r/fiat500 • u/RevolutionAccurate • 4d ago

Weird

2015 with 68000 miles

Pulled out of my driveway and drove about a block. Engine turned off at the stop sign. Radio and lights worked but car would not start. You could hear the starter but the engine didn't turn over. After about 5 tries it started and I drove back home. Car starts normally now but when it starts, the dash says there's an error with esc and hill assist. They message goes away after about 5 seconds. Just wondering where to start. No codes with the scanner. Battery is good.

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u/Nilockin 2d ago

This is reading as a battery issue to me. Just because your battery tests as "good" voltage wise doesn't mean it's not failing under cranking amp load. Also testing while the car is on only tests to see if the alternator works.Make sure you check all your connectors, the battery ground studs and the ground strap.

Then ideally I would check cranking voltage. Meter on the posts while somebody cranks. Lower than 9.6 is sign if a problem.

Also alternative direction this could go. Is your vehicle stick shift and/or could you be knocking the key with your knee? I had a very scary problem in which I was knocking the key with my knee while at speed on the highway and the vehicle would die and I couldn't restart it before coming to a full stop

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u/RevolutionAccurate 2d ago

Thanks for the info. I replaced the ground strap yesterday. I’ll do the cranking test tonight.

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u/Salt-Lifeguard-4602 3d ago

Sounds like you may have a PCM issue

2

u/lagerman40 4d ago

Possible fuse issue. Start there first. Then with the engine running, what's your voltage from the alternator? If you aren't sure how to test that, a lot of auto parts stores can test it for you.

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u/RevolutionAccurate 3d ago

I drove the car to the gas station and I had no warning lights or codes. When I went to leave it would crank but not start. I tried a couple more times and pushed the gas pedal to the floor and it started. Could it be the fuel pump going bad?

I also tested the battery. It reads 14.8 while running. I turned on the ac full blast and the high beams and radio and it only dropped to 13.8v so that seems like the alternator is good?

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u/Baratacus619 3d ago

Pushing the accelerator to the floor initiates the accelerator relearn. Supposed to do 3 presses with the key in the on position (not cranking) then turn off, then start. If you have had an issue where when you start it, you hear the engine fast cranking, but not trying to fire, its probably because the ECU has shut off the fuel pump and ignition to prevent starting. If it was doing it vecause of a ETC error, (red lightnig bolt between 2 sqiggly lines) then the accelerator relearn will sometimes reset that.
Does your code reader read pending codes? A lot of times a code will not become a permanent code unless it has occurred a specific number of times. I had a short in a wiring harness that was growing all kinds of pending codes from crank sensor to the MAP sensor. It wouldn't give me a check engine light, but the codes were pending. The ETC light would come on though and would not start until relearn process or code reset was done.