please offer a bit of advice, woman driver being baffled by mechanics!

[laura22282]

I own a 2001 punto 1.2 8v
It started running rough about 6 weeks ago, had new battery, spark plugs, head gasket, water pump, coil packs, still rough sounding on idling, not much power on accelerating, and eventually just cuts out.
I've been told that it now needs a new ecu, quoted at 300 just for the part, then it needs fitting and programming, don't know if thats a fair price or not?
Or should I be looking elsewhere?

 

[varesecrazy]

Hello , and welcome to FF,

who has done this work,
as it doesn't sound as if they know theirway around a FIRE engine,

yes ECU's CAN fail,
but it is just as likely to be a poor connection - or indeed another , simpler fault,

post again in the Punto 2/B section ,
trying to list all that's gone wrong , and what was fitted / changed = and when..!,
good luck,
Charlie - Oxford

 

[laura22282]

Thank-you for replying.
All the bits I mentioned have all been done in the last 6 weeks starting with the spark plugs and battery first, then the head gasket, water pump and timing belt, then the coil packs were changed.
It just sounds rough on idling now, doesn't seem to have much power on accelerating and then just cuts out on me.
It's had a lot of work done in the past ( my dad is a bit paranoid about my car as I do a lot of motorway miles with my young son in the car) thats why I'm a little reluctant to just scrap it as I'm being advised to by the garage.

 

[varesecrazy]

hi , do any (yellow) warning lights come on before it cuts - out..?,

charlie - Oxford

 

[laura22282]

Not yellow lights, just my red engine management light is on all the time

 

[s130]

If the engine management light is on then the fault codes(codes) need to be read along with the associated freeze frame data. (The freeze frame data is things like throttle position, air temp, fuelling, rpm, etc etc. that were present at the time the fault occurred.

From your post and what the garage have already done to try and fix your problem it sounds like they are "running blind" and just trying whatever they think of next wandering way from plugs & leads to water pump? ..... head gasket? ..... and now ECU.

Might be time to look for another garage as a second opinion never does any harm.

If you let us know where in the country you are located I'm sure you will get a few recommendations of alternative garages/experts and even possibly an offer of help from a forum member.

 

[sludgeguts]

Why are garages not held accountable for these blind repairs?
Surely the idea of taking a car to a garage is for them to examine it & make an educated assessment of the situation.
This sounds to me like the repair work was done by someone who knows very little about cars.
It's running a bit rough - ah, in that case you need a new battery

And even I wouldn't rip out the head gasket without first looking for the usual telltale signs.

One wonders what their next course of action might be - empty the ashtrays?

 

[sludgeguts]

My bad - I should've read the title of the thread "woman driver being baffled by mechanics!"

Sad to say, but even in this day and age, there are still those who would rip off the woman motorist - and I'm not just talking about the tiny back street either, some main dealers (cough Pe**ys cough) are not averse to pulling the wool.

 

[T14086]

Maybe we should re-title the thread 'mechanics baffled by simple diagnostics'?

 

[laura22282]

Had the car looked at by someone else, who also reckons its the ecu and also the fact its running on 2 cylinders?
Do I now cut my losses and scrap it, or sell for spares and repairs?
No-one can seem to come up with a solution to fix it

 

[Numptey]

Hi Laura and welcome, these are great little cars but sounds like you have been a little mislead. I suggest taking it back to the garage and asking them why they have done the work they have in relation to the fault and why you still have the fault and what the intend to do about it. Tell them as you still have the fault you feel they have done unnecessary works some of which are not related and would like a refund. Can you give us a list of work done and costs and if any of the work done was for other reasons ie battery wasn't holding charge etc. Be polite but insistent and when all else fails tell them you will make a complaint to trading standards and watchdog as you feel they have charged you because you are a women. Are you sure the work they have said they have done has actually been done? Are they a small local garage or one of a chain?

 

[Gavv8]

Had the car looked at by someone else, who also reckons its the ecu and also the fact its running on 2 cylinders?
Do I now cut my losses and scrap it, or sell for spares and repairs?
No-one can seem to come up with a solution to fix it

I don't know about everyone else but i'm thinking that what may have been quite a minor and easily repairable problem has been made ten times worse by all the work done to the engine since then.