Hi,

I have a Fiat Punto EvoNatural Power where I have an engine problem.

When I'm standing stillwith the motor running and carefully move the gas pedal the engine runs fasterand faster. But when I come to around 1400 rpm the engine jumps up to around 2300 rpm. Itis really impossible to get the engine to run at 1500 rpm. It does not matterif the motor is running on petrol or CNG. It is the same behavior.

This phenomenon makes itreally hard to drive the car in slow traffic around 10km/h. From time to timethe car makes a jump and I have to press the breaks. And one time I almost runover a person crossing the street!!!

I have talked to my serviceguys where I bought the car, and they say that it shall be in this way.But I have never seen this type of behavior on other cars. I suppose it is a software bug.

Is there anyone out therewho has the same experience?
Anyone who know what to doabout it?

Best regards,
/Sören

what engine is in the car? (we dont get the option of the natural power in the UK)

It is a 1.4 l engine that gives 77 hp when runing on petrol and 70 hp when runing on CNG (figures at 6000 rpm). I think it is the same enine as in a normal Punto EVO 1.4.

first place i would check is the throttle body (not sure if they are safe to tamper with on an Gas model but i cant see why not)

to get to the throttle body you need to remove the air filter like this:




then once off at the back locate the butterfly flap/ valve / Inlet control valve (you can see it at 42 seconds in the above video and clean it like this:


https://www.fiatforum.com/stilo-guides/83260-cleaning-your-inlet-control-valve.html




Then cary out a throttle relearn like this:

https://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punto/262685-1-2-wont-idle.html?p=2697299


if that wont work


it will need plugging into a fiat diagnostic program and the accelerator Potentiometer (variable resistor) 's output signal checking....

SorenMarodoren said:

Hi,

I have a Fiat Punto EvoNatural Power where I have an engine problem.

When I'm standing stillwith the motor running and carefully move the gas pedal the engine runs fasterand faster. But when I come to around 1400 rpm the engine jumps up to around 2300 rpm. Itis really impossible to get the engine to run at 1500 rpm. It does not matterif the motor is running on petrol or CNG. It is the same behavior.

This phenomenon makes itreally hard to drive the car in slow traffic around 10km/h. From time to timethe car makes a jump and I have to press the breaks. And one time I almost runover a person crossing the street!!!

I have talked to my serviceguys where I bought the car, and they say that it shall be in this way.But I have never seen this type of behavior on other cars. I suppose it is a software bug.

Is there anyone out therewho has the same experience?
Anyone who know what to doabout it?

Best regards,
/Sören

Click to expand...

Welcome in PuntoEvo NaturalPower club.
Most of Fiat 1.4NaturalPower have problem you are speaking about. Me too...
My car did it since it was new. In the beginning I supposed I had to became used to use it...
I can say "my car has problem", now.
Workshop men say it's ok, I went on asking and describing stupid engine behaviour and they tried to explain it in several ways:
- it has electronic speed pedal.... I answered I drove several electronic speed pedal equipped cars, only my car has this problem
- that's an ordinary behaviour for cng powered cars... I answered I drove several cng powered cars (Fiat Panda Naturalpower 1.2 to, it's perfect!!!), only my car has this problem
- Euro 5 compliant cars have this behaviour... I answered I drove several Euro 5 cars, only my car has that problem! (and GrandePunto naturalpower too, it was Euro 4)
- etc

Then they say me: ... we hope for an update, in the future...

I think Fiat will release no update; 1.4 8v will not fit in future cng model beceause of downsizing (Panda will be powered by a twin-cilinder 800cc turbo).

Btw some people (really few person) has no problem with this engine (confirmed by unlucky owner too: people with a problematica Punto Evo tested one of the few lucky PuntoEvo and said it went well!!!) and someone else solved that problem reprogramming ECU (illegal action!).
One people said he solved it by a 10€ expense. He didn't say how... so most of forum people don't trust in him words.

I'm an italian man, I know FIAT pays more attention to foreign market (it is sure to sell everything in Italy, not in foreign countries; and foreign markets is more requiring, too) and I was looking for a foreign PuntoEvo naturalpower owner to ask him about this issue.

Do you know other PuntoEvo NP owners?
Can you look for them and make me to know a statistic value about your (our) problem?
I'm talking about how many PEvo NP owner and how many of them are experiencing our problem...


P.S.: someone says this problems is shared by PuntoEvo 1.4 NP, GrandePunto 1.4 NP, Panda 1.4 NP (1.2 NP was discontinued... it run really well) and Qubo 1.4 NP.

Hi again,

I have been in contact with my workshop several times, without any success.
They say that thay have created a case at Fiat on the problem. I have asked for the case-ID but I get no response.
So now I'm loosing temper. But I don't know what to do.


BR,
/Sören

Hi Soren,
I upgraded my PuntoEvo ECU and my car goes slightly better. It's not ok, but it goes better than before.
Ask to your dealer/workshop to apply that on yours too. Maybe your car would go better too.

Btw I bought OBD2 interface and I'm recording data by my android phone... I wish to demonstrate random and senseless engine behaviour acted by my PuntoEvo.

Then I'm going to have a serious protest... Stay on.... I'll act!!

See you...


P.S.: investigating my car I noticed it increase throttle opening even driving downhill. It happens when RPM approaches to 1400-1500... Engine is acting as a brake.... until it reaches 1400RPM... then it speed up a little... surprising driver because driver has not pressed speed pedal... its foot is far from speed pedal (maybe on the car floor)... btw car acts like speed pedal was pressed... driver feels its car speeding up reasonless... magically.
And passengers think driver is crazy or unable to drive its own car...

Has Fiat given a date of when car come out in the UK as I'm very intrested in buying one.

The UK aren't getting this model for some reason unless you import it (Might work out cheaper if conversion rates are in your favour).

Why is this version not coming to the UK..? Have Fiat confirmed this..

Hi all !

I have the 1.4 8V 77CV Punto, but not with CNG. As I know, I have not this probem, seems only happen to CNG version..
But I am intersted to know why this go wrong.

With ODB tool have you checked the throttle body opening vs pedal pressure ? If the tool is able to see theses values ?

If I understand well, the simpler test is to gently press gaz pedal to rev it from idle, without gear in ? Or only happen when driving ? (sorry I dont understand all your words )

Mkala,
even not-CNG 1.4 8v has this problem. Btw a few harder to feel. It's very light on gasoline driving (in CNG cars too).

I'm doing exactly what you are suggesting:
I'm comparing speed pedal data vs RPM to make the problem TRUE (Fiat says Punto engine is ok!!!).
Then speed pedal vs throttle, and timing advance too...

I noticed my car speeds up even driving downhill... engine acts as brakes up to 1400 about... when 1400rpm are reached... it speeds up a little (like pedal would be pressed!!!) up to 1600 about... so it act as brakes again...
I'm thinking about timing advance problem: maybe Fiat set advance wrongly because it has to reach some pollution related parameters... and Evo becomes a crazy horse... crazy turtle...


Bye, bye. Ciao.

Tiberio,

I have not noticed this behaviour.

I will do more tests, but to be sure, you have the problem when the car is stopped and you gently press gaz pedal to rev it ?

Or only when the car is moving ? And when it move, if you remove the gear and gently press the pedal the behaviour you described happens ?

Juste to be sure to understand all

Thunderbug said:

Why is this version not coming to the UK..? Have Fiat confirmed this..

Click to expand...

Well you tell me the last time fiat released a bipower vehicle in the UK?