How long is a bit of string ? 2007 Fiat 3.0 Litre Engine Management Light (1 Viewer)

[bornagain]

Howdy experienced great ones,
I am in Salamanca in Spain and our 3.0 Litre Fiat X250 Engine Managment Light came on when we set off after a lunch stop.
The drive feels normal and there is nothing obviously wrong.
Any bright ideas of what the most likely cause for this would be, and how to proceed.
I suppose the $64,000 question is can I ignore it for another few thousand miles until I get home ?
Regards
P

 

[tonka]

Buy an OBD reader, motorhome spares shops, Amazon and collect from a pick up point, eBay and delivery to a campsite. free and pay for apps available to download.
Once you have the code at least you will have more idea and how serious it is.

 

[oldiesontour]

As above
You need to get it scanned for codes to be sure,but if it is anything serious engine should go to limp mode,so most likely just an emmisions fault or error,if no other dash lights on

 

[bornagain]

I have taken the van to a FIAT dealer and the fault code is P0481 which is a cooling fan number 2 fault.

They are no sure what is wrong with it and propose to remove the front end and then identify and fix the fault.

If they just need to clean contacts on relays or something similar they want if for a day, if they need to order bits then there would be at least a two day wait, so we could conceivably be living in a hotel for 6 or 7 days if it needs parts and the job goes over a weekend.

At this point the plot thickens - a (previous ?) member of this site - Xabia - turns out to have sold our van to the dealer who we then bought it from.

He has posted one here that he has had the same error code when passing through the Pyrenees in the van which we now own. His post said that there was no fault with the second fan and he bought an OBD reader and simply deleted the code when it occured.

The FIAT dealer say that they cannot delete the fault code, perhaps this time the fault is more serious, or pehaps their machine will not allow them to delete a code without previously fixing a fault.

All I know for certain is that the van seems to behave as normal even though the weather here is very hot, and we over 900m of altitude the engine temperature seems normal - as an aside the fault code came on when we restarted the engine after a brief site-seeing stop at the top of a long, hot, high (>1000m) hill.

Do we simply continue our trip trying to avoid high passes on hot days - the hot weather will soon be over - and get if fixed when we get home, or do we take it to the dealer and sit it out in a hotel for maybe upto a week ?

Our current thinking is to keep going, avoid long hot hills and slow traffic and either get an OBD reader and attempt to reset the code, or get it fixed back in blighty.

Opinions would be welcomed.

 

[oldiesontour]

I guess when they say can't clear the error code,it is because as fast as they clearl it it reappears,meaning an ongoing fault.
You can try getting it hot(above normal on the gauge and look listen to see if both fans or only one run(or none)

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[bornagain]

I guess when they say can't clear the error code,it is because as fast as they clearl it it reappears,meaning an ongoing fault.
You can try getting it hot(above normal on the gauge and look listen to see if both fans or only one run(or none)

We left it running in the dealers workshop for the better part of a hour but it didn't get hot enough to start the fans, when you turn warm engine off it briefly runs at least one of the fans.
I suspect that it only really gets hot when it is going slowly in traffic or up a long hot hill.
When it is moving under normal circumstances the natural air flow over the radiator seems to provide sufficient cooling.
When we drove back from the garage the engine temperature gauge was normal
Naturally this doesn't help.

 

[Bessy765]

We had a 2008 Bessacar with the 3 litre lump same fault re the second fan, it was a break in the signal wire that tells the ECU it on. The fan still worked so fixed it when returned how. Just keep an eye on your temp gauge.

 

[oldiesontour]

If it were me (40+ years working with vehicles cars busses heaviest) I would continue, allowing plenty of time to stop and let it cool IF needed,carry water,keep close eye on temp,both gauge and under bonnet.
Suspect drive with care you'll be fine.
I would probably hard wired fans via manual switch,as an added precaution.
If it is getting a bit warm heater and fan full on ...if it starts to go cold stop you're overheating or short of water

 

[gus-lopez]

Our current thinking is to keep going, avoid long hot hills and slow traffic

This^^^^

get an OBD reader and attempt to reset the code,

This^^^^^^^^^^^^

when you turn warm engine off it briefly runs at least one of the fans.

^most do.

I would also turn on the cab air con if you have it as that will always run the second fan.

 

[bornagain]

This^^^^

This^^^^^^^^^^^^

^most do.

I would also turn on the cab air con if you have it as that will always run the second fan.

It seems that in normal running neither of the two fans seem to run and the temperature gauge always seems to read about the same.
Turning the aircon on was a trick we tried in the workshop - neither of the two coolng fans started , although the aircon did not seem to go cold.

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[oldiesontour]

Clearly you are dealing with fitters not mechanics,it should take a few minutes to check the fan motor and supply to it and if one is running as it should then as a temporary job the 2 Nd fan could be bridged to the first via a simple relay if current were an issue.

 

[Bessy765]

Just tried it on our 2019 Fiat 2.3 150. As soon as you turn the dash a/c the bigger fan starts.

 

[bornagain]

I am a little concerned that the FIAT dealer might have staff who simply follow the manual and do not apply logical fault finding, this could quickly become very expensive and not actually fix the fault - particularly if it's a damaged wire somewhere.