Technical First post and car problems already

[ScottT]

I joined this forum a few days ago as i was looking to buy a either a Cinquecento or Seicento, i read plenty of posts and armed with the info off i went looking.
Anyway today i finaly got what i wanted, a 2002 yellow Seicento Sporting.

Nice enough car, everything worked and the price was right, on the 100mile journey home while going up a fairly steep hill the exhaust note changed dramatically, the support bar thats welded to the pipe just behing the cat had snapped off leaving a 10p sized hole in the exhaust!!!
Not good but not the end of the world.

But all the way home there was a bad petrol smell, when i got the car up on a ramp to check the exhaust i noticed petrol dripping from the rubber pipe that is between the filler cap and the tank, the leak is right at the tank edge, ive tried a new jubilee clip around it but it doesnt seem to have worked, so if fitting a new pipe an easy job, where do i get the pipe from, is there a part number and any idea of cost?

I've always had a soft spot for little fiats and wanted one for years, previously i've had a Brava and a Fiat Amigo camper van with the 850 engine.

 

[rallycinq]

Check EPER for the part details.

Sometimes the one here gets full so use a shadow site.

Cheers

D

 

[Benjammo]

Welcome to the forum, worst case a new tank is about 50 quid on eBay and doesn't take long to fit. The exhaust will be an easy weld job for a mechanic if your not great with a welder, just fix the fuel leak before you get the welder out.
Where in the UK are ya?

 

[ScottT]

I'm in Cumbria, right since posting i've replaced the rather shoddy metal clip on the rubber hose and it was looking good right up till i moved the car, the leak is coming from a seam above it!!! Then it was dripping down making me think it was coming from the hose, so i guess i'll need a new tank. Are the tanks all the same? A few on ebay look slightly different and the prices vary from £48-£95.

 

[Benjammo]

bugger, I was going to offer you a hand with changing the tanks
you have an MPI seicento the same as mine, this tank will do you just fine, http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-SEICENTO-1998-2003-Fuel-Tank-Petrol-Injection-/380350609543?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item588ea9b887 its the same one I've got on mine. The tanks are a known weak point on these cars, there was a recall on them but ours fall outside the cut off date. there easy to change but one tip for you, the 2 blue pipes that go to the tank don't pull off, the valves in the tank twist off. if you try to pull the pipe off the valves can break and there about £25 new from fiat. I learnt the hard way. also dont over tighten the nuts that hold the pump in, I snapped 2 but its all good.

 

[ScottT]

Thank for that, i appreciate the help and the offer to help, pity your to far away, one more question what is the M1 M2 M3 that i keep seeing on eper, how do you know which model is yours?

 

[Benjammo]

no worries, erm, to be honest I have no idea what the diffrence is, I don't use ePER that often.

 

[rallycinq]

Put the VIN in and it should automatically sort it.

Cheers

D

 

[ScottT]

Thank you, i've put the Vin munber in it and it says its an M3, so the tank should be a 51733839 and not the one that was suggested earlier. I'm sort of confused now, this is all new to me and i dont want to buy a tank if i'm getting the wrong one, what the differences between them?

 

[cc1]

The only difference between MPI and SPI is a bracket on the fuel filler side of the tank and possibly the filler pipe stub.
I have SPI tank on my MPI and reused the original filler pipe rubber as the new one I ordered from fiat did not look quite right.

The worst part about changing a tank is the three bolts that hold it on. They can snap so have a drill and nuts and bolts handy.

 

[rallycinq]

Speak to Fluffy, he knows his onions, mention the Forum and you get a discount.

Cheers

D

 

[fingers99]

The worst part about changing a tank is the three bolts that hold it on. They can snap so have a drill and nuts and bolts handy.

Better to dose the bolts with Plus Gas a day or two before!

 

[ScottT]

Fluffy? Who and where do i find him?

 

[cc1]

Mick @
http://www.eurocarcare.net/

 

[Eklipze3k]

Make sure it's Big Mick, top bloke Once sent me a Mars bar with some brake parts 'cos they were delayed

 

[fingers99]

Little Mick is a nice guy, too.