I have a 56 plate 1.2 8v GP and it's had it's issues over the last 3 years I've owned it but this one is odd. The Headlights are dimming when doing anything pretty much but I first noticed it when parking up the other night.

The car also has some starting issues at the moment, I've already had the starter and solenoid replaced twice in the last year and a half but this time seems slightly different to then and I'm thinking it could be a bad earth instead?

I love my car but I'm starting to lose it with it now as so many problems are popping up of late.

the panel at the back of the car near the exhaust (possibly covering the cat? what is this? Is it important?) has also 'melted' off on one side so is now hanging down, the brakes are useless and my handbrake has gone for the fourth time in 12 months! there are now occasions where the car will not start but will roll away lol!

I know its 10 year old now but come on!

anyway... I digress. what could the dimming be down to? Could it be interlinked with the intermittent starting issues?

it's due its MOT in just over 2 weeks... I can't wait :bang:

Look in the FAQS Gp section..random electrical faults.

Thats the lights and starting..

Now ..the brakes..whats the story with the handbrake..??

Charlie

Ok I'll do that, thanks! As for the handbrake... I had it done last year around his time, then it went in for the mot and the other side went so it failed then had it done again to pass. Then it went again a few months later and now again but I think one side has gone but not the other. However sometimes it's as if there is nothing there at all. The handbrake seems to feel different nearly every time I engage it. Sometimes it's really slack like nothing there at all and other times it feels normal, then like something's wrong but not the whole thing. Any advice here is appreciated as I'm getting sick and tired of this now.

The electric power steering motor take LARGE amounts of current especially when the steering load is heavy like during slow speed and parking manoeuvres.

So possible causes are:

1) Bad earth / cabling
2) Low battery charge
3) Poor alternator output

All 3 can cause starting issues as the starter motor also requires large amounts of current.

Cat2 said:

Ok I'll do that, thanks! As for the handbrake... I had it done last year around his time, then it went in for the mot and the other side went so it failed then had it done again to pass. Then it went again a few months later and now again but I think one side has gone but not the other. However sometimes it's as if there is nothing there at all. The handbrake seems to feel different nearly every time I engage it. Sometimes it's really slack like nothing there at all and other times it feels normal, then like something's wrong but not the whole thing. Any advice here is appreciated as I'm getting sick and tired of this now.

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Get somebody you trust to look at it.

None of what youve said gives me any confidence its not been bodged.

s130 said:

The electric power steering motor take LARGE amounts of current especially when the steering load is heavy like during slow speed and parking manoeuvres.

So possible causes are:

1) Bad earth / cabling
2) Low battery charge
3) Poor alternator output

All 3 can cause starting issues as the starter motor also requires large amounts of current.

Click to expand...

How old is the battery? If it is more than a few years old it may need replacement. How evey by bet is on degraded battery negative cables to chassis and chassis to block. A quick check is to connect a jumper lead between battery negative post and chassis and a second from chassis to engine block or gearbox. If it starts OK with that replace the batttery and block to chassis leads.

Robert G8RPI.

I've tried jumping it but nothing happens. However it bump starts every time so don't think it's the battery per se but I'm hoping it's maybe a bad earth after some of the comments as that's a cheap and easy fix. Not really sure when the battery was replaced or even if it has been. I've had the car 3 years now and not changed it, the car is 10 years old but have no history other than the service and mot just before I bought the car. Is there any other way to find out? The battery connections are good and clean so not that, nothing loose that I can see, partner has removed the starter and put it back which seemed to stop the problem but it's so intermittent that it's hard to tell whether this made any difference or not as around a week later it wouldn't start again, wouldn't jump before this or after but will bump every time and sometimes just turning the key in the ignition a few times will get it going (eventually!)

Oh and the handbrake on this car is shocking no matter what I do. I've had it done in 2 different garages and each one lasted as long. My fathers friend who has a garage did it last time and it's still not right [emoji24]

use a jumper cable from battery negative to engine next time it plays up starting.. as in the GP guides.

so what have they done to the brakes? - must be contaminated if it's that poor..

the way you described it - I thought the cables were breaking..

Cat2 said:

I've tried jumping it but nothing happens. However it bump starts every time so don't think it's the battery per se but I'm hoping it's maybe a bad earth after some of the comments as that's a cheap and easy fix. Not really sure when the battery was replaced or even if it has been. I've had the car 3 years now and not changed it, the car is 10 years old but have no history other than the service and mot just before I bought the car. Is there any other way to find out? The battery connections are good and clean so not that, nothing loose that I can see, partner has removed the starter and put it back which seemed to stop the problem but it's so intermittent that it's hard to tell whether this made any difference or not as around a week later it wouldn't start again, wouldn't jump before this or after but will bump every time and sometimes just turning the key in the ignition a few times will get it going (eventually!)

Click to expand...

We are not talking about a normal jump start. You use a pair of jump leads but no additional battery or car. Basically you are connecting the jump leads across the cables that connect the battery to the chassis and engine to chassis. Take one jump lead (any colour) and connect one end to the chassis (body) and the other end to the battery negative post (leaving existing wire(s) connected) connect a second junp lead from the engine block (or gearbox case) and the battery negative post (same as first lead). If you can't get it to stay on there, put it on the chassis near where you connected the first lead.
Now try starting the car.


Robert G8RPI.

The difficulty is that it is not 'not starting' all the time so it's hard to judge what is causing the issue as using the jump leads as you describe may start the car but whether the car would have started on its own on that occasion is purely down to chance. I will give it a go but if that works, what is the most likely issue? The earth? Alternator? Battery? Starter? And what would cause it to rev slightly when idling? Is it all interlinked with the same issue? Would it cause the emissions to be off at mot?

For anyone wanting an update. The car passed the MOT today after some work on (all of) the brakes. Yay! As for the starting issues... I spoke to the mechanic and he mentioned a common fault with the flywheel on puntos but also mentioned that the starter motors id had done elsewhere at a dealership could have both been from the same faulty batch [emoji53] so could also be the real issue. Without the car not working, he couldn't say for sure obviously. I've also looked around online a bit and noticed others with similar issues and theirs have been solved with a new battery. I'm still wanting to try out the earth cable fix first as this is the cheaper of the options and could fix the other electrical issues besides this issue.