car not working - dodgy garage - please reply

[Lasharna]

Hi everyone first if all i hope someone reply's to this message as i need some help. Basically my boyfriend put the wrong petrol in the car (fiat punto) and then as he was driving it the car started to jerk and then cut out (this si fair enough as he did put the wrong petrol in) so we took it to a garage for them to take it out put in right petrol. They also pumped up the tyres. I was at work while all this happened and my boyfriend was not at the garage the whole time. Anyway the car stil won't start and the engine just keeps ticking over. there is no spark. One man at the garage said teh immobiliser has gone and it needs a new one. There is also now a live wire hanging under the steering wheel (where all the other wires are) me and boyfriend have never seen this wire hanging before and the garage say they cant see anywhere where the wire should go.[V] I think there are dodgy and they took the wire out themselves. Probably tthink as we are young we are dumb!!!!
The car has never cut out before on us has always started first time as well. We have had teh car for about 4 months and bought it second hand. the car is in good condition aswell.

So i dont know if this has ever happened to anyone else or if there is a mecanic who is readingt this who might know. or if some one can just help please.

Thanks look forward to hearing from some one.

L.kellar

 

[Dixy]

<font face="Comic Sans MS"></font id="Comic Sans MS"><font color="purple"></font id="purple"> This is from a total novice but if the wrong petrol has got right into the system, it will take alot more than draining the tank to fix it. It may have knackered the whole engine. Sounds like the garage has well and truly stiffed ya hun. Sorry

Cinq SX 900

 

[John H]

Was the wrong petrol "diesel" by any chance??

In the UK I don't think you can buy any petrol which will actually stop the car - although LRP (and leaded, if you can find it - and afford it) will bugger up the catalyser. If anyone knows better, please post.

The only cure for a tank ful of diesel is to drain the lot out - it's an expensive job to do, as there is the disposal of this ungodly mixture to consider, in addition to cleaning out filters etc.

I'm not convinced the immobiliser would have been broken by that, however.
It looks like you could have found a better garage.

To progress from here you probably need an independent (and good) mechanic to check the car before giving any (more) money to the garage.

Consider the Citizens advice Bureau.
Consider the AA or RAC.

It might seem expensive, but immobilisers are big bucks.

 

[HP]

If there is no spark at the plugs, the wire could be something to do with the immobiliser pickup - there's a little sensor around the ignition key hole which recognises your transponder in the key. If this is disconnected, the immobiliser will kick in and may cause the fault you describe. It could equally be one of the wires from the ignition switch.

I'd be tempted to take it elsewhere to get it sorted. Putting the wrong fuel in cannot kill the immobiliser.

Pete.
Cinq sporting 1242cc
Cinqs&Seis Yahoo group
Clubcento

 

[CentoEvo]

If you have put diesel in it then as John said it needs draining completley including all the fuel lines and taking out the spark plugs, turning it over so the fuel spirts out.
Diesel will not nessecarily knacker your engine as its a very slippery fuel, but it makes it a bastard to clean out.

I would take it somewhere else or get a electrical blokey to have a look for you, i too would have my suspisions about them

My Car is now for sale, A total one-off, head turning bargin!!!​

 

[Lasharna]

Thanks everyone for your advice. Well here's an update the petrol did get drained out and yes it was diesel. The garage had said to get a new immobiliser and kety and brain for the car it will be about £200. I took my mums friend there and he said thats what it looks like so i think the garage may be telling the truth, but now is the next question could i get a better deal any where else of is £200 a good price for a new key, brain and immobilier?

L.kellar

 

[CentoEvo]

£200 i would rip their arms off for that price, it should be more like £800 for new bits.
Are they getting the ecu and lockset 2nd hand from a salvage yard??
I think Fiat might need to re-programme the system when fitted, altho i'm not 100% sure

My Car is now for sale, A total one-off, head turning bargin!!!​

 

[Lasharna]

The garage are getting the lockset second hand, i'll just have to wait and see. thanks

L.kellar

 

[dave]

Are tou sure that they haven't just cut that purple wire and are going to charge you £200 then just join the wire together! I was at a breakers today and they said its very unusal to get a breaker in with a red key!
Whilst i was there i riped out the whole dash from a punto on the right hand side of dash is a fuse box (you have to undo two screws in the little shelf thing to see it) next to the fuses was a white box with two plugs full of wires. one plug had two purple wires next two each other in the middle, i dont know if puling one out would make the car not start but its got to be worth checking it.
Don't forget to tell the garage you want your old bits back if you can scratch your signiture in your ECU so you can be sure that its been replaced.

sorry i don't know where i got the idear that the wire was purple, i just reread your origonal post and it don't say purple (it was late last night when i first read it). What coulor is the wire that hangs down. if it is quite a thick black one it is the recicer wire from the ignition, if its broke signal won't be read from chip in key. if not what colour is it, im going back to breakers on saturday ill try to see where it goes.

 

[Lasharna]

Hi dave thanks for your message the wire haging down is actually purple if you could check this out for me that would be great. If you could ask where the purple wire is meant to go. the garage keep saying they cant fing anywhere where the wire should go, buut i dont believe them. i am going to get a secong opinion and see where it goes form there. I mean if they put in a new lock set what will they do with the wire you cant have a live wire haging down. Its unsafe. Ah well thanks alot if you can find out anything that would be great.

L.kellar

 

[Ham]

Are you in the AA or any of the other motoring assistance firms.
You could try them for advice.
It seems they are trying to rip you off as there is no way that the wire comes loose on its own.
If it was running before ok.
I suggest if you are not in a motoring organisation.
Try Lucas or a reputable garage ask around for advice from friends who have used a garage before.

Fiat Stillo MW. 1.9JTD
Met. Blue. all Electric. Skywindow..SatNav+ 17" 7 spoke alloys.


......Ham............

 

[CentoEvo]

There is a plastic ring that goes around the ignition lock that detects the code from the chip in the key, this might be the wire that connects to it.

Have a look at the end of the wire, can you see the wires inside the plastic covering or does the plastic cover the end???
If you can see the wires then more than likely its been cut, i'm sure fiat cover the ends of the wires so they don't short out.

My Car is now for sale, A total one-off, head turning bargin!!!​

 

[dave]

on the right hand side of dash is a fuse box (you have to undo two screws in the little shelf thing to see it) next to the fuses is a white box with two plugs full of wires. one plug had two purple wires next two each other in the middle, i dont know if puling one out would make the car not start but its got to be worth checking it. so if there is only one purple wire on the plug and a hole next to it it goes there. or if the two purple wires are there is one of them the loose bare one if so you need to find the other end. in other words if it has been cut it must have an other half, if it was cut Deliberately the other half may be tucked away out of sight have a good look.
"The wire from ignition lock ring on the punto i was working on was black and quite thick"
Good luck

 

[Lasharna]

Okay thanks everyone for your messages it is really helpful to speak to other people. The plastic covering doesn't cover the wire, i will look at the white box today and see if thats whrer it goes. I really do think they cut the wire there is no other explanation. If anyone else has any more messages please do write. Thanksa again

L.kellar

 

[MrDerv]

Hope this one can help you. Recently i've become a swizz with with the wiring of my car having to a)Fit an alarm, b)Fit a fuel-pump kill switch and c)Fit a push button starter switch. while this may not be relevant, my point is that while in doing this, i've had to cut, splice and connect various wires, one of which was a cable that supplied power to the ecu (engine brain). When i realised that it was still disconnected, the engine would not spark when starting. Re-connected, the engine would start. Now, i'm talking about a Cinq and unsure whether the wires are the same colors on the punto but my best bet is to take the steering column cover off and look towards the ignition barrel, here you should see 2-3 white connector blocks with leads coming from them, if one of them is missing a wire in part of the block, the loose wire may be part of that block and need placing back into it. The best way to find out whether it is the immobiliser is to insert the key into the ignition, turn it till the lights on the dash come on and see if the KeyCODE (yellow) light comes on. If it doesn't come on (not even breifly for 1 second) at all or if it lights permanently (even flashing for more than 2 secs) you have a knackered immobiliser. DON'T part with your money until you check the wire and the immobiliser light on the dash first or you could be the next case for a serious Rip-Off!

Hope this helps.


Yellow Cinq in your rear-view mirror? That'd be me!

 

[Lasharna]

Thank you brick foot that has helped me alot i will do this and see if this is the problem. when the key is put in the ignition it lights up for about two seconds and then goes i was told this is normal.

L.kellar

 

[dave]

<blockquote id="quote"> face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote">Originally posted by Lasharna
Thank you brick foot that has helped me alot i will do this and see if this is the problem. when the key is put in the ignition it lights up for about two seconds and then goes i was told this is normal.

L.kellar
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></blockquote id="quote"></font id="quote">

That is normal light comes on ignition reads chip in key then goes out. If it stayed on there would be a problem with the chip in the key.

 

[MrDerv]

Definately NOT the immobiliser then. Don't let them rip you off for an immobiliser

Yellow Cinq in your rear-view mirror? That'd be me!

 

[CCCTech]

I can't understand why the garage would have messed with any part of your ignition at all. There's so many ways of making the car not start but yet turn over - the easiest of which would probably have been to just disconnect the ECU. Bosch ECU's are pretty robust in that you can unplug them etc etc whilst the battery is connected and you will not screw the immobiliser. I wouldn't believe for one moment that it's your immobiliser - especially when they reckon £200 to replace - it should be way more. Have you asked them what they did to drain the diesel ? or is that gonna be the next problem after they've tried to stiff you for the immobiliser ?
I think it would be wise to get someone in to look at your car, or even have it towed to a garage that you can trust.
Also - I thought it wasn't possible to fit the neck of a diesel pump into a petrol tank ? I've never tried it so can't be sure !!!!
Have you absolutely b0110cked your boyfriend also ? Is he paying ? one way or the other ;o)
Good luck.

Performance Chip Tuning
www.ccctech.co.uk

 

[dave]

Hi i know this is a bit late but there is an emeargency cut out on puntos that stops the engine in an acident, this could have happened even though the car was not in an acident, there is a reset button on the floor at the side of pasenger seat under the carpet.