Technical The car is not starting - weird electrical fault - help!

[Andre Standing]

Hi all.

This morning, I went to start my Fiat Panda 4x4, and it wouldn't fire up. There are a lot of strange things going on with the electrics: the windscreen wipers started and wouldn't switch off. Later, the airbag warning came on. Then I got a message on the dashboard that the engine was too hot, and then the radio switched on. It was cold last night, and I wonder if something went wrong when the car froze. I don't think it is a flat battery.

Any ideas on what I can do? I am not an expert at all...

Thanks for any help.

Andre.

 

[the green vanper]

Hello,

The things to check first are battery connection, ground points + ground cables, connectors, especially the ones on the engine and body modules. But wouldn't be so sure for the battery. Have you got a multimeter? A voltagemeter in the USB charger plugged into the cigarette lighter port? What's the voltage shown?

Connecting to MES could also help finding the cause.

 

[Andre Standing]

Thanks Green Vanper...I don't have a multimeter, unfortunately. I will see if I can borrow one from my village. Sadly, there doesn't seem to be any mechanics available.

Do you think it is worth jump starting it?

 

[A3jeroen]

Sounds like under Voltage. Bad battery.

gr J

 

[the green vanper]

There are two possible causes in my opinion.

Low voltage (then jump starting is a good idea) or a bad contact / short caused by condensation or water in one of the connectors or modules.

Even a correct voltage does not mean the battery is in good health. The battery can have a short inside, a load tester (not the electronic one) is best to check the status.

Nominal voltage for a lead-acid battery is 12,6 V. Anything below 11,5 can be problematic. Charging voltage (with a running motor) should be around 14,4 V. 10,8 V is deadly for the battery.

Was the battery replaced? or it is still original?

 

[Marcus Daly]

Battery.

 

[Herts Hillhopper]

Although low battery voltage can (and does) cause odd things to happen, these are not 'the usual suspects' (which are ESC and ABS warnings, Hill Holder and 4x4 not available and so on). In other words, generally warnings about things that did not turn on when they should.

The fact that the wipers, radio and other things you'd not expect to be turning on did come on suggests it's more of an issue with the 'body computer' -- the electronic switching system (called CanBUS) -- that's playing up. Is there any chance that you have had water leak in (see the many threads about scuttle drains, wet feet and blocked 'duckbill' drains). If any water gets into the computer, and maybe more so if it freezes, that might explain what you are seeing. The body computer is part of the same unit as the fuse box, and hides behind the back of the glovebox (with limited access via a door in the back of that). See if it looks wet at all...

All that said, if the battery is more than four or five years old (and gives a clue by stop/start no longer working), then the battery is probably in poor health too.

 

[Andre Standing]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I will replace the battery tomorrow and hope it is as simple as that...

 

[Terry899]

Thanks everyone for your advice. I will replace the battery tomorrow and hope it is as simple as that...

Good idea getting a new battery because it can throw up all sorts of random false codes. Make sure the bulkhead area is clear and water hasn't built up there. Also look out for something eating the wires.

 

[the green vanper]

I'm not saying it's not the battery, but I can see the same tendancy as in the FIAT workshops: let's replace all parts so we'll definitely find a solution of the problem.

First thing is to check the battery with a load tester! It's not a 10 EUR thing!

When I've bought the Ducato I've replaced a 9 year old factory installed battery as it was damaged, only after it has been confirmed. 2 years ago I've replaced a 11 years old factory battery in my daily non-FIAT car. Again, only after it has been confirmed it was damaged.