Hi guys n gals,

Quick one if anyone can help with this.

I've recently had my 16v 1.2 Sporting rebuilt, but it seems to be hunting.

Now looking around the engine bay, I found (coming from the centre of the inlet manifold, at the back) a thick shrouded clump of wires. Stemming from this thick clump of wires, was a thinner cable with a yellow 3 pin female plastic connector with a green waterproof seal.

Does anyone know if that should be attached at all, and if so, any ideas what it's to do with?

Many thanks in advance for any pointers!

Pompey Janner said:

Hi guys n gals,

Quick one if anyone can help with this.

I've recently had my 16v 1.2 Sporting rebuilt, but it seems to be hunting.

Now looking around the engine bay, I found (coming from the centre of the inlet manifold, at the back) a thick shrouded clump of wires. Stemming from this thick clump of wires, was a thinner cable with a yellow 3 pin female plastic connector with a green waterproof seal.

Does anyone know if that should be attached at all, and if so, any ideas what it's to do with?

Many thanks in advance for any pointers!

Click to expand...

Any pictures?

Have a nosey over this diagram - 1.4 and 1.2 16v's are similar to a degree
it might help locate it

https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-mk2...ything-1-4-16v-fire-will-similar-1-2-16v.html

but a hunting idle - is probably a gummed up throttle body - which needs a lil but of brake cleaner and a rub around to clear it up

But bear in mind brake cleaner is flamable - ignition off (no engine)
while you clean it up
as it'll make the engine rev up uncontrolably

Ziggy

was a thinner cable with a yellow 3 pin female plastic connector with a green waterproof seal.




^ ignore, its obsolete,

Ziggy - many thanks mate. I have actually cleaned a load of gunk out of the throttle body a few weeks back, pulled it off and gave it the works. Might have another go just to rule that out good and proper, but I've got a feeling it may be a bit more deep rooted than that.

I did the carb spray thing, and think I might be hearing a bit of suction from around where the rubber seals live on the inlet manifold. Might be my hearing deceiving me though.

But many thanks for the reply. A lot of people are probably unaware of the throttle body clean. I think I read somewhere about people releasing the clips on the side of the throttle body and cleaning the innards on that too, but not sure if I'm brave enough to have a go at that.

Thanks again for your help Ziggy.

Old hammer - thanks for your help too. I was kind of hoping that was the route cause of my problem. That would have solved a lot, but I did have a good look round and couldn't find a mating plug for it.

Thanks again for your help mate, always a help when people get together to solve these issues.

Try a throttle relearn,


some info here in this thread, https://www.fiatforum.com/punto-ii/356179-stray-cable.html

Oldhammer - many thanks once again mate, I'll have a play tomorrow and see what I manage. I'll keep you posted!

Quick update - I carried out a throttle relearn as suggested by oldhammer and a number of others, and although it hasn't cured the hunting, it has improved the idle.

The car will now hold a steady idle when started, whereas before, after a few minutes the engine would start hunting between 1500 & 2000 rpm.

The only problem is, as soon as the throttle is depressed, it goes straight back to hunting within the said Rev range.

I don't know if I'm thinking along the right lines, but this leads me to think that it's maybe not air being sucked in somewhere, but the engine not adjusting the revs back down to idle.

As far as I know, the throttle body is as clean also can get it. Not sure if I should strip it down and try giving it another clean or not.

I am also tempted to try and get an inlet manifold rubber gasket kit and renew them to see if that remedies the situation.

Pompey Janner said:

Quick update - I carried out a throttle relearn as suggested by oldhammer and a number of others, and although it hasn't cured the hunting, it has improved the idle.

The car will now hold a steady idle when started, whereas before, after a few minutes the engine would start hunting between 1500 & 2000 rpm.

The only problem is, as soon as the throttle is depressed, it goes straight back to hunting within the said Rev range.

I don't know if I'm thinking along the right lines, but this leads me to think that it's maybe not air being sucked in somewhere, but the engine not adjusting the revs back down to idle.

As far as I know, the throttle body is as clean also can get it. Not sure if I should strip it down and try giving it another clean or not.

I am also tempted to try and get an inlet manifold rubber gasket kit and renew them to see if that remedies the situation.

Click to expand...

Check Map sensor, be careful how you clean it mind,

Thanks again oldhammer, that's my next port of call. I'll see if that helps any.

Well, a bit disappointed. I cleaned the throttle body again, also took the map sensor out and cleaned it up. I did notice there was some oil in the intake manifold, and the map sensor was covered in oil.

After cleaning with brake cleaner, it still didn't make any difference unfortunately.

What it is doing, is, as soon as the key is turned will now idle at 1000 rpm which I believe is correct.

But the moment the accelerator pedal is depressed, it starts hunting between 1500 & 2000 rpm, which is exactly what it was doing before.

In a nutshell, I hydro-locked the engine just over a year ago, and have only just got the engine to run. My mate who is an ex-RAC mechanic took the block to an engineering company who rebuilt it.

I think initially, he was trying to time the engine with the wrong settings.

As soon as he got it right it fired up.

Only problem is, what its doing now

I think initially, he was trying to time the engine with the wrong settings.




^ was the correct timing tool's used?




if not the timing couid be out,

I've got a feeling he was trying to use tdc. He got a fiat timing kit from e-bay, and as soon as I told him the correct way to do it, it fired up.

I watched him set it up with the rods in pistons 1 & 2, and they seemed to be 100% level.

I had a bit of a mooch on here briefly before I went to bed and I did stumble on some advice for Bravo users with the exact same issue. It seems to be suggesting to clean the map sensor and throttle body with carb/brake cleaner, then carry out a Fiat scan reset of some of the settings.

I'm wondering if the Punto would follow the same reset procedure as the Bravo, what do you reckon?

Well, another update.

Still no further forward with things. Got to say a massive thanks to those of you who were able to give me some advice. I've seen on my searches that a number of people have reported their idle moving between 1500 & 2000 rpm.

I can get my car to idle at 1000 rpm, but the problems come when I touch the accelerator pedal. That's when it jumps to between 1500 & 2000 rpm and does not come down.

I did read a post by a fella who claimed to be in the know about these cars, and he mentioned the ecu's sometimes needing to be partially reprogrammed, as they can sometimes corrupt slightly.

I'm a bit p'd off to be honest, as I booked my car in with Perry's of Portsmouth today, only for them to run around and say they were not willing to touch my car as it was too heavily modded.

It has a GSR with a cone filter, a catch tank and is lowered.

If you ask me, it's a cop out. I don't think they know how to sort these issues out.

I'd have been happier if they'd asked me when I booked it in, if it had been modded, and it would have saved me wasting my time

Hello.
Sorry but my only advice is to re check the timing.
There is a video or two on YouTube..

As for garages copping out on looking at it..most will
Reason why is because not many mechs understand the 16v.

This is one of the reasons they're not so popular too.
They're a peice of **** to work on.. Don't give up on it...

Goodluck

Many thanks Oldhammer, I bought the car new back in 2001 and until I took it swimming in deep water, it's been a fantastic car. I don't care what crap people say about Fiats, I think provided they're looked after properly (and not taken swimming)they are no less reliable than any other car.

Thanks again for your advice Oldhammer, I shall look into the timing and see if I can uncover anything!

My guess is the timing could be out on one of the cams..
On these cam shafts there is no key ways like on other cars..
There's two sprockets behind the coil pack..
If the engine has been locked up these couid well be out...

I've had all this problem with the one I had at the time I had no books or internet so I had to learn or scrap it...

What you need is the locking tools and see if both cams lock off if one doesn't then
There's the problem.
This may sound complicated but it really isn't..

I've tried to explain this before on the forum but they gave up..

Plenty of videos on you tube...or if your local to Manchester I will help you sort it..

Oldhammer mate,...thank you so much for that. That is really helpful. I'm gonna get my mate to have a look at that then. He was the one that put it all back together. He obtained a fiat timing kit and cam locking tool from e-bay, so I'll get him to try it all again.

Unfortunately I'm in Portsmouth, so I'm a fair distance from you, otherwise I'd have thrown you some notes if you were able to have a look. Thanks again bruv!

Right folks, as you've been a massive help to me with all the advice I've been blessed with...just to let you know my car is now fixed.

I took it into a fiat specialist in Lower Upham near Bishops Waltham who were fantastic. Ironically, because I couldn't find their place initially, I pulled over in a lay u, and noticed that when I applied the brakes the revs dropped.

I was in a bit of a hurry so didn't have much time to think about things. But when I got home, I thought the only way the brakes could effect the idle would be if they were linked by some sort of air connection.

The only thing I could think of was the servo. I rang the fellas at the garage, and they said they thought the same. I'd explored all other avenues, and multieuscan didn't throw any clues my way.

The garage rang me a short while ago and said that the bottom of the servo had been ruptured while the engine had been removed/replaced.

It's cost me £170, but got to the bottom of the problem and I'm chuffed it's fixed. It's too good a car to end up on the scrap heap just yet.

'Spirito di Punto!'

Thanks again Oldhammer & Ziggy, can't thank you enough for your help lads!