Autoelectro diagnoses and solves three different issues affecting three different applications.

Vehicle manufacturers Renault, Fiat and Mercedes, all feature in Autoelectro’s latest technical bulletin, available without cost on its website. Focusing on the Renault Clio 2.0 petrol (2000-2013), affecting alternator part numbers AEA4200, AEK2100 and AEK3386, there is a known fault with the vehicle’s drive belt system, which can cause the belt to slip off. The fault is triggered by the failure of the power steering pump bearings. Consequently, the alternator warning lamp will illuminate, there will be excessive noise and the belt is likely to come off during operation. In order to avoid future problems, Autoelectro recommends replacing the drive belt, tensioner, power steering pump and the refill power steering pump with ATF-220.

Fiat Punto/Panda

The Fiat Punto/Panda 1.2 (2003-2015) and affecting starter motor references AEU1192 and AEY1726, suffers with an issue that causes the starter motor to burn out. The problem is due to insufficient operating voltage at the ECM from cold starting. Autoelectro advises that the ECM should be reprogrammed and updated with modified software. This will improve when cold starting and avoid premature failure of the replacement starter motor in the future.

Mercedes A-Class

For the Mercedes A-Class A190/A210 1.9/2.1 petrol (1999-2009), the affected part numbers are AES2205, AEY2244 and AEY2421, which, like the Punto/Panda, are prematurely burnt out. The issue is due to a corroded earth point, and it is important to replace it to avoid the same result in the future.
*Original article can be found in Garage Wire Magazine and on their website at: www.garagewire.co.uk/news/company/autoelectro/problem-starter-alternators-common-issues-renault-fiat-merc-solved/.