Technical random ABS failure message that goes upon restarting engine

[trekkingnut]

Hi, Has anyone had a random ABS failure message come up when they start the vehicle but then by restarting it goes away? I does not happen all the time and previous owner told me he had it start to happen 3 years ago but never been an issue so never doen anything about it. I do not like lights and warnings however so would like to get to the bottom of it. Hope it sounds more like a battery issue (been allowed to run flat a few times but battery 3.5 years old Exide sealed type that is impossible to remove cell cover to top up) or pick up ring/sensor fault but fear it is a possible controller unit due to intermittent nature of it!

any advice/suggestions appreciated as only just got the vehicle.

thanks

 

[The Panda Nut]

I should definitely start wih a diagnostic using MES. You should have a stored code. It may be a simple erthing issue that cleaning would remove. As its brakes I would be inclined to get this resolved. My mothers Perodua was unsafe without the ABS as it has EBD and no load sensing valve to the rear brakes. Without ABS the rears locked up all the time!

 

[trekkingnut]

Hi, thanks for reply. I am getting it in for a service and belt change as way overdue on belt (Nov 2016) and I asked them to do diagnostic at same time in case a code was stored. Previous owner to last replaced discs and pads so may have upset something but it was ok for a year according to last owner then started doing it. More in winter than summer for some eason

 

[geddy1972]

my 57 plate 1.9 multijet does this when its a cold day or been left for a long time on the first start. the warning message comes up and the light flashes but goes out. i blame good old fiat electrical gremlins and the fact that fiat dont like cold days with a lower than normal battery voltage.

 

[trekkingnut]

my 57 plate 1.9 multijet does this when its a cold day or been left for a long time on the first start. the warning message comes up and the light flashes but goes out. i blame good old fiat electrical gremlins and the fact that fiat dont like cold days with a lower than normal battery voltage.

Tell me about it! - I seem to not have that message now and have just fitted a new battery as had cluster issue but been getting sidelight failure message and green warning light two or three times every other trip even after new battery fitted and all lights are working!

 

[geddy1972]

Tell me about it! - I seem to not have that message now and have just fitted a new battery as had cluster issue but been getting sidelight failure message and green warning light two or three times every other trip even after new battery fitted and all lights are working!

i have started getting the sidelight failure message aswell every time i brake. i replaced all the brake light bulbs as they looked abit black and it went away. now its back and i intend to replace all the rear light and number plate bulbs.

thats another point i have with fiat is that the bulbs in the manual should be 21/5w but the ones fitted are 21/4w !

but the message doesnt appear ifi have my lights on ! bloody italians !

 

[trekkingnut]

Mine has done it on turning around corners as well as braking so no idea what is going on but like you, I guess the place to start is to replace the bulbs and see what happens! - I do have a rear fog bulb gone bad but surely if fogs are not on the message should not appear?

 

[geddy1972]

im getting side light and brake light messages now but my near side rear brake light is dimmer than the off side and my rear lights dim on that side when i brake so i think it might be a bad earth it dodgy connection on the light fitting so thats a job for me to do this weekend. im also going to change all the rear light bulbs aswell.

 

[trekkingnut]

I will have to get my wife to take a look and see if mine is dimmer one side as well or not. Was going to fit some LED bulbs but with the electrics on the Doblo perhaps not such a good idea! Hate the DPF on it too as it peed fuel into the oil after an oil change when I was driving along (plumes of white smoke out the back) but no warning. not sure if oil any good now or not but it was not a forced/parked regen. I interrupted it by pulling over due to the smoke (which cleared after a couple of miles)

 

[geddy1972]

I have heard that led bulbs cause havoc on canbus systems and as fiat electrics are very delicate i wouldnt fit them.

mine had already had a dpf delete when i got it and i have had an egr delete done aswell. seems to run so much better and be more economical.

 

[trekkingnut]

I have heard that led bulbs cause havoc on canbus systems and as fiat electrics are very delicate i wouldnt fit them.

mine had already had a dpf delete when i got it and i have had an egr delete done aswell. seems to run so much better and be more economical.

I will delete my dpf if it gives any issues. I would rather replace the exhaust DPF with a centre silencer but not sure if all the connections can be plugged off. It annoys me no end that Fiat put a DPF on the 118bhp and not the lower power versions before 2009. I see no environmental benefit whatsoever if it forces me to keep changing the oil after it spews out smoke and unburnt fuel every 300 miles!

 

[The Panda Nut]

Sounds like a minor sensor issue. If the light goes off its all working as it should do. Should be safe to use. I would remove the abs sensors and clean them and the connections. I think this will likely cure this. I would expect a stored fault code.

 

[trekkingnut]

im getting side light and brake light messages now but my near side rear brake light is dimmer than the off side and my rear lights dim on that side when i brake so i think it might be a bad earth it dodgy connection on the light fitting so thats a job for me to do this weekend. im also going to change all the rear light bulbs aswell.

Did you know the tail light bulbs are both dual filament (21w/5w) - manual is wrong and there is only a foglight on drivers side rear - discovered today when thought n/s foglight bulb wasn`t working as got MOT next week. I confirmed wiring has one more wire on o/s for foglight. Very surprised it doesn`t have two like the Qubo and wasted a lot of time as bulb guide was not correct in handbook.

 

[geddy1972]

the bulbs in the taillights are 21/4w, they have off set pins. 21/5w have straight pins and dont fit.

i had a dodgy earth connection on the n/s rear light cluster and after cleaning them all off the bulb message disappeared.

 

[trekkingnut]

the bulbs in the taillights are 21/4w, they have off set pins. 21/5w have straight pins and dont fit.

i had a dodgy earth connection on the n/s rear light cluster and after cleaning them all off the bulb message disappeared.

That`s interesting as my manual does state 21/5watt. The bulbs went in ok and so far no messages. Its the white smoke I am getting more concerned about now as it is dumping fuel into sump (just had oil change and it has done it again - white smoke (not clouds but noticable) and could smell it. No warning messages though so regen or overfuelling for some reason?

 

[geddy1972]

the manual states 21/5 and all the websites i go to say it should be 21/5.

the fiat EPER epc says its 21/4w

fuel in your oil could be piston rings or faulty injectors or a fault with the injection system/lines.

 

[trekkingnut]

the manual states 21/5 and all the websites i go to say it should be 21/5.

the fiat EPER epc says its 21/4w

fuel in your oil could be piston rings or faulty injectors or a fault with the injection system/lines.

That`s interesting. If I get lights message again I will try hanging bulbs to 21/4w and see if it does the trick. all good so far though. re fuel in oil issue, the garage say it is what happens with a regen so I have to assume (until I take it out for a long run again) that it did it again after oil change because it did not complete what it was trying to do when it did it before because I pulled over and stopped out of concern for the white smoke (engine still running though). Pretty sure fuel gets past rings in regen hence reason oil levels can rise and oil change warning can come on. It doesn`t burn oil either. Will get it properly checked over at a diesel specialist for peace of mind if I see any more white smoke. Only happened when engine was hot.