(T) Cinquecento fuel probs!

Hi i'm a newbie!
My sons Cinquecento has run out of fuel (not for the first time!)
But it still reads that it had 1/4 tank. (OK so unrealiable fuel gauge!)
But it runs out when the car is parked?
When we put more fuel in ( 3 cans full) it wont start. Even when towing, or pumping accelerator.
It has done this before!
Anyone have any ideas please?
I thought perhaps it has got some dirt in the carb? (Would'nt have a clue how to check this!
Or airlock in the fuel system?
Have taken off fuel line pipe, and got my son to suck it ( he says the petrol tastes yuk!) so there is fuel to there!
Really concerned now as he wants to borrow my car if we can't get his started.
Please Help.

Ok,

sounds like a fuel filter problem maybe,or a fuel pump problem,what i think is happening is that the car is pumping too much fuel ,and when your going to start it the engine is flooding ,hense why its not starting after you put fuel in ,


when was the last time the car was serviced? also this is the wrong section ,(BUT LIAM WILL MOVE IT FOR YOU) please post in the cinquecento section in future.

cheers

suggests the fuel gauge sender unit in the fuel tank is faulty. (assuming the fuel tank is actually empty when it says 1/4 on the gauge, double check it is actually empty before assuming the sender unit is faulty)

if it loses petrol while parked it suggests it has a leak (fuel tank or pipe)
fill it to the brim, then switch the ignition on to pressurise the fuel system, then get sniffing for petrol and looking for damp patches.

check the spark plugs after trying to start it for a while, if they are still dry it means there is a fuel supply problem, if they are wet and smell of petrol it means there is probably not a fuel supply problem.

petrol cars can be allowed to run out of fuel with no problems so i doubt an airlock is possible. there isnt a carb on the cinq, it has fuel injection, so the carb cant be blocked. plus the fuel filter prevents this type of problem.

if there is a lack of petrol when you check the spark plugs i would check that the fuel pump is working and replace the fuel filter. if thre is still no fuel at the spark plugs it suggests a fuel injection system fault.

if there is fuel at the spark plugs then it suggests the plugs aren't sparking, check them to see if they spark by attempting to start the car with a sparkplug removed while watching to see if it sparks. if it does not you should suspect the coil pack. consider changing the plugs and HT leads too.

I see boys are still trying this one when they want to borrow a car!! Nothing changes in 30 years.

Cheers

D