Sold the Panda last week to my boss on the understanding I would continue to use it till the day I left the UK. Went to Monmouth to check out the river. Got there and found the car running hot, coolant level down. Topped up, went to Chepstow, same again, and a slight leak. Looks like from where the waterpump is. Questions: Is it ussually the pump bearings or the seal that go? Cheaper to do the seal, or replace as a whole? Any and all advice appreciated

Brokenhearted

Justin

Consider the metal pipe which plugs into the back of the water pump first.


It's run too long with no antifreeze, and rotted the pipe.


It's far more likely failure than the pump, easier to change too:
search the forum - it's been mentioned before.


Gone again - a too busy John H

Totally agree with John...check this pipe first ! I've just had to replace one for exactly the same reason.

It's definetely coming from directly above the oil filter on the end of the engine casing. I've inspected the pipe, about 12"/30cm long, and it appears fine, though a little oily. Any idea how much to replace at a shop- I'll probably have to give this cost back to my boss...
Justin

Looks like I may have a similar problem. Water dripping off the oil filter at the rate of 1 drop every 3 seconds. Hope it is only the pipe being talked about. Hope that Desira have them in stock too!

toecutter said:

Any idea how much to replace at a shop- I'll probably have to give this cost back to my boss...
Justin

Click to expand...

The pipe's about 10UKP.
Labour - maybe half an hour.
Fresh antifreeze (a couple of litres to do it properly).

I'd guess anywhere from 25 to 60UKP depending on the type of garage:
small independent to franchised dealer.

I've noticed a puddle under my Panda which seems to be water but the location is "far" from the oil filter...do you know if the metal pipe tends to leak more when the engine's cold?I ask this because the puddle appeared two times after a day stop!

The leak I had from the pipe (even when there was a leak stopping additive in the cooling) would occur more than an hour after parking, when the engine was quite hot:
drive to work, heavy traffic for the last mile or two - temperature gauge up a bit, maybe even fan on for a while, then a heavy throttle burst in the last half mile or so.

Look after an hour - no puddle.

Look after another four or five hours - a fair sized puddle on the concrete floor.

YMMV.

AARGH :bang: ...I discovered where the puddle comes from...it's not the metal pipe but one of the plugs on the engine block !I checked the Fiat Eper catalog and found two codes for this plugs, depending on the diameter, 14mm or 30mm.Does anyone know how to replace them and if it's necessary to unbolt the kat and the metal pipe in order to work on it??

It's a long time since I've done a core plug - and that wasn't on a FIAT.

AFAIK you need clear unobstructed access at rightangles to the plug, which may involve taking the radiator out in this instance.

You need a wooden shaft which is a nice fit inside the cupped end of the plug, and drift it home by hitting the other end of the wood with a substantial hammer when the plug is offered up to the hole in the block.

Unless anyone knows different...


Regards


John H


Removal on iron blocked engines is by brute force with a large screwdriver (or chisel) and hammer.
You'd need more care on the alloy block.