Hello everyone, looks like iam back again with a problem. My Punto's engine suddenly cut out on me and wont start no matter what i try. Ive checked all the obvious and no faults found. The engine spins with plenty of power but ive noticed that loads of petrol is stopping in the carburettor and it doesent seem to be going anywhere else like being released into the manifold down to the plugs for the spark? could this be a switch fault? ive noticed 2 on the side of the carb? or maybe some other relay switch that could have gone faulty.
Any help on this would be great as the haynes manual seems to be a little lacking in info.

cheers

wont start huh? could be a couple of things:
Plugs are Finished
Leads are finished
maybe even the distributor?

engine spins plenty of power !
POSS Timing Belt

could it also possibly be something to do with the immobiliser comming on and cutting the engine out? i had done about 40 miles without any problems but pulled up to some traffic lights and then the car just stopped. Ive had the plugs checked there ok, the distributor seems to be ok as the leads are, its just totally baffling why the car just suddenly stops.

When it does run, does it run perfectly smooth as usual? or does it vibrate more than usual? does it have the pull it usually does? when my engine wasnt working properly, its because it was only running on 3 cylinders, after changing all plugs and leads, i cleaned the injectors and finally it worked smooth as ever! so might be something similar.... when runnign on 3 cylinders, the engine was extremely weak and vibrated vigorously...

Well the car has always so smooth all the time, this is the baffling thing about it all, it just stopped working.

Are you getting any spark while turning it over? Is it not starting at all now, or after leaving it for a while does it start up?

Yea theres sparks at the plugs. but at the mo the battery has been on charge as all the trying to start it drained the battery. I'am going to try and use the emergancy immobiliser switch cut off when i put the battery back on and see if that solves it. if it dont then i guess a process of ilimination proceedures.

If not a Problem with Spark beign delivered to the cylinder, or an Injector which is blocked or dirty, it is very likely thats its loss of compression, either a valve is bent or the head gasket is finishing. though its more like to be a valve, since head gasket has other symptoms.... Try a compression test on the cylinders.

ok guys here is an update with my problem. Ive taken the rocker cover off and spun the engine over, nothing is turning. rotar arm or the cog wheel attached to it...nothing. the timming belt is still on, its not loose so iam guessing a major problem here. so any ideas what has happend guys?

i guess the only way youre gonna find out what is really going on is to take off the head, see that everything in the head is functioning properly (once the head is off, turn the cam pulley and see that all the valves are opening properly and closing properly)....

Obviously with the lack of mechanical movement, its not the fuel cut off?

Ross

found out what the problem is. The timming belt has sheared about 6 teeth of it, no wonder it wont start. Anyway hopefully the timming hasan't been thrown right out as i was stationary when the engine stopped dead, but i guess i'll find out when the new belt goes on at the weekend..

thanks for all help witht the problem

Good luck sorting it out! Need to change my timing belt soon too!

it's a safe engine so no valves will be bent atallso a new belt will solve the problem if your changing the belt change the tensioner bearing aswell

The problem is most likely that the fuel cut off has activated or the immobiser is faulty the best thing to do is check for spark.
and all punto's are on SPI or MPI nt carbs