IMG_1709.JPG

Panda (Classic) Charmanda(er) The Panda

Introduction

Name Change! Previously known as Charmania for anyone not in the know, she's had a slight rename, keeping the Char but sticking my favourite childhood Pokemon name in there, Charmander, mainly because the first time I ever encountered a Panda I was about 8 years old and Pokemon was my favourite thing in the whole world.

Some details,
1992 Fiat Panda 750 Mania
769cc FIRE engine.
Lowered 40mm.
Seicento Sporting Front Seats
Side Stripes for faster acceleration
Fiat 127 'Palio' Alloys.
Veglia Rev counter, so I can count my revs.

I washed her, wanted to take her somewhere nice for pictures but it hasn't been sunny for long enough to do that, so I'll get nicer pictures at some point....
Here she is now, Charmanda.

IMG_1709.JPG

IMG_1710.JPG

IMG_1711.JPG

IMG_1712.JPG

IMG_1714.JPG

IMG_1713.JPG

IMG_1715.JPG

IMG_1716.JPG


Sorry for the terrible lighting. Can't do much about the sun. :eek:
Char' got all in a strop today :mad: I'm working next weekend and was planning on MOT'ing her shortly after...

Went out and fired up her today (oops battery dead, 1 quick jump later) fired right up (lovely weather mind), let her run up to temp and a normal idle.
Bit of blue smoke from exhaust leak (n) Wasn't sure if it was just burning off the manifold or from inside the engine, the smoke cleared once she got up to about 40-50C.

Anywhom, gave her a few revs and she was awfully stuttery, she's not been ran for a while fair enough, she has very little fuel in her and its a bit old now so could be a cause?

But anyway, I made a short video (she sounds like crap (well significantly worse in the video than real life) because of the exhaust leak.
In the video each time I floor the accelerator pedal and lift off almost immediately, everytime she stutters, revs drop and suddenly she picks up, but then she falls down really slow and hovers around the 1500rpm mark before settling to idle :confused:
(Just uploaded so video might not have processed yet)



Again, bad fuel? Been sitting for a while? Or something worse? I think there might be a posssible air leak somewhere in the carb, it played up like this before with its hunting and that just cleared, this is kind of similar...

On top of this, I closed the bonnet and let her idle for a while with the rad fan switching on and off every now and again, went to open it again. NOPE. Tug as hard as you can, bonnet won't pop up :bang: :mad: :(
 
Char' got all in a strop today :mad: I'm working next weekend and was planning on MOT'ing her shortly after...

On top of this, I closed the bonnet and let her idle for a while with the rad fan switching on and off every now and again, went to open it again. NOPE. Tug as hard as you can, bonnet won't pop up :bang: :mad: :(

I reckon there's a bug going round, affecting Pandas' ability to idle. I'm therefore going to christen it Pandaidleitis.... :mad:

As to the bonnet: first, you need to adopt my patented crouching-idiot-stretching-moron Panda Yoga position...! First open the driver's door, and wind down the window. Stand behind the door, and with your left hand, pull the bonnet release, whilst simultaneously, through the open window (and as far forwards on the side of the bonnet as you can), pull upwards on the bonnet. :eek:

It might take a couple of practices -- and you may well look like something out of the Panda Sutra... -- but, once open, twiddle the rubber dooberies at each side of the slam panel, so that they unscrew/are raised a little: which will help push the bonnet open, next time. Again, this might take some time until you get the adjustment just right. Also worth greasing the bonnet catch, whilst you're there (which reminds me, I need to do this on Betty: as her bonnet doesn't lock easily, until you've opened the catch with your fingers -- which is a little dicey...). :eek:

Make sense? If so, it would be a first...! :p
 
I reckon there's a bug going round, affecting Pandas' ability to idle. I'm therefore going to christen it Pandaidleitis.... :mad:

As to the bonnet: first, you need to adopt my patented crouching-idiot-stretching-moron Panda Yoga position...! First open the driver's door, and wind down the window. Stand behind the door, and with your left hand, pull the bonnet release, whilst simultaneously, through the open window (and as far forwards on the side of the bonnet as you can), pull upwards on the bonnet. :eek:

It might take a couple of practices -- and you may well look like something out of the Panda Sutra... -- but, once open, twiddle the rubber dooberies at each side of the slam panel, so that they unscrew/are raised a little: which will help push the bonnet open, next time. Again, this might take some time until you get the adjustment just right. Also worth greasing the bonnet catch, whilst you're there (which reminds me, I need to do this on Betty: as her bonnet doesn't lock easily, until you've opened the catch with your fingers -- which is a little dicey...). :eek:

Make sense? If so, it would be a first...! :p
Thanks, I hope it's just a bug :) and hopefully it'll go away soon...
As with the bonnet thing, I think Vern has told me something about it before a long time ago. I'm just not sure how exactly it works and how I'm going to lift the entire bonnet just from the edge with my wrist. I could get someone to just lift the bonnet from the front whilst I pull on the release?
Also, I believe I've twiddled these 'dooberies' up before, if they're the little rubber squahsy things in each corner just above the headlights, this was a while ago when opening the bonnet it'd only pop up a smidge and was a pain to reach the latch so I twiddled them up and she was fine again, now the bonnet doesn't budge at all when I pull the release :(
 
Thanks, I hope it's just a bug :) and hopefully it'll go away soon...
As with the bonnet thing, I think Vern has told me something about it before a long time ago. I'm just not sure how exactly it works and how I'm going to lift the entire bonnet just from the edge with my wrist. I could get someone to just lift the bonnet from the front whilst I pull on the release?
Also, I believe I've twiddled these 'dooberies' up before, if they're the little rubber squahsy things in each corner just above the headlights, this was a while ago when opening the bonnet it'd only pop up a smidge and was a pain to reach the latch so I twiddled them up and she was fine again, now the bonnet doesn't budge at all when I pull the release :(

Two people certainly make it a lot easier...! Sounds like you may need a new cable, then... -- they do stretch; and, eventually, I would guess, snap.... It may be adjustable, in the interim, though. I don't know. (But, personally, would be tempted to replace before this happens... -- if you can actually open the stupid thing....) :idea:
 
Two people certainly make it a lot easier...! Sounds like you may need a new cable, then... -- they do stretch; and, eventually, I would guess, snap.... It may be adjustable, in the interim, though. I don't know. (But, personally, would be tempted to replace before this happens... -- if you can actually open the stupid thing....) :idea:
Well appears she was just in a strop, bloomin' Panda's :rolleyes:
Went out with some pliers to try and pull the cable incase its stretched, looks fine, pulled the release, 'ping' up comes the bonnet... :bang:
Soooo she was just being Italian... Did it a couple of times and worked every time, twiddled the dooberies for safe measure, technical term and all.

I'm going to run her for a bit now its cooler and see how shes going.

EDIT: Ran her for a little bit, no smoke in sight this time, throttle response is pretty normal too, still a bit of delay but no stuttering/slow return to idle, so fingers crossed she just came over all italian... Before her MOT I'll give her a small italian tune up to clear anything thats developed whilst she's been sat. (y)
 
Last edited:
Hard luck with the idling problem mate :( Hadrian is suffering from the same disease, and has done for a fair while now - I feel homeward is correct in thinking it's a bug going around!

I used to have the same problem with the bonnet release, until the handle snapped off - so I cut the cable behind the grill and fed it out of one of the gaps and soldered a key ring on it. Opens every time now! Thanks to 4WDPandamonium for this trick.

The release cable is stupidly long though, I am suprised that they last as long as they do! Through the bulk head into the engine bay on the right hand side, then along the bulk head to the left hand side inner wing, along the inner wing then turning again behing the front pannel ending up at the release mechanism :eek:
 
Similar problem with my Sisley Andy, the cable has to go round so many bends that the inner binds in the outer so much it can't move the latch enough to release it. I reckon the the plastic outer has degraded and gone too hard or something along those lines. Currently have a cable tie hanging through the grille! Hoping to find some sort of bike cable that will do the job.

They changed the cable later on so it went up the drivers side instead, these are available from partsworld but no use to us with the long cable as there is no hole in the drivers side bulkhead for it.
 
I've had 2 with garden wire acting as a bonnet release tucked into the grille. (y) Works perfectly and I suspect Po is still running with that in place - if you're really clever you can even colour code the plastic coating for the wire to the car bodywork!! :idea:
 
Well I'm glad its not just me then :eek:

They changed the cable later on so it went up the drivers side instead, these are available from partsworld but no use to us with the long cable as there is no hole in the drivers side bulkhead for it.

Pretty sure I have this type of cable, runs from release just next to the fusebox through the firewall, down the drivers side and then across to the latch. The cable itself looks fine, although possibly the heat was causing, shes been sat out in the sun for ages and its been awfully warm down here.

She's running alright as of now, the last thing I'm going to do is replace the exhaust downpipe gasket before I MOT her, I have no idea if theres any underlying problems and if she'll pass but I'm hoping... :)
 
Similar problem with my Sisley Andy, the cable has to go round so many bends that the inner binds in the outer so much it can't move the latch enough to release it. I reckon the the plastic outer has degraded and gone too hard or something along those lines. Currently have a cable tie hanging through the grille! Hoping to find some sort of bike cable that will do the job.

They changed the cable later on so it went up the drivers side instead, these are available from partsworld but no use to us with the long cable as there is no hole in the drivers side bulkhead for it.

I know the old model Berlingo has the same style release handle as the Panda, and it's on the passenger side, I was going to see if I could get this to work but I am happy with the top bodge for now :)
Didge3 good luck with the test, keep us posted :)
 
Exhaust gasket bought and will be fitted shortly. Did some engine degreasing today to make the job easier. Hopefully the bolts won't shear :eek:
Should get some plus gas or something really...
The hazard switch on my new set of switches was a bit iffy, once pressed in it would stick and you'd have to pull to get it to switch off... Used some grease and its working good as new, also was out there in the dingy hours for the first time since fitting and...

Oh... its got an orange light, was going to swap it for the green one in my old switches but I kind of prefer the orange... :cool:

Might get MOT sorted for next week (y)
Already contacted insurance and have been told I'll get £60 back :)
 
Back
Top