Technical Panda POP 2009; engine management light

[eldwickjke]

My wife's Panda Pop 2009 has an intermittent fault which starts with the engine management light coming on, and throws her into a panic. The light goes out, but then the car will cut out. It restarts readily enough afterwards, but we find that the clock has reset! This has happened several times now, the last time today, and actually at the garage so the man was able to witness it himself. It looks to be some sort of electrical fault, but because there has obviously been a reset in the engine electrics, there is an absence of any fault codes, and my man seems stumped and is sending the car to a 'specialist electrician'. It all sounds as if it is going to be very expensive. Does anyone have any ideas as to what might be going wrong?

 

[Wee Smurf]

2009 Pop? Fiat didn't do Pops in 2009.

Is the battery ok? Sounds a bit like a faulty battery especially when the clock resets itself. Has it been tested?

 

[portland_bill]

Clock reset is usually low battery voltage. About right for the age if it is the original battery. Modern batteries fail suddenly, they seem ok, but starting the car brings them to their knees.

Worth checking the main battery cables, positive and earth to ensure good connections and not corroded or broken along their length, but there are many threads on here with similar symptoms, almost all cured by a new battery. Simpler and cheaper than an auto electrician specialist charge.

 

[eldwickjke]

Auto electrician has found 'loose wires' under the battery, which he claims has been responsible for the EML/cut outs/battery resets - cost £297, including a new battery! I will wait and see if this fixes the problem, but the explanation seems reasonable. Thank you for responses, which in essence were correct!

 

[GunMetalPo]

To me it doesn't. I'd be inclined to have a look yourself. or a trusted mate. loose wires. well they don't go loose all of sudden

for all you know you could be just paying someone £297 for a new battery !!!

£300 is a awful lot of money......

 

[daveofkent]

At a guess, the main earth strap. Still expensive but as soon as you take your car in to these places the labour charges just cane your wallet.

After you do it yourself and start thinking in parts only prices, everything seems like a total rip

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

:yeahthat:

Absolute rip off
Andy Monty how much did it cost you in parts to do this on your sisters 500

 

[Wee Smurf]

At that kind of price, I'd be taking it somewhere else.

 

[portland_bill]

Why would it need a new battery AND fix a loose wire? One, or the other! Either a loose earth cable, or a dying battery can give these symptoms, but both at once is unusual.

Checking the main cables should have been the first action, an hour labour at most. New battery £50-£70. So is that £200/hr?

You should be asking lots of questions to justify that expense.

 

[Andy Monty]

:yeahthat:

Absolute rip off
Andy Monty how much did it cost you in parts to do this on your sisters 500

About £25 from memory from Sturgess for the chassis to engine lower earth strap (there is the upper one to the battery too that will need checking)

https://www.fiatforum.com/members/sturgess-motor-group/


https://www.fiatforum.com/500-guide...lso-includes-battery-removal-upper-earth.html


Simple test get some jump leads go from battery negative (NEVER POSITIVE POLE OR YOU WILL MAKE THE BATTERY GO BANG!) to a clean bolt on the chassis (engine mount on the chassis leg is ideal) then one from the chassis to the engine block)..... and see if the car behaves this proves the earth cable out and depending on which cable you then remove can narrow it down even better