PLEASE read this carefully as I have NOT seen all my problems in one place before!!!

I took my mother´s 2002 Fiat Punto 1.2 8v from the UK to Southern Spain. When I picked it up, it was slightly lumpy on idle. The drive to Spain was fine, apart from the last 20 miles, when it overheated and began to run rough all the time, all the way through the rev range. A day or so later, we realised the headgasket had gone.

Had the head skimmed, fitted new head gasket and timing belt and tensioner, fired her up.

Head gasket problem cured.

Car still runs lumpy at any revs and is low on power.

Seems to be a good spark from all leads

Checked the plugs after a couple of hundred miles, all have an off white centre and slighly sooty on the edges.

Ran an injector cleaner through the system

Nothing seems to have made a difference. I am at my wits end!

Can someone PLEASE be my miracle provider and give me the holy grail of an answer! SOMEONE must have had a similar issue!!!!

I REPEAT - The lumpy running came as the car overheated and blew head gasket and is STILL running the same!

***** I did wonder whether the timing could now be wrong because of the skimming and wondered whether you had to, manually compensate for the skimming???***

Thank you in advance

Compression test would probably be your best bet just now, that will start off the process of elimination if there is no power.

Have you checked coil packs? Replaced HT leads?

Start with the cheapest bits and make your way up.

EDIT: In my experience if the timing was off, you would have a hard time getting the car to start never mind keeping it running at idle so I think the timing will be fine as long as tensioner was done properly.

Hi.
timing couid possibly be a tooth out.

ihave to squint sometimes when itime these 8valves up the timing mark is very
decieving..

a slight bit out on the timing can make abig differnce

if head cooked then plugs cooked
change them
do leads look like they got hot?
have you done a basic code read on engine for things like map sensor now out of parameter due to headgasket failure
vacuum test
compression test


loads to do to nail down your problem im afraid

Headgaskets can also kill lambda sensors too
Coolant been burnt off fowl then sensor and that can leak to alot of fun too!

Im wondering if there is a
burnt valve?
Timing out?
Coil pack failure?
A sensor a miss here

A code reader should point you in a near right direction - followed by some testing

Ziggy

Wow, brilliant replies, thank you!!!

Timing belt has been checked, double checked and triple checked and is in the right spot. My fear was that the head skimming would have to be compensated for but am happy that is not the case.

I have a new set of plugs going in during the next day or so and if that doesn't work, I will order new coil packs from the UK. The problem in Spain is that spare parts are so bloody expensive!!!

If the plugs don't make much difference, I will have to get it hooked up to the computer.

Does anyone know where I can get the software for free/cheaply? This is being done on a seriously tight budget at the moment!!!! (We made an OBDII lead for my range rover a few years ago so I just need the software)

Thanks again guys, excellent forum!

There's a free version of Multi Ecu Scan out there -- Google will find. Or insanely cheap OBD2 scanners on eBay.

I'd be inclined, though, to re-do the compression test.

Car booked in on Monday for a hook up to a professional diagnostic machine. I realised that the free and cheap ones are a little bit limited in their abilities.

Watch this space, I may not be done with good advice yet!!