Technical HG Failure Curiosity

[rc822]

Hi All,

I hear alot about the Punto mk2/2b Head Gasket Failure and know its a common issue. My question is why? Is it due to human error or is it an engine design flaw?

Thanks

 

[s and b]

poor maintenance
ignoring stuck thermostats
fixing leaking radiators etc with snake oil
using recommended fiat antifreeze and keeping engine in good tune and radiator fan in working order you wont get a h/g pop unless very unlucky
unfortunately you never hear on internet forums from happy people only moaners

 

[atom0007]

unfortunately you never hear on internet forums from happy people only moaners

Just to break the rule, I'm delighted with my hg.


Now, where's the wood to touch?

 

[benny279]

thats goes for anything, like how you only see bad reviews on cars never good reviews! hence why fiat has a bad name because all the moaners stick their reviews up never complimenting the make....

every car has its niggles there and there, but when buying a car you want to hear good things not bad things:bang:

ah well....thats life

 

[rc822]

thats goes for anything, like how you only see bad reviews on cars never good reviews! hence why fiat has a bad name because all the moaners stick their reviews up never complimenting the make....

every car has its niggles there and there, but when buying a car you want to hear good things not bad things:bang:

ah well....thats life

I agree with you, Ive read some reviews and their absolutely pointless. One example was, someone moaning because they had to change the brake pads at 35k! And another person said the engine fell out! I mean come on, this does take the p***

Take a look at this list that some moaning fool posted lol

http://guyweb.co.uk/2003/10/23/fiat-punto-12-mia-review/

 

[atom0007]

Some crackers in there, no doubt.

My favourite was the one about constant oil leaks

 

[benny279]

I agree with you, Ive read some reviews and their absolutely pointless. One example was, someone moaning because they had to change the brake pads at 35k! And another person said the engine fell out! I mean come on, this does take the p***

Take a look at this list that some moaning fool posted lol

http://guyweb.co.uk/2003/10/23/fiat-punto-12-mia-review/

brakes at 35k whats to moan about that? brake pads/discs dont last forever and they do need changing eventually but this goes down purely to the driver if they do a lot of harsh braking and not changing the pads at intervals etc it makes me laugh so much people buy a car and think they don't have to do anything to it for the next years of usage...WRONG! No matter what car you buy wherever a FIAT or BMW you buy that car you need to service it on a yearly basis to keep the car in tip top shape, fail to do so it will break eventually maybe not straight away but it'll breakdown when you least expect it!

I put my hands up I never really looked after my first car but it was a crap car and its mileage was pretty high no justification for not looking after it though, but it was a first car i just wanted to drive

Got my 2nd car which the Punto and I've looked after it since day one and that's paid off very well!

Those moaners are clearly brain dead and don't know the meaning of look after it! You wouldn't buy a Lamborghini and never looked after it would you? So why do that with any lower grade cars?

Ah well....rant over

Benny

 

[Ziggy122]

Cars are like ladies

Treat em right and they treat you right
Treat em wrong - well your not getting far/any


HG isn't a problem on the car, its just people who dont care for them

Some designs are better, some aren't
But hey, my punto did 100k before HG went, the last 40k was well looked after! (cant vouch for first 60k tho)

The same for my current punto
its had 3 oil changes and a coolant change in the past 10K
The thermostat is dying, but thats on todo list

The radiator i like to keep nice and clean
The radiator fan is heard regulary coming on and off = Working A-OK

Ziggy

 

[benny279]

The thermostat is dying, but thats on todo list

Remember when I replaced mine? I think I regret that now, this one is just poorly made I think didn't pay a hell a lot for it, got it from Andrew Page, and gauge is never accurate wherever thats the speedo being dodgy or thermostat....like when driving needle would go down a bar or two, sometimes it'd warm up properly then start driving it'd go down a bit then back up...but isn't overheating which is a plus to it.

Where do you get your stats from? Fiat? Motor Factors?

Benny

 

[Ziggy122]

Remember when I replaced mine? I think I regret that now, this one is just poorly made I think didn't pay a hell a lot for it, got it from Andrew Page, and gauge is never accurate wherever thats the speedo being dodgy or thermostat....like when driving needle would go down a bar or two, sometimes it'd warm up properly then start driving it'd go down a bit then back up...but isn't overheating which is a plus to it.

Where do you get your stats from? Fiat? Motor Factors?

Benny

When its cold cold, i can loose quiet alot of heat according to the guage....
can get from half way (upto temperature) back down to about 1/3 / 1/4 guage, so its lazy, not helping when demisting.....

Tried local auto factors and halfords, still the same result
So for me its a New fiat Stat , sure its more expensive, but its better then nothing

Ziggy

 

[benny279]

When its cold cold, i can loose quiet alot of heat according to the guage....
can get from half way (upto temperature) back down to about 1/3 / 1/4 guage, so its lazy, not helping when demisting.....

Tried local auto factors and halfords, still the same result
So for me its a New fiat Stat , sure its more expensive, but its better then nothing

Ziggy

I might have to follow you on that one and chuck this stat away, it does no justice when you want a bit of heat in the car and stat being a lazy sod last one i think was actually a genuine stat that came off the car but either owner before me or owner before him got it from scrappy, it lasted pretty a long time just not long enough

I think I'll have to pop in my local Fiat dealership and get a price off them for a stat

If I've changed my coolant, it won't need changing will it? Last when I changed stat no coolant even came out when I took bigy pipe off,read somewhere its suppose to?

Benny

 

[Brendan W]

There is nothing wrong with the design of the headgasket, the Punto, by magic attracts all the people who dont care about their car maintenance and funnily enough if they have had dozens of different cars over forty years keeping lots for ten or more years it's only the Punto they don't care about. All their other cars are minded proper, coolant levels, changes and thermostats.
Wake up guys there is a problem.

 

[benny279]

There is nothing wrong with the design of the headgasket, the Punto, by magic attracts all the people who dont care about their car maintenance and funnily enough if they have had dozens of different cars over forty years keeping lots for ten or more years it's only the Punto they don't care about. All their other cars are minded proper, coolant levels, changes and thermostats.
Wake up guys there is a problem.

Well said!

 

[fingers99]

:yeahthat:

One reason I will never buy a Punto!

 

[benny279]

:yeahthat:

One reason I will never buy a Punto!

I'm selling mine next year

 

[AndyRKett]

thats goes for anything, like how you only see bad reviews on cars never good reviews! hence why fiat has a bad name because all the moaners stick their reviews up never complimenting the make....

every car has its niggles there and there, but when buying a car you want to hear good things not bad things:

you say that but i've had dozens of cars over the years and worked in the motor trade as well, we had many punto's cause us no end of problems in the trade (not as bad as the rover 75 but thats a different story) and out of all the cars i've personally owned i've never known a car to go wrong as often as the punto's (especially the 1.9 HGT)

And another person said the engine fell out! I mean come on, this does take the p***

hmm I was looking at cars for sale at a breakers yard the other day and there was a punto with the engine fallen out the sump was sat on the floor and was only still in place because of the drive shafts, so.... it does happen.

 

[benny279]

you say that but i've had dozens of cars over the years and worked in the motor trade as well, we had many punto's cause us no end of problems in the trade (not as bad as the rover 75 but thats a different story) and out of all the cars i've personally owned i've never known a car to go wrong as often as the punto's (especially the 1.9 HGT)



hmm I was looking at cars for sale at a breakers yard the other day and there was a punto with the engine fallen out the sump was sat on the floor and was only still in place because of the drive shafts, so.... it does happen.

I'll be honest with you my punto isn't exactly problem free never has been, but im always on top of repairs! But its got to a point where one has to draw a line and say no more. Hence the reason I'm selling next year, for a new car non-fiat! I just dont have the dedication anymore to keep chucking money at it every so often, I rather a car has less faults not so often you know what I mean?

 

[s and b]

hmm I was looking at cars for sale at a breakers yard the other day and there was a punto with the engine fallen out the sump was sat on the floor and was only still in place because of the drive shafts, so.... it does happen.

its designed to do this so that in an accident the engine doesnt come onto the firewall

 

[fingers99]

hmm I was looking at cars for sale at a breakers yard the other day and there was a punto with the engine fallen out the sump was sat on the floor and was only still in place because of the drive shafts, so.... it does happen

.

Maybe. But more likely explanation is that someone pinched the engine mounts!

 

[AndyRKett]

its designed to do this so that in an accident the engine doesnt come onto the firewall

.

Maybe. But more likely explanation is that someone pinched the engine mounts!

the car wasn't in an accident the reason for scrapping was the engine fell out