Technical Engine Control Fault Help please!

[SillyBilly]

Hi
I was pootling along as one does when retired. Beep! and the engine control light comes on and the message Eng Ctrl Fault - Call garage.
Engine was and is fine and everything seems OK. Carried on home. Starts fine but the light is still lit and the message comes up intermittently.
My bug is pretty reliable so I haven't had much need to use the FiatEcuScan software recently. No problem, found the cable and thought that will give me the error..
'Connecting to ecu'
'No ecu response'
'Check your cable and serial port settings!'

Retried the cable
Checked the settings which were
K.Line/VAGCOM
Com4
Speed 9600
English
CSV Tab

I haven't changed anything since I last used it and the latency is as it was though I can't remember where to find it!

Tried the ABS switch on the cable - worked fine
Tried the Air Bag switch on the cable - worked fine
I don't believe it is the engine switch 1 on the cable as the error came up before it was connected

Can anyone advise?
Please don't tell me the engine ecu is duff as I had a similar problem with the ABS which couldn't be communicated with and required a replacement ecu
Last question: Can I still drive the Multipla

 

[momoe]

I had similar problems syncing my ECUscan with the ECU, wouldn't recognise the ECU although no settings had changed.
I tried it with the ignition off, connect cable and try.
I tried it with the ignition on, connect cable and try.
I tried with the car running, connect cable and try.

One of these combo's worked and I didn't remember which particular sequence worked, the other thing to do is reseat the ECU connector to make sure the ECU is connected properly, I've resolved an engine fault just by doing this.

 

[SillyBilly]

Hi
I tried all three ways but none worked
Is the engine ecu the one in the passenger footwell? I recall there being 2 cables going there.

 

[martyc5674]

Had what sounds like same problem...(not connecting to ecu)
Disconnected battery overnight to reset ecu and it worked the next day
Marty.

 

[QinteQ]

- no idea but its nearly always 99% Baud Rate & COM port related

 

[momoe]

Baud and com rate don't appear to be the issue as the poster is getting ABS and airbag information (At least that's how I read the first post).

The issue is only with the ECU related data and, yes, the ECU is in the passenger footwell and there maybe more than one cable
Marty's idea is worth a shot, but after that I'm stumped - The OBDII port must be ok as it's receiving data but for some reason the ECU side isn't syncing up.

 

[SillyBilly]

Hi
Thanks for the comments so far.
I thought the same about the baud rate and latency because the ABS and airBag circuits are fine. Tomorrow I will try the cable with the engine switch on, on my son's multipla though I suppose it could vary. The cable and FES have always linked up on mine in the past and I haven't changed anything.
This morning I drove into town. About 30mins later the engine control light went off. I nearly cheered but remembering it is a Fiat I didn't. A minute later it went on again!
Stayed on for an hour but just about 15 mins before I got home it went off and has stayed off since.
I connected the FES and cable but it still doesn't sync on the engine switch even when the light was off. I checked for continuity between pin 7 through the switch for the engine to the cable board and it was fine.

 

[widemouthfrog]

Aside from not being able to communicate with the ECU, does your car feel like it has a problem? Will it rev past 3000rpm? Has it put you in limp home mode? I wouldn't get too hung up about the ECU connection if the car seems to be running OK.

BTW, I don't mean that to be patronising . It would be handy to have a working ECUScan connection, but if the car's running OK, you're doing a lot better than some other poor b**gers on here ATM!

 

[SillyBilly]

Hi
I am happier now the light is off though what will it be like tomorrow!
No other problems and it seems to be running OK.
I would like to get the FES working again as I like to fix my own car and you can't without the diagnostics. I presume the FIAT expert software wont work either so problems in the future?

 

[widemouthfrog]

Can you remember what you were doing when the light came back on last time? High revs? Full throttle? Heavy braking? Now that the light is off again, perhaps try to provoke it by doing some of these things tomorrow. Or does it seem to be completely random?

I had a spell with mine where the Eng Ctrl Fault light kept coming on. The fault reader indicated it was the MAP sensor at fault. It turned out to be a small piece of perished vacuum hose (in the line feeding the MAP sensor). Same symptoms, same fault reported. Cost to fix the 2 inch piece of hose was less than 20p. Unfortunately, by then I'd taken the fault code literally and spent just over £50 replacing a perfectly functional MAP sensor :bang::bang::bang:

 

[SillyBilly]

Hi
Just driving along at a steady 50!
Same when it went off and on again!!
Just remember you would have paid £50 for a fiat diagnosis and they would have done the same thing and then probably not have found what you did

 

[SillyBilly]

Hi widemouthfrog
Have used it a bit more now. The light often goes off but comes on again. Car lacks its usual poke in all gears at all times, but will do 60 + Tge light comes on at random times but several times I have been pressing on when overtaking.
Have managed to get the FES software to communicate with the engine by lowering the latency to 8.
I have cleared the errors and will check again in a couple of days

 

[QinteQ]

Car lacks its usual poke in all gears at all times, but will do 60 + Tge light comes on at random times but several times I have been pressing on when overtaking.

Hmmmmmmmmmm !, it will take less than a minute or so to eliminate this possible cause :

- see #13 & #14
- see #16

Best of luck SillyBilly.