International Lancia Forums

Since the last thump, I no longer suffer from the check panel problem discussed below.

However, I have regular illumination of the i.e. warning lamp.

We have interrogated the ECU with our FIAT/Lancia equipment at the garage; this refuses to acknowledge that there are errors.

Grrr.

Paul

Hello Paul,
I know that on the S3 cars the speed warning device has connection with the IE warning facility. If the speedo stops the IE warning light comes on.
Rolf is the expert on this sort of thing - he knows how to get the fault code by pressing the accelerator pedal five times (i think). However if the W-M test rig says nothing then the code presumably won't be there. The five times trick didn't reveal anything when my warning light was on due to speedo not working.

Leo

Just realised that of course all that dashboard thumping has probably upset the connectors for the speed warning unit!

Leo

Leo,
what is the significance of the ie light?
Mine comes on intermitently on the 8.32, and I don't have any kind
of speed control, as far as I know.
I find that accelerating hard, or coming off the throttle sharply, usually
puts it out, but only for a while.
Regards
Peter

Hmm.

Well the i.e. light has been very quiet during the past 24 hrs; now I have a lamp telling me (I think) that the cooling fan has a problem!

Aaaaaaaaargggghhhh

I am now looking for the black tape!

Paul

I had my thema for six years and the following is my 'earth' knowledge.

Any wire or circiut involved with the check panel can cause the check panel to show a none fault.

So double check the earth connections on both sides on the front of the car below the lights. Remove the front wheels and inspect the earth connections, remove the spade connecters and clean the earth post. Then look at the spade connections most have two wires per spade, one is the earth wire(thicker of the two), one is the wire to the check panel. Over time the wires can break inside the spade connections which impossible to see. I fitted new spade connectors to most of the wires and some i found the check panel wire fell out when pulled. In this case i but a seperate spade connector on the check panel wire and fitted it directly to the eath post.

If you can remove the earth post bolt and clean the bolt or fit a new one or make sure it is not loose.

Check ALL fuses in the fuse box clean the fuse or replace them.

Because the check panel wire is on the negative side(earth) of the light circiuts if the bulb filiment is on its way out it can cause check panel light to come on. Change all bulbs to fix.

Don't fit high wattage bulbs the front lights as there is no relay in the light circiut and all the power is being switched by the the rotating light switch which will burn out, which causes NO LIGHTS.

Below the fuse box remove the carpet and find the black round connector which has a single black wire in the center surrounded by smaller wires. Pull this connector apart and inspect for burning or overheating of the black wire. This can the charge light to come on or the alternater to not charge the battery.

Remove the spare wheel in the boot and check the earth connection . Apart from check panel problems the earth to the fuel pump is there and can cause the fuel pump to not operate as it should.

Finally check the main earth strap to the engine. This is fitted to a bolt on the inside of the inner wing (air filter side) and runs to the gear box housing. This large multi strand cable will over the years start to break strand by strand which causes every bad earth problem included above. Plus bad tick over as the ecu earths are connected to the engine!

There is more but i think thats enough for now

Excellent advice; many thanks

Paul

Hello Peter,
The IE warning is driven by the ECU and indicates when it is not happy! Usually the problem is a faulty sensor but intermittant flashing could be caused by faulty wiring to the sensors. Your problem may be with the Throttle position sensor (potentiometer). They are red or black plastic things on the end of the throttle spindle. I think that the 8-32 has two of these on the input to each plenum chamber - had a look at a book but not easy to see. The 8-32 probably has two ECUs (book indicates one but I believe that the W-M unit could only handle 6 cylinders). Don't know how they would combine. However, the potentiometer is a mechanical unit with a contact sliding along a carbon track so they do wear out. Usual indication is a jerkiness when the throttle is only slightly open. Be careful though as the potentiometer is tricky to align, and if there are two that sounds like a job for the Ferrari-man.

Good luck, Leo

Hi Leo,
I think you have come up with the answer to my problem. In addition
to the ie light coming on, the engine hunts and doesn't react cleanly to
the throttle opening, particularly when cold. It also has an infuriating
habit of stalling every now and again as you roll to a stop, and I seem
to remember Phil Day commenting on this same problem in a TDC
newsletter, and which he fixed with a new potentiometer (or two??)
Anyway, I'll go down that road and post up the results.
Thanks for your help.
Peter