Re: Drain petrol Tank?
sunshine13 said:
Its a fiat uno 45 fire 1 litre 4 door no idea its a mk 1
I am scrapping it because it keeps cutting out for no reason at slow speed, I took it to several garages they could not find anything wrong they even crypton tuned it and all they could only say was that the distibuter and carboureter were fairly worn but apart from that it is running fine for its age. This was my wifes car and she has now got a vaux corsa I have a nice fiat cinq sporting.
There is a mot on it untill may 2006 and it is drivable, if any one is intererested but I must get rid of it by this weekendar Norwich.
The petrol pump is in the engine compatment and I tried disconecting the pipe and running the engine but it dosnt seem to pump only under presure.
Easy to tell if mk1 or mk2. Mk1 has a flat front with a big black grill, plus the light and wiper switches are in 'pods' either side of the instrument pod. Mk2 has a wedge front, and has a more normal arrangement for light and wiper switches (I think they are on stalks on the steering column like most cars).
On a 'G' plate it could be a VERY late mk1, or very early mk2.
As to the cutting out at slow speeds, it sounds like the infamous vacuum diaphragm (the little round thing on the side of the distributor). Doubt if the distributor will be worn, because there is very little inside it to wear!
Find the vacuum pipe that goes from the vacuum unit and runs to the carburetor. Disconnect the pipe from the carburetor base flange but keep it connected to the vacuum diaphragm unit. Now blow (or suck) into the pipe and see if it meets resistance. If you can blow/ suck through it without any resistance then the vacuum unit has perished. The symptoms you describe match with those of a failed vacuum unit. Poor idle, rough tickover and the engine wanting to stall at low speeds.
If the vacuum unit DOES meet resistance with the above test, then the fault lies elsewhere.
If the fault has only occured with the cold snap, then there is a good chance you are getting carburetor icing. Make sure the short metal pipe is connected between the airbox and exhaust manifold. Also make sure that the hot air flap inside the airbox is connected and is closing the cold air intake when cold.
Also, if the fault only occurs when hot, it's also possible that the ignition amplifier module is overheating and breaking down. This is the little silver finned unit bolted onto the side of the distributor (Magnetti Marelli), or a black flat unit on Ducellier dizzies.
A vacuum unit is cheap and easy to fit. They cost about £12 from what I remember, and there are some threads in here showing how to fit them. Louie might remember where they are and can point them out to you. If you change the vacuum unit, make sure you check the timing afterwards! A simple job if you have strobe light.
Carburetor icing is either a missing hot air pipe from manifold to airbox (make sure it is metal and NOT plastic!), or a faulty hot/ cold air flap inside the airbox. Cheap and easy to fit.
The ignition amplier is expensive to buy new, but I suspect that it isn't this if it's been happening in cold weather. If you do have to buy one, you're better off finding a scrap dizzy from a scrapyard (much cheaper).
If the worst comes to the worst, then the easiest way to syphon petrol from the tank is to punch a hole underneath and put a big container below it! You could also try disconnecting the pipe from the fuel pump, and if you can get the pipe low enough (below chassis height) it will probably syphon out on its own. Make sure you remove the petrol cap in case you're getting a vacuum occuring somewhere. Other than that, tip the back seats forward, pull up the carpet, remove oval plastic cover and you'll see the top of the fuel sender unit. This can be removed to reveal the tank and petrol inside.
Hopefully you'll try and fix your Uno, as it really does sound as if it has a minor fault. Should cost very little to repair, and then it will keep running quite happily until the MOT next April
And if it's a mk1, do your best to keep it on the road as they are fast disappearing. Almost becoming a classic car now, and everyone knows that I am a mk1 fan and want to save them. Except when me and Turboned go down to Southampton to cannibalise mk1 70SX's! (eh Louie!
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Or if you can't take it on, with a bit of a luck helpimonfire might be able to be rescue the little thing
Good luck!
Chas
