General Rude Fiat Dealer

[Shadeyman]

After spending most of yesterday and this morning on the car I'm 99% sure I've found the fault.

Completely stripped and cleaned the body computer and its connections.

Then myself and a friend traced the feed from the engine ECU to the body computer.

After a few tests we found there was no signal from the ECU to the body computer.

I'm 99% sure hanzs is right and the engine ECU is faulty. I've spoken to Shane and I've arranged for a friend of mine to repair the ECU for him. He's just picked it up and took it apart to allow me to take the photo attached below.

Theres no way I have the tools or the expertise to repair anything so tiny, better left to the proffessionals.

 

[mzhussein]

worth noting, look at picture 4, that is classic signs of a repair job, done by a not-so professional

the residue you can see is the rosin left over from the flux used in slodering...it is good practice to clean up a board after such a repair with IPA solvant...this hasn't been done, but it does show us that someones had a poke before, or FIAT's soldering is v poor...id have a guess that one of the two IC's that have the associated rosin on have been re-soldered badley...causing the car equivalent of demensia....

 

[Shadeyman]

Thats exactly what my friend Mark said so perhaps your right it has been badly repaired before. He's now taken it to try and get it sorted.

Edit
Is it possible to purchase a second hand engine ECU and install it, will it work or would it need proxi-alignment or something doing to it?

 

[hanzs]

Shadeyman: Second hand engine ECU must be re-flash to be "virgin" again. Proxy-alignment is possible for other ECUs, like ABS, Airbags etc.
But not for engine ECU because of vehicle theft.
Information about code are flashed to the eeprom, chip named "95160".
It is possible unsolder this chip and flash new "virgin" or immo-off data (can be found on internet).
Or can be flashed via OBDII socket with special cable+software like this: http://www.abritus72.com/commanderfiat20.html

 

[Shadeyman]

Thanks hanzs.

I thought I may be able to attempt a repair myself but thats a bit beyond me. I get bored during the day sometimes but not that bored.

I'l leave it to my mate to see if he can get the ECU up and running again.

 

[Shadeyman]

Mate just brought the ECU back in his dinner break, said it was f**c**d but he did manage to get a CAN signal again so the car should start. He's not sure how long the repair will last.

Reinstalled it and the car starts but its running a little rough. Has a missfire on cylinder 4. Thats probabely the reason the wires connected to the coil have been pierced with insulation piercing probes.

New or reconditioned ECU and a new coil would see this car in perfect shape.

 

[Shadeyman]

Replaced the coil this morning and gave the car a quick "Once over" before I put her back together. She runs quite well now considering her recent ECU problems. The video doesn't do her credit.

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[Deckchair5]

At least it's running and it's alive. Well done you

Sounds like one cylinder is down on power or struggling. Is that with the new coil? Sometimes the recording makes it sound much worse than it is

 

[hanzs]

The car looks good!
So let's hope, that the repair of ecu will ok for a long time!

 

[Shadeyman]

The video does make the engine sound a lot worse than it is. With the covers back on and the bonnet down you cant tell she's running. Very quite compared to my oil burner.

I took her out for a quick spin once I'd got her put back together. Nice smooth car but lacks the grunt of my JTD.

The car looks good!
So let's hope, that the repair of ecu will ok for a long time!

Fingers crossed. However, Shane is planning to sell her(I think).

 

[AudiDynamic85]

With a smile and a wave she was gone:

Parted company with my car yesterday, after all the problems I had it was time to go our separate ways.
That care definitely had something special about it, more so than a bond between husband wife, father son etc. Got an empty spot on my drive now, the wedge of cash that's goin towards my Hyundai Coupe was much needed.

In regards to the fault which was temporary, it didn't cut out again to date, on preparing the car for the buyer we noticed 'milky substance' further down the oil tank and on the dipstick, tell tale signs on a head gasket fault, how this was missed before I don't know, as it could have contributed to the original fault i.e overheating and then shuttin down.

Worse feeling is I actually want another Stilo lol.
Maybe I will return to the fold someday.
Would like to thank you all for the advise and hands on help I got.

Best car forum ever and will still pop back now and again.

FFFL

 

[Shadeyman]

Morning Shane.

So you've eventually parted company, it was for the best mate, you made the right call, I think she was on a slippery slop to the big scrap yard in the sky.

With regards to the oil/water milky slugde that must be a recent thing because there was nothing in the oil when the car was a none runner at mine. Due to the fact, on a good day, the car would only run for 30 seconds or so I checked the oil hoping for some sign of a problem and found nothing.

Hows the new coupe?

 

[AudiDynamic85]

Yeah got a good deal on it, guy knows about the cars history.

I was as shocked wen it was pointed out to me, no worries though.
Pickin it up today goin over by Leigh, thank god I don't have to use public transport lol.

 

[T14086]

Best car forum ever.

 

[oowop]

Bump here but the problem is similar.

I also have serial line W with B1029 error with no connection to engine ecu.

Connection to Body computer shows b1029 error.

I tried earths, dismantling maxibox cleaned it with break cleaner (I tend to use that stuff everywhere). I have two earths on ECU I can't remember which one goes where. But will try bypass with battery leads today.

Decided to open up Engine ECU with shocking suprise I ran into alien technology. Never seen something like it.

Is this really connections worth mentioning.

And that's magnified with 10x lupe. Look at the processor it's just beautiful and it shines it must be gold.

Btw, it came from Abarth.

Shadeyman I noticed you mentioned (post #149) your friend temp-repaired ECU what did he do? Even if he did something I can't touch that ECU since it has some rubberized-sticky-silicone-snot stuff over it. Same as we played with as kids.

 

[oowop]

And the best car forum ever.

 

[oowop]

Throttle opened and checked for "everything".

Everything was not found.

 

[Shadeyman]

Shadeyman I noticed you mentioned (post #149) your friend temp-repaired ECU what did he do?

To be honest I'm not really sure how or what he did, all I know is he's really good with that sort of thing so I let him deal with it. He did mention something about heat and vibration being the cause, perhaps that's why your ECU uses more modern electronics(updated)?

 

[oowop]

I'm not too much electrical savvy but i'm learning.

Error from body computer B1029 - serial line W, by elearn it is pin29 on blue connector in Body computer Gray/White wire I traced it to D4 connector which is black one and then it goes to Engine ECU also Gray/White wire to pin3. I put multimeter red probe in pin3 of that connector and black probe to neg. on battery.

Key off. 11.70V
Key MAR. 11.35V

Is that correct measuring? So I can conclude ECU gets signal it needs or I'm doing it wrong.

I never understood how car electronics should be measured and make sure that component works from measurements.

Explanation would be great.

 

[oowop]

Correction.

Key off: 11.55V
Key mar: 11.35V

Battery voltage: 12.58V

How come when key is off I have voltage on pin3? Probably not measuring correctly.