Technical Bravo 1.2 hesitation?

[dean1983]

hi all
My georges blonde female friend lol has a Fiat 1.2 bravo, just been serviced, plugs replace. The problem she has is under load when accelerating the car jerks, its like a major hesitation, I think it sounds like something to do with the ignition side, i suggested HT leads could possibly need re-placing? If not are there any common problems, any idea??


the second problem is the gearbox keeps crunching as trying to select a gear, is this more likly to be the clutch or the linkage? Again any common problems or ideas would be most gratefull. Many thanks Dean

 

[Deckchair5]

I'd be thinking the same. Check out the plug leads. if you have 50k on them then they're probably due a change. Resistance check the leads, usually about 5- 10k ohms

Check the air filter isn't clogged

Do an ECU reset by disconnecting the battery for a few hours

Clean the idle valve, that caused major hiccups on acceleration from low revs on mine. Pull back the air intake tubes and squirt cleaner in there and carefully clean what you can.

GEARBOX CRUNCHING
How many miles? Could be worn synchros- in which case -new gearbox. Could be clutch problems but I've never experienced gear linkage problems or clutch dragging on the 1.2

 

[dean1983]

the car is coming up for 50k i bet the hestitation is the leads! but as for gear box crunching??

 

[Deckchair5]

With gearbox crunching then if it's in all gears then obviously a clutch fault.
If it's just the one gear that's causing problems then it might be linkage but more likely synchros. Depends on use and abuse as to whether the gearbox synchros are worn. Nothing worse than constant heavy handed changing into 2nd at too fast a speed. Expensive bad habit

My 1.2's done 103k miles on original gearbox and is still great. Depends how you treat em!

 

[stevie1968]

hi did you manage to fix ur problem with the hesitation as aye have got the same problem and i,m stuck on wot to do to fix it

cheers

 

[Deckchair5]

Give us all the gory details Stevie
What mileage?
Plugs last changed?
Plug leads changed?
Air filter condition/ changed?
Does it start well?

Got any engine mods?
When does the hesitation occur? What revs?
Does it do it with engine cold/ hot/ both?
What mpg you getting per tankful?
Is the engine temp normal?
Any warning lights?

 

[G Spag]

Mileage: 49k
Plugs changed: 30ish
Plug leads: 30ish
Air Filter: Once agian, 30ish
Start well?: Revs fluctuate between 500revs n 1k, sometimes cut out
Mods: none
Revs hesitation occurs: Around 2k mark
Engine temp behaviour: Useless when cold. bout 25% chance of stalling when warm
MPG: Don't know, been more concerned on keeping it moving! usually 400, think got 300 from last one
Warning lights: Engine Management!

Take note, my Bravo has a big problem (Well dur!). It's due to a complete lack of funds. As in, was going to service it in dec, got the cash, exhaust fell off, then needed two front tyres, a week before xmas. Still recovering but looks like I have the money now, all happening on Sat.

 

[Deckchair5]

New plugs- get single pole type from sparkplugs.co.uk -£20
New air filter £10
Check resistance of plug leads- make sure all pretty much the same-
Take great care to route plug leads away from any metal engine part when refitting
Clean your idle valve by pulling back the inlet tube and spray in brake cleaner or similar and wipe clean with a cloth on the end of your fingers £3
Reset your ECU
Should see big improvement
Give ECU time to relearn best settngs , maybe a 100 miles or so

Let us know how it is then

 

[MagnaMorbius]

Spag, mine's the same, it's got a really sporadic idle, and can occasionally stall, even when changing gear (did it once on the bypass going from 4th to 5th - I bricked it). I've been making enquiries through a couple of garages, and the causes that are most likely (but by no means certain) are Air Mass Sensor and the Throttle Body.

I had my car serviced about 3 weeks ago, and the problem still wasn't resolved (new plugs, new filters, etc), so I've just taken it to the garage to get it hooked up to the diagnostic machine so they can have a look at it.

After that, I'm stumped.

 

[johntra]

there is lot of us with the same problem..i think the best thing would be to open single forum for this problem..i have the same problem with my brava..it is 1.6 16v..deckchair knows my problem..i tryed a lot of things..how do you clean the inlet tube..i would like to try that next..also i am interested in measuring the ressistance..how to do that..and when i get some money i will buy the plugs with 4 poles..what do you think about that?...and i dont have any warning lights on dashboard..very anoying problem...and what the diagnostics said magna?

 

[Deckchair5]

Car vary so much so it's difficult to generalise about how to get access to your inlet valve but just follow the air intake ducting from your air filter until it connects to the engine and that's where your idle valve will be. You need to remove the metal securing clip (break it if necessary)and pull back the inlet plastic air inlet tube enough for you to gain access to the idle valve, just like a disc sitting there now looking at you in the inlet to the engine.

Clean this off by spraying in some kind of solvent cleaner, leave and then wipe off with a clean rag with your finger. Repeat until it's as clean as you can get it. Refit an replace the securing clip with a jubilee type clip

PLUGS
single pole are better than double pole if you have a choice as they give a better spark. With a double pole, although they last longer, one half of the plug electrode is in the way of the spark all the time

PLUG LEAD RESISTANCE
Not to be done on leads with a coil in of course but quiet simply take off just one lead at a time and with the meter set on resistance, read what the resitance is from the coil pack end to where it connects to the spark plug. You may have to insert something like a splug plug top sized bolt into the spark plug end to obtain contact.
The resistance figure isn't so important but all the leads should be about the same resistance. A noticably high resistance on one means a breakdown of the conducting material and time to replace

 

[G Spag]

day before last, car was half full, so thought enough was enough and give into the redex treatment and fill the car.

Put some in my car and was chatting, ended up putting a whole bottle in! Whoops. Topped the car up with premium and tell you what, my car has been spot on (Touch wood). Once again premium went in because regular was out of action, and could not be bothered to drive to another pump!

Soon as the stuff got going round the engine, I dropped the car in 3rd from bout 2.5k revs to second. Big puff of grey smoke out the back, seems to have done the job!

I mean, the light still comes on on random intervals, as in after a long journey, when I've stopped; but I havent had any problems just yet, no juddering, no stalling...especially when going round a corner!

Well, thats what I got up to, so hope it doesnt ruin the engine, messed up with the redex. I'll let you guys know after the service and a week how the cars running

 

[johntra]

well in your country you have some quality cleaner...ive puted in my car two bottles of abro injector cleaner..and nothing happened..the car is still the same...i think the car isnt so dirty, i mean the engine or injectors, because if they are dirty the car would hesitate in higher gears and revs..this only happens on lower gears and revs...it only happens in first and second gear especially when the car is cold,sometimes in third but is very rare..but when the car is warm the problem is almost gone..i say almost because i feel that the car lost its edge...but that is very small..but i can feel it because i know how was when i bought it..my thinking is that something is wrong with spark, air and fuel mixture because this happens in lower gears and revs, which is logical because the car needs more fuel and air in lower gears to make it go...this summer the coil pack or coil sprungs, i dont know the accurate name so correct me if i am wrong, was dead and i have to change it..but when i had to go to the garage i had to drive the car in that shape..only on two cilynders..i presume that i did it like that about 10 km..could this do some harm..so ive changed the coil pack and then when this problem of hesitation was getting biger..when i bought it i could only feel the hesitation for 10 sec...before the coil pack was dead...but now is lasting for 1 to 5 minutes or when the car is little bit warmer..so i am now suspecting something about spark leads...i really dont know what to do else..i am run out of ideas...i am sorry if i was too long..and thanks deckchair for this tips...

 

[G Spag]

Mine was only at low revs too, as I said it would drop to 500 or so and then cut out, even when changing down the gears. Specially when cold, havent had too many problems warm.

The injector cleaner was suggested by a mechanic I know. Ok its his answer for everything but I thought I'd try it anyway. I'm very unsure if it actually was the injector fluid or the dropping of the revs. To be totally honest it's a bit early to say my Bravo is cured, after a day and a half of driving. But, today it was so cold it snowed and it had no problems starting and moving off, which is a promising sign.

Getting a mechanic to give it a good look over though, it's overdue for one anyway, can't hurt

Deckchair is like a Bravo/Stilo technical bible

 

[MagnaMorbius]

Mine isn't affected by the cold, it's mostly when I've been in rush hour traffic, stopping and starting a lot, that when I get back up to driving normally, the car's completely gutless.

I got the diagnostic back, and Fiat said that the Throttle Actuator is worn out, I need to clean the Air Pressure Sensor, and they want to reset all of the electric's back to factory default. Price for Fiat: £506, plus a £58 fee for the diagnostic.

I'm taking it to a place that specialises in fuel systems, and seeing if they can do it any cheaper - they only want £35 plus the VAT for a diagnostic, and then they'll see the prices.

I am tempting to just think "sod it", since the car can still be driven, but it will eventually need repairing, so I might as well get it done. Anyone know of any other options (than paying a bundle of cash)?

 

[G Spag]

Re: Bravo 1.2 hesitation? Update

Sorry to bring up a week old thread, and also for hijacking it too!

But since I did what I did, had no problems anymore. *Goes to find a tree...*
Is still due for the service, mechanic is out of the country and so is my cousin so still have to get that done. But it looks like what I thought I'd done wrong seems to have done the job. The premium fuel I used was from Tesco first, then BP.

Well thats my experience anyway!