Technical Flashing Mileage, No B&M and buttons on steering wheel

[gp1996]

Hi,

I brought my fiat 500 Lounge (2010) from a private seller around 4 months ago, as it was the first time i'd ever brought a fiat 500 I didnt know what to look for.

Long story short the mileage has flashed continuously since ive had it, the windows & phone button do not work on the steering wheel, and the blue and me system seems to be pretty non existent. Oh and the USB port gives nothing from it.

My start stop was starting to play up and when i started my car it sounded horrendous and sometimes wouldnt start. We realised that the car had been fitted with the wrong battery so we have now swapped that and had a auto electric engineer come out to reset the system to see if he could get the buttons working again. He had said that he cannot find the blue and me system anywhere on his computer and that it either didnt exist in the car or it had been disconnected from somewhere.

Does anyone know if the blue and me system comes in the car as standard? if so would anyone have any idea where it could've been disconnected from? So after all that I still have flashing mileage, the buttons still dont work and blue and me still cannot be found. But at least my car starts now haha! I took it to fiat and they said it was the convergance nodule and they wanted £450 to fix it which i just cannot afford. Bit worrying aswell as the auto electrician told me that he cannot see nor find on his computer this "nodule" that fiat are talking about...

Anyone had the same kind of issues or any ideas on how to resolve this?

Cheers

 

[AndyRKett]

the mileage flashing is a symptom of all not being well with the electrical systems, the flashing is basically to say 'something is wrong'

The auto sparky saying he can't can't the b&m module could be he can't find it with a computer or it's not physically there! The dealership are looking to replace the faulty/missing module because this is the fault.

They are not cheap devices, specialised and when fitted require setting up on the computer so they work properly with the car, you could try and get one second hand and get the auto sparky to fit it?

First though I would check every fuse and connection to the module before forking out a fortune, if you are not mechanically or electrically minded though the only thing to do is bite the bullet and spend the money

 

[306maxi]

First thing I would do would be to disconnect and then reconnect the battery. Failing that it might need a proxi alignment and failing that it might need bits replacing.

 

[MrDerv]

Failing that it might need a proxi alignment

My money is on this. Flashing mileage is a tell-tale that there's an error in canbus communication. Proxi alignment will cure this. Canbus is used for communication between electronic modules in the car (like a network). If he couldn't find the B&M module, then it can't communicate with it. It's likely that the wrong battery has had some part in causing this.

Shouldn't take a few minutes to sort out for anyone that has FiatECUScan software, or possibly a dealership. If your 500 is still under warranty, hopefully a dealer will be able to do this free of charge.

 

[MarginWalker]

My 1.4 Sport showed flashing mileage on a regular basis until the battery was replaced about 6 months ago - no flashing since. I'd look into battery reconnection/possible replacement before trying other lines of investigation.

Edit: re-read original post and see you've already replaced battery...

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

My money is on a dead B&M ECU - this having failed will also be why the mileage is flashing, because the body computer is searching for the B&M ECU but cannot find it to connect to.

 

[samc]

Had this same problem with my grande punto. usb not working, flashing mileage, blue and me steering wheel controls not responding. As most easterly pandas stated it was a dead blue & me ECU. I got a second hand one on ebay and then proxi aligned using multiscan ecu software. Problem solved.

 

[UFI]

So what happens if I were to remove the B&M ECU? Will it work off the bat or will it have to be coded out?

 

[samc]

So what happens if I were to remove the B&M ECU? Will it work off the bat or will it have to be coded out?

No the problem would continue until a working module is installed and the system is proxi aligned (recalibrated)

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

So what happens if I were to remove the B&M ECU?

The mileage will flash as it is currently in the OP's situation as the cars body computer expects to see it but won't be able to find it.

A proxi alignment once removed would then stop the car looking for it and stop the mileage from flashing

 

[stewart54]

Hi - I have an intermittent problem with flashing mileage - does not seem to cause any problems so will just leave things alone until a major problem arises.

 

[frupi]

Hi - I have an intermittent problem with flashing mileage - does not seem to cause any problems so will just leave things alone until a major problem arises.

As a matter of interest, how old is the car?

I'm absolutely not sure on this, but if your car is now having annual MOT's, would a flashing odometer (especially on MOT day) cause a MOT failure? Just curious. If so, you'll have little option other than to get it reset properly.

I know it's going to sound terribly boring to some who never ever see the front face of a main dealership, but might be worth going along anyway and sticking it in for a diagnostic check. There are some Fiat main dealers out there that offer pretty good fixed deal prices on servicing, and of course, diagnostics comes as part of the package.

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

I'm absolutely not sure on this, but if your car is now having annual MOT's, would a flashing odometer (especially on MOT day) cause a MOT failure? Just curious.

Not an MOT failure

 

[frupi]

Not an MOT failure

Cheers for that MEP, wasn't sure myself. That aside, I personally wouldn't put up with any odd flashing on any car I own full stop. It's all very well putting up with stuff like that, but actually, one would have little idea if there's anything else sinister going on within the car's electronic systems without having it checked out. Problem is, many people just won't have their cars looked at because of the cost issue. I saw at least eight 'broken' down cars on the hard shoulder of the M1 today between J25 and J15. Appears to be an ever increasing number from my own observations.

 

[stewart54]

Hi - my 500 was first registered in Feb 2008. The flashing does not happen very often and I must confess I have never kept a record of when it happens as often as not if I stop and leave the car parked up for a short time and restart the engine all is ok. I thought this was yet another 500 quirk. I appreciate advice re diagnostic at local Fiat dealer but mine is Vospers in Plymouth and I had a bad experience some time ago when they overcharged me for repairs at the end of the 3 year warranty. Vospers claimed that the book time for the repairs needed did not cover their costs and consequently tried to get me to pay the difference. I got AutoExpress involved and Vospers reimbursed me for the cost difference. A few months ago I called into Vospers because the driver's side door handle was hanging off. Vospers quoted me £155 for a new handle and fitting - nae chance! Went to my local indie garage that does the servicing of my 500 and got the handle for £66 plus fitting (not sure of the charge as I also had the front disc brakes replaced at same time.)

 

[jrkitching]

Vospers quoted me £155 for a new handle and fitting - nae chance! Went to my local indie garage that does the servicing of my 500 and got the handle for £66 plus fitting (not sure of the charge as I also had the front disc brakes replaced at same time.)

Hmmm.

Normally you only need to replace the hinge; the cost is nowhere near £66.

But with 409 sold just by that one ebay trader, this is a very common issue...

...which Fiat have still done nothing about redesigning.

 

[frupi]

.....I appreciate advice re diagnostic at local Fiat dealer but mine is Vospers in Plymouth and I had a bad experience some time ago when they overcharged me for repairs at the end of the 3 year warranty. Vospers claimed that the book time for the repairs needed did not cover their costs and consequently tried to get me to pay the difference. I got AutoExpress involved and Vospers reimbursed me for the cost difference. A few months ago I called into Vospers because the driver's side door handle was hanging off. Vospers quoted me £155 for a new handle and fitting - nae chance! Went to my local indie garage that does the servicing of my 500 and got the handle for £66 plus fitting (not sure of the charge as I also had the front disc brakes replaced at same time.)

I have some sympathy with you regarding Fiat dealerships in your part of the country. I see your named dealership basically has D&C covered and therefore has the monopoly, so unless you are prepared to travel further afield to Bridport or Yeovil or Weston Super Mare, you're a bit stuck. I'm lucky (kind of) in that I have about six different dealerships within a 40 mile radius so I can play them off against one another and indeed I have done. I always ask if diagnostics is included in servicing as one or two have tried to add it as an extra. I have in the past received a dealer card offering free diagnostic checks, one of the 'perks' of main dealer servicing.

As for the handle, well a genuine repair kit for the hinge can cost as little as 10 quid and half hour to 45 minutes fitting time (that is the time it took the Fiat dealer who replaced the handle/hinge on our old POP), but ours was done under warranty anyway in the third year.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Genuine-F...arts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item418d087577

 

[gp1996]

Have read through your guys replies and I have already replaced the battery and the dealership diagnosed it with a fault in the convergance nodule. Again, I dont want to pay £425.

Does anyone know where this "convergance nodule" is located in the car? Or where the blue and me is connected?

 

[306maxi]

Have read through your guys replies and I have already replaced the battery and the dealership diagnosed it with a fault in the convergance nodule. Again, I dont want to pay £425.

Does anyone know where this "convergance nodule" is located in the car? Or where the blue and me is connected?

It's a module, not a nodule btw.

 

[gp1996]

It's a module, not a nodule btw.

Just stated what was written on the documentation written from fiat