Hi I am from South Africa and I think I have the only Punto SX55 1.1 in this country. I think it is a 95 model. I am very frustrated as there is not much support around here and Fiat dealers costs are so high I can by a new Toyota by the time they are finished.

I was travelling home when the car suddenly lost power, made a ticking sound then eventually stopped. I previously had a similar problem and it was the timing belt that "jumped". I have done everything since then and is ready to put fire to it. I've done the following:

1. Checked for water inside the engine (head gasket) but none.
2. Replaced all plugs and checked that there is spark.
3. Re-aligned the timing marks on cam/crankshaft to TDC.
4. Cleaned the carburettor and it seems fuel are coming in as it backfires. Comes out of inlet pipe.
5, Checked all battery connections. I put the battery in my Hyundai and starts immediately.

The problem is that when I try to start it, it sounds like the fully charged battery is not strong enough to crank it. Engine turns once very slow then shoots a flame out of the carb then nothing. Any idea what can be wrong and maybe a sequence of elimination I can follow?

what do you mean shoots flame out of carb?

did you try jump starting it

sounds to me like more than one issue here...

it not turning over quickly could be the battery is just dying - they can read 12v on a meter but not have enough juice to turn the engine over. If you put a volt meter across the battery and read the voltage while trying to start the car how much does the voltage drop under the load of the starter..? If the battery is ok then its either gonna be a dirty/loose earth lead - or at a push just dirty battery terminals. Or a combination of some/all of those things.

it firing up out the throttle body (its not a carb)... that can only mean its not firing the plugs at the right time. So either HT leads are fitted in the incorrect order, the coils are plugged in the wrong way round or the timing is not right.

there is guides on timing up these engines in the guides section. The lead order is on the coil pack holder.

them numbers refer to the lead order

Its highly unlikely you have the coils plugged in wrong unless someone has been messing with the engine loom, should really only plug in the right way cause one has a shorter wire and won't reach.

Thanks for the reply. Firing order is fine as plugs were replaced one at a time. The battery is only 4months old and works perfect in my other vehicle. I suspect its timing although I followed the advice on this site and set it according to Heinz manual. I did the following:

1. Removed the cambelt
2. I lined the mark on the cam with the mark on the body as shown in manual.
3. I also lined the crank to body markings
4. Put everything together and the marks on cam, crank and flywheel was still set at TDC.

Is there something I missed. Do you leave the markings on TDC for startup?

Well i expect you have a bad/dirty earth then in regards to slow turning over.. So clean battery terminal and connectors, then undo the battery to body earth and clean that (by which i mean take some sand paper or similar to it and where it bolts to the body so its all shiny fresh metal). Do the same with body to gearbox earth lead (both ends) & there is an earth on the engine loom, from memory its like 4 or 5 wires to a ring thats bolted to the engine block itself. While you are there you could undo the starter and clean its connections as well.

For the timing....
you should have the mark on the cam pully in line with the mark on the cylinder head



And for the crank line up the mark on the crank with the notch on engine



Then get your belt and start at the cam pulley, wrap it down the front around the waterpump and then crank - keep it as tight as you can down this bit and have the slack up the back and round the tensioner.

Then tension up the belt, you can use a bar put in from above and push it backward to it pushes the tensioner, or how i do it is use a pair of circlip pliers on the holes on the tensioner and twist with one hand to tighten up the belt and do up the securing bolt with the other hand.

then check the belt is not slack or super tight. check the timing marks are still lined up bang on. Then before you put the alternator pulley back on turn the car over so the engine has done 2-3 full rotations (it won't fire up cause the crank sensor need the alternator pulley on in order for the plugs to fire and fuel to be injected). Recheck the timing marks and belt tension - if either pulley is out at all undo tensioner and start again.

And after all that stick the alternator pulley and belt back on and start the car - fingers crossed it will fire right up.

I've had another thought on this.... You could have put the alternator pulley back on the wrong way - and thus the engine thinks its in a different position to what it is and is sparking at the wrong time..

On the crank there is a little pip and a corresponding hole on the bottom pulley - make sure you have that the right way as well.

Blu73 Thanks for the ideas. Will check it in the morning. I have gone through the battery terminals cleaning, checked all earth connections and it seems fine. I also placed the battery on charge overnight. I have put some photos here of what I'm facing.

1. The camshaft pulley has several marks but as A is the top cover joint I can only presume B is the marker.

2. The crank has no specific marker but as per all the books, guides and your photo it is where the wall slants down.

3, Puzzles me as per my knowledge the crank and the flywheel should automatically line up to TDC. In this case the flywheel notch is laying around "B" when it should be at TDC "A". The crank is at TDC.

Will continue tomorrow thanks.

pic1. yes i agree, from that pic b looks like the mark to me
pic2. again, you are bang on
pic3. I wouldn't worry about the flywheel really, i have never used it when timing a car and the flywheel can be taken off and be put back in a different way - which may of happened on any mk1 by now, they are not new cars anymore.

With the earths, they can look totally fine and not be - i recommend disconnecting and cleaning them. But a quick check to see if it is a poor earth causing the slow turning over is to get a jump lead and connect it to the battery -ve and straight to somewhere on the engine/gearbox - that will give it a good earth and it will turn over nice and fast if its either the battery to body or the body to gearbox cables

Hi Blu73

I have taken all earth to bare metal and it seems to swing better. Only one problem I think. After swinging the engine a couple of turns without alternator belt the crank ends up off TDC like this.

well that would explain the spluttering and misfiring then...

Have you actually replaced the belt with a new one? Just thinking it could be the wrong belt - the belt for the 1.2 engines is a bit longer so it will go on but the timing won't stay correct.

If its not that then generally this will happen if you have too much slack when fitting - its gotta be as tight as you can get from cam to water pump and crank and all the slack on the side with the tensioner.

time to remove pulley and check locking key has not broke off maybe

on his picture from gearbox, how do you time it there?

dave said:

time to remove pulley and check locking key has not broke off maybe

Click to expand...

Could be that i suppose, thats gotta be uber rare though surely - i have never seen it before anyway.

if he sets by the fly and then crank pully isnt at tdc that would tell him if it is that

true but only if the fly is on the right way - I'm sure from my swapping of engines into other cars you can stick a flywheel on as many ways as there is bolts can you not - 5 or 6 iirc. And that there is not a locating dowel or anything for it. Or am i remembering completely wrong.

i thought there was a little sticky out bit

well one of us has to be right haha... If its a new belt though i would still suspect you been given the wrong one over these issues but it is a possibility

Hi blu73

Got the timing marks to remain in the correct position. Won't worry too much about the flywheel as the car has always been like that and was running fine. With your help I have however come across what might be adding or causing my problem. The alternator!!! After getting the marks right I refitted the alternator belt and cranking it wouldn't even turn the motor. I realized seconds ago it was turning fine and the battery can't just go from strong to totally flat while not even being used, I took of the alternator belt and tried to turn the alternator but it was jammed solid and only turns with hell of an effort.
Already phoned around and can't source this locally so I suppose my next mission will be to overhaul it myself. Don't suppose you have any guidelines on that. I will start stripping it tomorrow and see what I can find. Will keep you posted.

Once again for your help so far. Much appreciated.

WillieV said:

Hi blu73

Got the timing marks to remain in the correct position. Won't worry too much about the flywheel as the car has always been like that and was running fine. With your help I have however come across what might be adding or causing my problem. The alternator!!! After getting the marks right I refitted the alternator belt and cranking it wouldn't even turn the motor. I realized seconds ago it was turning fine and the battery can't just go from strong to totally flat while not even being used, I took of the alternator belt and tried to turn the alternator but it was jammed solid and only turns with hell of an effort.
Already phoned around and can't source this locally so I suppose my next mission will be to overhaul it myself. Don't suppose you have any guidelines on that. I will start stripping it tomorrow and see what I can find. Will keep you posted.

Once again for your help so far. Much appreciated.

Click to expand...

does the engine run o.k.now..??

Must first get the alternator sorted out before I can carry on with the engine