked PERFECTLY and still does even now 12months later.

There's something about a S/S battery that's nothing to do with a "normal" battery, and I don't understand what it is.

Regards,
Mick.

 

[Cherron]

Just repeating what I've been told on courses- alternator's generate a surface charge on modern batteries (which the systems run-off), which disappates into the cells once the engine stops. This is why you could jump-start a knackered battery, drive around all day and it'll start ok, but as soon as it's left for a length of time (overnight) it'll be dead again.

Take your issue with your sister's Panda- on trickle charge it did nothing, all the charge soaked away. But give it a full deep-cycle/pulse charge and it was able to maintain it's volts/amps.

Once fitted, the IBS monitors the battery condition (voltage capacity, drop, etc) over the next 5 starts with a gap of at least 8 hours between them to determine the battery's ability to perform the repeated stop/start operations. If it's starting from a weak first-charge, you'll have system problems.



Usual training procedure is to send at least one Tech from each Dealer on the course, although some short-sighted Dealers merely see the cost involved and won't let their Tech go.

The course notes gave a detailed list of what various warning light/message combinations indicate, though I don't have them to hand, I think you're right in saying a Battery related issue would normally bring-up 'S/S Unavailable'.

Unfortunately as with all new Technologies, it takes a little time for solutions to be found for common issues that crop-up, and the symptoms you have suggest a software glitch which is out of the Tech's hands as it relies on Fiat/Bosch identifying the cause and finding a solution (whether it's a simple reprogramme, or requires modified parts).

At what part of the 'Start engine, press clutch, select Reverse, raise clutch, drive backwards" sequence do the warning messages occur?

Cheers Danny Boy. This makes sense. We bought an October 2014 Fiat 500L MPW (1.3 multi jet ) with 3700 on the clock, 2 weeks ago. Took it for service at main dealer, telling them start/stop wasn't working. Car serviced, but is back on Thursday for an overnight charge and test on the Friday. Reading what you've said - hoping this fixes the problem.

 

[Mick F]

Car serviced, but is back on Thursday for an overnight charge and test on the Friday. Reading what you've said - hoping this fixes the problem.

It didn't fix our problem at all.

I bought a good battery charger, and charge the battery over and over, with it in the car, in the car and connected, in the car with it disconnected, on a bench in the shed, and repeated the whole thing.

The battery is working well and reliably now ........... but in our elderly Clio (no S/S).

It refused point blank to work the S/S in our 2011 500TA, though it sometimes managed all of 20secs in Stop mode. However, the car would start perfectly and the battery showed no signs whosoever of any defect or lack of voltage.

As soon as I fitted a brand new battery, all was perfect and fine and it remains in Stop mode for the full 3mins even with the lights on and the wipers running.

Meanwhile, the Old battery gives sterling service in our Clio more than 12months later.

I cannot understand how a "good" battery is fine and dandy in a non-S/S car, but absolutely rubbish at S/S in a S/S car.

Regards,
Mick.

 

[ronmanager]

We've had our new 500 TA 105 Lounge for just about a month now with approx 200 miles on the clock. I have had Start Stop switched off since before I drove it off the Fiat forecourt - never been on once.


This morning on the way to the station I got jerky acceleration, the engine warning light and message and start stop unavailable message.


Not entirely pleased - it shall be returned to Fiat bloody rapid!

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

We've had our new 500 TA 105 Lounge for just about a month now with approx 200 miles on the clock. I have had Start Stop switched off since before I drove it off the Fiat forecourt - never been on once.


This morning on the way to the station I got jerky acceleration, the engine warning light and message and start stop unavailable message.


Not entirely pleased - it shall be returned to Fiat bloody rapid!

Unfortunate. The 'Start Stop Unavailable' message is probably just to advise that the fault would prevent S/S operating if it was switched on, not to indicate that S/S has caused any problems but I'll be interested to hear what they come up with..

 

[ronmanager]

Unfortunate. The 'Start Stop Unavailable' message is probably just to advise that the fault would prevent S/S operating if it was switched on, not to indicate that S/S has caused any problems but I'll be interested to hear what they come up with..

Yes I guessed that SS would switch itself off under any stress. However, the fact that I don't use SS and that the car is only a month old should mean that my battery is fine and shouldn't have caused this problem. We will see.


Currently the car is parked up for the day but I'll report what status it has when I pick it up later. I will also film the warning lights on so I have evidence when I take it in to Fiat in case it clears itself in the meantime.

 

[ronmanager]

Update is that the engine warning light was still on last night. The fuel light was on so I filled up (just in case) and the light remained on. This morning my wife drove the car a few miles and the light was off again but the car was jerky. I then drove it a couple of miles and it was misfiring at about 2500 revs. So I drove it up and down a big carpark for 5 mins and the problem persisted until bingo, on came the engine warning light again.


Long story short, it is booked in for Friday and hopefully even if the light does go off between now and then, I can replicate the misfire and hopefully the light will come on again.


Never ever had a single issue with my old 1.2 over 6 years and now I'm nervous about this quirky little Twin air engine as it appears to have a reputation for problems.

 

[UFI]

Yes I guessed that SS would switch itself off under any stress.

I don't think there's anything wrong. It could be as simple as your seatbelt not being fastened or a door adjar, or you've been stationary for more than three minutes etc etc. A near stall can also bring it up.

 

[TrevC]

Ronmanager, I will be very interested in the outcome of your problem, as will all TA owners. Coincidentally, at the weekend my wife was driving our TA 85 and, after some reversing the "Stop/Start unavailable" message came up (normal) and also the yellow warning triangle and engine outline warning lights. The car still drove normally. The handbook states the engine outline means injection system fault, but the car can still be driven. I drove it around the block a couple of times, drove perfectly but the warnings stayed on.
The next day, warnings were still on so I disconnected the battery for about an hour, reconnected it and all has been well for the last 100 miles. I'm hoping it was an electronic glitch that had to be cleared from the error log, but time will tell.