Hi all,

Fresh from having fixed my battery issue...

https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-ii/...trol-trip-counter-clock-resetting-starth.html

... I've now got a random engine cutting out issue.

It's only happened twice so far (but only recently got car going again) once I'd only started driving 2 minutes ago and this morning happened when the engine was fully warmed up.

There is no code light or anything like that which I've seen mentioned elsewhere. I just suddenly notice no power and look down and see the battery and oil (I think) lights on as if I'd stalled it, but today it would have been impossible as I was going about 80 km/h.

I think I've read a couple of posts where people suggest alternator / wiring from battery - alternator issues. Or maybe it could be some sensor or something ?

Would be handy to know what's most likely to get started on.

Cheers,

Paul

If its been a while since its been running - has it actually got fresh fuel?
Fuel Can and does go off - which can cause running issues

Just ensure the battery connections are yes Clean and tight as well
sudden fault after a battery change - points towards a possible battery issue

ziggy

Ziggy122 said:

If its been a while since its been running - has it actually got fresh fuel?
Fuel Can and does go off - which can cause running issues

Just ensure the battery connections are yes Clean and tight as well
sudden fault after a battery change - points towards a possible battery issue

ziggy

Click to expand...

Ziggy,

It's possible the fuel in the bottom of the tank was a bit old as previous owner hardly ever drove it, however I filled up to a full tank only about 1.5 weeks ago so 3/4 of the fuel is new, and mixed with potentially old fuel.

With this in mind maybe a fuel cleaner might be a good start.

The car also doesn't particularly like decelerating, quite juddery especially with low revs.

Regarding the battery it's brand new and was already charged when bought. I had a go at trying to clean up the battery terminals when I installed it but haven't touched anything on the alternator or starter motor as hard to get to.

I also tried to tighten the alternator belt by moving the alternator on it's adjustment bolt, so maybe I did it too tight ?

Cheers,

Paul

PaulTobiasx1/9 said:

Ziggy,

It's possible the fuel in the bottom of the tank was a bit old as previous owner hardly ever drove it, however I filled up to a full tank only about 1.5 weeks ago so 3/4 of the fuel is new, and mixed with potentially old fuel.

With this in mind maybe a fuel cleaner might be a good start.

The car also doesn't particularly like decelerating, quite juddery especially with low revs.

Regarding the battery it's brand new and was already charged when bought. I had a go at trying to clean up the battery terminals when I installed it but haven't touched anything on the alternator or starter motor as hard to get to.

I also tried to tighten the alternator belt by moving the alternator on it's adjustment bolt, so maybe I did it too tight ?

Cheers,

Paul

Click to expand...

Clean the throttle body then
Simply whip airbox off - and using a wrag and some wd40 sprayed onto the wrag, give the butterfly and the body enwhich the butterfly valve moves in a darn good clean
A tooth brush may also help here!

Why?
If the cars hardly driven - it could be a oil/moisture blocking up the butterfly valve in the throttle body - its a maintenance thing really - should be cleaned every 30K - 50K idearly

If you ever have air filter off - its a 30second wipe around and helps prevent Jerky De accelerating and could be the cause of it stalling randomly (struggling to breath in via the tiny gap of which idle is)

Ziggy

Ziggy,

Thanks a lot, will definitely give this a try at the weekend, not attempted such a thing before but sounds doable.

Good to have things to try first that don't cost anything!

Paul

PaulTobiasx1/9 said:

Ziggy,

Thanks a lot, will definitely give this a try at the weekend, not attempted such a thing before but sounds doable.

Good to have things to try first that don't cost anything!

Paul

Click to expand...

Anybody can do this task! Yeah sure some girlies would moan... but nowt new
its a simple 2x Nut and 1 spring clip
pop airbox off
Stick finger into a hole and rub around
kinda like doing the dish's but just on a car

Ziggy

Ziggy122 said:

Clean the throttle body then
Simply whip airbox off - and using a wrag and some wd40 sprayed onto the wrag, give the butterfly and the body enwhich the butterfly valve moves in a darn good clean
A tooth brush may also help here!

Why?
If the cars hardly driven - it could be a oil/moisture blocking up the butterfly valve in the throttle body - its a maintenance thing really - should be cleaned every 30K - 50K idearly

If you ever have air filter off - its a 30second wipe around and helps prevent Jerky De accelerating and could be the cause of it stalling randomly (struggling to breath in via the tiny gap of which idle is)

Ziggy

Click to expand...

Hey Ziggy,

Just had a go at this, it wasn't exceptionally dirty, but definitely a bit of black crud around the edge which I attempted to remove.

Whilst doing the clean I noticed some botch type repair job on one of the tubes connected nearby...



What is this ? Could it another potential source of juddering / engine cut-out ?

Cheers,

Paul

That black crud thats hard to remove usually is the cause

I cant see the image as its not showing as been complete (might be my phone tho)

Ziggy

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bzg_1meR-MGObi13QTAzOEdXWHJKdDhSTWEwSHgxelNBQUtz

Does this one work ?

Paul

Ziggy122 said:

That black crud thats hard to remove usually is the cause

I cant see the image as its not showing as been complete (might be my phone tho)

Ziggy

Click to expand...

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz...EwSHgxelNBQUtz

Ziggy?

PaulTobiasx1/9 said:

https://drive.google.com/open?id=0Bz...EwSHgxelNBQUtz

Ziggy?

Click to expand...

thats breather hose

Mine did this a few times before the alternator belt snapped. New belt, no issues. Not sure what relation it had but wouldnt hurt to check

That Bit Silvery Bit in the Middle of the Bottom half of your air box
Thats the Throttle Body under there - its a flap that opens as you step on the throttle and snaps shut when you release

In there is where you need to clean

its 10x Easier todo when you remove the 2x 10mm Bolts on the airbox Top left (10 oclock) and bottom right (4ish oclock)

There is also a spring clamp thats on the cam cover (7ish oclock)

When refitting - Dont forget to reattach the Breather hose that simply slides into place under the airbox

If you dont re-attach it - you will end up with hot oily fumes stinkin the joint out

Ziggy

Ziggy,

I did actually give the throttle body cleaning a go, admittedly didn't undo any further bolts once I'd removed the cover of the airbox though so might have been a half ars**d job.

I feel that it has made a difference, still a bit of judderyness but nowhere near as much, for all I know it's a normal amount of judderyness. Certainly more drivable anyway and no engine cut outs for the short journeys I've been on with it.

With the breather hose thing, I was just wondering if that could also be contributing to the issues, maybe I should try and buy some kind of repair stuff like what has been used previously to fill the cracks ?

Paul

Does anyone have anymore ideas on this ?

I'm not keen to spend much more money on this car after wrongly replacing the battery and having to replace the alternator - but, it would make driving much more comfortable as well as having more confidence in the car not breaking down if I could find the cause of the judderyness when backing off the throttle or using close to idle.

I also have something I've seen described elsewhere where when sat a traffic lights at idle the engine 'pulses' maybe it's a slight misfire or something ?

I have the throttle body a good clean and so this can't be causing the issue. I haven't actually had the engine cut out at all this week, and the juddering is possibly (though could be in my head) slightly better so maybe this cleaning at least improved things.

Throttle position sensor ? Spark Plugs ?

Cheers,

Paul

did maybe your car cut off cuz of bad alternator, it shut off when engine was flat?

flisko said:

did maybe your car cut off cuz of bad alternator, it shut off when engine was flat?

Click to expand...

I think it's quite possible that the alternator caused the engine cut-outs but can't really know for sure for a few more days of no cutting out.

Maybe I should start a new thread but I'm still concerned and slightly annoyed by the engine judderyness when backing off the throttle or using the throttle close to idle.

It makes driving difficult as I'm constantly anticipating and expecting the judder and have to keep being ready to use the clutch the whole time as sometimes it judders fairly badly.

On top of that I'm obviously worried it might be something that eventually causes some catastrophic failure, or causing some long term damage,

Cheers,

Paul.

you got 1.2 8v?

flisko said:

you got 1.2 8v?

Click to expand...

Yes that exact one, sorry for not clarifying earlier.

Paul

The surging your on about
Where the revs have bounced up and down a little bit at the lights
Like it suddenly struggles a wee bit but recovers and struggles

Like you wete dragging enginr with clutch but totally aint

Ive had that with past and current punto
Never found a cure
Its alot worse when its got a high electrical demand, well uve had new alt and battery
So ni idea im affraid


Ziggy