fabianwerner1
Fiat 500 Terminal 30 Interrupted
Summary of the thread
A 2010 Fiat 500 with a gasoline engine was experiencing poor starting, suspected to be due to interruptions in 'Terminal 30 continuous plus.' Initial checks of battery connections showed no issues, leading to suspicions of a wiring harness problem or a short. A suggestion was made to check the voltage drop during starting, as a similar issue was previously caused by a partially shorted starter motor. Ultimately, the problem was diagnosed as a heavily discharged and defective battery, which was resolved by replacing the battery.
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4 comment(s)
fabianwerner1 (community.author)
Thanks for the reply! I haven't checked the voltage drop while starting, but I will. It does seem worse when it's cold. If it was the starter motor, wouldn't that kill the battery pretty quickly though? I'm wondering if the charging system is involved too.
benhahn1
Yes, exactly! The starter motor was pulling so much juice it was essentially killing the battery over time, even though the charging system seemed to be working okay. The battery never fully recovered after each start. Honestly, I'd suggest getting it checked out by a workshop. Diagnosing electrical gremlins can be a real headache. It could save you a lot of time and frustration. Just make sure they check the starter motor current draw!
fabianwerner1 (community.author)
Appreciate the advice. I took it to a workshop, and it turned out to be a heavily discharged and defective battery as a result of the continuous interruptions. Replacing the battery sorted the issue. Cost me 290€ all in. Thanks again for pointing me in the right direction!
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FIAT
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500
benhahn1
Whoa, that sounds familiar! I had almost the exact same problem with my Fiat 500 a while back. The 'Terminal 30' thing... yeah, that's not fun. The poor starting is a major clue. Have you tried checking the voltage across the battery terminals when you try to start the car? Does it drop super low? Also, have you noticed if it's worse in cold weather? My issue turned out to be a partially shorted starter motor drawing too much current. It was a real pain to diagnose!