Hi all
I'm not sure if this is actually a problem at all,but my temperature guage runs at halfway constantly during normal driving.It does'nt overheat at all and the fan does cut in when stationary for a few minutes,but I'm used to the temperature reading being only being at about 1/3rd of the way up on other cars I've owned recently under normal driving conditions..
Is this potentially a problem?Would the recent hottish weather have any effect..?

many thanks
Peter

Fiat Brava owner-no mods...yet!

I'm new to this board but glad I found it. I have just bought my first car, it is a Y ref Fiat Punto, I test drove many and loved this one mainly for the City button! I live in Edinburgh and it's all tight spaces to park in, no luxury of a driveway!
Anyway I have had the car 6 days from a reputable car dealer) and last night I waited in about 15 mins slow traffic where I was moving a metre at a time but didn't turn the engine off and all of a sudden the red temperature warning light flicked on and steam come out of the bonnet! I got the RAC out who fixed it and said I should take it back to the garage today! I am gob smacked! Is this normal for a Punto? It is hard without a temperature gauge isn't it?
Be interested to hear your views, I will also post what the garage say.
I really like my punto I am gutted!
x

Peterp, your car sounds fine. Most cars run with the temp guage at half; they're usually calibreted so that halfway up the scale corresponds to the engine's optimum running temperature. My car runs pretty much dead-on the half way mark, maybe a little below at speed on a cold day, or a little above in traffic jams in hot weather.

Mand, you car clearly isn't fine! It's pretty crap that there's no temp guage on a car thats only a few years old. And the car definitely shouldn't overheat like that in traffic - my Punto is 10 years old and has never overheated. There's loads of stuff that could make it overheat and blow steam out. Did the RAC fella tell you exactly what he'd "fixed"?

modern small cars dont tend to have temp gauges. seis dont, and i know 106s dont either


Cinq Sporting - and yes, its broom yellow!

Thanks for the quick reply.
The RAC man said he looked at the water holder/bottle (sorry I don't know the name of it yet!) and that he could see no visible leaks but that the water he put in was going somewhere. He put some powder in to the bottle and said it would temporarily block any leaks (bio degradable in yellow tube). He said it could have been a stone that has flicked up and chipped it and made a slow leak so maybe it is not the garages fault for not noticing or he thought maybe it was the radiator although he could not see any damage. He also said he had been called out that day to see other cars that had 'just overheated'. I noticed sort of thinnish greasy water that looked like it had run down through the vent/plastic bit at the bottom of the front of the car, looked like a leak to me. Sorry for the un-technical terms! I am still learning the words - and fast. As I have has the car less than a week I should be in a good position to make sure anything done to is does not cost me (?) also I paid for a 2 year warranty on the car, surely it cannot be classed as wear and tear as the car had only done 15921 miles when I got it last Saturday (5 June) and now it is about 16100 so I've not been far!
Gulp, will ring garage soon.
Thanks again, this site is great.
Mand
x

If it's a tiny leak, when the heat rises the pressure will force teh water out of the leak. This is what happened to mine. The lack of water then causes the car to overheat. Get the garage to pull their finger out and get it sorted!

Do you notice the fan coming on at all??

Sie
Black 96P Cinq Sporting
OMP Strut Brace, Apex -40mm kit, GSR F1i Induction, Pioneer ICE

THANKYOU ALL

Fiat Brava owner-no mods...yet!

Thanks for the reply
Yes I did notice the fan coming on, in fact the RAC man said that he noticed it coming on, I meant to mention that in the last post.
That sounds like it could be the problem.
Garage will be phoned very soon.
Hope your car is well now.
Mand

Glad you are sorted PeterP, I am sorry to hijack your message but it sounded so familiar!
Mand
x

Hi Mand
No problem-hijack away!!
Great set of peeps here always very helpful as you'll get to find out.
Hope all goes well with your car
Peter.

Fiat Brava owner-no mods...yet!

Thanks Peter.

Update: just phoned garage and they can find no fault. They want to hang on to it longer to check it out. They said till 4pm so I will post again then! Fingers crossed. I mentioned that the RAC man had put in the powder to block any leaks temporarily and this could be why they have not found anything (please will someone tell me what the vessel that holds the water in near the engine is called, I think in my manual it said it held the 'engine coolant'-sorry I feel silly). If they find nothing should I just take it and risk it happening again?? Could it be a one off?
Hope you can help, you are all great so far!
Mand
x

Manufacturers have started removing the temp gauge as a cost saving but also apparently because cooling systems are more reliable nowdays. hmm.
Fiats seem to be doing the opposite. Mine overheats too and apparently there is nowt wrong with it.

Smurfhead - would trade as Gaz but bit confusing with another guy with the same car on here with the same name. lol

Seicento Sporting (2001)with Yellow rear wiper (oooooohh!!).

its an "expansion tank" as it allows for the hot water to expand when it gets warm.

you might not have a leak, it could be a sticky thermostat, which basicly works by opening wen it gets warm to allow the coolant to flow through it, it holds the coolant in one place to allow the engine to "get up to temperature" quicker then allows it to flow, to cool down the engine and stay at an avrage temperature.

if its sticking then your engine will over heat and cause the hot water vapour or steam to escape through the "pressure cap" which is the expansion tank lid.

its a bit complicated the hole system but it is all explainable, everything has a purpose and has beleive it or not been extreamly well thought through by some engeneer-y type person.

hope that helps in some way or another.

madcar [}]

just hope its not your head gasket cause mine did that was drivin along do do do de do pssssssttt steam and water every where filled her up with new water (no leaks) 3 days later running on 2/3 cylnders and white smoke yummy ! now im £300+ down i think, havnt got the car back yet ! its still poorly at a garage

Well I got the car back on Saturday morning (my choice as I was at the pub) and guess what, there is nothing wrong with it! They did all sorts of pressure tests and put it down to (possibly) an air lock as the car was sitting in the showroom. Anyway I went out on Saturday - although not in any traffic jams- and all was fine. I now check the water when the engine is cold to see if the level has moved at all. If it does it will be straight back. I will just be stressed driving in heavy traffic incase it happens again. Fingers crossed. Thanks for your help. By the way the garage analysis cost me nothing as it is under warranty and less than a week in my ownership!
Mand
x

The temp gauge in my punto 1.1 55sx has just recently started running at half way, the fan kicks in at the right time and what i read this is quite normal..............however it always used to run at the 1/4mark so why the sudden increas in temperature ?