Technical Pinking, please help!!!

[fiatpuntonewbie]

Hi,

This seems like a really good forum where people know what they're talking about, so I hope someone can help

Right... I have a 1994 1.1 55sx 5dr punto, which I brought in January. At he end of June, it started making a pinking noise. I was first told that I had some bad petrol, so I changed my regular garage (Total) to Sainsburys (didn't cure it) so I tried Asda (Still not cured!).

Then I was told it would be the timing, so as my cambelt was due for renewal anyway, I brought a new cambelt kit and took it to my local garage to be fitted. After that was replaced, it was fine for about a week and then the pinking was back.

Six weeks ago, I phoned my local garage to ask their advice again and they said that it was probably a sign that the headgasket was on its way out. Typically, a week after, the headgasket was well and truly f*****, so I had that replaced. When the head gasket was replaced, I had to have new spark plugs (with v-groove) and new oil filter and oil change. After this, the car was running like it had just come off the production line - great! But, nearly two weeks ago, the pinking started again, as bad as ever!!!

The car is well looked after by my dad. My dad told me to get the v-groove plugs because he said they were better. Could the pinking have anything to do with the v-groove plugs? or something else???

Please, someone help

 

[Citizen Smith]

Try running on Optimax, i did this with my punto and no pinking ever since.

 

[Lemzip]

maybe a head leak, garage might not have done a good job, head might be warped...thats what i have at the moment even after paying £450 for a head replacement etc.

take it to a good garage and ask for a commpression test, if thats fine you can prolly rule out the head again and look from there.

seems wierd it went away and now its back

 

[FiatExpert]

Over a period of time the vavle stem oil seals become hard and allow oil onto the back of the valves. This turns in to a carbon substance, which when gets hot causes it to glow red and acts like and igniter, Causing pre-igntion causing your pinking noise. Your cylinder head will need stripping and new vavle stem seals fitting and all the valves cleaning. At this time make sure there is not excessive play in the vavle guides, other wise just the new seals will not help.. Hope this helps....

 

[joel]

This sounds like an expensive work?

 

[fiatpuntonewbie]

Thanks for all your replies. I think I might take it to a fiat garage and ask them to take a look at it. Several people have told me about the valve stem oil seals, so this seems the most likely, thanks FiatExpert

seems wierd it went away and now its back

It's very weird - every time I have something done on the car, hoping it fixes the pinking, it goes away for anything from a few days to a few weeks and then comes back again !

This sounds like an expensive work?

Isn't it always with Fiat???

 

[dave]

dont pay fiat dealer prices for a 10 year old car, try some fuel injector cleaner first, then just renew the valve oil seals, you can get a tool that helps do this without removing head, then use a chemical decoker, if that dont work just put up with the pinking

 

[supermcc_afc]

sorry to sound like a f**kwit but pl's pl's pl's someone tell me wtf pinking is & wtf it sounds like?

 

[dave]

a tink tink tink noise

 

[FiatExpert]

Or A Pink,Pink,Pink Noise.

Yes tou can get a tool for fitting stems without taking head off, but remember the valve heads need decoking which does require head off.