Technical Engine stalling

[Mypanda12]

Hi all, hope someone can help, I have just registered on this forum to help diagnose what is wrong with my Mums fiat Panda 2009. The issue is that it appears to intermittently stall, but strangely it seems only when the temp needle is below half way, so it runs fine when engine is warm. Starting from cold is no problem but after 4-5 mins of driving is often stalls. The battery is good.

My mum took it to garage and they checked it out, said it was a cambelt issue, so they replaced that (It likely did need replacing anyway as its done over 90K miles), and said its running fine and gave it back, but the issue persists. Then my Brother took it to another garage and asked them to clean out the throttle body, as someone told him that would fix the issue, but the issue still persists. Yesterday I replaced all the spark plugs, and all the HT leads, checked the two coil packs with a multimeter (both reading within spec), but again the issue still persists. The EML is not flashing up, and a quick scan with my cheapish reader reveals no pending codes, although there is x1 stored code (PO115,Engine Coolant Temperature (ECT) Sensor Circuit Malfunction).

Anyone have any ideas ? So far we have

Replaced cambelt (garage used a cambelt kit)
Cleaned soot from inlet manifold
Replaced Spark plugs
Replaced HT spark plug leads
Checked both the coil packs primary & secondary resistances (both readings are within spec)

Thanks for any help, the garages can find nothing wrong !!

 

[Mypanda12]

HNY to you all, to update Ive now found a local Fiat specialist, not too far from me and I wasn't even aware they were there atall. He will take a look at it indoors and let me know what the issue is, and again will keep this post updated ! Thanks agin for your time to respond

 

[koalar]

HNY to you all, to update Ive now found a local Fiat specialist, not too far from me and I wasn't even aware they were there atall. He will take a look at it indoors and let me know what the issue is, and again will keep this post updated ! Thanks agin for your time to respond

Did you push a cloth down the MAP sensor hole before fitting the cleaned MAP back

Have you tried running the car with the breather pipe disconnected at the valve cover

It normally fixes this problem, not always

Such as this one

Revs dropping leading to stall | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

Morning gang - hope you're all well and looking forward to the festive period :) I've got a problem with my 2012 model - partner was driving it the other day and told me the oil pressure light came on (yellow) and then the engine cut out. I checked the oil (which was low, in fairness), topped...

www.fiatforum.com

 

[Mypanda12]

Did you push a cloth down the MAP sensor hole before fitting the cleaned MAP back

Have you tried running the car with the breather pipe disconnected at the valve cover

It normally fixes this problem, not always

Such as this one

Revs dropping leading to stall | FIAT Panda (Mk3)

Morning gang - hope you're all well and looking forward to the festive period :) I've got a problem with my 2012 model - partner was driving it the other day and told me the oil pressure light came on (yellow) and then the engine cut out. I checked the oil (which was low, in fairness), topped...

www.fiatforum.com

Hi agin, yes i pushed a cloth in the ap sensor hole and it was clean. I did not try to run the car with breather pipe disconnected as advised as Christmas time & NY was away. Anyhow, the garage called me this morning; said they had plugged it into their computer and say that both lambba sensors are faulty, as well as a faulty cold start switch. I will collect tomorrow and ask some more questions, but thinking aloud would these faulty components not activate the EML ?

 

[Mike1alike]

I did not try to run the car with breather pipe disconnected as advised as Christmas time & NY was away.

People almost never want to do that. What are you afraid of, people?!

but thinking aloud would these faulty components not activate the EML ?

I now for sure faulty lambda's heater circuit does activate EML.
If the signal reading signal is faulty, like 'exhausted' lambda sensor (they do wear, don't last forever) might be they send a signal albeit a faulty one. Then EML not triggered is normal. What's the mileage for your sensors?

Also... what 'cold start switch'?

 

[Mypanda12]

We bought the car second hand so could be the lambda sensors are original and never been replaced; mileage is around 90K miles ! Are the lambda sensors easy to reach/replace ? He says both of them (2) are faulty, or at least thats what the diag machine has flagged up, along with a faulty "cold start" switch or sensor. Im thinking is it something else causing both lambda sensors to read faulty ?

 

[koalar]

Something lost in interpretation from the garage to you to use

You car doesn't have a cold start switch

Post Cat O2 is only there to monitor the catalytic converter, it has no function to on the engine running

A slow pre Cat usually fail a MOT emissions test log before there a drivability issue

On the Panda there is no service interval for the O2 sensor, I had two cars do 200K on the originals that's 4 sensors

There's nothing to wear out, they can get contaminated

Yes they are easy to get to but they don't always come out without a fight,

I use a 22mm spanner and a blow torch if needed, but there are special tools for the job