I have a Fiat Panda 1.2 4x4 2005 and I Have just pulled out some grey hair hanging from the back of my exhaust. WTF??

Initially I thought it was something I hit while driving, like an old lady or old collie dog (sic), but I had a look at the exhaust today and noticed some more.
Well it was like one of those magicians tricks with the never ending handkerchiefs. I now have a grey wigs worth of wadding from the back box which I assume needs to be changed?

The other issue I have, which may be related, is a rattling engine and a large drop in mpg. From the fuel stats I keep, October was the last time the car saw 40mpg. November dropped to 37-39mpg and December dropped to 33mpg.

I feel that even in December 33mpg is a little low, though my wife has been driving it and she's no slouch in the getting our daughter to school.

I intend to replace the rear box which I assume has gone?
Would the rattling engine and low MPG be related or could it have been the awful main service I had in October from the Main Fiat dealer in which they also replaced the serpentine belt?

Any ideas?

Can't help with economy sorry, but the grey filling stuff is 100% your back box.

problems with the exhaust gases flow may not help MPG.. BUT neither will the colder temps.. More "choke" as we oldies say..,
Charlie

Rmdinho said:

Can't help with economy sorry, but the grey filling stuff is 100% your back box.

Click to expand...

Yup, the packing in the back box is coming out, its the stuff that does the sound deadening like asbestos matting

A few owners, myself included have had bad mpg and engine rattle.

Mine wouldn't idle properly either, it would trip back to fast idle after a couple of miles reving up at the lights, it also sounded like something near the alternator was rattling or grating.

With mine, it was a duff O2 (lambda) sensor causing a fueling imbalance, the rattling was the engine pinging or some something similar.

Seemed the upstream O2 may not have been heating quick enough, leaving the car stuck in open loop (it's warm up strategy).
It would cold start and fuel open loop, then trim open loop - system fault when it should have entered closed loop and used the upstream O2 to trim the fuel.

But saying that, a bunged up exhaust will probably do the same.
Get the Mrs to rev it, a good blast then off the gas, while you check if the exhaust gas pump out fast enough.
It should return to a even pop pop rather than continue to rush out any seconds after the pedal is released.

Thanks guys awesome.

I'll try your suggestions.

I have now spent some time trawling the internet for parts and prices.

There are wild differences in the prices for the whole exhaust system (not inc Cat).

Can anyone help me who or which make is good to go for?
There is Klarius which seems to be the lower end £60-90 depending on where you go.
There is a back box only from Bosal at £73, but that means I'd have to cut the pipe in order to fit it.
Then there is Fiat branded at £315.53

I got a quote back from All Italia ltd at £153 but I have to go pick up the part, in Wales, I live in Bedfordshire.

Help please.

fiatnumpty said:

There is a back box only from Bosal at £73, but that means I'd have to cut the pipe in order to fit it.

Click to expand...

Why would cutting be required? They come in sections, just remove the clip and heat it up and pull it off

Because my exhaust is one piece. The back box middle pipe, spring and end pipe before where it attaches to the cat down-pipe manifold is one piece. No sections with clips at all.

Joint is just before the rearaxle. It's there! Otherwise the axle would have to come off before refitting the exhaust.

gr J

It doesn't appear to be.

It's all below the axle. I'll post a picture.

The clamp is just along from here.

Oops It's a 4x4:bang:

Sorry!

gr J

Best place for parts?

Bloody hell they didn't have their brain in gear designing that system did they!

OK. I now have a new but third party exhaust at a cost of £150+VAT.

While the guy was changing the exhaust for me he also changed the gear box oil, which according to him was only half full and the Rear box oil, (at my request) which according to him was like dry cake and not really liquid any more. He used genuine Fiat recommended oils for this.

The car is quieter but still using at least 5mpg more than it should be.
Bugger. The exhaust was not the problem here. I'll have to check tyre pressures and see if that helps the MPG.

There is also a newish knocking noise that I asked him to look at while he was fiddling with the car. It happens just a the point you change gear. Just at the point the gear is engaged and the clutch is being fully released and the car takes the load of the pull from the engine.

It sounds like a clinking/plinking noise and only happens when the car is under the initial load of the gear being engaged or if you are in a lower gear than the car would like.

I drive an Audi A2 which coasts and glides like a dream when I disengage the gear I'm in.

When I try this on the Panda it feels like the car has a parachute on the back.
Whatever the drag is it's eating mpg figures from the car.

Brakes binding, bearings need oiling or just a typical 4x4?
Any thoughts guys?

Could the weird noise when the clutch is released be a dodgy engine mount? If the engine isn't held in place properly it'll clonk about when it takes up the strain of propelling the car or has the strain removed when you press in the clutch.

As for the drag, my guess would be binding brakes combined with incorrect tyre pressures. Does it pull to one side? I doubt it's down to it being a 4x4 if it feels like it decelerates that quickly, especially as I don't think the Panda isn't 4x4 all the time, I think it only engages the back wheels when the fronts begin to slip. I could be wrong about that though...

As for doing 5MPG less than it "should". If "should" is the manufacturers quoted MPG figures, getting 5MPG less than that is pretty good. The 100HP is rated at 43MPG, but 35ish isn't unusual in perfectly healthy cars.

I've just had a look at the engine mounts. They all look and feel solid. No perishing either. hmmm.

The sound seems to be coming from where the gear box is rather than from the front. It almost sounds like when an exhaust falls partially off and is tinking on the road just before it falls off.

I'll check the possible binding brakes this weekend.

I wondered if removing the rear drive shaft may help the mpg, but am unsure if that would f up the car?

Yep. Binding brakes and a stone stuck in the pad, pinging around.

What a PITA. At least it's now all done.