Alfa 159 - 'Vehicle Protection System Not Available"
Alfa 159 - 'Vehicle Protection System Not Available"
Author
Discussion

Egg Chaser

Original Poster:

4,954 posts

183 months

Saturday 15th October 2011
quotequote all
Just wondering if anyone can help with this. I did a search on here but didn't find anything.

My dad just went to start his 159, but when putting the key in it gives the message 'Vehicle protection system not available'. When you press the starter button, it doesn't start and everything seems to cut out, and all of the dash lights etc go off. The remote central locking still operates as normal, as does everything else such as the radio etc, until the starter button is pressed. The central locking still works after, though.

Just wondering if this a common fault and if anyone knows what the likely cause is. It's an '06 1.9 JTS if that makes any difference.

Thanks in advance.

Egg Chaser

Original Poster:

4,954 posts

183 months

Saturday 15th October 2011
quotequote all
Forgot to mention, he said there's also an icon of 'a car with a padlock through it' on the display.

OperationAlfa

2,014 posts

213 months

Saturday 15th October 2011
quotequote all
sign up on alfaowner.com and ask in the 159 lounge... smile

Sounds like it's just a battery problem though. smile

craigjm

19,438 posts

216 months

Saturday 15th October 2011
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Sounds like an immobiliser fault to me

wrinx

680 posts

256 months

Saturday 15th October 2011
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Had this a few times with our Brera, simply remove the tag key and start again.

Had it into the Dealer to check it out, they replaced the Tag reader under warranty but it's done the same since :lol:

wrinx

Egg Chaser

Original Poster:

4,954 posts

183 months

Saturday 15th October 2011
quotequote all
I've already signed up to Alfaowner and asked on there, but I just thought I'd ask here too. smile

As I mentioned on there, I did think it may be a knackered battery, but it seems odd to me that it gives me that error if it was the battery. Fortunately it's still under warranty from where he bought it, but it's around 40 miles away, which is a bit of a pain in the arse when it won't even start. I was just wondering if it might be a simple fix.

I'll try removing the tag key too (I assume you mean take the key out of the fob thing?) and try that.

Thanks for the replies.

dwilkie

2,222 posts

202 months

Monday 24th October 2011
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My mito did (basically) the same as well - sometimes it'll throw up the message if I lock it with a door not shut properly (Alarm unavailable), and when the battery went flat (because I left the lights on) it did the same thing. Jump started and it was fine, and never reoccurred since.

Egg Chaser

Original Poster:

4,954 posts

183 months

Monday 24th October 2011
quotequote all
Sorry, I forgot to update this. We jump started it and it was fine, so a new battery cured it. smile

radlet6

736 posts

190 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
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Have the alternator checked out too. Known Alfa/FIAT weak point


Edited by radlet6 on Wednesday 2nd November 12:33

Egg Chaser

Original Poster:

4,954 posts

183 months

Wednesday 2nd November 2011
quotequote all
I had thought that it could be the alternator, but it's been fine since the new battery was fitted, so I think the old battery was just a bit tired. I think it was the original battery too, and the car's only got 18,000 miles on it from new, so I think a lack of use/only being used for short journeys probably contributed to the old battery giving up.