General My Punto needs your help lol

[CraigSkel]

Hi people!

I have a problem (a fairly big one) with my Punto (

I was driving home from work yesterday and there was a strange knocking sound coming from the engine when I pressed the accelerator. It was quite loud but (stupidly) I thought I'd continue with my journey. The pulling power of the engine seemed to have decreased dramatically and I was struggling to pick up speed... luckily (or not) my journey from work is along 60-70mph roads so I didn't have to stop and start.

To cut a long story short, I travelled a further 16 miles with the continuous noise (following a lorry up the A19 @ 50mph lol) and then the car started to shudder

I pulled off at the next junction and parked the car up. I then got a lift home with the intention to come back later to collect the car when it was less busy. Anyway, nobody was able to tow me so I drove it home (almost)! The engine continued to make that knocking noise and it took me at least a minute to get up to 30mph... with LOTS of revving! I got 50 meters from home and had to stop at traffic lights whereby it started to wave the white flag lol. The engine cut out and a plume of smoke came out the back of the car :bang:

Amazingly I tried to start the engine again (as I was blocking traffic at the lights) and it started up... albeit hessitantly! I drove it across the lights and pulled up.

Can anyone offer any help as to what may be wrong with it?

It's a 2000 Fiat Punto 1.2 ELX Petrol 3 door. 60k miles on the clock.

Thanks for your help :worship:
Craig

 

[dikkydave]

my oppinion only.... think ya might need a machanic out to that one mate, could be a number of things all which need engine rippin to bits, could be a piston, could be a valve droped an slapped piston head an stuck an holer in it, could be cam although i doubt it as the noise would sound like a type writer under ya bonnet but ya can still drive it..

 

[PuntoSS]

Might it be the exhaust? Was the car revving excessively? Possible a hole has blown in the exhaust, it happened on a friend's car recently, but he thought nothing of it and it failed its MOT.

 

[CraigSkel]

cheers for the replies.

I deffo think it's a problem with the engine rather than the exhaust... the noise was coming from the engine so i think that's where it all started. I've not long got a replacement exhaust (rear section) so it shouldn't be that.

I'll have to get a tow to a garage tomorrow and see if they can give me a quote.

 

[Harry071188]

Dikky stop saying bloody 'YA' lol

 

[Mdeko]

The engine continued to make that knocking noise and it took me at least a minute to get up to 30mph... with LOTS of revving!

The revving part. . . - Your sure this wasnt clutch slip? (i.e. revs rise car dosent speed up)

The engine cut out and a plume of smoke came out the back of the car

What colour was the smoke? this tells you alot about the problem. Its it was white (i.e. steam) it sounds like at least the HG has gone. (check your coolant level?)

 

[CraigSkel]

The revving part. . . - Your sure this wasnt clutch slip? (i.e. revs rise car dosent speed up)




What colour was the smoke? this tells you alot about the problem. Its it was white (i.e. steam) it sounds like at least the HG has gone. (check your coolant level?)

Thanks for replying Mdeko... the mechanic said the head gasket has completely died ( The smoke was white and he said it was steam too... so you were spot on! He reckons it'd cost £250 to sort that problem out, but I might have ruined the engine too... I'm using it as a part-ex now anyways, so no need to worry :slayer: Shame I lost quite a bit of money on it over the 6 months I had it (