Fiat Ducato Autotrail

An update !

Failed to start at home prior to parking it up after weekend away.

Called breakdown for a home start. Checked key-fob followed by battery check & then by-passed ignition & immobiliser to start it. They identified start relay as likely problem. switch-off and restarted several times without problem.

All earths good.

Garage replicated the fault by removing starter relay. Now replaced and has so far started. Fingers crossed.

Those multi connectors often used on battery terminals in van conversions can be troublesome. Some of them seem like they’re made out of cheese and do fail, usually on an intermittent basis.

I’ve also had a faulty immobiliser on a Ducato which was intermittent - expensive job to fix. 

I'd be very surprised if an immobiliser could be easy  by-passed at the road side 🤔

It was bypassed

Yes, agreed. Also, immobiliser fault will stop engine start, but not always prevent the starter cranking. In all cases no start will be achieved by removing the starter relay. When my immobiliser failed, the only option was to trailer it away and then, following repair, onward to a Fiat dealer for a new code to be programmed.

If it was, then any Johnny Towrag could do the same. Immobilisers, these days, are generally integral within a black box of electrickery, that as Seaside Bill says, has to be programmed in by a dealer or independent with a vehicle specific diagnostic kit.  

how it was done I do not know or want to understand as I agree an immobiliser is there to protect. However, the report was clear in that the technician states he bypassed the immobiliser.

My main reason for providing feedback on this thread was to highlight that the starting problem seems to do with a £22 starting relay and my intermittent problem has been resolved.