Technical Siezed O2 Sensor

Currently reading:
Technical Siezed O2 Sensor

I feel the need to say that, as the OP is probably only about an hour or so away from me, I should be offering my help with this. Unfortunately, now in my mid 70s I'm just not up to tackling much more than a quick oil change or swapping out a punctured wheel on one of my boy's cars during the cold winter months. I do think the best course of action here is for the car to be attended to by a workshop where stuff like an oxy-acetylene torch and personnel with in depth experience will probably have this "done" in minutes. They could probably knock up a new support bracket while about it - I agree with jrk above that this needs to be done soon to avoid much greater expense later.
 
Road legal slicks😂, the rear 2 are con


So he’s done a bad job then?
I was talking about the front but it

not a great angle

Also couldn’t work out what’s going on here. Almost looks like the shock isn’t connected

Could just be the angles of the photo though

The corrosion does need a closer look
0C7C7613-E67D-4A77-A589-4A2B0B9F2553.png

41A06D6F-4311-4D38-8F60-34AA4D4E9C14.jpeg
 
I was talking about the front but it

not a great angle

Also couldn’t work out what’s going on here. Almost looks like the shock isn’t connected

Could just be the angles of the photo though

The corrosion does need a closer lookView attachment 417684
View attachment 417685
I feel the need to say that, as the OP is probably only about an hour or so away from me, I should be offering my help with this. Unfortunately, now in my mid 70s I'm just not up to tackling much more than a quick oil change or swapping out a punctured wheel on one of my boy's cars during the cold winter months. I do think the best course of action here is for the car to be attended to by a workshop where stuff like an oxy-acetylene torch and personnel with in depth experience will probably have this "done" in minutes. They could probably knock up a new support bracket while about it - I agree with jrk above that this needs to be done soon to avoid much greater expense later.

So I need a support bracket for my exhaust then? And should this have been installed ?
 
So I need a support bracket for my exhaust then? And should this have been installed ?
Further forward of where the exhaust is fitted so not part of the same job. Although if it was me I would have pointed it out to you while it was on the ramp

My car never had one (corroded away) but you are risking damaging the CAT. Fiat did after all fit it for a purpose

Every time I when the breakers I would look never found one intact
 
I had to have the catalyst outlet welded on my 100HP. That bracket bolts into the aluminium sump but in typical Fiat fashion the hole is open at the back. Mine had seized (salt gets into the threads) so when I did get it loose, the aluminium boss was cracked. I made a stronger bracket that fits further back and bolts onto a gearbox mounting bolt.

The original bracket rots away because it's ferrous steel against stainless. Mine has completely gone leaving a piece with knife edge where the metal had been eaten away. Lack of support cracked the catalyst outlet pipe.
 
I was going to ask regarding the heat shields, are they important to have for under the car and at the manifold because I don’t seem to have any when I bought the car. When I asked the mechanic about them he was like you will pass an MOT no problem and realistically would only need them if you lived in some where like California. What do you guys think?

Any truth to this?
 
regarding the heat shields
The one on the manifold is secured with rather small and very prone to corrode bolts. Chances are at least some of yours will have sheared off, leaving a broken stud in situ, so fitting a replacement manifold heat shield could prove problematic, even if you could source one.

As for the exhaust ones, I'll bet there are more than a few elderly 169's that by now no longer have a full set, and we're not seeing reports of them catching fire as a result. In the UK, I'd be more concerned about a shedload of icy rain coming through the grille and hitting a red hot manifold, which I guess isn't ideal.

Personally it wouldn't be my first priority if I'd just bought a £500 Panda. You'd do better to spend the time inspecting the rear beam/spring pans for corrosion, and protecting it as best you can. This is probably the most serious corrosion weakness on the 169 Panda.

If you can post a couple more photos of the rear spring area, we can advise you better on how it's holding up.

You could easily find a lot of parts on your car that aren't in tip-top condition, and replacing them all would cost far more than it's worth. The secret of running an old car on a budget is to do what's necessary to keep it safe and reliable, without putting time and money into stuff that, whilst not perfect, will still likely last the remaining life of the car.
 
Last edited:
I can’t visualise this bit at the back

I can’t visualise this bit at the back

View attachment 417680
Yes, I've been puzzling about it too, doesn't look very like a shocker though/ even if the bottom eye has broken off. Then I thought, top of the picture, that rounded metal bit, that's got to be the back end of the box section? Then I realized there's a whole plastic cover missing isn't there? I remember having to remove them, both sides, to get at the front tube nuts for the flex hoses. I suppose maybe not all models have these covers though? Anyway, I just had to go out and, with her kind permission, photograph Becky's nether regions. Here we are looking aft under the driver's side sill:

P1100641.JPG


You can see the rounded end of the box section and the large plastic cover behind it. Here is another view from the N/S, taken from just in front of the rear wheel:

P1100643.JPG


If you look at the top of Koalar's enlarged image of the OP you can see two of the fixings with broken bits of plastic very much in evidence on the one nearer to the camera. More disturbingly, the bits circled in red are, I think, the suspension arm itself which looks like it's broken free from the spring pan? I'd have to see a better resolved picture before confirming that diagnosis though. If this is so then I fear the exhaust brackets are the least of this chap's problems.

PS. you can all see now why I'm intending to renew Becky's rear axle when the good weather comes.
 
I’ll take clearer pictures of the bottom tomorrow, however what I have notified in the last 2 days is the car has developed a knocking noise whenever turning the steering wheel. I notice this mostly when driving on snow / ice. Anyone know what this could be?
 
I’ll take clearer pictures of the bottom tomorrow, however what I have notified in the last 2 days is the car has developed a knocking noise whenever turning the steering wheel. I notice this mostly when driving on snow / ice. Anyone know what this could be?
Oh dear. and so the story develops?
 
More disturbingly, the bits circled in red are, I think, the suspension arm itself which looks like it's broken free from the spring pan? I'd have to see a better resolved picture before confirming that diagnosis though. If this is so then I fear the exhaust brackets are the least of this chap's problems.
That’s what I thought but didn’t want to say

It’s just not quite the right angle to properly see

if it snapped here it would not be safe to drive

But a few pixels blown up on a photo can be misleading
 
I’ll take clearer pictures of the bottom tomorrow, however what I have notified in the last 2 days is the car has developed a knocking noise whenever turning the steering wheel. I notice this mostly when driving on snow / ice. Anyone know what this could be?
Front
Back
Heavy thud
Light tapping

Lots of things cause noise

Let’s have a closer look at the rear and see which way to go first
 
Knocking at low speed on full lock - I'm thinking this is suggestive of a worn CV joint. I suggest you check the driveshafts for excessive play. While you're down there, check all the front suspension/steering joints.

How long ago was the car's last MOT?
 
Back
Top