Technical Preventative maintenance

[nobbles]

If you were me and had just bought a 2009 grande punto what would you do maintenance wise? Oil change/radiator flush/gearbox etc…. It is also missing the under engine cover/protection - does anybody know the part number - price and if the copy parts are any good?

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

If you were me and had just bought a 2009 grande punto what would you do maintenance wise? Oil change/radiator flush/gearbox etc…. It is also missing the under engine cover/protection - does anybody know the part number - price and if the copy parts are any good?

What engine? is the obvious first question. Did it originally have an engine undertray? My boy's 2012 Punto Easy doesn't and neither does the older one which "lives" across the road from us. Maybe they got lost before purchase, I didn't think of that.

Steel sumps rust out and can get so bad they actually "weep" right through the metal. My boy's 1.4 8 valve petrol engine'd one needed a new one last year. Our 2010 1.2 8 valve Panda (very similar engine) had had one fitted just before we bought it - was that early 2017? I don't know much about the diesels but the petrols can also have corrosion problems with the steel water pipe that runs along the front of the block under the cat which can look absolutely fine but suffer severe very localized rust - you have to look carefully (an unexpected prime suspect if you're loosing coolant and can't find an obvious culprit. Reasonably affordable to buy from Shop4parts but expensive from the dealer. What's your mileage? Any record of when the cam belt was last done?

When you let us know what engine you have I'll have another think. - Oh, and the rear lights are known to leak under the foam seals between the body and light - the foam seal is stuck to the light unit. Have a look in the spare wheel well.

 

[varesecrazy]

All good points from Jock

Also:
Clear the 'duckbill' scuttle drains
Check the door hinge area wiring
Change the pollen filter and check the interior fan works ok

Lift out the spare wheel.. check its not all wet in there
Inflate tyre.. and lubricate the long bolts thread ;-)

Ive had 4 of these cars...

 

[nobbles]

Great input, thanks. It’s a 1.3 jtd with 250000kms. The underside looked really clean and rust free. He replaced the timing chain in 2018. I collect the car next week. I remember the scuttle drains on my panda

 

[Popitinpete]

Great input, thanks. It’s a 1.3 jtd with 250000kms. The underside looked really clean and rust free. He replaced the timing chain in 2018. I collect the car next week. I remember the scuttle drains on my panda

Hi, it's had the most troublesome thing done, the timing chain, that's fantastic news.
With regards to things to watch out for, all the things mentioned so far but oil and filter at 6k miles with a good quality filter and the CORRECT oil will be beneficial in the long run as far as the timing chain goes

 

[DGPunto]

1. Make sure the earth straps and wire to the battery are not corroded, this usually happens underneath the sheathing/at the terminal.
2. Make sure the fuse box is sealed and can't any water/damp in it

 

[nobbles]

Hi, it's had the most troublesome thing done, the timing chain, that's fantastic news.
With regards to things to watch out for, all the things mentioned so far but oil and filter at 6k miles with a good quality filter and the CORRECT oil will be beneficial in the long run as far as the timing chain goes

Correct oil as I understand is ACEA 3 5w-40 ? I have in my shopping list Castrol magnatec. I am a 6k man but I know the previous owner was the 2 year or recommended miles person. Would you do a flush?

 

[varesecrazy]

Flush.. No

If it looks 'clean' for the 1st 100 miles its clean enough in there ;-)

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Shop4parts show 5W-40 for the earlier engines and 5w-30 for newer ones. They show 5w-30 for the 2009 EVO. I like an oil which circulates quickly when cold and both oils are a 5 viscosity when cold which will be good in this repect. With the kms you quote above on the clock I'd be very happy to stay with the slightly thicker 40 hot rated viscosity.

I like to change engine oil yearly or with no more than 10,000 miles since the last change - don't believe in extended intervals at all! My favourite oil brand is Fuchs. Only one of our family cars does over the 10,000 so they all get a yearly oil change but my boy's Astra - his work vehicle which clocks up the miles - gets it's oil changed every 6 months and it's at considerably under the 10,000 at that time. Wasteful? maybe. But I really don't see any engine wear problems and apart from my Ibiza and my older boy's Kia the rest are all old - 2007, 2008, 2010 and 2012. The Astra is now getting towards 150,000 miles and doesn't burn a drop of oil!

I'm not at all in favour of engine flush additives. Change the oil regularly and don't subject the car to frequent short journeys where it never gets properly hot and you'll have no sludge problems. If I come across an engine which is a bit sludged up inside I just double up on the oil changes, that way the sludge is dissolved slowly by the detergent in the oil and mixes with the oil rather than using a strongly detergent product which may break away solid particles which may circulate through the engine and cause all manor of problems.

In my opinion engines with chain driven timing gear benefit greatly from having fresh clean oil. I've said above I don't believe in extended interval oil changes and even if the manufacturer Ok'd a 2 year/20,000 mile (say) interval on one, I'd never do extended interval oil changes on a chain cam engine.

 

[Popitinpete]

Correct oil as I understand is ACEA 3 5w-40 ? I have in my shopping list Castrol magnatec. I am a 6k man but I know the previous owner was the 2 year or recommended miles person. Would you do a flush?

Hi, yes that's a great oil for it, spot on.

DON'T FLUSH! It's not needed these days really with detergents in modern oils and fuels. It was done way back when oils and fuels were not as good. Even with the previous owner sticking to the 2 year or recommended miles it should be OK, if you really want to do it some good, do a 3k oil and filter twice then stick to 6k changes there after (acts as a kinder flush)

Don't worry too much about the oil going black after you change it, even if you let it idle for five minutes with new oil and you drained it out, it will be black as coal, its just the nature of the diesel engine.

Be Aware there are two types of cartridge oil filter, most were fitted with 'UFI' types but some were 'perflux' The make should be stamped on the screw- on plastic oil filter cover (26mm socket to undo it) under the metal heat shield ( 3 x 10 mm nuts hold it on)

Anything else you need to know just ask I've done quiet a few jobs on mine

 

[nobbles]

So it arrived Tuesday… a lot of cleaning going on. My first task was cleaning out the scuttle - can I get the wipers off!!!! Can I f&@£& I have pooled in wd40 since Tuesday. Not budging…. Pollen filter filthy but the coolant very pink/red and the brake fluid looks ok but the clutch biting point is low and a judder when it drives off. Receipts show a new clutch in 2014 - so I am hoping not. The juddering could it be a engine or gearbox mount?

 

[nobbles]

Ready for some tinkering…

 

[varesecrazy]

When I had the scuttle cover off my 2012 .. to gain access to the Shock towers..

I had to use a puller to get the wipers off ( I actually had to make one.. as Ive NEVER had to do this before.. my 2008 Gp wipers came off ok.. but may have been disturbed before I owned it..)

My guess is they are fitted dry in Italy.. and 10+ years of 'sitting in a puddle' gets the corrosion going a treat.. :-(