General just bought Abarth grande punto with a few issues

[DaveH85]

Hi all. New to the forums here as I have just bought a 55 plate Abarth grande punto registered in early 06. It has a few issues that I'm going to need sorted out and just looking for some advice and maybe an idea of what it's going to cost. First off is it doesn't always like finding 5th gear first time, especially if my foots down. Then we have a whine from the turbo. I've been told this is nothing to worry about, but I've also been told it means it's on its way out so any help is much appreciated here. Today it also struggled to start a few times with the dash telling me there was a radiator coolant temperature problem and it wouldn't start. Also once I started it today and I had no power steering. A simple off and on again sorted this out though. Any help with these issues is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Palio]

Hi all. New to the forums here as I have just bought a 55 plate Abarth grande punto registered in early 06. It has a few issues that I'm going to need sorted out and just looking for some advice and maybe an idea of what it's going to cost. First off is it doesn't always like finding 5th gear first time, especially if my foots down. Then we have a whine from the turbo. I've been told this is nothing to worry about, but I've also been told it means it's on its way out so any help is much appreciated here. Today it also struggled to start a few times with the dash telling me there was a radiator coolant temperature problem and it wouldn't start. Also once I started it today and I had no power steering. A simple off and on again sorted this out though. Any help with these issues is much appreciated. Thanks in advance.

Starting issues and weird warning lights is likely to be a new battery required.

Is this an AGP though, as you said 55 plate, and afaik they weren't around until 2008? Advice on battery still very much applies, but gearbox/turbo wouldn't be the same if you're talking about a different car.

 

[DaveH85]

Starting issues and weird warning lights is likely to be a new battery required.

Is this an AGP though, as you said 55 plate, and afaik they weren't around until 2008? Advice on battery still very much applies, but gearbox/turbo wouldn't be the same if you're talking about a different car.

Hi. It is a 55 plate but was registered in 2006. It just had a new battery before I bought it. Been advised to just take it back and get my money back but I'd rather keep it amd fix it up. Make it sound and look nice. Its a great car and very fast.

 

[Bernievarian]

Hi Dave and welcome on board the forum !

New battery doesn't mean it's a good one, can also be that the charging circuit is weak.
I would have those (seriously) verified before going any further...

Regards, Bernie.

If someone here helped You fix or understand your issue, hit the thanks button, it's free !!

 

[DaveH85]

Hi Dave and welcome on board the forum !

New battery doesn't mean it's a good one, can also be that the charging circuit is weak.
I would have those (seriously) verified before going any further...

Regards, Bernie.

If someone here helped You fix or understand your issue, hit the thanks button, it's free !!

Hi Bernie.

Thanks for the advice. It's going into the garage on Wednesday to have a full check over and see what needs done. Any ideas what could be causing the one time loss of power steering or the now and again not starting due to radiation coolant temp too high? Coolant is not low.

 

[DaveH85]

Apologies if it isn't the abarth model. It does have the scorpion badge on it in places and has abarth stickers along the bottom on both sides which both look factory as opposed to after market.

 

[DaveH85]

this is what she looks like. If this helps anyone ID it as abarth or not.

 

[Ben D]

Hi,

Fairly sure AGP was first released in 2007. How many gears does it have?

Coolant message at startup is a software issue, either live with it or pay a dealer to get it flashed. Starting and power steering could be either battery earth points or alternator, at worst it could be the power steering unit. There is a guide on here regarding earth points, follow that first.
As far as the turbo goes, i barely hear it on my T-Jet even with the esseesse intake so unless it has an induction kit fitted which will make it sound louder, you could have an issue.

Is the whine definitely from the turbo? Isn't there in neutral or does it only happen when driving? If the latter then try dipping the clutch when driving and see if it goes away.

I'd check the authenticity, should be able to do that through dvla. If you like the car and are not too bothered about Abarth or not and have a few quid to spend on it then keep it providing it is clean enough underneath.

Cheers

Ben

 

[Palio]

Hi Bernie.

Thanks for the advice. It's going into the garage on Wednesday to have a full check over and see what needs done. Any ideas what could be causing the one time loss of power steering or the now and again not starting due to radiation coolant temp too high? Coolant is not low.

These are usually battery related, so don't get sidetracked into thinking it needs new steering racks etc. Check the earths, but get a good quality battery and it will probably sort these. The electric power steering takes a huge amount of power and often turns off when a battery starts to go. Random warning lights and failure to start all point yo the battery

My Abarth had power steering failure, abs not available, hillholder errors and all sorts - I knew what it was and replaced the battery.

 

[Palio]

It's not an Abarth as such, as they didn't come out until 2008. They were only black, white or red, and yours looks pretty orange to me.

It's probably a 120 T-jet with added badges?

Nothing wrong with that, but gearbox in particular will depend on the car. If it was an AGP with an M32 gearbox that's got known issues, and advice is likely to be different to a standard Punto box.

 

[DaveH85]

Hi,



Fairly sure AGP was first released in 2007. How many gears does it have?



Coolant message at startup is a software issue, either live with it or pay a dealer to get it flashed. Starting and power steering could be either battery earth points or alternator, at worst it could be the power steering unit. There is a guide on here regarding earth points, follow that first.

As far as the turbo goes, i barely hear it on my T-Jet even with the esseesse intake so unless it has an induction kit fitted which will make it sound louder, you could have an issue.



Is the whine definitely from the turbo? Isn't there in neutral or does it only happen when driving? If the latter then try dipping the clutch when driving and see if it goes away.



I'd check the authenticity, should be able to do that through dvla. If you like the car and are not too bothered about Abarth or not and have a few quid to spend on it then keep it providing it is clean enough underneath.



Cheers



Ben

Hi.

The whine is when any revving is done at all. If it's sat idling in neutral and I rev it up, the whine is there as well. I'll look into a new battery then. The covers for the connections are also missing which probably isn't helping matters. It's a 6 speed box mate. 1.9tdi. On thinking back, I think it's possibly a grande punto sporting.

 

[DaveH85]

Also it's a multijet.

 

[DaveH85]

These are usually battery related, so don't get sidetracked into thinking it needs new steering racks etc. Check the earths, but get a good quality battery and it will probably sort these. The electric power steering takes a huge amount of power and often turns off when a battery starts to go. Random warning lights and failure to start all point yo the battery



My Abarth had power steering failure, abs not available, hillholder errors and all sorts - I knew what it was and replaced the battery.

Thanks Palio.

I'll definitely look into a new battery.

It apparently had a new one just before I bought it, but I could be cheap crap I suppose.

 

[Palio]

Thanks Palio.

I'll definitely look into a new battery.

It apparently had a new one just before I bought it, but I could be cheap crap I suppose.

If you have access to another car (friend, partner, parent, random neighbour) just swap another battery onto it. It's an easy check, to see if it sorts out the weird warning messages.

 

[Ben D]

OK, diesel! Search M32 box on here there will be plenty of threads. Can't really add anything as I'm not familiar with the diesels. Mate of mine had a stilo 1.9 jtd and i don't remember much turbo noise even with induction kit fitted. Info on coolant warning at start up and earth points still stands.


Cheers

Ben

 

[DaveH85]

OK, diesel! Search M32 box on here there will be plenty of threads. Can't really add anything as I'm not familiar with the diesels. Mate of mine had a stilo 1.9 jtd and i don't remember much turbo noise even with induction kit fitted. Info on coolant warning at start up and earth points still stands.





Cheers



Ben

Thanks a lot ben.

I'll look into those.

 

[DaveH85]

If you have access to another car (friend, partner, parent, random neighbour) just swap another battery onto it. It's an easy check, to see if it sorts out the weird warning messages.

I've got a 65 plate Astra as well so the battery on it is only 18 months old so could try that I suppose.

Thanks.