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Technical Do Panda's like rain - serious engine problem

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Technical Do Panda's like rain - serious engine problem

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Ecnerwal

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May 24, 2012
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Hi, I have a 56-plate Panda 1.3 Multijet which, apart from the occasional clutch slip, has covered over 80,000 trouble-free miles.....until recently, that is!

I used to drive the car everyday but for the past several months I've commuted by motorbike and the car has spent much of it's life on the driveway, being used only at weekends.

Over a period of weeks, I experienced some starting problems, particularly after a spell of rain and more so (it seemed) if the car had been parked facing (slightly) uphill on the driveway.

Recently, the car was unused for a period of 2-3 weeks in April when the weather was really wet. On trying to start the car, it turned briefly and then stopped, almost as though the starter had jammed on the starting ring.

It was trailered to the local Fiat sub-agents who said that the sump was full of water and that a con-rod had most likely bent when trying to turn the engine over whilst water was in one or more cyclinders.

There's a posting on Honest Jon, suggesting that this is a known problem and that in periods of heavy rainfall, water gets through the air-filter and into the engine.

I should add that there had been no loss of water from the cooling system.

I wondered if anyone else on the forum has experienced this problem.

The cost of a new (or reconditioned) engine.....don't even go there! :mad:
 
My friend has just had his engine hydraulic lock with water on top of the pistons on investigation the little self tapper screw above the air cleaner housing lets water drip on to the housing (more so when the car is parked at a certain angle) now if the 3 lugs holding the air cleaner cover on at the rear are not properly engaged (especially the middle one) water gets in to the housing and then the pipe work .. now if you remove the heater plugs then crank the engine (by hand would be adviseable for the first few rotations) the water will be squirted out .. now because the plugs are out there will be no suction to empty the induction pipes you will only get this out by disconnecting the pipes down by the intercooler.. we got 3 pints out (n)
 
Just thought I'd post some feedback on this.

I took the 'hydraulic lock' suggestion seriously and removed the glowplugs. Hey presto, the engine turned over and spurted water out of two cylinders. I also drained water from the intercooler and more water from the sump. After a new oil filter and fresh oil the engine started and ran perfectly!!!

Thanks for the great advice from this forum. It saved me being ripped off by the dealer who wanted to charge me £3500 for a recon engine.

I have now made some mods to the car:

1. Silicone sealant around the screw hole in the centre of the skuttle
2. A drain hole in the bottom of the airflow sensor housing (water was collecting there)
3. Tape over the top of the air intake where it protrudes over the top of the grill
4. A small piece of tape on the front grill partially obscuring the air intake.

The car has travelled 500 miles in monsoon-like rain since then and has performed flawlessly.

happy days:)
 
Last edited:
Good result :) I'd find somebody to complain to about the main dealer...
 
Ecnerwal

I have joined to reply to you. I bought a s/h 1300 multijet dyanmic diesel in December 2011. 07 plate. 32,000 miles. Immaculate. I had it for 2 weeks and covered about 450 miles - it ran perfectly until one day it started and ran irregularly but soon was OK; a day or so later it started only after a struggle with water from exhaust. Dealer said I had driven through a puddle - which I had not - and found air filter box and throttle chamber fulll of water and water in cylinder 4. Oil and filters were changed at my cost; their comment 'suspicion of internal damage'. I had not looked at the engine layout before the event because car owned for only 2 weeks. When I did, I concluded that when parked on a steep slope, looking uphill, rainwater - but more signifigantly hail from heavy showers over two days - gathered on the bonnet and the external ridge across the radiator grill. On melting, water ran into air intake that is open and looking forwards alongside the nearside headlight. All was OK until March 2012 when it began to start on only 3 cylinders - very quickly picking up - and a puff of smoke and I thought 'knocked' under load. Put it to my insurer who engaged a specialist engineer. An estimate to replace injectors was over £2000, replacement engine over £4,000. Car was written off and I was paid what I had paid for it. Just exactly what was damaged appears not to have been determined but suspected con rod and or injectors. I guess turbo may also have been compromised - and if it had one - any catalytic converter. Don't know about screws etc - cannot check - because car now gone ! I guess water from same source may have got on top of the filter box and screws etc - don't know - never occurred to me when my conclusion seemed obvious. Beware. I looked at a 2012 model recently and saw the air intake directed across the car, rather than facing forwards.
 
Dogdevon, thanks for joining the forum to post your experience of the fiat panda 'engine filling up with water' saga. I've decided to pursue the matter with Fiat as clearly they didn't redesign the air-intake layout without being aware of the problem!

I wonder how many other people have experienced the same issue and suffered financial loss as a result
 
Ecnerwal

What happened to you is what happened to me. The engine initially stopped as if something had jammed. I never gacve presence of water a thought - who would ? Eventually when started water came from the exhaust; dealer later told me of findings and charged £235 for changing oil, filters and whatever they do with computers !

I put 'gaffer tape' over the top of the air intake but not in front of the intake in case it affected air flow. I thought about drilling a hole in the intake at the low point where it joins the filter box. That would probably be the best preventative action other than never parked the car looking uphill again !

You may be lucky and have not suffered hydraulic or other damage. I have to say that my car ran A1 from Mid-December until mid March, no loss of performance, fuel consumption etc. Starting on 3 cylinders with rapid recovery I optimistically put down to a heater fault - sadly seems not so - though as I say exact nature of damage not determined so far as I am aware. With crazy labour rates from a main dealer - understandable.

I will probably not be here again having replaced the Panda with a 1300, diesel Corsa - so Good Luck.
 
I've just found a solution to the Fiat Panda rain problem!;)

It involves putting in a new air inlet hose that collects air from the side instead of the front grill which is where heavy rain will enter.


I was looking at a friends Peugeot diesel and the end of the air intake pipe points side ways collecting air from behind the headlamp making it almost impossible for rain water to get in. This arrangement must be ok as sufficient air can be drawn in without affecting performance.

Basically on the Fiat Panda diesel get any air inlet hose from breakers yard or car accessories place (doesn't matter what make of car it came from, just as long as it's the same size and will plug into your filer housing maybe get one from a fiat and if possible twist it) and attach it so that the air entry end does NOT face the grill, instead air enters from behind the headlamp unit which will always be dry! :cool:

I haven't tried it yet as my car has 6 months warranty left on and doing so may invalidate warranty but I will do when warranty is gone.
 
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Simple solution to rain problem update :)

Even better get a fiat panda air intake hose from breakers yard, cut it in half and turn air entry end away from grill so it collects air from behind headlamp unit. Join using duct tape. Or attach a flexible rubber hose onto cut end of the original hose so it points towards headlamp unit. Join using jubilee bands.:cool:
 
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dogdevon said:
Ecnerwal

I have joined to reply to you. I bought a s/h 1300 multijet dyanmic diesel in December 2011. 07 plate. 32,000 miles. Immaculate. I had it for 2 weeks and covered about 450 miles - it ran perfectly until one day it started and ran irregularly but soon was OK; a day or so later it started only after a struggle with water from exhaust. Dealer said I had driven through a puddle - which I had not - and found air filter box and throttle chamber fulll of water and water in cylinder 4. Oil and filters were changed at my cost; their comment 'suspicion of internal damage'. I had not looked at the engine layout before the event because car owned for only 2 weeks. When I did, I concluded that when parked on a steep slope, looking uphill, rainwater - but more signifigantly hail from heavy showers over two days - gathered on the bonnet and the external ridge across the radiator grill. On melting, water ran into air intake that is open and looking forwards alongside the nearside headlight. All was OK until March 2012 when it began to start on only 3 cylinders - very quickly picking up - and a puff of smoke and I thought 'knocked' under load. Put it to my insurer who engaged a specialist engineer. An estimate to replace injectors was over £2000, replacement engine over £4,000. Car was written off and I was paid what I had paid for it. Just exactly what was damaged appears not to have been determined but suspected con rod and or injectors. I guess turbo may also have been compromised - and if it had one - any catalytic converter. Don't know about screws etc - cannot check - because car now gone ! I guess water from same source may have got on top of the filter box and screws etc - don't know - never occurred to me when my conclusion seemed obvious. Beware. I looked at a 2012 model recently and saw the air intake directed across the car, rather than facing forwards.
Click to expand...
Simple cheap solution :)

The air intake pipe opens to the front grill which is where rain gets in :(
I was looking at a friends Peugeot 1.4 hdi and on those the air I take pipe opens behind the head lamp unit pointing side ways and not towards front grill. That makes it impossible for rain, hail of snow melt to enter.
Solution. Get a panda air intake pipe from scrap yard or auto spares place. Cut it in half and join on a new bit of pipe or hose that will point away from grill, side ways behind the dry area behind your near side headlamp unit. Join using gaffer tape of jubilee clip bands. Air will be collected from here and not from the front. Peugeot uses this design and it works. Problem sorted! :)
 
Most Easterly Pandas said:
It shouldn't do as there is a large blank in front of it on the grill to stop rain intake :confused:
Click to expand...
:yeahthat:

Even if you drove up a really steep hill into driving rain, the air intake still shouldn't get water in it. I've driven down the motorway when it's been absolutely p*ssing it down, and my engine is fine. Maybe the 100HP is designed significantly differently, but I can't see that really being the case.
 
I thought that everyone fixed this problem with a bit of silicone around the screw in the middle of the plastic bit under the wipers?

That's what I did a few years back and I haven't had any problems with it since. That's where the rain gets in, not the air intake. ;)
 
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