lunotic
New member
Thanks, ucof. I've been using this forum a lot lately but it was your inviting post that made pour out my troubles
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Technical Dude! What's wrong with your car?
Currently reading:
Technical Dude! What's wrong with your car?
OP
OP
Temp gauge doesn't work - dodgy connector onto the engine block thermostat.
Coolant seems to be escaping from somewhere.
Annoying rattle from rear left of car when starting off in the morning - exhaust?
Coolant seems to be escaping from somewhere.
Annoying rattle from rear left of car when starting off in the morning - exhaust?
Is this your car you're talking about Ucof?
Temp gauge not working and coolant escaping could be an airlock in the cooling system. No coolant in the area of the temp sensor means no reading. Or could be a sign of headgasket failure. Hopefully it's just a loose wire.
Just wondering, but have you checked your anti-freeze content? With this freezing weather the block is at risk of cracking with no anti-freeze. That would then obviously cause coolant loss.
Rattle from rear does sound like the exhaust. Try replacing the exhaust rubbers, cheap and simple to do. And make sure the back box isn't parting company with the from pipe as this can also cause rattles! Most likely accompanied by a load exhaust roar. If not, just look for something loose around the area that the noise is coming from.
Good luck!
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OK here we go the Fuct FIAT currently has
Flasher Relay constantly ticking [think its a bad earth on the rear lights?]
Rear wiper motor squeals during just its first wipe across the screen when it gets switched on
No synchromesh on 3rd gear
Slight blow on the exhaust joints
Disfunctional passenger side window regulator; have a replacement from LouieB but its too cold/wet/snowy at the mo to go fit it!
Front passenger side shock has a leak; secondhand -60mm struts/springs/shox being picked up next week
Dented passenger door, also rusty...but I kinda like it that way
Rusty drivers side wing... and I made it worse by taking the paint off with the flapper wheel and leaving it bare metal....again I kinda like it that way
Rusty drivers door... not distressed this bit YeT with the flapper wheel :yum:
Other than that its running sweet at the moment
Flasher Relay constantly ticking [think its a bad earth on the rear lights?]
Rear wiper motor squeals during just its first wipe across the screen when it gets switched on
No synchromesh on 3rd gear
Slight blow on the exhaust joints
Disfunctional passenger side window regulator; have a replacement from LouieB but its too cold/wet/snowy at the mo to go fit it!
Front passenger side shock has a leak; secondhand -60mm struts/springs/shox being picked up next week
Dented passenger door, also rusty...but I kinda like it that way
Rusty drivers side wing... and I made it worse by taking the paint off with the flapper wheel and leaving it bare metal....again I kinda like it that way
Rusty drivers door... not distressed this bit YeT with the flapper wheel :yum:
Other than that its running sweet at the moment
OP
OP
Sometimes the needle works, but most of the time it doesn't - I'll try bleeding it now.
Other than the coolant deciding to disappear whenever it wants to the car has no problems what so ever.
Checked the coolant/anti-freeze yesterday and it had leaked quite a bit, first time in around 3 weeks. Still got no real clue as to why this is happening !
Checked the coolant/anti-freeze yesterday and it had leaked quite a bit, first time in around 3 weeks. Still got no real clue as to why this is happening !
OP
OP
Hmm..
Bled the system at the bulkhead end, then the radiator end, then whilst I was trying to put the rad screw back in, it fleww off into the engine bay
Took me 30 mins to find out it was on the ground under the car
Anyway, temp sensor still not working - can't figure out how the catch on the spade connector works so i can tighten it up and reseat it. I feel like a 'tard
I'll have a look at the oil level later and hopefully not spy any mayonaise like substance in there.
Would a cracked head gasket produce any detectable driving problems? Car doesn't seem down on power at all and I have never seen steam escaping from the engine overheating...
I also forgot to add that my fuel filter is leaking
The pipe that goes into it need tightening by the looks of things.
Bled the system at the bulkhead end, then the radiator end, then whilst I was trying to put the rad screw back in, it fleww off into the engine bay
Took me 30 mins to find out it was on the ground under the car
Anyway, temp sensor still not working - can't figure out how the catch on the spade connector works so i can tighten it up and reseat it. I feel like a 'tard
I'll have a look at the oil level later and hopefully not spy any mayonaise like substance in there.
Would a cracked head gasket produce any detectable driving problems? Car doesn't seem down on power at all and I have never seen steam escaping from the engine overheating...
I also forgot to add that my fuel filter is leaking
The pipe that goes into it need tightening by the looks of things.
Years ago I blew the HG on my x1/9 when a hose split on the motorway
Replaced the HG, having skimmed and rebuilt the head
Turned out that it was actually pinholed as well
Didn't know this at first as it would start and run OK
and I predominantly only took it on short local trips . . .on which it was fine
But started to notice it was loosing coolant, but with no OBVIOUS water leaks
Took it on a longer drive...OK for up to 20-ish miles
Then the temp started to creep upwards....as it was losing more coolant as the cooling system was getting pressurised by the pinhole leak
AT that point I stopped.... let it cool down and topped up the expansion tank...it had lost a LoT of water
On the way home there was an almighty BANG!
as the plastic expansion tank exploded [split in half]
So ended up with a replacement secondhand engine and a nice shiny stainless steel expansion tank from a scrapyard 1300 X1/9
On the Blue Sucata Uno's original engine that the HG had gone on
It had milky water in the rad
Mayo when looking inside the oil filler cap
It started [just] and was clearly running on just three cylinders
I didn't bother trying a compression test or even bother attempting to fix it
As I had a good lower mileage engine in the red'89 5 door that got swapped over
Those were a prized item, weren't they
Just the standard ugly plastic item on my X1/9, being an '88 model.
I realise it split apart due to an extraneous circumstance (the head gasket, causing over-pressurising of the cooling system which the pressure cap SHOULD have released...) but even so, I don't trust old rusty-looking plastic expansion tanks any more. I make a point of replacing them with lovely new translucent-white ones.
On a 164 I bought, the tank split on the way home. I have seen others be so close to splitting (cracks underneath), it's just not worth the risk. For my 156 the tank was only $35 (non-genuine) and for a 164, a bit more than that ($60-ish) for a genuine one. I want to get one for my Uno Turbo next - I wonder if those are ever translucent or whether they are originally opaque white.
-Alex
OP
OP
I'll have a look in the oil filler when I get home.
Yeah thos eplastic expansion tank are well know for splitting on L400 MItsubishi Delica's as well, usually resulting in a warped alloy head.
Luckily our L300 Delica does not suffer the same problem.
L400 owners in the UK have started getting alloy expansion tanks specially made, as the original part for a japanese grey import is like finding rocking horse do-do. . .
Alex, now you just know a polished alloy one would look nice in your Uno Turbo....
Luckily our L300 Delica does not suffer the same problem.
L400 owners in the UK have started getting alloy expansion tanks specially made, as the original part for a japanese grey import is like finding rocking horse do-do. . .
Alex, now you just know a polished alloy one would look nice in your Uno Turbo....
wolvescinq
New member
- Joined
- Feb 18, 2010
- Messages
- 160
- Points
- 44
A couple of things, bud!
Slight oil leak through a recently-replaced rocker cover gasket, as well as through the oil filler cap. (The latter is split, though - thanks to a ham-fisted local mechanic). Brown creamy gunk inside oil filler cap too.
Coolant issues - slight loss after some (not ALL, strangely) short journies, no evidence of external leak that I or garage can detect. Hissing noise coming from exp tank cap when engine hot. Unpredictable cooling fan - works when it feels like it!
Other than the above, car seems OK, touch wood - so long as I keep an eye on oil & water levels...
Slight oil leak through a recently-replaced rocker cover gasket, as well as through the oil filler cap. (The latter is split, though - thanks to a ham-fisted local mechanic). Brown creamy gunk inside oil filler cap too.
Coolant issues - slight loss after some (not ALL, strangely) short journies, no evidence of external leak that I or garage can detect. Hissing noise coming from exp tank cap when engine hot. Unpredictable cooling fan - works when it feels like it!
Other than the above, car seems OK, touch wood - so long as I keep an eye on oil & water levels...
Outer appearance of 95' 3 door fire:
1. Bonnet rust
2. Front doors rusted at bottom and doors sagging (pin or hinge replacement??)
3. Needs a respray me thinks, white so easy enough
4. Need to change the wiper blades
Indoor:
Not much wrong here except it needs a good valet/clean although the dash is greyed but with cockpit spray every week and a buff it's good to go.
Other:
1. Speedo makes a noise in the dash and bounces a bit
2. Fuel gauge sometimes sticks
3. Handbrake is horrible
4. Fanbelt squeals now and then, just tensioning i think
5. Left indicator flashes fast when lights are on (need to check earth connections???)
6. Headlights need adjusting although last time i thought they were on max but still not right...
1. Bonnet rust
2. Front doors rusted at bottom and doors sagging (pin or hinge replacement??)
3. Needs a respray me thinks, white so easy enough
4. Need to change the wiper blades
Indoor:
Not much wrong here except it needs a good valet/clean although the dash is greyed but with cockpit spray every week and a buff it's good to go.
Other:
1. Speedo makes a noise in the dash and bounces a bit
2. Fuel gauge sometimes sticks
3. Handbrake is horrible
4. Fanbelt squeals now and then, just tensioning i think
5. Left indicator flashes fast when lights are on (need to check earth connections???)
6. Headlights need adjusting although last time i thought they were on max but still not right...
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2015
- Messages
- 229
- Points
- 132
Since I wasn't around when this thread was created a few years back I'll add my two cents worth as well.
1. Speedo "sizzles" somewhere in the dash, it works but is a little drunk methinks
2. There is a CV cluck kind of noise when I pull off (not CV's coz I changed them already) - Going to replace suspension arm and rubbers/bush
3. Left indicator sometimes loses connectivity and flashes really fast (found dodgy electrical connection just need to fix it)
4. Headlights also need adjusting, left one is really high
5. Gearbox synchros (especially 1st gear) are toast
6. Patch of rust drivers side sill
7. No radio
8. Front and back wipers are useless
9. Passenger side CV boot the wrong size and won't clamp down properly :LOL
10.. there must be a 10...hmmm....Brakes and Discs a bit rusty and could do with replacing and bleeding.
1. Speedo "sizzles" somewhere in the dash, it works but is a little drunk methinks
2. There is a CV cluck kind of noise when I pull off (not CV's coz I changed them already) - Going to replace suspension arm and rubbers/bush
3. Left indicator sometimes loses connectivity and flashes really fast (found dodgy electrical connection just need to fix it)
4. Headlights also need adjusting, left one is really high
5. Gearbox synchros (especially 1st gear) are toast
6. Patch of rust drivers side sill
7. No radio
8. Front and back wipers are useless
9. Passenger side CV boot the wrong size and won't clamp down properly :LOL
10.. there must be a 10...hmmm....Brakes and Discs a bit rusty and could do with replacing and bleeding.
- Joined
- Aug 11, 2015
- Messages
- 229
- Points
- 132
Replaced cv boot and the whole suspension arm with bush and joint so that's no. 2 and no. 9 this morning resolved. It was a relatively simple job thankfully. Just need to clean up grease that exited the old cv boot and into the engine bay.
