I've currently got a 2002 mk2 fiat punto 1.2 which has been running fine for a number of years, it gets a regular service every year but recently it's been giving me loads of problems (Spent about £1,200 on it in the last 9 months!)

About 5 weeks ago after I got the car back from the garage I went to start the car and it just refused to start, all of the lights were fine on the dash but the clock went to 0:00. We tried to jump start it but I think the cables were too old so we had to get a recovery company out.

They got the car started without any problems at all and the car was taken down to our local Fiat/Alfa specialist who after 2 days of searching and testing couldn't find a thing wrong with it. We got it back and it was working fine, however he did say they heard an electric cracking noise but it went away. He advised he had checked every connection on the car and also the battery and there were no problems.

Everything went fine, but on Saturday while on lunch at work I went to start the car and the exact same thing happened. Clock went to 0:00 and the car just refused to start.

Left it there for about 4-5 hours came back later and it started doing it again, I usually pump the pedal 3 or 4 times before attempting to start the car but I decided to do it while turning the key and it started and drove home no problem.

I still can't work out what the problem is though!

Any ideas? Why would the car refuse to start every now and again but be ok for 5 weeks?

Thanks.

i suggest (as a process of elimination) that your dealer check for a software update which came out a little later but may well affect your car from the symptons you describe. Also how old is battery?

The battery is the same age of the car, never been replaced.

I'll need to take it down to them during the week again and get it checked, not sure what the problem is.

How often should batteries in cars be replaced or should they last for ages?

They only last maximum 5 years the standard batteries I'd say. Maybe a bit longer.

Replace the battery and clean up the earth cable and terminals.
Are you seriously taking the car to a dealer to have a battery replaced?

could be the battery terminal connectors

if it happens again that you can't start the car, try jiggling the terminal connectors a bit, then starting the car again -- repeat this a few times, it will help identify the problem is the connector or not

i've noticed the plastic spacer in the positive connector can prevent a good connection on some batteries with smaller terminals, even when the connector nut is done up fully

solution was to shape a bit of copper or aluminium around the terminal before attaching the connector (just use some split copper pipe, or aluminium from a beer can with the plastic and paint scratched off)

Cheers.

The car is going in to get the fuel filter changed because it had a fuel leak recently when the fuel tank is full, not sure if that has anything to do with it but I'll get it checked again.

It looks like the same symptoms I had with my old battery. It would charge up then for seemingly no reason would go flat. It turned out to be an internal short.

I replaced it with a 5 years warranty Bosh silver battery. A bit over specced, but not *that* much more money and well worth it for the insurance of it not packing up any time soon.

Fuel filter is located inside the pump inside the petrol tank! Good luck replacing that! A leak when full is the plastic bit from the cap to the tank, common leak.

Hi, I have a similar problem. Wifes punto low on fuel and battery going flat we charged it a few times cold weather and all and it would be flat every morning. On third day car would not turn over off battery so replaced with seconhand battery again would turn over and not starts so used jump leads this time turned over but ran very lumpily then cut out. I am thinking air or dirt in the pump and ideas on how to sort this ? Can you get to the fuel pump under the seat ? Does what looks like an air valve at the end of the fuel injectors do anything ?