Technical New car starting problems

[bluenoes]

Thanks for the replies, sorry Ive not been back sooner.

The car doesnt have remote locking.

The washers definately were not frozen. I dropped them in hot water for a few minutes once I had them off to try and clean them out.
WD40 ended up doing the job along with a fine needle

Im pretty sure that me changing the radio wasnt the start of the problems.

I say that becasue I know the dealer had to change the battery a few days before the mot, and I think he had to do that becasue he had the same problems we had starting the car, but ended up flattening the battery.

The car also never had time to cool downwhen we initially got it home and I did the radio. The problem with starting the car only happens when the car has been stood for a fair length of time.

I cant test it with the old radio as the car is in Preston, and the old radio is here.


Anyway, the dealer rang me this morning. That in itself is a first as I usually have to call him.

He said the car was with fiat yesterday, and they have told him that the problem lies with the ignition barrel.

So, he has ordered one from them, and it is being delivered tomorrow morning, so he can fit it then.

I guess he is at least trying to sort the problem out, but an ignition barrel? Hmmm, i dont now. Does this also mean I will need to have separate key for the doors and ignition?

While the car was with him the last couple of days, I asked him to have a look at something else which I havent mentioned on here yet.

Strangely,when you accelerate hard, the car seems to pull quite wildly to the right.
I had to remind him about this today, I have the feeling he will forget to take a look at this.

Im also worried about the fact that the glow plug light stayed on, and also the fuel injector light that comes on every now and again.

I guess this could be quite a long drawn out affair, and a lot of miles spent between Manchester and Preston

Andy

 

[JTDman]

There is an ariel wrapped around the ignition barrell which picks up the immobiliser so sounds about right, thought it was a seperate item though.

 

[bluenoes]

Phone call from the dealer says the car is now fixed and we can pick it up tomorrow.
He says all the required lights go off on the dash after a few seconds of turning the key, and the car starts first time now.

I hope so!!

He says the car wandering to the right when you accelerate hard was cured by putting more air in the tyre! You would think that would be done in the first place before you pick your car up!

He also reckons the multipla is prone to being carried a lot by the wind due to the high wheel arches???

Lets hope tomorrow brings a final outcome to this drawn out afffair, and Hayley can start enjoying owning her new car

 

[TinyUK]

He also reckons the multipla is prone to being carried a lot by the wind due to the high wheel arches???

Glad your cars fixed, but while the Multipla by its brick like flat sided design may catch a little wind when say overtaking wagons on the motorway, the above statement sounds like typical salesman bullsh..!

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Glad to hear that everything seems to be sorted amicably, and no legal argy bargy needed. Tyre pressures can make a huge difference, esp if not equal on each side. So cam mixed brands of tyres or unmatched wear between one side and the other.

The 'ugly' versions of the Multipla are actually very stable in cross winds -- or at least, mine is -- part of the reason for the rounded shape of the panel under the windscreen with the main beam lights is is to control the way air flows round the sides of the car. However, it (like any car) will sway if there's a cross wind blowing and you pass a lorry (which in effect blocks the cross wind for a moment)

Pete

 

[bluenoes]

Picked the car up this morning.
Got there at 10am, no one around, but the car was on the forecourt and was all locked up, waiting to be collected.

A few minutes later, the dealer turned up as agreed.

He said he wanted to take the car for a spin, to make sure it was ok.
I waited in the office, and could see hm get in the car through the office window.
It appeared to start straight away and he was off for a spin.

All sorted.

I bring the car back to manchester, and dash off down to birmingham in my car.

At 4 oclock, i get a text message off halyey, she has just waited for four minutes for the code light to go off before she could start the car!!!!!!!!!!!!!!


I dont believe this.
I got home at 7, and sure eneough, the code light is on, and we have the same problem.

Im going to ring the dealer tomorrow, and think I am going to demand a refund.
We bought the car just over a week ago, and hae actually had it for only a couple of days.

I think i have been more than reasonable up to now, but this is getting beyond a joke now.

Andy

 

[bluenoes]

Rang the dealer this morning.
Explained the problem, is still there and said that we have had enough now and are looking for a full refund.

He said he needed to speak to the owner who will be in today at 2 and he would ask him and call me back.

I decided to go up there and see him myself.
Got there at 1.45, to the shock of the salesman.

He says he hadnt maanged to get hold of the owner, but had left a messge on his mobile phone.

I have a discussion with the salesman, along the lines of it he says it ws fine when we picked it up yesterday. I said Im not interested in yesterday, I am interested in the fact that it isnt wornin now, apart from when the car is no cold.

Discussion gets boring, and I say I have rights, and want a full refund.

I ring the owner from my mobile, surprisingly, he answers strraight away and says he inever got a message from the salesman.

I say the problem is still there and I want a full refund. He asks to speak to the salesman.

I hear half the conversation, something along the lines of I have told him that etc.

The owner asks to speak to me.

Converstion along the lines of he knows all about statutuor rights and I cannot turn up there demanding a refund, I have t give him the opportunity to fix it.

I say I am demanding nothing, I am requesting a refund, and he has had ample opportunity to fix the car, buit it is still faulty, and not fit for the purpose for which I bought it.

He says it was working yesterday when I collected it. I say, It is not working now!! You get the picture.

I tell him i have a vid on my phone shoiwng the problem. He says he isnt interested.

I say my wife now has a car with twins and a two year old, but she cannot dive it becasue it will not start without buggering about each time.

He replies, how did she manage to drive that thing of yours we took in part ex, it doesnt even have a gear knob! (that fell off a while ago)

Professional that comment eh??

Anyway, eventually he says what he will do is bring our espace back up to me today, and will get the multi looked at tomorrow, and then he will make a decision!

I say okay, as ther is very little else I can do.

He asks to speak to the salesman, so I put hinm back on.

Conversation ends.

Salesman tells me that owner said I can borrow his car to go home in.
Errr, dnt think so, not enough seats and thats not what the owner said to me 2 minutes bfore!!

So, salemsan rings him back, and owner turns up 20 minutes later in our old espace.

Very litle conversation with him here as I was making sure I did not put my hands around his neck and squeeze!!!!!!



So, there you have it.

Back in the old car again. The multi is back in preston, and the dealer i starting to be an arseho7e.

Will be ringing the citizens advise tomorrow, to see what we should do now.

I really dont want the car back now. We have no faith in it or the dealer anymore.

Feeling so angry and frustrated.

 

[bluenoes]

I have been busy researching consumer credit and preparing letters to send to the dealer in order to get a refund sorted out. Ive just left the dealer to it, not hassling him.
Got a phone call today from him saying that they have found a fault on the ECU, which is what is causing the CODE light to stay on for longer than it should do.
They cannot fix the ECU there, so it has to be sent away and will hopefully be back by Friday or early part of next week.
I have asked him to ring me by friday to update me, he said of course he would.
He does sound a bit more receptive to me at the moment, so maybe Sundays little discussion had an effect.
So, he has until the early part of next week, or its game over.
No more last chances to sort it out. Think I have been more than fair with him.
COuple of questions I have, if they can find out there is a problem with the ECU, why cant they fix it? Seems a bit odd to me. Or do I just not trust this dealer anymore!
Andy

 

[bluenoes]

Another quick update.....

Dealrer on phone this morning says his auto electrician thinks he has found the problem, and its not the ECU.

Apparently there is a relay under red cover/box near to the ECU. He wasnt sure what this relay was for, so he checked with Fiat and its something to do with the ignition system,

So, he removed the relay, and the CODE light did not come and the car started fine.
Put it back on, CODE light on, no car start.
So he replaced the relay, no CODE light, car starts.

He is keeping the car until tomorrow on the earliest so that he can keep testing the starting of it in cold conditions.

Hmmmm. So hw di he test the ECU as faulty yesterday, but now it is ok, and it is down to a relay.

We will see.

Andy