My Fiat Grande (2006) has been sitting a while. Found it would not turn over and had to get it towed into the garage. The Garage tried replacing the coil pack but that did not work and they think there is no compression.

They are trying to adjust the timing, but say they need a special tool and are trying to find one but seem to suggest that the engine has blown or one of the valves is gone. I'm trying to figure out what might be the issue. I think I had this a few years before - I personally changed the plugs, but in the end was timing (I think AA fixed it, I do not remember now). Is it really that hard to find the tool to adjust the timing on these cars? They seem to be suggesting it could be all over. Any thoughts before this becomes un-economic?

disrupt said:

My Fiat Grande (2006) has been sitting a while. Found it would not turn over and had to get it towed into the garage. The Garage tried replacing the coil pack but that did not work and they think there is no compression.

Any thoughts before this becomes un-economic?

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Hi.

It should turn on the starter as normal.

No compression would make this even easier...


If it wont turn over it has a different problem.

What engine 1242cc petrol..??

Charlie

The starter makes a noise, but nothing fires up, not even a hint. This is a 1.2 petrol.

disrupt said:

The starter makes a noise, but nothing fires up, not even a hint. This is a 1.2 petrol.

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A click?

SRafferty said:

A click?

Click to expand...

are you really expecting more info?

The original post is indeed very precise:

" my grande punto (2006) "
" sitting for a while "
" starter makes a noise "

Some do expect miracles, but unfortunately, I don't know (yet) any who could make one on this forum...

In summary: PRESENT YOURSELF AND YOUR CAR/ENGINE, BE PRECISE, GIVE MAX OF INFORMATION ... and maybe one of us will be able to help.

BRs, Bernie

If someone here helped You fix -or better, understand- your issue, hit the thanks icon @ bottom right corner, it's free and makes us feel helpy ;-)

disrupt said:

My Fiat Grande (2006) has been sitting a while. Found it would not turn over and had to get it towed into the garage. The Garage tried replacing the coil pack but that did not work and they think there is no compression.

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A lack of information as Bernie said. But overal - as I understand, car was not used some time. And now it's not starting. OK, so 1st:
- is battery charged?
- if yes, is starting sound normal, or somehow different as it should be?
- if starting sound is normal, then why service doesn't do compression test?

And why they are checking timing??? Anyway locking tools are available on web of course...but why to check timing?

All needed for OK start is:
- OK immobiliser in key
- good battery
- hearing sound of fuel pump with key in MAR position
- OK compression
- good spark
- good petrol injection (this use to be OK on petrol engines...)

I think that car was running OK before "sitting a while", so timing is Ok as it was before

The car was towed into a garage. Here is what I know:

-- Battery is fine works
-- Fuel pump fine - I can hear it as normal.
-- Starter motor fine, tries to start.
-- No bite, so repeated whirring trying to start leads to nothing.

Garage say:

-- Fuel pump fine
-- Compression test fails.
-- They cannot find a special tool they need to adjust or check the timing.

The last bit sounds odd to me.

This garage you took your car to, did they specify which cylinder has no compression or any other information like head gasket leak etc

Why does the garage want to adjust the timing,
Do they think there is no compression because they think the timing is out?
?

This still doesn't tell me if engine is turning over... i.e. is the starter engaging the flywheel.

If the garage is saying there is no compression because of a timing issue and there have been repeated attempts to start it then I’d be inclined to think that all the valves are bent and I’d scrap it.... personally.

I don’t know what model you have but I’ve seen grandes for less than £500 now, it certainly isn’t worth chucking a load of money at it, only to later find the engine is still toast. Get it towed home and sell it on eBay as spares or repairs

AndyRKett said:

If the garage is saying there is no compression because of a timing issue and there have been repeated attempts to start it then I’d be inclined to think that all the valves are bent and I’d scrap it.... personally.

I don’t know what model you have but I’ve seen grandes for less than £500 now, it certainly isn’t worth chucking a load of money at it, only to later find the engine is still toast. Get it towed home and sell it on eBay as spares or repairs

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You also get low compression if:
- let's say a squirrel got in the intake, and filled it up with crap keeping the throttle plate closed. no air to engine = low/no compression.
- throttle plate not opening for any other reasons
- starter not engaging flywheel..etc

Easy stupid stuff that needs to be checked first.

Way to go with taking the p*** dude,

I think my turbo could eat small children, but then again I could be wrong,

- How is the rotating speed (on starter) compared to normal?
- Is the rotation (on starter) stable or fluctuating?
- Does the exhaust smell petrol after several starting attempts?
- How do the sparkplugs look (wet/dry) after several starting attempts?

Usually, an engine that is such mute totally misses fuel or ignition (or both). Any other issue would show at least some aims to start running, like starter speed increase, backfiring, smoke @ exhaust etc.

BRs, Bernie

If someone here helped You fix -or better, understand- your issue, hit the thanks icon @ bottom right corner, it's free and makes us feel helpy ;-)

aurick86 said:

You also get low compression if:
- let's say a squirrel got in the intake, and filled it up with crap keeping the throttle plate closed. no air to engine = low/no compression.
- throttle plate not opening for any other reasons
- starter not engaging flywheel..etc

Easy stupid stuff that needs to be checked first.

Click to expand...

The throttle plate is never fully closed so that’s nonsense.

The starter not turning the engine is not a compression issue.

That’s like saying my computer hard drive is knackered it won’t boot up, when you’ve not plugged the computer in.

In this instance we are dealing with someone who has taken their car to a garage, no a 15 year old kid who thinks he knows all about cars because he read the ladybird book of car care.

The OP clearly doesn’t really know what’s going on himself, doesn’t understand the problem and is unlikely to have been present when they where testing it.

disrupt said:

-- No bite, so repeated whirring trying to start leads to nothing.

Do you mean the starter is not engaging the flywheel?

-- Compression test fails.

How could they test if the starter doesn't rotate the engine?


-- They cannot find a special tool they need to adjust or check the timing.

What kind of garage can't find such tool when tons are available on the net?

Click to expand...

BRs, Bernie

If someone here helped You fix -or better, understand- your issue, hit the thanks icon @ bottom right corner, it's free and makes us feel helpy ;-)

Car standing for a while, for how long and in what type of conditions, ie parked by the sea or a very humid atmosphere???

Surely the garage can give a read out of compression figures seen, if not they are not much of a garage, assuming the starter motor actually turns over ( makes the crankshaft rotate etc. ) or cranks the engine. As said if plugs are out that would make turning the engine over ( cranking ) easier.

Some tools are needed for a cam belt change but some have ( according to them on here ) done that job successfully without the special tool kit.

See SEALY catalogue for the cam belt tool kit as ever garage does not possess every cam belt change special tool kit needed for every car, they just do not have the money for that.

A basic valve timing check could be done "by rule of thumb" i would suspect but compression check at this stage would be the starting point i would suspect as any wrong cam timing would have done the damage already, see interference thread where by bad cam timing or broken cam belt results in bent valves etc.., low to no compression, valves can and do stick ( open usually ) when engines are left stationery for periods of time, say longer than 6 months local atmospheric conditions dependent.

MES is apparently needed to tell the ecu a new cam belt has been fitted else the MIL light comes on. The lads car is gunna need a new cam belt at some point and we are still researching the MES kit.

When you cranked the engine over did it make any banging or other expensive strange noises??? and any mil light staying on???

It doesn't matter guys. Disrupt will not answer I think...

Yep, has been disrupted ;-)