Hi There,

Ran into a small issue with Gina on our trip across to Italy:

While cruising along the motorway about 1 1/2 hours into France we came to a small rise; just as I put my foot on the accelerator to give her a bit more power, she seemed to miss a beat and then it was almost like she was flooding. I couldn't get any power to her so we had no choice but to pull over. She would idle fine, but every time I tried to take off and gave her some power the same thing would happen - almost as if she was flooding and about to stall but never did. There was a smell of fuel, and it seemed like a bit of fuel had spilled out of the carbie. We turned her off for a few minutes, and started her back up with no problems but the issue remained.

We ended up getting towed and a mechanic has since looked at her - 3 days after the fact now; cannot see anything wrong at all - they've taken her out and she seems fine; starts with no trouble and none of the symptoms I note above.

He suspects that its a sticking needle valve, and will show me a workaround tomorrow (something about tapping the side of the housing to help unstick it).

Has anyone had any experience with this in the past, or any view on what else it could be?

Many thanks in advance!

KJ

Running fine on tickover then lack of power when you press the gas pedal could be down to a loose carb or air leak at base of carb. It might have been something fouling the main jet, the float may have a leak or excessive wear on the pivot pin. Not a difficult job to pop the top off the carb and check out the float chamber etc, good luck

Toshi 975 said:

Running fine on tickover then lack of power when you press the gas pedal could be down to a loose carb or air leak at base of carb. It might have been something fouling the main jet, the float may have a leak or excessive wear on the pivot pin. Not a difficult job to pop the top off the carb and check out the float chamber etc, good luck

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Many thanks Toshi 975 - will do so.

I agree with Toshi, sounds like muck in the carb. Make sure the slow-running jet (aka Idle jet) and its passages are clear. On most Webers the slow running jet affects the carb running up to about 3/4 throttle. Just after Ann and I got married (bloody long time ago!) we went on our honeymoon to Cornwall in my 500. The lads at work had covered the car in the tiny punchings from stamp perforating (remember the way stamps used to come as a sheet?) Some of these tiny punchings got into the fuel tank and I had almost exactly the same symptoms---the engine would idle or run flat out--everything we flew past down hill re-passed us going uphill!--even the trucks. I would suggest that the carb is taken off, all jets and passage-ways blasted with an air-line, the base of the carb and the spacer checked for flatness and then the carb re-built with new gaskets. All the best, let us know how it turns out.

Thanks the hobbler

I've just ordered a maintenance kit for the carb; should be waiting for us along the journey in a few days time. Will need to sweet talk one of the local mechanics or 500 contacts to get access to a compressor. Hopefully the workaround can get us over the border if we take it easy.

Carb cleaner is good for flushing out too. Also you can get cans of compressed air that will do the job just as well as a compressor, you sometimes can get these at electrical stores like Darty or DIY places like castorama, brick depot etc. or online from Amazon if shipping it is easier. You then have it in case you need it again.

Good luck with getting it fixed

cheers, Steve

stevehg said:

Carb cleaner is good for flushing out too. Also you can get cans of compressed air that will do the job just as well as a compressor, you sometimes can get these at electrical stores like Darty or DIY places like castorama, brick depot etc. or online from Amazon if shipping it is easier. You then have it in case you need it again.

Good luck with getting it fixed

cheers, Steve

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Thanks Steve - one question; is it possible to simply spray the carb cleaner into fuel bowl vent as a first step to see if that helps, before going down the stripping etc.?

To clean in situ you can try this - first remove the inlet pipe, start engine and increase the revs above idle by hand. Spray Carb cleaner into the carb inlet and keep spraying until the revs start to drop off. Stop spraying and let the revs pick up again. Release the throttle and let it idle for a couple of minutes. Stop the engine and replace inlet pipe.

cheers, Steve

Kieren, I have no experience of carb cleaner (rather than the compressed air cans), but I believe that they are intended more as something to remove hard or gummy deposits from the innards rather than the physical lump that it's being suggested you might be suffering from.

I can see how you might want to avoid removing the carb since you are in transit and far from home. But you could do it with three or four small spanners and a screwdriver. If you get it sorted at this stage then you can relax more for the rest of the time plus you will know what to do if it does recur.

The throttle connector detaches with a clever spring clip that can be dislodged by hand...keep a tight hold of it. The choke cable is clamped with a tiny setscrew and a tiny clamp nut and bolt..avoid stabbing your hand with the pointy end of it.

Obviously remove the fuel pipe(s).

The rocker cover is easily detached with the two 13mm nyloc nuts and it can be pushed out of the way once you detach the air-cleaner lid after unspringing the clips.

All that remains is the two 10mm nylocs that secure the carb., one of them can be a fiddle and take care they don't drop into the intake hole.
Take a few photos as you dismantle the carb..just unscrew anything that you can and take great care not to strain anything connected with the float. When in bits we can easily guide you.

Easy for me to say from here, but stripping the carb looks and sounds more difficult than it is. Taking it off, once you have done it a few times , is a doddle.

Peter / Steve / Toshi / The Hobbler - thanks so much for the replies and sorry for the late response. Finally managed to pick her up from the garage late this afternoon and managed a gentle 200km without incident over about 4 hours. I was told that the chap who looked at it in the garage did end up spraying in some cleaner in any case, and also had a peek inside - said it looked quite good but obviously looking good and acting good can be quite different! I think the advice to strip and rebuild is the right way to go; I'm hoping we'll be able to nurse her through the next few days till I can meet up with the kit from the fiat webshop on Monday and then I'll give it a go and post back.

Evening chaps... Ran into more troubles not long out on the road today. We took a look at the distributor and when playing around the condenser fell apart when unscrewing - pic below. Thankfully had a spare - once installed she started first go and hasn't missed a beat since (touch wood) and seems to be a bit more agreeable on the hills and running a lot more smoothly.

You never know; that might have been the problem. Where are you now and what's the weather like?

I hope so! We're in Nancy and the weather has been good during the day and storms in the evening. Hoping to get close-ish to the Italian border tomorrow with an early start... But fair to say the past week has helped us temper our expectations!! At the very least if we can get to Verona by Tues we'll be back on course.

fiat500 said:

You never know; that might have been the problem. Where are you now and what's the weather like?

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I think it might be the problem. I must admit I was a dubious about it being the carb. I have seen it before, it ticks over fine and when you try and rev the engine it just bogs down and the revs just sort of splutter and won't pick up. You have to keep fettling the throttle to get it to build up. It was along time ago when I last had that problem but it was definitely ignition rather than carb.

Tony

Cheers Vitesse

Hi all - a short update; we've not had any trouble now since fitting the new condenser.

We've been taking it pretty easy but have now (yesterday evening) arrived in Verona so its been over 500km since we had any trouble.

Cheers

KJ

Glad to hear that you made it to Italy without any further issues. So how many miles are you doing in a day?

Also, how far do you risk stretching it before you fill up?? if your gauge is like mine, they are not the most accurate things

cheers, Steve

Cheers stevehg !

I generally try to fill up at the start of the day as we're only aiming for a couple of hundred at most between locations - that seems to cover it. But we pushed that a fair bit to catch up due to the delay in Arras - I think we did around 480 km from Nancy to Lugano day before yesterday, including some 'interesting' gradients! We filled up twice that day - once at the start and then again on the far side of Basel.

Fear has forced me to be super diligent - I've been keeping copious notes about the mileage. I'm getting just over 19km to the litre at the minute on the open road using 98 octane. With the condenser problem I was getting just on 16. I also - probably quite stupidly - have 5lt in a gerry can stashed in the front. So absolute worst case I know I've got about 80km to find a servo if I'm running thin.

Unless my mathematics have gone to pot, I make that over 50mpg--well done! When you're in Verona, see if they are putting on a performance of Romeo and Juliet in the old Roman Amphitheatre---I am told by an old customer of mine, who saw such a performance, that is truly wonderful.