Technical "Petrol" smell, idle rpm drops, ...

[SasoMar]

Hi everyone!

I am an owner of Fiat 500 1.2l and I am having different symptoms which may or may not be related:

1. Intermittent rpm drops to 600 on idle, the whole car shocks when that happens

2. Strong petrol/exhaust smell comming only from the spot that I circled blue on photo (smell also leaks inside the interior when I activate outside air recirculation mode on AC)

3. Even when the engine is hot, I have a white smoke comming from exhaust in 1st and 2nd gear while accelerating in cold weather, the vapors immediately go away tho

Please if anyone knows what could be wrong? I doubt its the head gasket (I hope not) and I cannot find the fuel pressure controller to check it

 

[varesecrazy]

Hi everyone!

I am an owner of Fiat 500 1.2l and I am having different symptoms which may or may not be related:

1. Intermittent rpm drops to 600 on idle, the whole car shocks when that happens

2. Strong petrol/exhaust smell comming only from the spot that I circled blue on photo (smell also leaks inside the interior when I activate outside air recirculation mode on AC)

3. Even when the engine is hot, I have a white smoke comming from exhaust in 1st and 2nd gear while accelerating in cold weather, the vapors immediately go away tho

Please if anyone knows what could be wrong? I doubt its the head gasket (I hope not) and I cannot find the fuel pressure controller to check it

Have you ever removed the black plastic air cleaner..?

I suspect one of the hoses is leaking fumes

I will add pictures

500 - SPARK PLUGS 1242cc FIRE - Gallery

www.fiatforum.com

 

[steveras57]

Hi its also possible that one or more of the fuel injector seals are leaking and/or a faulty injector! as far as the head gasket have you?
A) checked the oil filer cap for condensation(milky oil)
b) checked the coolant level to see if its dropped significantly? (if you think it might have top up and check again after a few days!)
Also whilst you have the air box off to check the hoses condition check that the hoses are clear of emulsified oil deposits and that no hoses are perished or cracked with age! might be worth checking the condition of the air filter element while your at it!

 

[SasoMar]

Thank you both for a fast reply, going to do those stuff tomorrow and I will come with an update

 

[AnthonyH]

1. Intermittent rpm drops to 600 on idle, the whole car shocks when that happens

Could be a few things.

2. Strong petrol/exhaust smell comming only from the spot that I circled blue on photo (smell also leaks inside the interior when I activate outside air recirculation mode on AC)

Breather hose as pointed out by the helpful people already.

3. Even when the engine is hot, I have a white smoke comming from exhaust in 1st and 2nd gear while accelerating in cold weather, the vapors immediately go away tho

Probably just water condensation steaming off when you start in the morning. If its still doing this after 20 mins of driving there's a problem.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Steaming exhaust in cold weather is totally normal. If its belching huge qualtities of steam, or it doesnt more or less stop when the engine is warm, then its likely a head gasket. WEe experienced strong smells in the cabin when the larger of the two breather hoses had come off the underside of the air box. It should have a hose clip but these are often removed and not put back. Poor tick over on our 169 is usually down to a dirty throttle body which can be cleaned with carburettor cleaner quite easily.. If you attempt this check out threads re the MAP location and take care not to damage that.

 

[SasoMar]

You guys were right, look at this ordered a new pipe, going to get it today. Thanks alot!

 

[steveras57]

Congrats on that mate worse ! one ive seen(so far!)

 

[SasoMar]

Changed the pipe, now everything is okay even the smoke from the exhaust is gone. Thanks again everyone

 

[jrkitching]

Congrats on that mate worse ! one ive seen(so far!)

This was a very common issue when the 500 launched; these large breathers usually failed within the first three years, and more than a few were replaced under warranty.

Fiat changed the material specification around 2010/2011 and any dealer supplied replacements fitted after this point will have been the new type. The new type isn't any more prone to failure than rubberised breather pipes usually are.

It's possible that some of the old stock of the original type found its way onto the secondary market; back in the day, I used to warn folks to ensure their replacements were the new type. S4P started supplying the new type replacements as soon as they were available (I bought one from them for my own car in 2012), but some of the ones bought on ebay failed again quite quickly.

I'd have thought the original type stock had all long since gone, but the photograph recently posted looks just like the old type did when they failed.

And yes, they filled the cabin with engine compartment fumes, so failures were generally promptly dealt with.

 

[steveras57]

good ol fiat cost cutting again! probably sanctioned by the same accountant who signed off the PLASTIC thermostat pipe!!!

 

[SasoMar]

Yeah this was most likely the factory pipe that failed... Replacement pipe is made from different material and it does not have a visible joint like the old one...

 

[SasoMar]

good ol fiat cost cutting again! probably sanctioned by the same accountant who signed off the PLASTIC thermostat pipe!!!

Must be also the same guy who signed for thd door handle mechanism

 

[jrkitching]

Must be also the same guy who signed for thd door handle mechanism

and the rear hatch wiring

What I find most damning is not that the first cars off the line turned out to have these faults, but that it took Fiat such a long time to do anything about rectifying them.

And will they ever manage to make a self cancelling indicator mechanism that works properly?

 

[steveras57]

Have you ever been to Italy? they manage to make dinner last three hours! then have to have a rest to work up the energy for supper!

 

[SasoMar]

Italy is our bordering country and I was in Italy many times. They are so easy going and all of their cars are bumped and scratched

 

[jrkitching]

They are so easy going and all of their cars are bumped and scratched

It's a Southern European thing. When you buy a brand new car there, the dealers use a small hammer to put a few dents in during the PDI, just to get you started.

As they say in Rome, chi ha bisogno dei sensori di parcheggio!