Hi
I have a punto II 1,2 16v from 2000
in the last week or so it's been using quite a lot of water..
i know it has a broken gasket
But now there is a new problem..
when i turn the key to pos 1 the panel lights up as normal
when i activate the starter,the only thing that happens is a klick sound
(1 klick) its like the car is totally dead :-(
there is nothing wrong with the battery and the car won't start even when it's towed.
What could be the problem?
with regards
jim wilse

alternator? starter motor? battery? any of those could be the problem

ingle click when you turn the key and then another when released? starter motor solonoid. When you turn the key the starter motor kicks out a small gear to turn the engine over (click) but if starter doesn't turn the engine wont fire, take the starter off and carefully with an old battery if possile, connect to battery using jump leads, if it works i would then look at the earth, try putting a jump lead between the earthe terminal on the battery and a big lump of metal on the engine block(on second thoughts try this first)
hope this helps.

But if it's the starter solenoid, wouldn't the car then start when it's towed?
I have an idea, that perhaps the engine is stuck?
When i parked the car, it was very hot and there was a smell off warm metal.
If the engine is stuck, would it have the problems i'm encountering?

Probably not mych help here. But for some unknown reason the same thing happened to my Mk1 Punto. But i could start it by - turn the key to the first position so the dash lights come on then back off. Then when you turn it to position 2 (and it clicks) keep the key in that position for a few seconds and then it started (like, keep it at the exact position where it clicks, if you know what i mean)

Sounds like the head gasket is toast & filled the cylinder, take the spark plugs out & turn it over see if water blows out of the cylinder .
Don't tow it till you are sure its not filled the cylinder wit coolant you can bend a rod

Hi caseking here
sounds like you have 2 problems .I would make up a lead and fit it to starter motor solinoid terminal .switch on ignition and put other end of lead on to battery pos terminal should turn over as you have bypassed ignition switch if it turns over starter ok fault between starter and ignition switch.also remove ht lead fit plug in cap put on top of engine case turn over see if you get a spark if not you also have ignition fault thats why it wont start when you tow it, my son has a punto55 its always broken down,good job i am a mechanic ha ha, good luck.

I had a similar problem recently, in my case it was the engine earth. Try connecting a jump lead from the engine to the battery negative and see if this makes any difference.

Well on my car I had a similar problem (same engine albeit a mk1), on turning the key the dash lit up then when you turned it to the starting position, the lights would all dim and all you would get was a single click, mine wouldn't start on a tow either, traced to the Ignition Relay in the end, covered it in WD40 gave it a couple of sharp taps on the top with a screw driver handle and has been fine since, get someone to activate the ignition while you have your head under the bonnet see if the click is from the starter or elsewhere, on the mark 1 16v it lives on the bulkhead on the passenger side.

I know this is the wrong mark but give you an idea where to look and what to look for its the cream block on the bulkhead (i took the cover off for access)