Hello guys. My panda 4x4 88 is giving me a bit of a head ache.

What it does is this. When I start the car and drives off everything is fine usually, but after driving for a while the car may start to "cough" i.e. missfire or **** up the timing for maybe two to four seconds. Sometimes during this I loose all throttle respons untill I lift my foot and put it back on the accelerator.

This usually happens when going uphill or trying to accelerate at a slight incline. Can occur while just driving too,usually in the higher gears.

One more thing is that this doesn't happen every time I drive. Sometimes it's fine and sometimes the problem starts when I first drive off. I'm pretty sure I could force the problem to occur though, by trying to accelerate hard. (since this **** started I just accelerate very slowly especially uphill).

Does anyone know what this might be?

I have checked the vacuum unit on the distributer and it's fine, and I changed the sparkplugs and leads a few months ago.

I know for a fact that my thermostat is broken because the car never reaches proper running temp so one of those is on it's way.

Mind you I have the fuel injected model. The full name on mine is Fiat Panda 4x4 ie cat.


Thanks guys

/Albert

Have you checked the ignition leads? May be condensation and the plugs sometimes don’t perform as they should

Could be Vacuum advance may be leaking or diaphragm split. Or no tube connected to the manifold

Nope. The vacuum unit is fine. And I changed the leads some time ago. I could disconnect them and wipe them clean though.

Other sugestions?

Further possibilities....fuel starvation...is the filter partially blocked? Am not sure what the ignition set up is on yours but the coil could be breaking down or coil packs on the way out? Can't remember how the distributer advance retard works but is there a base plate that could be sticking?
I'm not too proud to admit to having a misfire because I'd not tightened a spark plug up enough once!
Finally if the engine's running cold could the injection system be fooled into giving too rich a mixture? One last thought..Dragon Man's guide on this Forum is invaluable

https://www.fiatforum.com/panda-classic/435381-things-check-periodically-panda-engine.html?p=4145652


Best of luck

Ok another. Thought do you have a good fuel supply. Some times. The fuel line can become blocked or restricted with rust particles or even water in the tank has weird effects

which fuel injection system is it running? the Bosch or the Magneti Marelli?

if its the Bosch, check your ignition module. and again as stated, check your fuel pump condition. if it does not give the right pressure it will have these faults you are getting.

Thanks for the advice guys. The fuel supply should be good. I had to change the fuel pump when I first fixed the car about three years ago so hopefully it's not that.

I'm not sure which system. How can I tell?

if you can find the ECU, just read the name on it

Hint: if you've checked the vacuum unit on the distributor, you've got the Bosch system. Marelli has twin coil packs mounted on the end of the head where the distributor would be on the older systems.

Yes indeed I have the bosch system.

I will try changing the fuel filter in case it's partially blocked or something, cause I doubt a bad pump.

I have ordered a new ignition coil because from what I've read the symtoms of a bad coil basically is exactly what I'm experiencing.

Another thing. I know my fuel tank has a small leak in it, probably in the weld where the filler pipe meets the tank itself (when I have a ful tank it leaks petrol when I park leaning forward to the right). Could this be a contrubuting factor?

Today I changed the ignition coil, ignition module, distributor cap and rotor and also the fuel filter. I felt happy, pictures in my head of smooth running and steady acceleration. But now the f***ing thing won't even start!

I tried changing everything back one piece at a time exept for the fuel filter and ignition module, but no luck. I also dissconected the fuel line closest to the injector and turned the ignition, and it squirted fuel so it seems fine.

Now I'm charging the battery so it's fresh tomorrow and then we'll see.

Anyone have any idea what might have happened?

ok this bosch system is strange. to inject fuel, it uses the negative trigger the ignition module pulls on the coil, to fire the injector off. this is is only link to the engine, from it it gets RPM and the timing to fire the fuel.

make sure you have a spark, make sure that there's 2 green wires connected to the same side of the ignition coil.

i did retrofit this system to a 1991 panda 4x4 that was originally a carburettor model.

i choose it because it does not use a crank position sensor.

the system also has a throttle position sensor and an idle control valve. these are known fail points too

I have two green wires connected to the same side. We tested for spark with all the new parts in place but we didn't get one. Now I putt all the old parts back and tried to start but to no avail. Will check for spark again with all the old parts back.

One thing I did notice was when I removed the ignition module. There are five wires, three in one connector and two in the other. The wires going to the connector with two wires in it had quite poor insulation, could this cause problems? I don't know what the wires do but they both feed through the distributor housing.

Update.
I bought a new unit that fits inside the distributor. I don't know what it's called but it's the piece that connects to the vaccuum unit and that has two wires going to the ignition module on the outside.

I had to remove the distributor to change it and made sure to mark the possition of the housing. Now that it's all put together the car doesn't start and it seems like the timing is off, it just kind of caughs and jerks.

So the question. Is there any way I could have ****ed up the timing even though I put everything together the way it was.

I'm sick of this now.

Ok so another update.

I have the car running again. I changed the electronic pick up in the distributor but like I wrote it didn't start.

Then I changed back to the old ignition module and old coil and then it started perfectly. Took it for a drive yesterday and the hesitation and coughing was gone! Felt responsive and perky while accelerating.

Now I just have to get my other 4x4 to run properly so I can test the coil and module.

So in the end, after all this hardship I have just ended up replacing one part.

So for future forum search purposes. If your panda runs badly, first check the vacuum unit and then check the pickup in the distributor.

Now for the final question. Are there multiple types of coil and modules for the injection panda?

Thanks for all the help guys and sorry for writing a book every post.

/Albert