I have a Cinquecento sporting 1.1 1998. 63000 miles

It went in for an MOT and failed on a couple of bulbs . It needed a new near side headlight bulb connector as the one was damaged. When the garage fitted the replacement connector it was fitted incorrectly, one light on full one on main beam so I took it back to get the wires changed over. This is when the problems started.

I collected the car and it "would not pull the skin of a custard" absolutely no power, it had a max speed 20mph in 2nd up a slight hill so I immediately took it back to the garage. My guess is that "Little Johny" did not dis connect the battery when soldering the wires and put 240v across the electrics. I have had to replace the alternator as the voltage was all over the place 11.2 to 16.8. The fuel economy has been poor, it did 25 miles on a quarter tank so the garage then changed the MAP sensor for one they had laying around and the fuel economy improved but the car still has no top end. It will not go over 50mph.

The car runs better first thing in the morning on my way to work at 4.30am but once the ambient air temperature rises in the day the car struggles. I am going to buy a NEW MAP SENSOR off the Bay of E to replace the one the garage fitted that was just laying around. Do you think that will sort its issues out or do you think it is something else? If so what? so I can purchase any parts and swap them out. I really do not have a clue. :bang:

The car is a lovely little thing and all it has to do is an 9 mile daily commute. I have access to another car for journeys of any distance on mainland UK. (I live on an island)

The car always used to stall at lights and junctions but with the MAP sensor the garage put in that has stopped. But the car is not nippy as it once was and has no top end above 50mph so I know something is not right.

Cheers :worship:

did the garage perform a diagnostic check? do you have any engine lights on?

soldering the wires would not have put 240v into the system. so it wouldnt be that. worst case would be a fuse would go.

could be quite a few things. unless you do some diagnostic checks you could be changing and swapping sensors all day.

could the cambelt have skipped a tooth? if it is out it can make it perform like you said.

Thanks for getting back.

The garage did a diagnostics check and it had no faults. There are no engine lights or warning lights illuminated.

I doubt the cambelt has skipped a tooth. It was changed around a year ago and the car was fine after the MOT until they changed the light bulb connector. I drove it back to the garage after work and it was fine and then it was not fine four hours later when I collected it.

I asked them to service the car the previous day as I was busy and issue the MOT. They did oil, oil filter, air filter and plugs and all was fine apart from the lights being one on main and one on full beam. They swapped the wires over when I returned the car the following day and then it was not right.

On tick over it seems to labour and the revs are not constant but it does not cut out though you think it is about to. If the engine is HOT and I park up for a couple of minutes I struggle to re start the car. Though it starts on the first turn when cold at 4.30am.

I was thinking initially that maybe a coil pack is breaking down? I am pretty clueless. I fix computers not cars for a living.

Could be a coil pack of a ht lead arking out on the head somewhere

Sounds an unfortunate coincidence.

Soldering irons use heat rather than electrical charge to melt the solder.

Coil pack could make it run on three cylinders? made mine sounded just like a VW beetle...

check for spark, although I expect the garage would have done this...

Has the vacuum pipe from the inlet manifold to the brake servo been knocked when they serviced it?

Compression test? Check cam timing - the belt could have been fitted incorrectly and for some reason its now decided to play up. Perhaps ecu was disconnected and ECU is having trouble re-learning.

Thanks for the imput. I will have a look and see if I can resolve the issue.

Yoda The Jedi Master said:

Thanks for the imput. I will have a look and see if I can resolve the issue.

Click to expand...

Hi have you got the issue sorted yet?

The short answer is NO. Been busy with work and I only commute daily with it. I have purchased some service parts for it that I will get replaced next week. I am changing the 2 coil packs and the MAP sensor, but my money is on the Lambda sensor.

Yoda The Jedi Master said:

The short answer is NO. Been busy with work and I only commute daily with it. I have purchased some service parts for it that I will get replaced next week. I am changing the 2 coil packs and the MAP sensor, but my money is on the Lambda sensor.

Click to expand...

Are you able to remove the plugs? Check to see if one is not gapped correctly or has been put in badly ie cross threaded and is leaking. Also have they used the correct plugs? I use NGK BPR 6es. Also have they put the HT leads on correctly? Also could a vacuum pipe been damaged? One thing you could try is disconnect the battery for half an hour or so then reconnect. Start engine and take it for a drive to reset the ECU to default.

I will not get a chance to work on the car until next week. Will let you know if it gets sorted.

Basically changed the MAF Sensor and the Coil Packs and still the same, swapped out the throttle body for one from the breakers and all is now good.

Well done.

Was going to suggest a blocked exhaust but glad you got it sorted!

Yoda The Jedi Master said:

Basically changed the MAF Sensor and the Coil Packs

Click to expand...

You mean the MAP