hey guys and girls... had a spot of bother yesterday the car wouldnt start. i managed to get it started but i have noticed that the car is now overheating.
i think this is possibly because of the water pump. (bare in mind im not looseing any water)

*the temp rises but water stays cool..
*i cant see any loss of oil ( but maybe possible the head may have gone.) (HOPE NOT"")
*i removed thermo swith an bypassed it to make sure the fan was working.. i also left the car run hot b4 i activated the fan.. ( temp still rises ) i will check tomorrow.. i will degrese the engine an top up with clean oil.. check for leaks.. but i think the problem could be the pump!!

what would you think ?
what are the most common faults with overheating on a punto??

firslty, which engine and year?

if its a 1.1 or 1.2 then head gasket failure is a very common cause of overheating, but in this case it doesnt sound like HG failure.

its possible the gauge is telling fibs. you said "water stays cool", where are you checking it? it could be that the thermostat is stuck shut, so it overheats at the engine side and stays cld at teh radiator side. that would be my first choice based on the limited info you've provided.

i doubt its the water pump, they very rarely fail.

the year is a 95. it has been laid up for a while its not gunna be runnin right.

the radiator is cool wen the temp rises..
its as tho the water aint reaching the engine..

if the thermostat is stuck shut were is it located??

Its on the right hand side of the engine, between the battery and engine. Its where the top radiator hose connects to it. Remove the 2 x 10mm bolts that hold the thermostat housing to the engine and then remove the housing and thermostat. I changed mine today because of the same problem and when you get a new one you should get a new, complete thermostat and housing. Hope this helps

im gunna remove it remove the thermostat the weekend wen i got more time.

i have found it its right below the HT leads have to remove the battery to get clear access thnx alot.
hopefully this works..

does the heaters in the car blow cold air if the thermostat is not working??

If the heater is blowing cold then there is a possibility that there is air in the cooloing system bleed the system before you remove the thermostat it could be that you save your self a lot of unnecessary work, if the car carries on overheating then try the thermostat im not sure how many bleeding screws there on a punto but im sure if you look through the guides they should tell (i think there is one on the cooling system)

kristouk21 said:

does the heaters in the car blow cold air if the thermostat is not working??

Click to expand...

cold air means the heater matrix is dry. that is a sign that the coolant level is too low, which suggests head gasket or a leak elsewhere in the cooling system.

as said above dont change thermostat until you resolve the low coolant level issue. try topping it up, and see if it goes down again, if it does then you have a leak, either at the head gasket or elsewhere.

jug said:

i doubt its the water pump, they very rarely fail.

Click to expand...

not true. if it has the pump that was fitted when new then it would have metal impeller blades, these rot and brake down - meaning the pump is useless. A replacement pump will have plastic blades. If the car has been laid up for a while, then to me it looks even more likely to be the pump.

Do the heaters blow cold as well?

If the main radiator is not getting warm, and the heaters aren't getting warm - yet there is coolant in the system, then it'll be the water pump. The thermostat would not impact the heaters.

HEY GUYS HAPPY CHAP!!!

managed to sort out the overheating.. it wernt the pump or thermostat.

it was a massive air lock... the engine was receiveing no water at all.

i found that 1 of the water pipes leaving the radiator isnt leaking but u can hear what sounds like sucking in air... i think with the time its been left standing all water has gone an air has got in..

i will replace this at the weekend.

thanx for all your help.:slayer:

Hello guys!
This chat here is the best realy.
Am new logged in here and I have the same problem with my 1.1 55sx '96 lovely blue runner!
All the information which I read today I will use in practice.
In my radiator the water is missing very quick and the rest of that which left on the bottom is dirty black. Its that b'se the engine oil is comming to bottle?
I loose lot of engine oil as well. I have to check all the things which you said here.
First I think I will buy new thermostat clean this bloody dirty bottle fill up fitt new thermostat. And then if this sh....will happen what to do next?
Water pomp to change? And inside when I switch on heating is warm air but after while is cold air. Realy mad in winter am "frozen driver guys"!
I spoke with my collegues (polish) but they everybody specialist. Every one said something diffrent.
Bastards!!!
Thanks guys again for help
Keep in touch and take care on roads
Slawek

To be honest Slawek, with the symptoms you are quoting, and especially your loss of oil...I think you may have Head Gasket failure.

By all means try the other suggestions in this thread, especially the air lock theory as it could as easily be that, but i think its likely that your HG has went.

Trust me, I know what I'm talking about when it comes to this...mine went 3 times on my Mk1 Punto Sporting before I gave up on it!

Thx Pappa P very nice to recived any info from you and people who knows how to repair car and not made worst thinks when touch.
But am scary to touch the head gasket! This is serious job to change the gasket???
This bloody thermostat I will change tommorow and maybe the water pump as well.
I think I need open almost all engine. If I change the gasket and cambelt and alternator belt I have to go to garage for some settings???
Thanks Papa and folks for help[/COLOR]

The Thermostat is an easy swap and should take about 10 minutes to do.

The waterpump however is different, changing it requires taking off teh cambelt...in which case you would be as well changing the headgasket anyway, and the cambelt for that matter!

If you arent proficient with cars, ie you dont know your way around an engine, I would taje the car to a garage to get the work done, or let someone who knows what they are doing fix it for you.

But try the thermostat first, it could be the problem. Also make sure you bleed the system as well once you have changed it!

The waterpump however is different, changing it requires taking off teh cambelt...in which case you would be as well changing the headgasket anyway,

Click to expand...

no need to change the HG unless its actually gone.

I agree with you about the cambelt though, while its off put a new one on instead, but leave the hg untill it goes. If it aint broke dont fix it

Hi guys!
I started in saturday to strip the bloody engine! Still in progress. I have new question. When I drained out the coolant was clear maybe I dont need to change the hg? Just today i will fitt thermostat and water pump. I will clean the bottom cover oil engine, new liquid seal. I called one garrage for skimming that head and its cost 50pounds + sanding valves 10pounds I think this is good price for that big job. The engine oil was burned black and sticky like sh... Spark plugs gone as well! Some people told me to put the engine oil 10w40 before I had 15w40 this is big diffrent?
I hope I will start my blue runner in wednesday!!!
For bleed the cooling system I need just fill up the bottle and open this small plastic on top of radiator???
Thanks guys
Still in touch!

Slawek.

If you've lifted the head then you need to change the head gasket. To put the old one back on would be akin to re-using a condom (not a good idea, and the results could get expensive!)

The oil will always turn black after a while. It's not burned, just that there is always a certain amount of "blowpast" of gases that get past the piston rings, especially in an older engine.

I would suggest that, while you've got the top of the engine in pieces you take the head off and get it skimmed and pressure tested. It might be worth having a look at the valve stem seals, and valve guides, but if there's no evidence of leakage leave the valves in place. You'll need to remove the cam shaft to get the head skimmed though, as the valves hang down past the bottom of the head otherwise.

Don't forget to do the valve cover gasket too whilst it's all apart.

£50 isn't bad for a skim, but I would definitely say get it pressure tested too, otherwise you could be putting a cracked head back on, which is going to fail again very shortly. Better to spend a few quid (probably around the £30 mark) to get it tested than have the expense of doing the whole job over again.

I'm in the process of doing a head gasket change myself at the moment. It's not a big job, but it's a bit fiddly and it helps to either have a ramp to put the car on so you can get to the underneath, or at least a good jack and some axel stands!

Good luck, I hope you get it sorted soon.

Hello guys!
Today is my big day!!!
I will be start the engine in my blue runner!
Hopes he start if not I throw him away!
"""""Merry X-Mas to every Punto Maniacs""""""

Thanks Scooby!
Hope tomorrow I will run around the Birmingham with big smile on my face!!!
Next think what I need to do its clutch !!! Bloody expanssive cost around £50-£60.
Plus another few days spend in garage. In next year I wanna sticky large white Scorpion Logo on my back window and put black foil on top.
Am going crazy with my lovely car!
Thanks to everyone
Take care on roads and be carefull on "SUNDAYS DRIVERS"

A new clutch for £50 is good value..!

To bleed the cooling system there is a big screw on the top (driver side) of the radiator.. next to the headlamp. There is also a screw on the hose going to the heater (it's on the heater hose, by the bulkhead, inside the engine bay).

Unscrew each screw, one at a time, just enough for air or coolant to come out. Don't take them all the way out as they're difficult to replace when coolant is pouring out! To get coolant into the heater hose, you may have to get someone to blow into the top of the radiator, to force the coolant "up hill".. but don't get the anti-freeze on your lips, it's poisonous.

Do the bleeding when the coolant is cold.. obviously.


10W40 is the correct oil for UK. 15W40 is "okay".. just a bit thicker when it's cold. Usually people use it if the engine is old (thicker oil doesn't escape past the piston rings so easily when the engine's cold) but your engine should be good and tight still, if it's done less than 100,000 miles.


Ralf S.

Never had a problem removing the screws all the way when the colant is cold personally, helps make sure you have cleaned out any small bubbles too if you let it free flow for a second or 2