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Electronic throttle control warning

116K views 230 replies 85 participants last post by  Bladecutter 
#1 ·
I know this has been discussed here, did a search, but did not find it. This happened when giving throttle to merge with interstate traffic. Also, the auto start/stop not available warning came on as well, I think they go hand in hand. Hardly any power, but could reach traffic speed, it just takes a few. The warning was not flashing, on solid, per owners manual when solid the vehicle can still be driven to a dealer. I was not giving throttle and brake at the same time.

After getting home, I let it sit for about 30 minutes and started it up, no warnings shown. My question, for those that have this happen and it cleared after sitting for a few, is there anything I should be watching for on the next drive or two?
 
#74 ·
Apparently this is a pretty wide spread problem and i will be getting my stelvio quad in a few months.
Anyone with new batteries, not the oem varta battery but a new and different battery that was put in the car. Did you ever experience the service electronic throttle warning light or limp mode or any of the above combination? Also did the problem stop after switching batteries?
 
#76 ·
Well my 2018 Stelvio is going on two weeks at the dealership for this same issue! Purchased used from dealership where service is being done. After sitting for 3 1/2 days without diagnosis performed, I’m told the temperature sensor(s) went off and I need a new radiator. Also said update hasn’t been done to computer. Took four days for part to arrive. Talked to dealership today and the vehicle is supposedly ready. I also mentioned to them that the battery light had come on. Hopefully that was checked also.

Will update when I get vehicle back.
 
#77 ·
This happened to me this morning in Korea. Started the car and the electronic throttle control warning and check engine light on my 2018 Stelvio came on. I am a government employee and I'm the only person on Camp Humphreys Korea with an Alfa Romeo. Since there are no Alfa dealers in Korea, I was thinking of trying a Fiat dealer. This car his 17 months old and has 15,000 miles on it. This is pathetic!
 
#78 ·
My 2020 Stelvio Ti threw this same code, this morning: Service Electronic Throttle Control, as well as the Auto Start/Stop Unavailable. I was beginning to think, 'Oh its cold'. But now, reading all of your happenings, I'm thinking its more of an issue and due to the fact its cold outside. When I turned on the car this morning, it was a normal start, however something sounded off. I let it warm up for a minute before pulling out of my driveway. I drove approximately 200ft before the code came on. I flipped around and pulled back into my driveway. I didn't even reach 15mph! I shut my car off, tried again and still threw the code. I only have 2,681 miles on the vehicle. Its 3 months old - shouldn't have any codes coming up this early. I know its under warranty but now I'm concerned this will be an on going issue and never go away. Has any one been able to get ride of the code after its been serviced? I have an appointment on 11/2, and I will have it towed to the dealership (closet one is 35 miles away) and will not be driving it. I will however, try again this afternoon to see if it is the cold, but other than that, it will sit pretty in the drive way.
 
#81 ·
Well, my car threw the same code, again (today is 11/27). Original code was on 10/16. Took to dealership on 11/2. Picked up on 11/3 When I picked up the vehicle on 11/3, the dealership stated the reason for the check engine light coming on was due to the automatic system update failing. That's such a harsh code to come on for a small error. Electronic Throttle Control makes it seem like my throttle is either going to stick and I wont be able to slow down, or it wont go anywhere and I wouldn't be able to merge onto the highway. Since today is Black Friday, I am not even sure if the service department at the closest Alfa Romeo is open...so, my saga continues. Also, I am still under 3k miles.
 
#82 ·
I got the ETC/No Auto Stop/Start light today. Car drove normally, but only in N mode. Drove for about 5 miles, turned car off, restarted with the remote fob and the error cleared. Took to dealer and they showed no stored errors. The only 2 correlations I can come up with are 2 recent conditions:
1) I had an amp and speakers installed yesterday...there may be a trickle condition that is draining the battery below where it is happy
2) had the car running for about 8 minutes with the driver door open last night

I'll see if it happens again tomorrow morning - that would indicate a trickle draw down...if not...its just another Italian mystery.
 
#83 ·
I haven't started it since the last ETC/No Auto Stop/Start code hit. I am however surprised it allowed you to auto start from the FOB. I will try that now and see if it will even allow me to do so. Each time that the car gave me the code, I felt as if the car started funny - by sounding off. It just sounded rough. But I did notice that each time it has given me the error, it has been in the low 40s and I didn't let it sit there and run - it was a get in and go situation. Both times, I drove maybe 200ft and the code came on. So, who knows if it was something to do with the cold or if it really is an Italian mystery.
 
#84 ·
yeah, I was surprised too, but thought, what the heck, lets mix it up and see if it allows me to, and what the deal is. we will see later on, if it repeats and has anything to do with the stereo install....or I had pointless door ding removal today too, maybe it won't like that either and throw the code
 
#85 ·
I just tried it and it started! haha, however it stoped because the gas tank is below 1/4. But, I am surprised it actually started. I watched the console to see if it would show the code right away and it did. Not even seconds after remote start, did the code show up. What year is your vehicle & mileage?
 
#87 ·
Well, suspecting it might be my new amp trickle draining the battery down to a place it doesn't like to be and throwing the error didn't play out - after sitting all night, I went down this morning, started fine, no error....knock on wood it was just a fluke or some Italian freak out.
 
#89 ·
This happened to me with my Stelvio TI yesterday after returning from a full service at the dealership. While heading home on the highway the Auto Start/Stop Unavailable, as well as Service Electronic Throttle Control, came on. I was too close to home to turn back as the dealership is 70 miles away, but they recommend me coming back in on Monday so they can pull the codes, and issue me a loaner.

I'm actually a little scared to drive it all the way back there and might end up having it towed. Came on here and saw reports of this happening since 2018. I'll update you as to what's going on once we make it there tomorrow.
 
#90 · (Edited)
It happened to my 15 days old Stelvio too, started in the morning and it flashed three error codes : service engine, service electronic throttle control and start stop not available. called the dealership service and the guy was cool like its normal. he advised to run the engine to warm up complete and then shut down and start again couple of times with 30-60s delay in between which will reset it. i did it twice and the error was gone.
the microsoft windows effect.. any problem not resolving try reboot.. lol

Motor vehicle Mode of transport Transport Speedometer Gauge
Motor vehicle Mode of transport Transport Gauge Speedometer
 
#92 ·
It happened to my 15 days old Stelvio too, started in the morning and it flashed three error codes : service engine, service electronic throttle control and start stop not available. called the dealership service and the guy was cool like its normal. he advised to run the engine to warm up complete and then shut down and start again couple of times with 30-60s delay in between which will reset it. i did it twice and the error was gone.
the microsoft windows effect.. any problem not resolving try reboot.. lol

View attachment 20984 View attachment 20985
you do the hokey pokey and you turn yourself around......

You guys aren’t helping me persuade my wife to buy one of these.
 
#91 ·
Forgot to give my update. Took my car in and they kept it overnight. Said that it happened from both the brake and gas being pressed at the same time. I call BS because I only drive with one foot (this isn't a manual vehicle) and I NEVER hit both at the same time. I was on the highway on the gas the entire way. Anyway, they said they fixed it and so far it hasn't returned. Instead, now, my infotainment console shuts off while driving and reboots. Might be time to trade-in.
 
#94 ·
He advised to sit and let the engine warm up because doing so will also allow the battery to charge. Which doesn't happen otherwise given other variables, because of how the "smart" charging system works.

Cycling the power on-off resets the computer to clear the codes.

This is a very known issue having to do with the "smart" charging system and is common on most luxury vehicles now. (Go look at the other forums) what is not known is the solution (other then using a traditional dumb charging system, but that wouldn't be "green").

Replacing the factory battery with an AGM style one works to fix the issue.

As does keeping the car on a battery tender.

Keeping your car locked at home (which turns the computer/sensors off faster) and/or keeping the keys in a faraday cage (metal container to kill the always-on signal) or far enough away that the car doesn't receive a signal from the key, also seems to keep the issue from happening.

So does letting the car idle to warm up for a bit when starting and then again to cool down back at home after the trip.

I keep the car locked, keys in a metal can, and let the engine warm up and cool down for about a minute when I go places...sometimes...and have never had a problem.
 
#95 ·
Thanks that was a great explanation..I am doing everything except keeping the key in a cage..will try that too from today.
Though I am not convinced with just the battery part explanation..should be some more triggers..as I had done a 150 mile one way ride the day before which should have charged it enough for a new battery that one night should not have caused huge drain.
Also there is some electonic signal noise coming from engine when parked ..does that has anything to do with drain
 
#96 ·
The noise is normal probably, not an issue. There have been a couple people who had the noise stay on indefinitely though. That is a problem.

The "smart" system...is pretty stupid actually. On long drives there is very little charging happening as the system prioritizes engine (gas miledge) efficency. Especially at highway speeds.

However stopped at a traffic light, during braking, at idle...that is when the system prioritizes charging. Depending on how and where you drive...you may not do that enough to properly charge the battery. Why idling at the beginning and end of a drive can be helpful (it is also better for the turbo long term)
 
#98 ·
Thanks again.. it was a mix traffic scenario lot of lights for 50 miles and 100miles on highway..except the day I got the error I had properly warmed it..that day was a short half mile run for filling gas after the night trip and right out of driveway the errors popped up..
I might be the one of lucky ones where the sound keeps coming indefinitely..I have noticed for 10 mins plus whenever I had parked..

Also once earlier it had an error popped up for trunk
lid something failure.. manual something..any ideas
 
#99 ·
Should get it looked at if it continues happening. Hopefully it won't.

Do a search on the forum about the buzzing sound after the engine is shut off. I think the people who had that issue were able to have it solved with a software update. Maybe someone can chime in who had that issue too.

Hopefully the hatch thing was a fluke. I had it give me a warning once, it was just a rock stuck by the latch big enough to keep it from closing all the way. Maybe something like that, which fixed itself.

Low battery voltage has also been known to throw pretty much any and every warning light the car has at one time or another. So could be related to the battery drain.
 
#101 ·
I too started having this ETC warning yesterday. 2018 Stelvio QV @ 13,500 miles. Looks to be the original Varta battery. Hooked up a multimeter to it and I'm getting ~12.54 volts with the car off after warming up the battery with the headlights. Seems a bit low, but then I realized - I was cleaning my seats this weekend, leaving the doors open and stereo playing for maybe 30 minutes? It was long enough for the car to shut itself off. So that battery drain is likely what caused it for me. The ETC warning and check engine light have both cleared as of today.
 
#102 ·
My wife was driving home in our 2018 Ti Sport yesterday, which has about 35,000 miles on it. She had just exited a highway and was turning left onto a busy 3-lane road when the dreaded ETC and Stop/Start Unavailable warnings came on and the car died - literally in the middle of her turn. She frantically shut it off and tried restarting it, and it turned over the second time. In limp mode she pulled over to the side of the road and called me. Fortunately she was able to limp home from there.

She spoke to the dealership this morning who advised her (as I've seen on other threads here) to warm up the car and turn it off and on 10 times to "reset" the software. The reset seems to have worked for now. We still have the original battery but the dealer is going to check it next week. I had her leave the car running for 45 minutes afterward to make sure the battery is fully charged, and am going to push the dealership hard to replace the battery with a Mopar when it goes in next week.

Of course this occurred when we are on the verge of purchasing the car off lease since we have not had any issues for quite a while. I cannot believe that - between the known battery and software issues - this is not the subject of a recall! I hate to think what could have happened if this occurred just a few minutes earlier when she was driving on an Interstate. The experience leaves me uncertain about going forward with the purchase.
 
#103 ·
My wife was driving home in our 2018 Ti Sport yesterday, which has about 35,000 miles on it. She had just exited a highway and was turning left onto a busy 3-lane road when the dreaded ETC and Stop/Start Unavailable warnings came on and the car died - literally in the middle of her turn. She frantically shut it off and tried restarting it, and it turned over the second time. In limp mode she pulled over to the side of the road and called me. Fortunately she was able to limp home from there.

She spoke to the dealership this morning who advised her (as I've seen on other threads here) to warm up the car and turn it off and on 10 times to "reset" the software. The reset seems to have worked for now. We still have the original battery but the dealer is going to check it next week. I had her leave the car running for 45 minutes afterward to make sure the battery is fully charged, and am going to push the dealership hard to replace the battery with a Mopar when it goes in next week.

Of course this occurred when we are on the verge of purchasing the car off lease since we have not had any issues for quite a while. I cannot believe that - between the known battery and software issues - this is not the subject of a recall! I hate to think what could have happened if this occurred just a few minutes earlier when she was driving on an Interstate. The experience leaves me uncertain about going forward with the purchase.
Hello,
We're disappointed to hear you're experiencing this concern. After your dealer service, if you feel you need additional support, don't hesitate to send us a private message. We'd be happy to help.

Sarah
Alfa Romeo Cares
 
#104 ·
I purchased my 2020 Stelvio Quad in Feb of this year - 5000 miles on the car and its been at the dealership 4 times for the same issue. Although my dealer is more than helpful and accommodating - and so is Alfa Premium Care (towing to the dealer of my choice) - this has become very frustrating. At least Mercedes gave us loaners when things like this happened.

I picked it up this morning, only to have to take it back again for the same issue.... lets see if the Alfa techs can fix it this time.

As a loyal Fiat / Alfa owner for 30+ year, Im used to quirky Italy rolling stock, but Ive never been afraid of getting to my destination because of an "electrical issue".

Shame on FCA for allowing this to exist. Build your $90,000 cars like everyone else does! So they dont break!
 
#108 ·
The code is for the electronic throttle control.
But this issue is the inability for factory training to resolve what should be a simple issue.

I live in a metropolitan area of 7M ppl and it's 30+ min to a dealership. Not a big deal unless you're making that trip 8 - 10 times for the same issue.

Most recently, the solution they floater is the fuel pump. But at this, after a fuel pressure sensor and a battery... I'm dubious.
 
#109 ·
Are there any symptoms?

Or just the light?

If there are no symptoms, it can be any one of maybe 10 things. Becomes a game of going down a list till something works.

The problem isn't a lack of training, the problem is a lack of cars on the road, leading to a lack of experience as to what exactly is failing. This is why car makers like Toyota rarely make drastic changes to thier models, or create all new models in brand-new factories. They prefer instead a gradual evolution of engine, electronics, platform s and other components, almost never altering more than one in any given year. After 10+ years of using the same stuff you know all the problem areas and repairs are fast because you've seen them a million times. Alfa..hasn't. everything is new and they are learning. Doesn't make it ok, and they could do it faster for sure, regardless is what it is.
 
#110 ·
Are there any symptoms?
Yes there have been other symptoms - but thats really their job to determine not mine. Prior to my initial service visit 2 months ago, I pulled codes using Multiecuscan. As I recall it indicated coil(s) fault)s) on one side of the motor. I took the car in the next day and the dealer amazingly found no codes stored. Because of an ISO incompatibility issue, I was not able to erase any codes and they dont "just go away".

The same FCA trained technicians confidently diagnosed the issue to a fuel pressure sensor which although common to many makes they had to order taking over a week.

Thankfully at that point, I had already lost confidence in the Stelvio's reliability and we rented a Ford for our family's summer road trip. Two weeks and 200 miles after returning from a 2500 mile vacation the Stelvio hiccuped again but this time was immobile. Would start but no accelerator response. All cards on the table, I know a little about cars - specifically Italian cars.... thinking it might be a battery issue, I disconnected the battery found some corrosion on the + side (What the heck - its a new car!) but w/o any luck. I had to have the car towed to the dealership.

This is the 2nd Alfa I had towed to the dealership in 2 weeks. My wife's 2019 Giulia had a battery failure the week prior. Thankfully that was replaced under warranty as well.

And in both cases, I had to plead for customer care to tow my Alfa's to the dealership which only services Alfas - 2 miles outside their "approved" tow radius.


The problem isn't a lack of training, the problem is a lack of cars on the road, leading to a lack of experience as to what exactly is failing.
I have a problem with that statement. This thread it self is 3 years (not months) old. The Quad was introduced nearly 5 years ago... and not built with all newly created technology. As I mentioned above, the fuel pressure sensor is common to other European makes (Ferrari's dating back to 2010 and Porsche's dating to 2015) and manufactured by Bosch. So neither Alfa nor FCA get a pass because they don't sell enough cars. The fuel management is off the shelf.

Im no stranger to Italian cars. I own a dozen of them dating back to 1939. Im used to some idiosyncrasies - what Im not used to is the fact that the folks who built the machine don't seem to know what is wrong with it. And now it's starting to cost me time and money - well above I paid for the machine.
 
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