Technical Probs with X Reg Seicento - advice welcome!

[gavinglasgow]

Hi All

I recently purchased a wee X Reg Seicento car and completely fell in love with it. I'm not much of a driver (£15 does me a full week usually) and the car has always gotten me from a-b with no problems at all. Well it did until yesterday...

I was travelling from Glasgow to Dunfermline (about 40-50 miles?) - no problems there. However when travelling back home, I was doing 70mph on the motorway and the car just slowed right down to about 20mph on me. I changed down to a lower gear but this didnt help. Eventually the engine kicked back in and I was on my merry way. My colleague suggested it was probably due to an uphill slope on the motorway however this happened on two more occassions when travelling on downhill slopes. It really freaked me out to be honest and is obviously very dangerous.

After dropping off my colleague in Rutherglen, the car stalled and refused to start - at a set of traffic lights! I managed to re-start to get past the junction and stopped the car at the side of the road and switched it off for 10 mins or so. It did re-start however when driving, it was "bunny-hopping" all the way until I arrived back home.

I tested the car today for a short distance and it seemed ok but I'm obviously still a bit freaked out. Does anyone know what this fault could be? I thought it could be overheating but if this is the case, its not going to give me much confidence in the car. I'm also concerned that its going to cost a fortune to repair - especially as I don't get paid until the end of the month LOL!

Any advice really would be appreciated.

Cheers

GavinGlasgow

 

[custard]

has the car been serviced?

 

[GeorgeDamper]

Is it spi or mpi ?

If spi, I would start by having a look at the fuel filter.

 

[gavinglasgow]

I only bought the car 2 months ago and it was serviced then. The garage I bought it from is probably dodgy but in all fairness, the car only cost me £500 LOL! I was advised the car was sitting unused in its previous owners drive for a year however the mechanic advised me he cleaned it all out and ran the car for a week to and from his home and work to make sure it was running ok.

And I do apologise GeorgeDamper but you are speaking in a different language to me. I am a complete car dunce. It is makes any difference, its a 1.1 Sporting model but spi/mpi means nothing to me I'm afraid.

Cheers

 

[rallycinq]

And I do apologise GeorgeDamper but you are speaking in a different language to me. I am a complete car dunce. It is makes any difference, its a 1.1 Sporting model but spi/mpi means nothing to me I'm afraid.

Cheers

Thats where reading the FAQS would come in, but never mind, you are here now.

Your car is X reg so should be Single Point Injection (see what happened there) rather than Multi point injection.

If the garage that sold you the car serviced it I would almost guess that in this case service = wipe over with oily rag.

Have a look at the fuel filter, its under the car, either in the middle or immediately in front of the N/S/R wheel. Coke can size, should be shiny not rusty.

Were any lights coming on on the dashboard during the period of deceleration?

Cheers

D

 

[gavinglasgow]

Thanks for the tip rallycinq. I'll check that out later today (he types while heading off to read the FAQs)

Oh and there was no unusual light activity on the dashboard during deceleration

 

[rallycinq]

Thanks for the tip rallycinq. I'll check that out later today (he types while heading off to read the FAQs)

Oh and there were no lights on the dashboard

Oh, and by the way, I'm in Glasgow too.

Cheers

D

 

[AppleSei]

Sorry to potenitally throw a spanner in the works but MPI came out in Oct 00 so its possible to get an MPI on an X plate

However these were thin on the ground

 

[gavinglasgow]

Sorry to potenitally throw a spanner in the works but MPI came out in Oct 00 so its possible to get an MPI on an X plate

However these were thin on the ground

Bugger! Whats the easiest way to tell if my car is mpi or spi then? I'm looking at the FAQs but tbh a lot of it is waaaay over my head. I just want to be able to point and go LOL!

 

[rallycinq]

Do you have four injectors on the back of the engine (that would be MPi)?

MPi also has the Cat in the downpipe.

Cheers

D

 

[fingers99]

And, assuming it still has it, a big big roundish air filter, rather than a smaller box shaped one. SPI Seis tend to have a plastic fuel filter hanging from the fuel tank.