Common faults-easy fixes

[Mistermuttley 19]

Just thought i would share a fault with a fiat 500 that i had sold around a month ago explain the fix and see if any of you guys have cures for faults which at first seem tricky/expensive but are actually easy fixes.

The Fiat 500 was a Twinair in lounge spec, full service history, 2012 with only 27,000 miles. I gave the buyer who was older lady but as nice a customer as you could expect, 3 months self warranty and said any problems just give me a call. Expected no calls from her as the car was mint in every way.

She rang though after owning it for 2 weeks to say that it had not started twice on a couple of mornings and that now she had a steering wheel light on the dash. Looking into the issue it could have been the main engine ecu, the steering column motor/torque sensor and i was thinking that my decent profit was going to vanish on this one. However on the net some have said 'just change the battery,problem solved' for the steering to be fixed. Swapped out the battery for a brand new one and problem solved! Apparently the steering ecu expects a certain voltage and when a battery starts to get flakey the voltage isnt enough for the steering motor so it shows a fault,probably same for the starting/ecu faults. The battery was a stop/start one so cost me nearly a ton but much better than swapping out steering columns etc.

Had also heard that the main battery earths and engine to chassis earths can give issues on the 500's so cleaned them all up and even added another engine to chassis earth so grounding will NOT be an issue in future. And yes she was a nice lady and the batteries are a consumable item, BUT even though she knew it was a brand new battery there was no offer to pay for it! 

[whitestone679231 113]

she will be back with faulty external door handles next, almost every 500 I have had the handles broke, you can buy just the hinge bit off flea bay though saving a tidy sum and once you have fit one the next one is an easy job.

[Mistermuttley 19]

2 minutes ago, whitestone679231 said:

she will be back with faulty external door handles next, almost every 500 I have had the handles broke, you can buy just the hinge bit off flea bay though saving a tidy sum and once you have fit one the next one is an easy job.

Cheers, I'll remember that one

[Tom 164]

Yes heard about the battery on those, I ve never had a 500 in stock apart from an abarth and every 500 I see has a door handle missing. 

[metcars 394]

I seem to remember reading that there are a number of vehicles that require resting voltage to be way over 12v or faults occur

[CGF 3]

Anything below 12.5v resting on most moderns is bad news. Needs to be 12.7v+ ideally.

[Mistermuttley 19]

4 hours ago, tradex said:

Punto is the same with the battery,they need a 100% A1+ battery....also the correct battery isn't as cheap as it could be so some fit the wrong battery and still get issues.

Had this with Alfa 156 Selespeeds gearbox problems. The correct battery was a huge diesel spec' lump, but the same manual gearbox battery fitted, so many tight owners did and then had gearshift issues.....

I know , I looked at getting a cheaper battery but thought if it doesnt work its just more time money and reputation I have lost so I just thought stump up once and do it right

[have a word with the wife 299]

not only a good battery but the RIGHT BATTERY ! as said previously, and applies to all, my mate got given a car [ value £1500-2000] with faults that garages couldn't fix, a passing auto electrician just said , "its wrong battery" a proper battery cured numerous faults, and my mate celebrated when he counted twenty fourty sixty eighty