Okay, serious problems with the Sporting again!

Had the head gasket done last April...and then had it done again back in January and it has been running like a dream since then, until this week! I did however find that it had a hole in the top of the radiator. I now have a new radiator due to be fitted on Saturday!

On sunday it wouldnt start, it was turning over and juddering like a mofo. So I opened the radiator cap and closed it, and it started first time. For the rest of the week, the car has been juddery for the first 15 seconds or so on starting and then levels out. Heat from the blowers seems to be random, no matter if moving or sitting stationary, and the temp guage goes up and down randomly but never over the half way mark. I have been bleeding the system daily, thinking it was an airlock in the system. This seemed to help the whole juddering on starting the car.

Tonight however it wont start. On turning over the car the coolant pressure just builds up and tries to burst out the radiator reservoir! All 3 of the bleeding points then release loads of air. There had been a loss of coolant after driving it every time but i assumed that to be from the hole in the radiator, where I can see its been spraying out when hot!

the coolant is a lovely brown colour, but I assume that to be rust, etc.

Just been towed by the RAC and he said he'd put money on it being the HG...anyone got any other ideas?

I'd just like to think its a blockage in the cooling system causing all the pressure because I dont have any of the symptoms from the last 2 HG failures apart from the juddering!

I have also noticed tonight though that I have LOADS of oil in spark plug chamber 2 and a little in chamber 3.

HELP ME!!! Please!

Head gasket

Probably the hole in the radiator has been contributing to the failures, hence they are so reular. Also, Have you had the head skimmed at any of the HG replacements?

fecking feck!

Yeah the head was skimmed back in January! It wasnt the first time, but it was in January!

Think I'll defo be calling my mechanic tonight to make sure he can do the head gasket tomorrow as well as the radiator!

Make sure there is no air in the system whatsoever and no leaks. touch wood it should last the distance.

And of course, standard FIRE anti HG failure prevention procedure. Keep it under 3k untill the temp gauge reaches the middle and always keep the coolent topped up.

"Keep it under 3k untill the temp gauge reaches the middle"

Eh? :?

if I did that I would have little or no acceleration! Acceleration only really picks up above 3k! :lol: :lol: And the temp guage should normally sit around the quarter way mark in normal conditions!

Admittedly i do most of my driving underneath this, but even 70mph in 5th gear is above 3k! or do you mean once the new HG has been fitted? :?

normal operating temperature for every car i have driven (3 puntos and the alfa) is 90 degrees, bang on the halfway mark of the gauge. If it doesn't get there and stay there then your thermostat is buggered.

all you need to do really is take it easy when the engine is cold, that allows it to warm up evenly and prevents the Headgasket from failing (wise words learnt from puntomk2 forum) 70mph in 5th should be ok as long as that is the fastest you go untill it is up to temp.

Maybe replace your thermostat aswell then, that might be where your recurring problem is coming from.

Seriously, on the Mk1 Punto, normal running temp for the Sporting is around the 1/4 mark. It always sat just below it until i replaces the thermostat a couple of years ago and since then it normally sits just above it.

As soon as the car reaches the half way mark the fan kicks in.

Believe me, 1/4 way is the norm for the sporting, its been debated at length on PSC! :lol:

But yeah, I very rarely rev the crap out of it any more, even when it has warmed up. I just had my friends Golf on Friday on loan and managed to get 43.9mpg which she says she doesnt think she has ever had it up at, so probably says more for my old man driving style that I have now! :lol:

But My mechanic didnt bother his ass to contact me today so car still hasnt been worked on!

Well i am a little lost for ideas then????

The only thing i can suggest that is causing this problem then would be an excessive build up of air. Is the system being bled correctly (heater on hot, engine running upto temp, rad cap off, bleed valve open?)

Let us know how you get on, if it happens again, i would say time to sell up.

Tis a Fiat lol

nissanmansco said:

Tis a Fiat lol

Click to expand...

Yeh, but one which seems to be jinxed engine wise!

Seriously Martin, this is becoming an annual thread - maybe we could set up a donations link for the annual head gasket repair fund! Jokin aside, hope you finally get it sorted. My Punto went through the same, head gasket went surrounded by everything around it in quick succession. It's not a fun (or cheap) game!

bad news.


The Punto Sporting is officially fubared! Its dead. Kapoot. Deed!

Got the HG done and the new radiator fitted,...and then the oil breather and the exhaust were just chucking out smoke and oil! The bottom end seems to have gone, as have the piston rings judging by the amount of oil in the sprak chambers.

So a judgement call was made to scrap it, no point in spending ANOTHER £300 or so on a new engine and fitting when I have spent way more in the past year on her than she is actually worth!

It may end up back on the road if my mechanic can find someone who wants her, otherwise she is being scrapped The end of an era.

had her for 8 years, treated her like **** most of her life, but she did me proud and doesnt owe me a penny.

RIP Punto Sporting.

8 years!! i'm impressed.

i can't even keep a car for 8 months, let alone 8 years.

Awww...reading back through this put a tear in my eye Its like watching the last breaths of my beloved Sporting.

Damn i still miss her.

(Oh and apologies for resurecting an extremely old thread haha!)