Hi guys, I have been looking around this site a lot since buying my car a week ago and have learned a lot.

I've read a lot about clutch judder but would just like to throw my specific problem out there as I only seem to find posts about people with a different problem, or the same problem but a lot worse!

I have stalled the car a few times but, about 3 times now, after stalling it turns over and idles at just under 1000rpm which is normal, but, if trying to pull away at say traffic lights after just stalling, the car will repeatedly stall. I have checked the temperature gague and it is just about half at this point. It has taken me around 5 attempts each time to get the car to pull away without stalling.

Surely if I was prone to stalling this much it would happen all the time?! But it doesnt! I dont stall at every set of lights I come to but I can do it a whole 6 times in a row? Mmm...

I do not feel the stalling is completely down to me as I had no problems controlling the clutch in 4 other cars I have driven (whilst learning).

It judders some times when pulling away (and does it worse when it stalls). The repeated stalling happens when I have been driving for about 10-15 minutes, usually on a dual carriageway onto a large roundabout!! It can judder around corners in 2nd and at lower than 28ish in 3rd but to be honest... I expect this to be clutch wear and it's common on a lot of cars I have been in.

The engine hasn't failed to start at all, and it is a constant 1000-ish-rpm, with a tiny surge every 6 or so seconds.

If anyone can comment I would be thankful, and sorry about WallText!

Edit: Forgot to say, the car is having a checkup at the moment so I was just posting to make sure I dont get ripped off!

Spose my thread title isnt very interesting

Car will be coming home from service soon but have been reading and people say clean the throttle body, clutch is shot, possible vacuum leak, etc... here's to hoping its an inexpensive (and identifiable) problem!

Any further input is welcomed This is my first car and its been around the block! Just want to know how to keep my baby happy.

ThRdDvl said:

Edit: Forgot to say, the car is having a checkup at the moment so I was just posting to make sure I dont get ripped off!

Click to expand...

some of us might work on cars for a living and get tired of being constantly slagged off by the general public of course

dammed if we do dammed if we dont arent we

Terribly sorry, but as i'm asking here, its your expertise i'd rather have! This forum is dedicated to Punto's and I just dont know how much mechanics know in detail about every single make/model/year variation... plus i'm female, im all vulnerable and stuff

But really, I dont think all mechanics are ripoff merchants, however it's just my luck...

when the car is under load its stalling
i would therefore suggest first check plugs and leads in case they are finding shortest way to ground rather than going through the plugs

Thankyou I shall tot this down on my list. It stalls under load yes, but the main problem is just after I stall the car myself, it then seems to develop some kind of problem pulling away... maybe stalling floods the engine?

The nice man rolleyes at the garage has just said it could be the crankshaft? Would this be expensive to replace?

Going to take it out in a bit :devil: lets see whats changed.

when it stalls, does it run lumpy for about 3 seconds when you start it back up and set off? If it does.....Its completely normal, Ive asked this before and i was told that the engine thinks its had a fault (engine warning light) when really its just stalled. You've momenteraly confused the ecu when you stall it.

Normally when you turn a engine off you shut everything down(turn the key), when you stall it you only shut the engine down. Mine does this everytime i stalled it but when you get used to drive a punto you get used to not stalling it.

I appreciate all the advice I have already had, but thank you very much Azzam!

This is precisely what it is like, and I was getting so paranoid of my own driving that I felt uncomfortable on the road! The car has recently had a service, the nice man has changed all the fluids and the oil filter and some other things, also got my radio to work and put on a fuel filler cap that isn't broken

I'm so happy I finally know what the problem was!

Next step for my is touching up the bodywork and then we'll see whats what. I'm so tempted to bid on Brin's steering wheel but... I think i'll have to hold my horses.

Btw Azzam looked at your thread before I joined, very nice Punto

If you turn the engine over by hand a few times, i find onstartup the car is alittle rough on idle and it clears

Its because it predicts where its stopped, ready for next start up
So as a result its slightly out on startup - it misses a little bit

Common and self cures - wouldnt worry

However when taking off - are you releasing the handbrake? brakes not sticking at all?
Not got a leaky clutch cylinder making the clutch bite at wrong places?

When taking off - have you given it the full beans and does it still stall then? (btw dont blame me if you crash!)



Ziggy

Hi Ziggy,

I've noticed it's a tad more prone to stalling when I use the handbrake when i've stopped, and the brakes don't stick.

Also, the clutch did seem to stick a little but after the service it's not sticking; and this is my first car, so no, i've not tried the 'full beans' approach yet! Trying to get a years NCB

I have jabbed the Go pedal (just to test of course) and all seems well, I guess you could say its nippy from 10-25mph! Nothing sounded 'off' with the engine at all.

Also just wondering, there's 2 triangular holes in the fabric on the ceiling, above the parcel shelf.... should these be lights..? Does anyone have an estimate on how much it would cost to spray a rear bumper and two front wing panels on my own?

I've read its 3 coats of primer, paint and lacquer, with a 15 min wait between coats, sanding and 30 min wait between each type of finish, and I wouldn't mind having a go. :idea:

the tirange holes are for a plastic cover that randomly falls off over age