Uno 1.0ie start problems, plz help me!

[The Negotiator]

Hello all.

I just recently had bought for me a '94 M-reg Fiat Uno 1.0ie Start from a car auction as my first car (i feel i am very lucky, i love the car already). I am going to have to do a number of things to get it good enough to drive with the help of my grandfather. We can do most thing, brakes etc. but we have a problem which neither of us know anything about and was hoping someone would be able to help us please:

The engine starts fine first time really easily, revs nicely etc. but then after a little running the engine revs go up and down for about a second and then either 1) keeps running normally again or 2) Stalls. Has anyone got any idea how to fix this? Any idea of the cause? It is like the car is short of fuel but the tank (according to the gauge is approx. 1/6 full and we put in £5 worth and it still did it).

Secondly, it might be related or maybe not, we are getting a large amount of water from the exhaust at the back. We ran the car for 10 minutes and had a pool of water at the back the size of a CD (maybe?) beneath the exhaust. There is no water in the oil - we checked and changed the oil. It is a mystery to us!

I would be extremely grateful to anyone who can help with either of these problems (or both!) and the favour will be remembered.

I am also looking for some wheel trims for this model because they were missing

I look forward to hearing from anyone

Regards
Paul

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[HP]

Assuming they have one fitted - I think they have - it could be a dodgy lambda sensor in the exhaust.
(sorry, not really up on Uno injection systems!)

Worth doing a thorough service too - plugs, air and fuel filters, oil and filter etc.

Pete.
Cinq sporting 1242cc
http://mysite.freeserve.com/close_to_cracking_up/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Cinqs_and_Seis/
http://www.clubcento.co.uk/

 

[The Negotiator]

What does the lambda sensor do? How much would it cost to replace? (DIY fix?) Why would it cause this to happen?

Paul

 

[John H]

At that plate (M) it _should_ have a lambda sensor, and catalyst. ( I think that Uno has the 999 FIRE engine).

Lambda sensor measures exhaust gas oxygen content, and is used by the ECU to adjust the mixture to be correct for the catalyser. (on average).

Pete may have ideas on cost, and maybe a better description too

 

[Pete]

It is the 999cc FIRE and it does have Lambda and Cat. The questions are,
1, Have you checked the simple things first, plugs, fuel filter etc ?
2, Is the SPI system Bosch or Marelli ?
Rgds Pete. [email protected]

 

[HP]

Cost, about £60 for a genuine part or less for a universal one, but be warned that bad connections on a cut and joined universal sensor can make the problem worse! (You need to cut off the original plug and join it to the bare wire ends of a universal one if you chose that option.) Try
http://www.lambdasensor.com
They quote £53 for a genuine OEM one (recommended) or £45 for a universal replacement.

Description-wise though John, spot on mate!

Pete.
Cinq sporting 1242cc
http://mysite.freeserve.com/close_to_cracking_up/
http://autos.groups.yahoo.com/group/Cinqs_and_Seis/
http://www.clubcento.co.uk/

 

[The Negotiator]

hi, thanks very much for your help! I like this website!

I will check what you have asked and reply in a few days - i haven't got the car where i live. What about the water? I would have said the head gasket but there is no water in the oil at all - strange.

I will be doing the fuel filter and stuff in the next few weeks - A/S levels have to take precedence, apparently! lol

Paul

 

[John H]

You can get a lot of condensation out of the back of the exhaust on a car which hasn't been thoroughly warmed up. Short runs just fill the exhaust with water : water is a by-product of combustion, when the exhaust is cold it just condenses out inside. When the exhaust gets really hot it just goes out as vapour.
On really cold mornings you will see the steam during the first few minutes of running.

Worry about the level of coolant - if it stays about right without being topped up, you're probably OK.

John H

 

[The Negotiator]

Hi, again thanks for your help.

I went on the lambda website and found this site:
http://www.lambdasensor.com/cgi-bin/shop/shop.cgi/page=mfaults.htm/SID=1050952287.20055

It explains how a faulty lambda sensor can be made through contamination with antifreeze. The level of steam and water out the back is more than I have ever seen on a car even on the coldest of days. So is it possible that the water through the exhaust has damaged the sensor/forcing it to work incorrectly?

Regards
Paul

 

[gaz.d]

about the lambda sensor on my Uno it had to be changed a number of times, the first time was because there was a bare wire and thus screwing up the sensor and the sencond time it was just faulty which was replaced free of charge.

about the wheel strims i've got a set of 4 that I think are of that model, I will take some pics so u can verify this
Have u thought about alloy wheels on your uno, i've got a set if your intrested

Gaz[^][^][^]

 

[The Negotiator]

Hi,

I am trying to do the car on the cheap really, i am only 17 and think adding some alloys will just make the cost higher and the insurance even worse!? I already need 3 new tyres for it :S + the mechanical work on the aforementioned stalling problem. You don't happen to know of any cheap places for insurance do you? How much would you like for the wheel trims (13"?), i am in Nottingham, are you anywhere near? Thanks for your help, i am very new to Fiats being brought up on Renaults so any help is appriciated!

Paul

 

[gaz.d]

Ever thought of taking the Pass Plus driving course, its 6 extra hours of driving on motorway, night time and other aspects of driving it costs about £100.

If u do take this try CIS cause they start u off with 35% of your premium already (25% with no pass plus), they let u have a driver over 25 for free as well.

But shop around thats your best bet

Try looking around scrap yards for wheel trims cause I live in north wales and p&p would be a bit for the wheel trims

Gaz[^][^][^]

 

[The Negotiator]

Hi again, thanks for the reply.

Yeah, i will look in scrap yards in that case. I will be forced to do pass plus due to the costs involved without it i think. Thanks for CIS, i'm on the website right now. Insurance costs have been a joke when i have had quotes before!

I love my uno though!

Paul

 

[gaz.d]

what cover u going for, i went fully comp on my uno and lost everything when i crashed it I was offered £750 for it.

Its in my opinion if the car is worth less that £2500 insure it TPFT, but people will obviously disagree with me

 

[The Negotiator]

It's only a M reg although in great condition, we paid £325 for it but its book price is more than double that but i will go for TPFT because it is cheaper. My quote on CIS is £1800 with passplus :O it's so much money!! Is there anyway I can get it lower you know of? i.e. getting myself an additional driver with my dads full NCB? I really don't understand how half of my friends have a car...!? Maybe the online quotes aren't realistic? Maybe they are driving without insurance, who knows..!

 

[gaz.d]

do your friends go on there parents insurance??

Try elephant.co.uk, they claim to be cheaper than most cause there web based

Amiral do 10 month bonus accelarator policies to buil your NCB up quicker

 

[The Negotiator]

I will have to have another look around, previously the best i got was £1450 TPTF only which i still can't afford, i hope i can find cheaper or i won't be driving

Cheers for your help.

Paul

 

[steveyensen]

What sort of wheel trims are you after [?]

Look at https://www.fiatforum.com/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=1110 for pictures of my rust-wagon which will show you pretty standard trims ...

If it's any help, I live in Nottingham too. Actually Arnold ...

Steve the elder statesman

Tries to drive a Panda 1000CL [:0] but still has a sense of humour!

rule!

(I'm on [email protected] and [email protected])

 

[The Negotiator]

hehe, your messages are very funny!

I see the trims, they look all right, I am in Mapperley, have you got any idea where i can get a set for a similar price to what you paid? I haven't gone to any scrap yards yet (A/S level exams soon and should be revising rather than fiddling with my car!) so I haven't seen any. Nothing on ebay either...

Paul

 

[MikeWhitcombe]

Best price I found for insurance - I reckon I looked at every single one... was £740 from Tesco. Admittedly, I do get a 10% discount becuase I work for them, but the quote was still at least £200 cheaper than all the other ones I found... some were as much as £2400!!! I haven't done pass plus (yet) either...

Cinqmeister
http://www.channel9.tk
'95 Cinquecento SX 0,9l