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Technical Starting Issues

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Technical Starting Issues

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tucker1984

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Hi All - im new to this website and look forward to chatting about our

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Anyway i have a problem that is leading to me having to walk to work!!!!!

My Fiat Punto 60SX S-Reg failed to start yesterday. When i tried to investigate i suspected a flat battery so attempted to jump start the car.

When attempting to jumpstart the carit seemed to turn over - you know the chug chug chug before it fires up but nothing else happened and it wouldnt turn over.

The car alarms go off still, the hazard lights flash and the radio flashes

Could this be related to spark plugs failing resulting in failure to turn over. or are we thinking something worse??

A couple of days before this happened i do remember the car being abit sluggish starting up - one to two seconds to turn over.

any elp will be very appreciated

many thannks in advance
 
If the spark plugs, leads, coil, etc, fuel pump, fuel lines etc. . had gone the car would still turn over just not fire up.

Id suspet the starter motor and or battery
 
But it was turning over with the jump leads connected - just not firing up - where i had been trying to start the enginge continuasly when the problem occured i drained the battery which is why now it wont turn over the alarm keeps going off lol
 
Id charge the battery up overnight, or swap the battery out for a charged one and try it again, with this weather were having it takes a little more to start the car as the oil is colder and therefore thicker.

If it still dosent fire up then id start looking at things like spark plugs, fuel lines etc..

Get the battery charged first. When jumping a car u have to have the working car revving its nuts off to start a car with a totally flat battery.
 
tucker1984 said:
When attempting to jumpstart the carit seemed to turn over - you know the chug chug chug before it fires up but nothing else happened and it wouldnt turn over.
Click to expand...

You need to clarify this. How well was it turning over when you tried to jump it? DId you piggy back in a good battery, or jump off another car with the engine running (latter is better)?

If it was still slow, causes are likely to be a lazy starter motor, or a bad connection/poor earth on the starter. Iif you just threw a secondary battery on, it is possible that the original is badly damaged and effectively shorting - try removing the old battery and jewry rigging in the better one.

If it was turning over in a proper, sprightly manner, it's either a lack of fuel or a lack of spark.
- Pull each plug in turn, earth the electrode on the cylinder head, and get someone to turn it over. Look for a spark. Odds are a dodgy connection or two.
If you have a spark, it's probably fuel. Check:
- Fuel pump fuse
- That there is actually some fuel in the tank?
- Voltage across the fuel pump
- That the fuel pump is actually working

Failing that, make a cup of tea, cuss a lot, and call a garage.
 
I have had a problem with my son's Punto 60 (1997) which, particularly when it was cold, wouldn't start. I changed all of the obvious things - plugs, leads, coils etc, etc to no avail. Last weekend, when it wouldn't start I noticed that no fuel was being squirted by the injector. Whilst the top of the injector as my son was turning the engine over, fuel started to come through. I did this several times as when the car was cold, it continued to fail to start. Yesterday I got hold of a second hand injector (which I knew worked), and the car hasn't failed since (touching wood).
 
We have a similar problem with our 03 plate 1.2 Dynamic...

When its cold the car won't start at first turn, and the voltage drops enough to reset the clock and odometer. On subsequent turns of the key, it turns over faster, then eventually fires and runs ok from then on.

This car does a 15 mile each way commute each day, and theres no other signs of bad battery... lights horn CL work fine before you turn it over that first time.

So whats up?? dud battery?? bad connection somewhere?

grateful for all suggestions.. :)
 
Last edited:
Kool Katie said:
We have a similar problem with our 03 plate 1.2 Dynamic...

When its cold the car won't start at first turn, and the voltage drops enough to reset the clock and odometer. On subsequent turns of the key, it turns over faster, then eventually fires and runs ok from then on.

This car does a 15 mile each way commute each day, and theres no other signs of bad battery... lights horn CL work fine before you turn it over that first time.

So whats up?? dud battery?? bad connection somewhere?

grateful for all suggestions.. :)
Click to expand...

Classic sign of a warn (or flatterned) battery if the clock resets.

The lights etc will still work fine as they dont require as much power as the starter does.

With this weather were having lately it brings out problems with batterys due to the extra load drawn from them.

how old is the battery? (3/4 years is about the right life time for a car battery, unless its a speaial long life type one)

Dont just take my word for it though, get the battery and alternator tested, or take battery off and charge overnight, connect up in the morning then try it again if it starts first time then, problem solved, new battery needed as it would seem its not holding its charge good enough
 
Mdeko said:
Classic sign of a warn (or flatterned) battery if the clock resets.

The lights etc will still work fine as they dont require as much power as the starter does.

With this weather were having lately it brings out problems with batterys due to the extra load drawn from them.

how old is the battery? (3/4 years is about the right life time for a car battery, unless its a speaial long life type one)

Dont just take my word for it though, get the battery and alternator tested, or take battery off and charge overnight, connect up in the morning then try it again if it starts first time then, problem solved, new battery needed as it would seem its not holding its charge good enough
Click to expand...


That was my first thought... but why when you turn the key the 2nd time, (after it wouldn't start on the first try, and the clock resets), does it then get stronger and turns the engine over fast enough for it to fire and go...??

The clock and trip computer reset themselves when you're turning the engine over....not just overnight..

Yes, as far as I know its the original battery, so its probably about time to change it..
 
Last edited:
I had same symptoms - i.e. clock re-setting itself whilst engine turning over and unreliable turning over. Fitted a new battery on Tuesday, as, so far so good. No probs so far, even in this cold damp weather. Hope this helps.
 
When my battery was on its last legsfor a while it was turning the engine over slowly in a morning but managing to fire up fine. Then about it gradually got worse and over last christmas when i wasnt using the car much it died. When i first tried to start the car it turned over very slowly then the relay started ticking. The clock etc reset itself. i turned it off and tried again and it just managed to start ir. Put a new battery in at this point and its been fine every since (touch wood)

So to answer yor question yes it can fail first time and successfully start it a second time if your battery is a little dodgy.
 
ok, thanks people... looks like time for a new battery then, before the weather really turns cold...

(y)
 
HiRich said:
You need to clarify this. How well was it turning over when you tried to jump it? DId you piggy back in a good battery, or jump off another car with the engine running (latter is better)?

If it was still slow, causes are likely to be a lazy starter motor, or a bad connection/poor earth on the starter. Iif you just threw a secondary battery on, it is possible that the original is badly damaged and effectively shorting - try removing the old battery and jewry rigging in the better one.

If it was turning over in a proper, sprightly manner, it's either a lack of fuel or a lack of spark.
- Pull each plug in turn, earth the electrode on the cylinder head, and get someone to turn it over. Look for a spark. Odds are a dodgy connection or two.
If you have a spark, it's probably fuel. Check:
- Fuel pump fuse
- That there is actually some fuel in the tank?
- Voltage across the fuel pump
- That the fuel pump is actually working

Failing that, make a cup of tea, cuss a lot, and call a garage.
Click to expand...



When i was trying to jump start it was off another car with the engine running.

It was turnng over as normal but just not the last spark to fire up :(

I will check over the things you said today and hopefully resolve it - will keep you posted
 
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