Technical Terminal fault with my Bravo? Any idea's :(

[Skate2create]

Went to start my car after I'd been to the pub after mitcar, I started it and it once it was on it was trying to stall. When I revved it there was the sound of water rushing through something fast if that makes sense (this could of been fuel though) once I let it idle for 5 mins (so it had warmed up) the fault disappeared...
The next morning (yesterday)...
Went to start my car again and as before...strugglng to idle and water rushing sound...
only this time when I revved it, it sounded very boxer/flat four engine-esque. Like it was firing on 3 cylingders. when I revved it the exhaust note sounded completely different. It sounded nice but not in a good way
Thought maybe its just some crappy fuel so backed her off the drive and took her for a qucik blast...
Under acceleration(load) she was misfiring and occassionally holding back but again...once warmed up she seemed ok-ish again.
This morning started up again. same again, stuttering and sounding different...but for only about 10 seconds and then it was back to normal again. with one or two misfires on the way to work at the start of the journey. Noticed a bit of white smoke on the way though (my work is only 5 miles away) which would signal HG failure but then it might of been because it was cold...

I'm really worried somethings badly gone wrong as I don't have any money to fix her if it is something terminal then she'll have to go...

If anyone has any ideas then let me know below, I shall be taking the plugs out and checking for "shiney" ones either tonight or 2moro depending on when she comes back from the garage after its clutch change.

could this be the end of bravobeastie?!

Dan

 

[Rader]

Dont take this as the right diagnosis but yours sound so familer..........I had water rushing noise, almost cutting out when i just started it and misfiring under load, white smoke from the exhaust and it ran ok when it got hot.

Resulting in me having a new head gasket

 

[Skate2create]

I've just had it looked at and theres no sign of HG failure...

now I'm stumped :S

 

[jug]

the coolant temperature sensor and throttle position sensor are very common problems on the 1.2. very very common.

with problems like this a diagnostics check is usually the quickest way to find the fault. a compression test is worth a try if a diagnostics fails to spot a sensor failure.

on a remapped car it can also be timing belt slip, or if the ignition was advanced too much you may be experiencing detonation, especially if the remap was done with super unleaded in and now you are using unleaded (sounds like detonation may be your problem to me). alternatively a small amount of detonation since the remap (not uncommon) has damaged internals suich causing compression problems on one or more cylinders (piston ring premature wear is most common especially on small engines).

 

[Skate2create]

Diagnosed as the premature signs of Headgasket failure between cylinder 4 and the outer block.

Dan

 

[jug]

bad luck mate.

it could be worse, but not much worse.

 

[Skate2create]

pretty sure cylinder 4 has water in it now, extremely hard to turn over.

Will have to wait til next week to find out when they take the head off.

Dan

 

[jug]

dont drive the car with a head gasket failure. compressing coolant is much harder than compressing air, the extra pressure will damage the piston ring, then when you replace the head gasket you find the car is going slower, thats lost compression and it'll mean the headgasket job has to be done again and a piston ring fitted. not fun.

 

[Helz]

Sorry to hear this Dan, hope you get it sorted so the beastie lives on!

 

[Crank]

Those are the same symtoms I had. When you take the head off you will almost certainly see a small ,corrosion like, mark near the edge of number four cylinder. You will have to get the head skimmed and on this engine the valves will have to be removed. If its a deep defect it may need welding first.
I have been told this is a common problem these days, known as cylinder head pourosity, which results from cost cutting and poor quality controle in the manafacturing process. Fiat seem to be particularly prone to this type of failure. I had the same problem with a 8v Punto I owned before the Brava. Anyway, I picked up my nice clean overhauled head yesterday and hope to put it back on tomorrow. My head was also slightly warped.
Martin

 

[jug]

yep the 8v heads on the 1.1 and 1.2 engines often suffer head gasket failure, but at least it isn't a rover k series.