Fiat Punto 1.2 2000

My water pipe/hose split on the way home last night. Called Dealers/Parts Centres/Garages today and non have a spare :bang: Its the upper pipe (i think) Rad to engine

I need to get to get one by saturday!! Is there anyway i can bodge it, or get a different pipe. Or if anyone has a spare for sale and lives in herfordshire (Ware)

Can provide a picture if this helps.

Breakers yard..?


Ralf S.

Tried. They cut all of them when removing the engines

Spank My Car said:

Tried. They cut all of them when removing the engines

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what :tosser: I really don't know whey they don't just remove them properly

Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

1.2 8v Punto - 2000

Firstly, on wednesday evening on the way home i heard a pop, drove 50 yards to park up at home & found that my 'Upper Radiator Hose' had popped and split.

Thursday morning i call around to get a replacement, Fiat, garages, scrap yards , no joy. I walk to the next town to get a 'Duck Water/Radiator Hose Leak Repair Kit' from the SamCentre. Whilst there the guy helped by calling around and found one (the last one) in Fiat dealer about 20 miles away. I drive down there (with my temp fix on the hose, watching my warning lights carefully). Get all the way down to the dealer and they can't find the part!!!! GREAT!! After much argueing they say they will get one for me a courier it to my house/work free of charge.

As i leave the dealership, and drive up the road i get this really loud & Violent Tapping/Clicking noise which gets worse the faster i go. I pull over straight away! Leave the car for 5-10 Min, then restart, then the engine sounds like its hunting around & can't maintain the revs (the revs sound like they are in a pattern, 1,2,3 miss one,1,2,3 miss one etc). The engine doesn't settle but i leave it running for a couple of minutes. I then pull away and the violent tapping noise is still there!!. It feels like the car has lost about 70% of its power and is hard to drive without stalling. I parked up and left the car there (No AA breakdown cover )and my brother picked me up. Getting the car towed home tonight.

The cars oil and water levels are fine

Any idea what the problem is and how much to sort?

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

Hmm doesn't sound good at all.

Violent tapping and clicking sounds like its missfiring due to one or more of the cylanders not firing, check for spark on all 4 would be first port of call.

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

How would i check the spark plugs are working??

I know very little about cars but I think the pipe split in the first place due to maybe the water pump not working, which cause cause the headgasket to go, and possibly a cylander(s)

I'm thinking £400 min to fix (cash in hand work. Shhh. . )

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

Spank My Car said:

How would i check the spark plugs are working??

I know very little about cars but I think the pipe split in the first place due to maybe the water pump not working, which cause cause the headgasket to go, and possibly a cylander(s)

I'm thinking £400 min to fix (cash in hand work. Shhh. . )

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Never known a hose to pop/split because of a pump failure although possible. Yeah if it did over heat it would not have done it any good, let me guess just a temp light and no guage? :bang:.

first step as I said is check spark(s) and a compression test on each cylander along with a 'sniff' test. That should give you an idea of the state of the engine.

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

You got it in one! No guage & just a light (that never came on, might not work!!!)

ChrisUK said:

let me guess just a temp light and no guage? :bang:.

first step as I said is check spark(s) and a compression test on each cylander along with a 'sniff' test. That should give you an idea of the state of the engine.

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Is checking the spark plugs, compression test & sniff test something i can do myself? Or is this something a trained mechanic has to do (I think i've just answered my own question there, if you don't have a clue don't touch it)

Dropping it around a mechanics house tomorrow morning, but he's on holiday for a week.

Is it possible the car could be f**ked beyond repair?

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

Spank My Car said:

You got it in one! No guage & just a light (that never came on, might not work!!!)



Is checking the spark plugs, compression test & sniff test something i can do myself? Or is this something a trained mechanic has to do (I think i've just answered my own question there, if you don't have a clue don't touch it)

Dropping it around a mechanics house tomorrow morning, but he's on holiday for a week.

Is it possible the car could be f**ked beyond repair?

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Should be fixable just a case of finding out whats wrong .

compression test needs special tool it screws into spark plug socket and gives you a reading on compression.

sniff test is a special dropper tool which has a dye in it all you do it run the engine and sniff the vapour from the coolant and it will tell you if there is engine fumes in your coolant (means headgasket is fooked).

Probably best leaving it to mechanic

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

Think a friend of a friend will be sorting it out, where's the best (cheapest) place to get parts??

If the head gasket & water pump do need replacing, is it worth doing the cam belt and tensioners whilst the engine is apart??

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

Do these prices sound ok (not genuine Fiat)
Water Pump - 37.66
Head Gasket - 10.63
Cam Belt & Tensioners 24.57
Upper Water Pipe (Fiat) - 14.06
Toatl - 86.92

Labour - Priceless!!

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

hi mate had the same problem with my car, couldnt get out of second gear and the engine just wanted to stall, if i left it running it would miss now and then and stall, had it plugged into a computer and it showed that my drive shaft or crank shaft sensor had f**ked up,
could try getting someone to plug it in to a computer for u or something, see what the problem is, dont go to fiat lol i got quoted £30 for 15 mins lol ripoff,

anyways thats my story, hope it helps

pete...

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

punto_pete07 said:

dont go to fiat lol i got quoted £30 for 15 mins lol ripoff,
pete...

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Cheers for the info.

Would ANY garage be able to hook it up to a computer?? Was your drive/crank sharft expensive to fix??

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

tbh it sounds very like a popped HG.

people dont seem to realise that the temp light usually only comes on AFTER the damage has been done - wish temp gauges were standard on ALL cars.

the tapping noise sounds like a different problem altogether though...

keep us informed of what is discovered

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

Cheers for all the advice

The Mechanic will be looking at it on Friday (he's on holiday at the moment)

I think a failed water pump has caused a hell of a lot of damage. I use my car EVER DAY (around 300 miles a week). I think the poor girl just gave up!! Only 53k on the clock

Hoping £400 should fix her (praying).

Is it easy to buy/make/install an after market temp gauge. Once i get the car repaired I don't want the same problem happening again!!!

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

i THINK all you should need is a dashboard unit off a better specced model, as long as you can get clocks with lower milage on than current the dealer can turn the clocks forward, and thats it cost £20 for that for one person i know, but might be more elsewhere.

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

Coolio, will look ino this once the car is fixed. Think i saw a thread from 'Mikeee' regarding dash upgrade.

Fiat is hand delivering one to me at work on monday (£14.60 for the part & free delivery)

Re: Big Problems - Mk2 Punto - No clue whats wrong

Spank My Car said:

Do these prices sound ok (not genuine Fiat)
Head Gasket - 10.63

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Thats for the headgasket alone. You'll need a complete head gasket kit - I.E. HG, valve stem seals, intake manifold seals, exhaust manifold gaskets and a set of new head bolts (don't reuse the old ones.) The head bolts come seperate to the HG kit.

Finally you'll need to have the head skimmed at a workshop, about £30 (otherwise you risk the HG blowing again within months.)

Also check your thermostat is operating correctly when you have the engine dissassembled.