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24K views 190 replies 33 participants last post by  Hugh Myles 
#1 ·
Well I'd gone a couple of weeks without seeing my intermittent "check collision warning" message at startup.
It came back this morning together with a "check engine" and "start and stop unavailable".
It was pretty cold this morning (showing -4.0 ---- as an aside why does the car show 1 decimal place? I've never seen a 0.5 displayed!) and the engine took marginally longer to fire than normal.
Tried turning it off and on a couple of times with the warning still there. Everything sounded ok and engine not lumpy or running a cylinder down so I thought I'd let it run for a minute while I tried to search the manual as to whether this amber was warning was a don't drive it and get it recovered. Anyway tried it again, ok. Tried it several times, no problem.
Driven it to work, still no problem, tried restarting it, still no problem.

Coincidence that the check collision happened at the same time? Battery terminal issue? Or obviously could be a malfunctioning actuator or sensor.

Dealer visit looks like its beckoning.... if only that meant one visit, in my experience it means several...
 
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#2 ·
I'm sorry to hear you're having issues Gazc. I've never had those issues, but it def sounds like a problem. Might not be something serious, but if it did not clear after a few restarts, the ECU might still detect the problem. If you have an OBD2 reader I'd suggest trying to read the error so that an Alfa garage won't try to just clear and give you the car back saying nothing is wrong just to have it appear the next day.

Keep us up to date, hope you get it sorted soon and it's nothing serious!

Andy
 
#3 ·
Do you have an OBD reader? I always keep one in my 159 and plug it in as soon as I get any warning to check the error codes. Some warning are consequential to something else going a bit awry. Could be battery (but its new). Sometimes my 159 would show errors if I start the car immediately after inserting the key without allowing a couple of seconds for the ECU to do its checks. Not sure where the OBD port in on the Giulia, the fuse box is the passenger footwell I think, but by EU law the OBD port should be close to the driver if I am not wrong. Has the check engine warning disappeared and reset itself after driving?
 
#6 ·
Error was latched on until I had turned off then on again. But it's possible it stayed on until I did a switch on and off cycle without starting the engine (i.e. Press starter without foot on brake).

Anyway it did go away. I did wonder whether it could be a case of how good the battery post is clamped.

I've only got a VAG k line reader that I bought for the spider (although not used in anger) so I don't think that would work.

I'll wait a few days and see if I get a recurrence.
 
#7 ·
Good to know it cleared. Some errors are stored in the ECU memory even after clearing to allow dealers/ readers to check. After a few cycles they will clear from memory, I think.
 
#8 ·
If the radar sensor in the offside bumper grill is dirty or frozen over, or if the sensor at the top off the windscreen is dirty or (remains) frozen over after starting, various messages will appear inc. s/s unavailable or 'clean windscreen' or various other.
The fact that it cranks longer before starting in cold weather is probably normal.

I hate to have to go public on this but I did have a malfunction one day after I had the car (T4 MAir) for 3 weeks. Here's what happened. It wasn't particularly cold weather, I cold-started the car, drove for about 3 miles, parked at the side of the street for about 1/2 hour, came back to car, started up and drove off slowly for a few hundred metres (there was a dithering van in front) then tried to accelerate normally. Suddenly found myself running on what felt like two cylinders with the engine management amber light and check engine' warnings alight! Continued as best I could for another few hundred metres then managed to find a bus stop to pull into and stopped the engine for a minute or so. Restarted the engine and it ran normally although amber warning lights still on. Wasn't too far from the dealer so I dropped in and got them to check it; apparently there were no fault codes and they reset the warning. Since then, no further problems.
The only thing I can think of is that when I refuelled the very first time, I put in premium unleaded (as recommended in the handbook) but when I refuelled last thing in the evening prior to the misfire event, I accidentally used 'normal' fuel. Did the engine suddenly get a gulp of lower octane fuel and momentarily didn't know how to cope?? I dunno' ?
 
#11 ·
Hmm, interesting experiences! With impending arrival of my 2.0 Petrol I am watching all of this closely. Super or normal fuel should not make a difference. Haven't had that issue on any of my cars and I do sometimes mix octane ratings depending on where I fill. My 159 used to run on 3 cylinders sometimes when new on a cold start. Dont you love modern cars, sensors, gadgets and all the gizmos.... cause more of a hindrance than help is what I think. Why can't we "jut drive"! :scratchchin:
 
#9 ·
I did get a collision warning error one morning, but that was due to ice blocking the sensor. I think the message talked about cleaning the windscreen, so probably not the same problem. My engine takes a few turns to start in the cold mornings, nothing worrying, but definitely more than a normal morning.
 
#12 ·
The first really wet day I used the car I had the collision system off come up a few times but without a warning message. At this point I hadn't turned the LDW on ever.
I have had a clear windscreen message when the screen had got salty but that was obvious.
I'm assuming that check collision warning message I get on startup will be due to the grille radar rather than the camera or processor as I assume the lane departure and collision warning have a shared controller and camera.
I have had a few collision warnings come up, usually if there's a pedestrian on the pavement at a 90 bend, so that's understandable and in line with the warnings in the manual.
There was a Facebook post from a guy whose petrol Giulia is in Portbury waiting a software update - maybe there's something coming out. I don't think there were many petrol Giulias shipped before the UK cars were built, it's going to go with the territory of early adopter I think.

On the other hand I've done about 2300 miles now, things haven't been too painful for me. I'd had a lot of dealer visits with the Giulietta by now.
 
#13 ·
The Giulietta multiair didn't like the cold... it had a few 3 cylinder moments at startup but nothing that got worse and had about 50k on it by the time I traded it.
 
#16 ·
Thanks MacGeek you always seem well informed with facts.
 
#20 ·
Perhaps MacGeek would be able to clarify for us what the drill is concerning the need (or otherwise) for adjustment of Xenon headlights (whether adaptive or non-adaptive) on RHD cars used for trips to other European countries i.e. temporary use on European mainland...??
 
#21 ·
Campaign 6101 was published on Jan 16th, and it applies to 2.0 petrols with chassis numbers ranging from 07510255 to 07533966. There's also Campaign 6098, published on Dec 19th of last year, which applies to chassis 07516992 to 07533066. Cars outside the ranges, or delivered after the respective dates, should have already been updated. 6101 concerns injection software, 6098 is for EGR.

As for the lights, the extended version of the Owners Handbook states that you have to use the sticker method:

ADJUSTING THE HEADLIGHTS WHEN ABROAD
Dipped beam headlights are adjusted for driving in the country where the vehicle was originally purchased.
When travelling in countries with opposite driving direction, to avoid dazzling the drivers on the other side of the road, you need to cover areas of the headlight according to the Highway Code of the country you are travelling in.

http://aftersales.fiat.com/eLumData...5_EN_01_09.16_L_LG#AP_603.93.005_03_09.16.pdf on page 41
 
#27 ·
Whoa! I second the proposal that Professor. MacGeek is "THE OFFICIAL GIULIA SCHOLAR" . Thank you very much sir.
 
#36 ·
Actually mine has had a bad day today....

I started it up to the ignition only position today when the car was on a side slope. "Oil level above max" warning. Didn't clear with stopping/starting but after stopping at a few traffic lights it cleared.

Then next time in the car with the lights on I thought the speedo/rev counter looked really bright. Tried turning them down and nothing. Tried putting lights off and on and no change. Got home and turned car off and on and then the dash lights were at minimum so had to turn them up a bit again.

When I looked for the chassis number under the bonnet (I know the VIN is in the window but I thought there might be a more detailed plate too) I noticed that the extra battery terminal really isn't as described in the manual either....
 
#40 ·
Think you'll find that car needs to stand on level surface for 5 minutes with engine idling before you can rely on oil level check.

The instrument light minimum brightness seems to depend on prevailing light level. i.e. even with lights switched on, the min brightness of instrument lights will be greater if it's light outside. Anyway, mine does the same thing
 
#53 ·
I do not have the list of individual affected chassis numbers for the UK market (I only have the Italian market one), so all I can rerer you to is the range, I'm unable to check if your individual chassis may not be affected for some reason. Since I can't imagine a reason why it wouldn't be, I suspect the website may only list Recall Campaigns and not Service Campaigns.
 
#54 ·
It lists both and under both headings, it states there are 'no service campaigns' and 'no recall campaigns'.
I guess we just need to wait and see.

Just for any followers interest, the only (2.0) engine defect I can detect is that if the engine is cold started and allowed to idle for a few minutes, it starts to idle slightly roughly for a short time before resuming smooth idling suggesting that there needs to be software optimisation as the engine warms up.
Perhaps this also explains the misfire I experienced a couple of weeks ago when I started off with a slightly warm engine i.e. I may have chanced upon its 'bad' temperature spot just at the wrong moment??
 
#55 ·
I haven't had any further issues.

I was wondering if the amber check engine self clear after a number of start/stop cycles (and it only detected a fault on one start cycle) or was it just a case that mine detected a fault on each start for 5 starts, then didn't hence no warning.
 
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