I think my Punto 75 is sick but I can't find the cause. It heats up from cold very quickly (about twice as fast as my girlfriend's Punto), the fan comes on, and the gauge stops at about 2/3 way round the dial (should be well below half). It gets worse not better when cruising at 70, and the temp drops slightly at low speed. It started doing this after a service and cambelt change a couple of weeks ago.

It seems to be losing coolant slowly but I can't find any sign of a leak. Garage thinks the head gasket's on the way out.

Any other suggestions appreciated.

Didn't change the coolant while they were there did they??

If you're lucky it may just need bleeding carefully....

Or, try a look at

https://www.fiatforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1948

for further inspiration, or worries

Waterpump could be leaking because of the new cambelt.

Could be heater matrix, if you have the heater on hot and try to de-mist windscreen does it work or does it smell like a boiled over engine.

This has actually got all the symptoms of a duff thermostat - not opening fully or maybe not at all. Can't see the connection with a service & cam belt though, could be one of those conincidences.

For £12 from a motor factors this is worth changing yourself to see if. It is an easy job and would also provide an opportunity to check the system has been nbled propoerly. Remember that there are 2 bleed valves - one on the raditor & one in the heater rubber feed hose behind the cam cover.

all things must pass.

Thermostat has now been changed and has partly solved the problem. It still runs a bit hot, now about half instead of 2/3. The garage put in a new water pump when they did the cambelt and it is possible that this isn't working properly. Also, when I rev hard in a low gear, this seems to help cooling?

Looking at the telltale signs of a failed gasket, the only ones I have are slight overheating and - more worrying - oil on the side of the engine block. Hard to tell if it's leaking, it looks like old oil to me.

<blockquote id="quote"> face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by ajrduff

The garage put in a new water pump when they did the cambelt and it is possible that this isn't working properly. Also, when I rev hard in a low gear, this seems to help cooling?
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

AIUI lack of impellers on the pump has this sort of effect B)

Yes, running temp reduced to just above 1/2 way was my result with a new thermostat.

Local Fiat garage said not to worry, this is quite normal - if you don't get the temp warning light (didn't even know there was one!) there are no probs.

Wonder if this means you are OK or I still have some sort of problem as you do?

Betcha your oil trace on outside of engine is cam cover leaking.

all things must pass.