General Advice if ye please

[MrTumnus]

Hi Guys,

Was just wanting to pick your brains and expertise on what to look for with a 1990 Uno I'm looking at tomorrow. It's got a good amount of MOT so I know (in theory) it shouldn't be too much of a knacker, but just wanted some tips on any real issues like *head gasket tends to go at about x thousand miles or whatever.

Have read the Uno advice thread posted by Dobby so know about checking the belts aren't damp cos the windows leak and stuff. Anything else I should look out for?

{please tell me that the electrics weren't run by the same people that used to wire Ducati motorcycles.......}

Thank ee all kindly!

 

[a73uk]

Welcome Mr T!

Well, primarily rust... usually in the back ends of the sills & rear inner arches/shock turrets & seatbelt mounts. Door bottoms go (sometimes the tops under the weatherseals), obviously only cosmetic, sometimes sunroof surrounds if equipped with one, sunroof usually leak too, staining the seats.

As with any 20yo car though, you need to thoroughly everywhere, substandard repairs will accelerate rust.

Door lock barrels can sometimes wear alot, they are still available though.

Mechanically (assuming its a 999cc or 1108cc `FIRE` engine), as you say, HGF, which doesnt go with mileage as such, just depends on how they`ve aged & if they`ve had antifreeze changes regulary, but again, your looking at a 20yo car, you have to anticipate it at some point either way. Thermostat failure (usually open, making it take too long to warm up). Distributor module can go, causing them to cut out when warmed up, vacuum advance can go, making them run rough, carbs can get dirty, again, causing rough running & flat spots.

Transmission cant take constant abbuse, especially if all the oils leaked out, which usually happens & comes from the inner driveshaft gaitors that also act as oil seals. Check for the usual clicking UJ`s on full lock & graunching between gear changes.

Sloppy gear change is caused by worn bushes, kits are available.

You might have a hydraulic clutch, the slave can go, which costs about £30 last time I checked.

Electrically they are pretty good as they are so basic, any issues will usually be down to bad/corroded earths or connection blocks. Headlight plugs can burn out, as can the switch, as like other Fiats of this period theres no headlight relays (fitting one is recomended).

Wishbones can knock, about £30 a side, worn shocks cause a frantic ride & poor traction.

Thats all I can think of off the top of my head!

I hope its a good`n!

 

[alexGS]

Brilliant guide there

I think you'll get a feel pretty quickly for whether the car has been a one-lady-owner, sheltered-life example (which nevertheless may need some catch-up servicing), or a tatty old shed that's barely kept roadworthy (which needs a full refurbishment operation). Naturally most of my Unos have been the latter, it's just inevitable that a cheap, simple car will fall into the hands of people who don't really care for it. If you can do the work yourself, a refurbishment project is rewarding and cost-effective. If you can't or would prefer not to, might I suggest looking for something newer like a Mk2 Punto instead Of course, they have their own problems too!

I don't think you can ever put an actual mileage on head gasket failure; it depends on how the cooling system has been looked after. In any case, a head gasket replacement is hardly a big job compared to - say - a Rover KV6 engine.

Uno electrics really aren't all that bad because they are simple - I reckon the worst part is probably the dim 40W headlights (big old tungsten bulbs) and the dodgy taillight bulbholders made of galvanised steel (can be soldered together and an earth wire added). Electric windows are also troublesome. But this is all in a different league to the 2000-era cars with false warning lights, CAN bus miscommunications, Code-key problems...

So really it's just a case of buy the best Uno you can find and avoid the structural rust... good luck. And welcome to the forum.

-Alex

 

[Ucof]

I don't think you can ever put an actual mileage on head gasket failure; it depends on how the cooling system has been looked after. In any case, a head gasket replacement is hardly a big job compared to - say - a Rover KV6 engine.

I'd like to agree with that
I had 2 head gaskets go on my Uno - the first time was after i had just bought it - lots of rusty coloured water in the radiator tank, the second was when I didn't add any anti-freeze and the engine froze solid.
Neither of these was due to the car failing - it was human error.

When the HG does go, it really is a very simple job which I am contemplating doing myself next time (sic) - both times has only cost me £180 in total, all in. It's a very cheap, quick and easy job for the garage to repair.