Not really. Those codes are pretty meaningless to me. MultiECUScan will give you proper English and point to where the problem lies.
Technical Radiator fluid temperature too high
- Thread starter Fash03
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Technical Radiator fluid temperature too high
514 - Battery Temperature Sensor Circuit Range/Performance
162 - O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 2 Sensor 3)
I would check the battery connections and also just charge it up, if the condition is unknown/if it's been standing unused for a while.
If the o2 sensor has a problem, then there's the connector to check and the fuse/relay for the sensor heater.. but I don't know where those are on the 500 (yet!). The O2 sensor error is probably the one causing the "limp".
As for the original problem, a dodgy thermostat does not usually affect the coolant level, so changing it won't solve the issue, unless - rarely - it's sticking closed and causing the car to overheat and evaporate coolant.
But it sounds like your car is losing too much coolant. I suspect you have a leaking radiator (get under the car after its been parked overnight and look for wet patches on the ground, or feel for wetness under the radiator area). If you're losing that much, then it has to be a leak. If the rad' checks out okay.. look at the area around the water pump.
You could also have a head gasket issue. If you have a bleed valve on the radiator, bleed the radiator (* cold system *) and see if any gas/air comes out. Undo it (not all the way out, or you'll flood the driveway) just enough for all the air to escape. When coolant comes out, close the screw and then test the radiator for gas again after a day or two to see if the gas comes back. If you keep finding air, the head gasket is KIA and needs replacing.
If you can't find any signs of problems then check that the fan comes on when the car gets hot. If you're in traffic one hour per day, the beast might be heating up... and without a fan to cool it, it could be pressurizing the system enough for coolant to be expelled, without actually boiling over.
I'm more inclined to suspect radiator (leak) or head gasket, for the amount of coolant you're losing... but check each component until you find the problem. It'll be fairly obvious when you see it.
Ralf S.
162 - O2 Sensor Circuit Malfunction (Bank 2 Sensor 3)
I would check the battery connections and also just charge it up, if the condition is unknown/if it's been standing unused for a while.
If the o2 sensor has a problem, then there's the connector to check and the fuse/relay for the sensor heater.. but I don't know where those are on the 500 (yet!). The O2 sensor error is probably the one causing the "limp".
As for the original problem, a dodgy thermostat does not usually affect the coolant level, so changing it won't solve the issue, unless - rarely - it's sticking closed and causing the car to overheat and evaporate coolant.
But it sounds like your car is losing too much coolant. I suspect you have a leaking radiator (get under the car after its been parked overnight and look for wet patches on the ground, or feel for wetness under the radiator area). If you're losing that much, then it has to be a leak. If the rad' checks out okay.. look at the area around the water pump.
You could also have a head gasket issue. If you have a bleed valve on the radiator, bleed the radiator (* cold system *) and see if any gas/air comes out. Undo it (not all the way out, or you'll flood the driveway) just enough for all the air to escape. When coolant comes out, close the screw and then test the radiator for gas again after a day or two to see if the gas comes back. If you keep finding air, the head gasket is KIA and needs replacing.
If you can't find any signs of problems then check that the fan comes on when the car gets hot. If you're in traffic one hour per day, the beast might be heating up... and without a fan to cool it, it could be pressurizing the system enough for coolant to be expelled, without actually boiling over.
I'm more inclined to suspect radiator (leak) or head gasket, for the amount of coolant you're losing... but check each component until you find the problem. It'll be fairly obvious when you see it.
Ralf S.
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Generally a 02 sensor failure won't put the car in limp mode it will revert to a standard map usually.
The OP said there was a leak from the thermo area
The OP said there was a leak from the thermo area
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The OEM thermostat incorporates a plastic spigot which isn't proving to be durable in service; lots of folks have reported leaks from these.
:yeahthat:
The problem was originally reported as a leak from the vicinity of the thermostat housing; the OP also reported the classic signs of low coolant (gurgling noises & loss of heater output) before the thermostat was changed.
Let's be careful not to confuse the OP by speculating on what might be wrong with a car we haven't even seen.
Step 1 is to recheck all the work that's been done when changing the thermostat, especially any disturbed wiring, including the earth connections (the battery has to come out to access the thermostat).
If that doesn't resolve anything, then the car needs a proper diagnostic check with a Fiat-specific scanning tool such as MES or Examiner. Until that's been done it's pointless to speculate on the cause. Using a cheap generic scanning tool and then searching the internet and posting some codes on a forum probably isn't going to get this car fixed. I wish things were that simple, but they're not.
Unless you know exactly what you're doing, the best thing now would be to have the car looked at by an independent Fiat specialist - there are quite a few around.
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Eek! That would certainly mess up the mixture and put the car into limp mode.Glad you've got it sorted - thank you for coming back and telling us the outcome.
Unfortunately overheating issues on these engines often are; it's why I'm always going on about the need never to let them run low on coolant.
What exactly did they have to replace?
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