Hi folks. Just bought a fiat punto on a x plate. Elx trim so fully loaded and I am surprised an old car has as much little gadgets as this! Anyway it's not without faults but I only paid £280 with mot till December. Hope some folks can help with trouble I have
1,heater doesn't seem to get very warm,temperature gauge doesn't even rise to a quarter.
2,when travelling at motorway speeds the eml will flash for about a minute then go off
3,electric sunroof tilts ok but doesn't slide back much more than an inch before stopping.
4,an oil leak from rocker cover I think it's from
And finally the brakes seem very touchy. Abs wants to kick in at slightest chance. Car is a 1.2 8 valve model. Amy help greatly appreciated.
Edit,how accurate is trip computer as mine seems to be around 38mpg which I think is quite low? Thanks

bub2006 said:

Hi folks. Just bought a fiat punto on a x plate. Elx trim so fully loaded and I am surprised an old car has as much little gadgets as this! Anyway it's not without faults but I only paid £280 with mot till December. Hope some folks can help with trouble I have
1,heater doesn't seem to get very warm,temperature gauge doesn't even rise to a quarter.
2,when travelling at motorway speeds the eml will flash for about a minute then go off
3,electric sunroof tilts ok but doesn't slide back much more than an inch before stopping.
4,an oil leak from rocker cover I think it's from
And finally the brakes seem very touchy. Abs wants to kick in at slightest chance. Car is a 1.2 8 valve model. Amy help greatly appreciated.

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1 - it sounds like a dodgey Thermostat - thats gone very lazy or has jammed in the open position
Or somebody has masked an overheat issue by removing it
Get a genuine Fiat Unit, i've had no issues with these vs the aftermarkets i've tried, there not more expensive either

2 - Flashing EML, usually indicates a misfire detected, but it could be on for many reasons, you will honestly need a code read to point you in the right direction for diagnosis

3 - Not played with sunroofs tbh, But ensure the runners dont have anything jamming them up, ensure its properly lubricated on its runners
Do they have a stop switch at the back? Maybe thats gone duff?

4 - Rocker covers on the 1.2 8v are notroious leakers
They are a cheap gasket to replace, and a DIY task
Dont over tighten the bolts on refitting, you want to squeeze slightly, but not crush

5 - Over active ABS on the slightest brake, sounds like a cracked relucter ring
Which means the ABS see's a "stop" but infact the wheels are braking normally
Usually you can spots cracks very easily
Again a Code read / Live data reading while braking may prove useful to detect which ones on the blink

ziggy

thanks ziggy,I had a suspicion thermostat may be kippered. Don't think it's overheating though or mask a overheating issue as when eft idling or in town traffic it don't eve get to half on gauge. I left it idling for a while the other day and gauge went just over half and fan kicked in not long after too. I think car could be due a service so before I read codes I'll service it then get codes read. Where is obd location or aren't these obd compatible?

bub2006 said:

thanks ziggy,I had a suspicion thermostat may be kippered. Don't think it's overheating though or mask a overheating issue as when eft idling or in town traffic it don't eve get to half on gauge. I left it idling for a while the other day and gauge went just over half and fan kicked in not long after too. I think car could be due a service so before I read codes I'll service it then get codes read. Where is obd location or aren't these obd compatible?

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The connector is in the fuse box. If uk car its by your knee when in drivers seat.

There are two catches you have to turn. With a penny or large screw driver

bub2006 said:

thanks ziggy,I had a suspicion thermostat may be kippered. Don't think it's overheating though or mask a overheating issue as when eft idling or in town traffic it don't eve get to half on gauge. I left it idling for a while the other day and gauge went just over half and fan kicked in not long after too. I think car could be due a service so before I read codes I'll service it then get codes read. Where is obd location or aren't these obd compatible?

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I think Ziggy has pretty much covered it all, obd port is behind the removable panel by your right knee (RHD cars) you'll find there the fuse box and the odb port is right at the bottom set back a bit so not easy to see, Google "fiat punto airbag" and you'll get a video which shows where the port is and how to connect to it, most of us use a program called "MultiECUScan" which is free to use for most things on the punto.

When you get it serviced get the plugs and leads changed as well especially if they look old and tired, as Ziggy pointed out flashing means it's detecting a misfire so worth noting if the flashing is occurring at a certain speed

AndyRKett said:

I think Ziggy has pretty much covered it all, obd port is behind the removable panel by your right knee (RHD cars) you'll find there the fuse box and the odb port is right at the bottom set back a bit so not easy to see, Google "fiat punto airbag" and you'll get a video which shows where the port is and how to connect to it, most of us use a program called "MultiECUScan" which is free to use for most things on the punto.

When you get it serviced get the plugs and leads changed as well especially if they look old and tired, as Ziggy pointed out flashing means it's detecting a misfire so worth noting if the flashing is occurring at a certain speed

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Didnt this sorta of thing occour with somebody else a few months back
At a certain speed it missed, could there also be a misalignment of crank/cam speeds based on sensor readings,
Eitherway the code read will be the pure key here

Ziggy

AndyRKett said:

When you get it serviced get the plugs and leads changed as well especially if they look old and tired, as Ziggy pointed out flashing means it's detecting a misfire so worth noting if the flashing is occurring at a certain speed

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Dont just go blindly changing things, get the codes read properly. The EML on the motorway could be anything. Shooting in the dark again !.

I don't plan on changing anything bar a service if it don't need it. I don't understand kwik fit reference though?!

you do right dude, test first, then decide, dont go blindly changing things. Plug leads VERY RARELY have any issues at all.
If you listen to some your 280 quid bargain will cost you a fortune in pointless scatter gun 'remedies' that wont do a damn thing.

Anyway
I have to agree with andy, punto's are very very picky about there ignition system, this fault appears time and time again with the punto's, they just want a good ignition system - No white box surprise parts
For example, i dropped a coil pack back in March 2014
Fitted 2 new Champion (shudda been magnitelli like) Coil packs
New NGK spark plugs, and HT leads.
Im on a fit and forget state tbh,

They do last if quality parts are used, hence why fiat ones last ages! but some aftermarkets dont im affraid. The reason why we keep saying to people on the forum to change plugs and leads if there is little/no history of it is because of the feedback issue which then blows the ECU sorta up. It burns a track out inside which tells 1 of the 2 coil packs when to fire. Now this can also be put down to coil packs, but tbh if you drop a coil pack, its not expensive to just overhaul it all, and be done with it for another 3 - 5 years (with regulary checks etc)

A code read will certainly put a light on inside the room,but pin pointing the actual fault does require some diagnosis still

Ziggy

Twotoncarman said:

You are posting pure BS re the ignition, every car can have ignition problems. The punto is no exception. Spark plugs are a standard service item. Leads and certainly coil packs are NOT.
That is pure mis information.
Coils and leads are NOT a 'common' fault. Get off yer high horse and get a bleeding job you scrounging git. !
Kwik fit rejected you (they already had andy prat), but someone might take you, bin men perhaps ?? if they beef up the rear suspension for your bulk

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Pure BS re the ignition system
Coil packs are well known failure items
ECU feed back is a well know issue due to lack of maintaince
Spark plugs do have a service interval for checks/adjust and replacements
The HT's are cheap, and they DO FAIL, it makes perfectly logical sense to replace both as they go hand in hand
Hell i wouldnt even charge time to fit them if they had spark plugs

So your more then happy for a total dis-regard to replace it till its failed and then blown the ECU? Congrats you gained yourself some more work!


I'd rather Pay £40 and just replace coils
£10/15 for HT's, and Not have to worry 1 bit about them possibly letting go any minute and been stranded, as it has done that to me once and i chuffing hated waiting 2hrs for a recovery truck!


And thats it regarding you Twotoncarman, its not funny hitting against me when you dont even know who the **** i am?
You've never seen me - you dont know Anything that i can do?
So calling me fat is so totally rude and uncalled for!
Saying i should be a bin man, is again pretty rude against me and bin men/women

its like saying im undateable!

Get a job - congratulations on again you blabbing your mouth without knowing facts, i already have a job, just not in my intended field


Ziggy

Thanks for the report guys. I'll clean the thread up later when I get to a PC.

Well I've just finished work, checked here to find a rampage going on! Work in a nursing home so cant have phone on me.To clarify a few things,the cam sensor,lambda sensor and coil packs aren't That old either. Going to try my obd reader on it and if that works well it's All good if not I'll take it to my friends garage to check them out. Going to change plugs,leads,Oil,air filter fuel filter and oil filter as a matter of course when I get paid on Tuesday. Is anyone on here from derby or nearby? Thanks

bub2006 said:

Well I've just finished work, checked here to find a rampage going on! Work in a nursing home so cant have phone on me.To clarify a few things,the cam sensor,lambda sensor and coil packs aren't That old either. Going to try my obd reader on it and if that works well it's All good if not I'll take it to my friends garage to check them out. Going to change plugs,leads,Oil,air filter fuel filter and oil filter as a matter of course when I get paid on Tuesday. Is anyone on here from derby or nearby? Thanks

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Im from Cannock in staffordshire. Not too far

If its a OBD2 code reader - it should work with the punto as it became obd2 compliant on manufacture in 1999
It did change slightly in 2000 (communication method and a few little niggly things) but other then that it should be able to produce a code for you

Ziggy

Well I've just gone to car to fetch scanner as my mate borrowed it and the car will not fire. Cranks but it's not going. Either no spark or no fuel. Can't check fault codes as that's where I was off to!

started up now. Fault code is p0300.

That's a non specific misfire, so clear it take it for a drive and then re-scan to see if it comes back

right then just to elaborate. It would not fire for love nor money. I swapped relay from number 6 for fan with one for injection and it fired right up. Stopped engine and swapped relays back and it started again. I'm wondering if I've got a relay on the way out as regards eml being random misfire with no specific cylinder And it only cones on at higher speed. Could be a crap relay. Still going to service it and replace the relay. Regards heater not being red hot I don't think it will overheat as I've been stuck in traffic, gauge went to just under half and heaters started warming up. Thinking if thermostat gone then it would cause issues,if headgasket then I'd have thought it would have got a fair bit warmer than what it was.

thanks Andy,that's what I have done. Will see what happens. Mpg is now between 40 and 42 on trip computer too. Hoping it goes higher after service. I don't drive fast but an indicated 45/46 would be nice!