Technical Stop/Start battery issue

[craigdlewis]

Hi all, my car is coming up for 3 years old and the warrenty runs out on the 1st of March. After having the car for a year, I took it in for a service and mentioned that the car sometimes has trouble starting - especially when it is cold. They looked at the car and told me that battery was dodgy and was only working at 25% so they replaced it with a new one.

On my second service - over the year, the same thing happened. They recharged the battery and told me that I don't do enough milage and that the stop/start is draining the battery. He went on to say that you must always do at least a 20 minute drive for the battery to be recharged again. He said, even if I turn off my stop/start and don't use it, it will still drain the battery. I said surely this is a fault and should be fixed to which he replied that it is just a quirk with my car and that whenever I get it serviced, I will just need to have the battery recharged and that because the car starts (even if it takes a few seconds more than usual) then Fiat don't class it as a fault!!:bang:
So for the past year I have turned my stop/start off and it hasn't been as bad but the car still sounds like it's struggling to start. So my question is, (sorry for the long winded explanation):
Has anyone else had a similar problem? Is this covered by the warrenty?

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi all, my car is coming up for 3 years old and the warrenty runs out on the 1st of March. After having the car for a year, I took it in for a service and mentioned that the car sometimes has trouble starting - especially when it is cold. They looked at the car and told me that battery was dodgy and was only working at 25% so they replaced it with a new one.

On my second service - over the year, the same thing happened. They recharged the battery and told me that I don't do enough milage and that the stop/start is draining the battery. He went on to say that you must always do at least a 20 minute drive for the battery to be recharged again. He said, even if I turn off my stop/start and don't use it, it will still drain the battery. I said surely this is a fault and should be fixed to which he replied that it is just a quirk with my car and that whenever I get it serviced, I will just need to have the battery recharged and that because the car starts (even if it takes a few seconds more than usual) then Fiat don't class it as a fault!!:bang:
So for the past year I have turned my stop/start off and it hasn't been as bad but the car still sounds like it's struggling to start. So my question is, (sorry for the long winded explanation):
Has anyone else had a similar problem? Is this covered by the warrenty?

Hi, and welcome,

like all the other SS threads,
it's down to the vehicle sensing that there isn't enough charge in the battery,
therefore it'll only shut down for a few seconds before a restart..,

the batteries only tend to last for 3 to 5 years anyway,
so unless it REALLY fails then it's unlikely to be covered by any warranty
( it is a wear + tear component)

I tried to get a battery under warranty, didn't happen - the FIAT dealer reset the system..and it worked fine for a while..,

BUT you have you keep a charge in the system.. - I now only use the car occasionally - so the S/S doesn't work at all - still ZERO RFL though

Charlie - Oxford

 

[craigdlewis]

Thanks, I thought as much. My stop/start does work, it's just that I choose not to use it as it drains the battery. As a result, my car doesn't always start straight away. Not a major problem but, when you buy a new car, you expect everything to be working and not just be told that it is a 'quirk' of your car. Oh well...time to trade it in me thinks!

 

[Mick F]

Hi all, my car is coming up for 3 years old and the warrenty runs out on the 1st of March.

Sounds like you have to get the car checked out asap.

If the battery is low, the SS won't kick in so it doesn't flatten the battery completely. If the battery is weak, ditto. If the battery is old, ditto too. Our TA works perfectly with SS as soon as the engine is warm and we don't do many miles.

If you've had a new battery and you're having a problem, you have three possibilities (there could be more!)
1. The replacement battery is poor and weak.
2. The replacement battery is the wrong sort of battery - SS requires a special battery and the garage could have put the wrong sort in.
3. There's something wrong with the charging circuit and the battery isn't charging properly.

Therefore, my advice is to get the car checked out. Make sure the battery is getting the correct charge voltage and that it is actually charging.

If it is, it's either the battery and/or it's the wrong battery.

Go to an independent garage and explain the problem. It probably won't cost you a penny for them to do a check.

Good luck,
Mick.

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

Thanks, I thought as much. My stop/start does work, it's just that I choose not to use it as it drains the battery. As a result, my car doesn't always start straight away. Not a major problem but, when you buy a new car, you expect everything to be working and not just be told that it is a 'quirk' of your car. Oh well...time to trade it in me thinks!

My S/S didn't work properly from new. I took it back twice and was fobbed off with similar excuses - you don't drive far enough, that's just how it works(?), you're phone charger is draining the charge, etc. The third time I went I was armed with the knowledge I'd acquired on this forum plus the battery behaviour I'd observed using a small digital voltmeter and, at twelve months, they changed the battery under warranty. It's worked perfectly ever since, giving the lie to all their previous 'explanations'.

I'd agree with Mick about checking the fitted battery's specs. If it is the wrong type then they should definitely replace it.

Get a voltmeter that plugs into the cig lighter and monitor it for a week or so. It should read about 14.2V during normal driving. If S/S cuts in it should drop to about 13V immediately then, progressively more slowly, down to about 12V at which point the S/S should kick the motor to life. If it drops to 12V in a matter of seconds (what mine was doing) the battery needs replacing.

Even if you choose not to use S/S it might give you useful data on how the battery is performing. Of course, if you are only doing short hops, it might be best to invest in a battery charger.

 

[typecastboy]

I bet they stitched you right up with the cost of the replacement battery too!

 

[craigdlewis]

fortunately they did that for free!

 

[Super Uwe]

Hi all, my car is coming up for 3 years old and the warrenty runs out on the 1st of March. After having the car for a year, I took it in for a service and mentioned that the car sometimes has trouble starting - especially when it is cold. They looked at the car and told me that battery was dodgy and was only working at 25% so they replaced it with a new one.

On my second service - over the year, the same thing happened. They recharged the battery and told me that I don't do enough milage and that the stop/start is draining the battery. He went on to say that you must always do at least a 20 minute drive for the battery to be recharged again. He said, even if I turn off my stop/start and don't use it, it will still drain the battery. I said surely this is a fault and should be fixed to which he replied that it is just a quirk with my car and that whenever I get it serviced, I will just need to have the battery recharged and that because the car starts (even if it takes a few seconds more than usual) then Fiat don't class it as a fault!!:bang:
So for the past year I have turned my stop/start off and it hasn't been as bad but the car still sounds like it's struggling to start. So my question is, (sorry for the long winded explanation):
Has anyone else had a similar problem? Is this covered by the warrenty?

Hi Craig,

Yes, S/S often fails to work for many people on here (although equally there are many others whose system works flawlessly - my 62 Punto hasn't worked at all for nearly 18 months, but my wife's 500 works perfectly).

I am not sure about this 25% figure from the dealer, if the battery was that low then I doubt your S/S would ever have worked. But if you have a new one now then great. But low mileage usage will in all likelihood cause it to stop working at some stage in the future as the battery will never have the opportunity to retain its charge properly; the only real option you have is to get a smart charger (like a CTek one) and keep on top of it that way.

The poor cold starting - now I've read your various posts here, but am not 100% certain at what stage the problems are arising. Does your car struggle to start first of all in the morning? Or are you talking about your S/S system failing to restart the car when it has stopped? Also, what engine are we talking about here?

 

[craigdlewis]

Hi there, thanks for the charger tip!! I'll see if I can get one. It's not that my car doesn't start but more that it struggles to start. It's difficult to explain but I sometimes have to tap the accelerator to help get it started. It only really does this when the engine is cold and is more noticable in the very cold weather. Having saying that, since I stopped using the ss a year ago, it has been better. However, I do feel like it's only a matter of time until the problem gets worse. I will ge the charger though. You wouldn't think that you would have these issues with a new car but apprently so. Thanks again for your advice.