Hi Guys

I just bought a Panda Dynamic 1.2 (2009 - European left hand drive), and it's in pretty good shape.

The other day i went on a long drive through the mountains and (when miles away from anywhere of course) i noticed the orange 'engine' signal light come on on the dashboard. I thought she was over heating!

I stopped at nearest petrol station and bought some radiator coolant (i couldn't see where the level was), but when i went to fill it up it overflowed - it was already full of coolant! Also - after about on hour of driving - the fluid in the radiator didn't seem hot at all.

I put in green coolant - but i think the car needs red.

I need to drain the coolant as it is totally full. Also i noticed that after wiggling the radiator a little - the engine signal light goes out.

Temp. gauge is smack bang in the middle - where it should be. So not overheating.

Why did the light come on? Do i have bubbles in the radiator - or a blockage of some kind? Why was the coolant not hot? (i was driving through snowy mountains)

And most importantly - where can i get a workshop manual so that i can identify the radiator tap, and drain it myself?

Many thanks in advance for any help!

SpanishDynamic2009

Haynes do a good workshop manual. You can get the owners manual online.
http://aftersales.fiat.com/eLumData.../00_319_PANDA_603.99.249_EN_01_09.12_L_LG.pdf


The bubbles may be .....

1. It was not bled properly and needs doing again.
2. The head gasket is going and air is getting into the water. A garage can test this by putting a carbon monoxide probe (used in an MOT to test for the exhaust gases) into the coolant reservoir, or radiator header.
3. Thermostat may have failed, so engine ho,t but radiator cold.
4. You can drain the radiator by taking the bottom hose off.

Need to read the code could be anything.

Temperature gauge in the middle and no coolant loss probably means the coolant system is okay.

Radiator isn't used all the time. So its not always red hot.

All coolant nowadays will be fine in a modern engine. Pink type just lasts longer.

The colour green of the coolant isn't completely standard. Mixing different types can cause problems though. Check the bottle. Hopefully its a universal.

Hi,

You could do a Leak Down Test. It'll supply you with info on your cylinder head gasket.

Here's a link which explains how to do it.



Hope this might help you out.

John.

Get the car checked to find out what the error actually is. From your explanation, your heating system sounds fine. The overflowing was probably due to you opening the rad cap when the engine was hot as it is under pressure. That is not advisable to do as you could quite easily burn yourself.

Check the coolant level when the car is cold.
Start the car from cold with the coolant level correct and the radiator cap off and see if it overflows then, this would point to a head gasket leak.

Moving the radiator about sounds like there Is a bad connection somewhere.

SpanishDynamic2009 said:

Hi Guys

I just bought a Panda Dynamic 1.2 (2009 - European left hand drive), and it's in pretty good shape.

The other day i went on a long drive through the mountains and (when miles away from anywhere of course) i noticed the orange 'engine' signal light come on on the dashboard. I thought she was over heating!

I stopped at nearest petrol station and bought some radiator coolant (i couldn't see where the level was), but when i went to fill it up it overflowed - it was already full of coolant! Also - after about on hour of driving - the fluid in the radiator didn't seem hot at all.

I put in green coolant - but i think the car needs red.

I need to drain the coolant as it is totally full. Also i noticed that after wiggling the radiator a little - the engine signal light goes out.

Temp. gauge is smack bang in the middle - where it should be. So not overheating.

Why did the light come on? Do i have bubbles in the radiator - or a blockage of some kind? Why was the coolant not hot? (i was driving through snowy mountains)

And most importantly - where can i get a workshop manual so that i can identify the radiator tap, and drain it myself?

Many thanks in advance for any help!

SpanishDynamic2009

Click to expand...

Hi, and welcome to FF,

ignore all the comments about head gasket,
if it's NOT overheating and NOT losing coolant,
then it just sounds as if you have AIR trapped in the cooling system

"bleeding" this air is relatively simple and straightforwardhttps://www.fiatforum.com/punto-mk1...g-cooling-system-8v-16v-petrol-engines-5.html

however the warning light sounds a little odd,

in your situation I would;

REMOVE the blue radiator cap, and then slowly open the small bleed screws located on the hose at the REAR of the engine,

start the engine , and let it slowly build temperature .

CAREFULLY reseal the bleed screws , then keep the RADIATOR filler neck FULL until the cooling fan cuts in ( cycles)
you should then see the coolant level drop @30mm.
turn engine OFF and let everything cool,
once COLD,
use a torch to illuminate the radiator expansion tank - so you can see the LEVEL of the coolant,
add / remove coolant until the level is on MAX - syphon out any excess.

I would just keep a careful eye on this level for a few days of driving,
taking not of the temp gauge position , and IF the interior heater is getting HOT AIR.

once you ascertained that the system is leak-tight and free of air,
it would be worthwhile changing the coolant.. as a side note..when is the cambelt due a change.??
as this is best done with a new waterpump - so ideal opportunity for a coolant flush,

try and get the vehicle scanned for fault codes - it MAY help explain the warning light..,
Charlie

Hey thanks guys for all the replies. Very kind!

The coolant overflowed because the radiator was already full of coolant and i added more newbie!

I will try bleeding it - thanks Charlie - and then giving it a flush. I don't think i have any serious problems, though a scan would be worthwhile. Any ideas on the average cost of that?

Good old Haynes - yes i remember now. I had a Haynes manual once - a while ago. Good call MLW - thanks.

I put a new stereo in (cheap), replacing the factory one, but managed to snap my drivers side sun visor while installing it, which is quite an issue in sunny Spain. Any ideas for getting a reasonably priced new one? Or maybe i could use some epoxy resin to fix the existing one? Plastic super glue didn't work

Thanks again guys :worship:

I did repair a sun visor using "one minute fix" UV setting glue - it's still ok at the moment. (Amazon or eBay)
Superglue was a waste of effort, as it came apart the next time it was used.
Sun visors for Pandas seem to be crazy online prices secondhand (up to £30 each) although they do come up cheaper sometimes. Scrapyard visit might be best bet.

It's probably OK but this will tell you if you have a head gasket problem.

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/BT-500-Un...240620?hash=item2a7870202c:g:zkgAAOSw5cNYa9GK

It tests chemically for exhaust gas hydrocarbons in the coolant.

I don't know if it's still the case but the FIRE engine used to have two separate temperature sensors. One for the instrument panel and another used by the ECU for managing the fuel/air mixture. It was possible for the car to give an ok gauge reading when it was actually running low enough to blow the head gasket. I saw this happen with a friend's Punto Mk1.

Gurgle gurgle. What's that funny noise? 5 minutes later - Oh no the gauge has gone ballistic and I have no power. We opened the bonnet to see steam rising from the air intake.

Gurgling sounds from the heater are not good. Air in the coolant can leave bubbles where there should be coolant leading to local overheating and a blown head gasket.

Yeah - a scrap yard visit might be a good idea. I hadn't thought of that so thanks. Everything online is so expensive - thanks irc.

One last question - i don't think my car came with the key code card - can't find it anyway. Is there a way to have a spare electronic key (if that's what it's called) made without the card? Can the code be read from the key i have, for example?

I am new to this forum - and a little busy at the moment - so i apologise if i'm not replying to peoples comments correctly. I really appreciate the help - being in a foreign country makes everything a little more complicated when trying to sort car issues - as i'm sure you can imagine.

Thanks again.

UK cars did not have the code card included, but I believe most other areas did. A Fiat dealer should be able to look up the code for you.
If you only want a spare key, some of the independent locksmiths can "clone" an existing one, which is usually about £50 in the UK.
Dealer-supplied one is usually about £130 plus a programming fee.
Our Panda Active has a cloned key (from Timpsons) and it had been fine for 2+ years... I didn't want to spend half of the cost of the car on a second key, but I didn't want to only have 1 key either.

For £15 a year you can buy a lost key insurance that will pay up to £1500 for a replacement key and associated components. Ask your broker.

irc said:

I didn't want to spend half of the cost of the car on a second key, but I didn't want to only have 1 key either.

Click to expand...

haha - know what you mean.

I'll get a clone - one key is not good enough really.

SpanishDynamic2009 said:

haha - know what you mean.

I'll get a clone - one key is not good enough really.

Click to expand...

Or spend £15 on insurance. Sorted.

DaveMcT said:

Or spend £15 on insurance. Sorted.

Click to expand...

I'd rather just buy a new key than open up an insurance policy. But thanks

SpanishDynamic2009 said:

I'd rather just buy a new key than open up an insurance policy. But thanks

Click to expand...

It's a bit of a no brainer when it can cost Megabux for a new key or just £15 for insurance. It's not linked to the car policy so NCD is untouched.

If the key cant be cloned and you lose the original, you will need new ignition switch and key along with a new engine ECU and maybe a new instrument panel. The set are permanently linked the first time the car is started. Losing the key can be an expensive exercise.

DaveMcT said:

It's a bit of a no brainer when it can cost Megabux for a new key or just £15 for insurance. It's not linked to the car policy so NCD is untouched.

If the key cant be cloned and you lose the original, you will need new ignition switch and key along with a new engine ECU and maybe a new instrument panel. The set are permanently linked the first time the car is started. Losing the key can be an expensive exercise.

Click to expand...

Okay - i will look into it. Thanks for the forewarning.

Things here are cheaper as a rule - the guy in the motor shop told me to contact the local Fiat shop - and they should be able to clone it.

Of course - with the insurance, i would have to pretend to have lost the key - if i want a spare - would i not? Can't just use insurance to get a spare key - correct me if i'm wrong - but i don't think that's how it works.

Safest to get a clone. Timpsons or any proper locksmith.


Even if you have no key at all its not that bad on a Fiat. Need to find a proper auto locksmith.