Technical Please help at my wits end

[Danielejones]

Hi to all what a great forum, I am having a problem with my punto it's an 1.2 8v on a Y plate - 2001

The cars engine management light comes on and flashes there is a misfire I know that, it goes from 4 to running on 3 and sometimes 2, the spark plugs are black and when I clean them, they turn black pretty quickly. All spark plugs seem to spark, iv tried the coil pack test that I read on here, the leads are all ok, there is a white substance under the oil cap, and under the rocker cover, but the dipstick is clean and has a beautiful fresh oil look to it as it was changed only 1000 miles ago, it's not using any water and it doesn't over heat, the fan kicks in as normal, takes a little longer then I think it should to reach temp, is there anything I can try or change or maybe someone has any advice if they have experienced the same problem? When you drive it the sound is like a bum, bum, bum, bum out the exhaust then will all of a sudden kick up to 4 and sound normal then go back to struggling with power and so on,

Could it be the injectors?
Head gasket? Maybe gone between 2 and 3? But why isn't it using water or over heating?
I'm just lost as to think what it could be? Don't want to strip to head gasket to find it ain't that. Want to try smaller things first.

Thank you

 

[s and b]

COOLANT TEMP SENSOR.

Dont use abbreviations as not all members understand them.

 

[atom0007]

search for white mayonnaise on the forum....

 

[Danielejones]

cts

CTS?

search for white mayonnaise on the forum....

I have done, brings up a few interesting threads but mostly about condensation and head gasket gone, but that don't explain why my dip stick is clean and when I drain some oil it's like new, it's only by the rocker cover and I don't want to strip down to the head gasket incase it's an easier fix. I did search the forum and tried the things some people mentioned, I'm not one of these people that don't bother using the search button.

 

[fingers99]

Do a compression test. Mayo really isn't definitive in this kind of weather, especially if short trips are the order of the day.

About £15 from a backstreet garage (assuming you don't live in London) or less than £15 for the kit posted on eBay.

Post the results here -- remewmber, you're paying for the readings, not a diagnosis!

 

[AndyRKett]

Do a compression test. Mayo really isn't definitive in this kind of weather, especially if short trips are the order of the day.

Indeed I had a fiesta many years back oil cap was permenantly full of mayo because of condensation build up in the rocker cover when left standing, as soon as the car was used the moisture emulsified into 'mayo' the car was otherwise fine.

I haven't seen a car in years where the head gasket going has resulted in 'mayo' puntos seem to have a thing for blowing between cylinders which is where the compression test comes in

 

[s and b]

CTS?

your symptoms sound like overfuelling
check the COOLANT TEMP SENSOR
check map sensor
both these are easily done in real time for a few hours work downloading and setting up the excellant fre fiatecuscan and buying the eml lead remember this download wont be free forever as yani like big party xmas

 

[fingers99]

Ah, it finally clicked -- Coolant Temperature Sensor = cts. FCS!

 

[Danielejones]

Do a compression test. Mayo really isn't definitive in this kind of weather, especially if short trips are the order of the day.

About £15 from a backstreet garage (assuming you don't live in London) or less than £15 for the kit posted on eBay.

Post the results here -- remewmber, you're paying for the readings, not a diagnosis!

Finally got around to sorting car due to Xmas period and funds compression test results was good for the likes of me I lost the sheet of paper but all readings was in the region of 160 and all the same give or take 10%. Changed the engine temperature sensor which was a game gave two car parts shops my reg which gave me a two pin CTS and after taking it off then realised I needed one with the hole casing. After talking to fiat, but they wanted 55 pound plus vat. So located one at fast car bloxwich for 23.99, car ran a lot better, but still misfiring, so once again took out all spark plugs ground then on engine and watched them spark all apart from plug 2 which basically fired when it wanted too.

On closer inspection coil pack number 1, was playing up, and firing plug two when it felt like but the other half of the coil pack was firing fine, so changed coil pack and it's running like a dream, but when I done the coil pack test it was fine so just goes to show nothing is ever as it seems lol thanks for all your help guys.

 

[s and b]

your fuel consumption will be much much better now too
see no abbreviations