Grande Punto Help please

[chrismcforce]

Hey Guys/Girls/Other

I have a 2007 punto grande which has given me amazing service for the last couple of years,

3 weeks ago i put in a new battery as the old battery had done 6 years.
after changing said battery the battery light comes on and power steering light
which disables the power steering making driving difficult. It seems to be intermittent,

it has been at an auto sparky for 3 weeks and they have thrown in the towel.
Has anyone had this issue before any help would be great.

Wiring has been checked a new alternator was tried and different battery.
Diagnostic machine doesnt pic up anything...


Help from South Africa

Chris

 

[DGPunto]

Have you checked the main battery cables? They have a habit or rotting inside the plastic covers.


Issue that power steering needs a lot of power so your charging light and heavy steering are likely related

 

[GrandePop]

Sorry to highjack your thread ? but I can't seem to create one myself.

i replaced my battery a few years ago as I was having intermittent power steering and starting issues. My problem was some bad watching cables they had corroded quite badly it did all sorts to my dashboard no speedo working lights.not.working the lot.i would have a check there could be your problem.


I've recently had an oil change and timing belt done plus water pump and noticed my temperature doesnt rise as quick as it did.my question can the engine be hotter than what the dashboard is saying, I've had it at mid temperature for 5 mins and what I can remember my radiator fan would kick in. Would this just be the case of new oil and better water coolant circulation or could be a thermostat or something.my heater correlates with what my dash says.i mainly do short journeys, my temprature gauge rarely hits midway now, only when I've left the car running for 5+ mins after a short drive. Any thoughts on this thanks.

 

[GrandePop]

Sorry to highjack your thread ? but I can't seem to create one myself.

i replaced my battery a few years ago as I was having intermittent power steering and starting issues. My problem was some bad watching cables they had corroded quite badly it did all sorts to my dashboard no speedo working lights.not.working the lot.i would have a check there could be your problem.


I've recently had an oil change and timing belt done plus water pump and noticed my temperature doesnt rise as quick as it did.my question can the engine be hotter than what the dashboard is saying, I've had it at mid temperature for 5 mins and what I can remember my radiator fan would kick in. Would this just be the case of new oil and better water coolant circulation or could be a thermostat or something.my heater correlates with what my dash says.i mainly do short journeys, my temprature gauge rarely hits midway now, only when I've left the car running for 5+ mins after a short drive. Any thoughts on this thanks.

Earthing cables*

 

[varesecrazy]

Earthing cables*

Was the coolant bled of air correctly after this waterpump was changed at this 'service'?

 

[GrandePop]

I believe so, it was done professionally.my coolant is looking abit dark though, next thing to do on my list ?

 

[GrandePop]

Was the coolant bled of air correctly after this waterpump was changed at this 'service'?

My heater works fine once it has had time to warm up,just take way longer than before, I only do small trips most days and before.my temprature gauge used to get to the middle point, but now it's barely on the first small notch.

 

[varesecrazy]

Its possible draining the system has disturbed the innards of the thermostat

When you get a spare 5 minutes

Pop the bonnet.. start engine and CAREFULLY touch the Black coolant hose going from between the engine and the battery forward towards your knees

Check every 30 seconds..

It should remain cool for @3 minutes

Then get HOT quite suddenly.. as the engine is HOT..and the thermostat opens.. sending hot fluid to the radiator (and cold fluid to the engine)

If it warms gradually.. the thermostat has lost its sealing effectiveness

 

[oldmanhouse]

Hey Guys/Girls/Other

I have a 2007 punto grande which has given me amazing service for the last couple of years,

3 weeks ago i put in a new battery as the old battery had done 6 years.
after changing said battery the battery light comes on and power steering light
which disables the power steering making driving difficult. It seems to be intermittent,

it has been at an auto sparky for 3 weeks and they have thrown in the towel.
Has anyone had this issue before any help would be great.

Wiring has been checked a new alternator was tried and different battery.
Diagnostic machine doesnt pic up anything...


Help from South Africa

Chris

were you having issues before the battery change? i.e. you changed the battery because of an issue, or just due to age as preventative maintenance?

is the power steering failure light coming up as soon as you start the car, or during driving, "randomly"? Is the car starting fine?

it's possible you disturbed the battery/earth leads when changing the battery (if the issue only started after changing the battery). As mentioned above, the cables can break down internally (inside the insulation) so a snapped/frayed cable isn't immediately obvious from the outside without taking it off. Might be worth changing the battery lead, the battery to chassic earth cable, and the chassic to gearbox earth cable too. they're all typical culprits for weird electrical problems. I would have expected a professional to be checking that though, so perhaps they already have.

PAS unit itself is also a known failure point on the Grande Punto. Did your garage look into that? Some info here - https://shop.westernpowersteering.co.uk/blog/grande-punto-advice.html