Technical Where to Place Jack Stands on Fiat Punto 1.2 Petrol?

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I managed to lift the car and change both the oil and the oil filter. As previously mentioned, it wasn't strictly necessary to lift it, since the job can be done with the car resting on the ground. I did run into some issues removing the engine oil drain bolt and the filter, as they were both quite tight, but with the help of a pipe for leverage and an oil filter wrench, I eventually got them off.

What I'm struggling with now is locating the drain bolts for the gearbox oil. I can only find one (a 12 mm Allen bolt), but I'm not sure whether it's for draining or filling the gearbox oil.

Here are some photos:

New photo · Tuesday, May 27 ð¸

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New photo · Tuesday, May 27 ð¸

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Photos of what I think is the gearbox:

New photo · Thursday, May 29 ð¸

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New photo · Thursday, May 29 ð¸

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The large female allen headed plug in the last picture looks like the filler/level plug in our Panda. It's on the front face of the box? DON'T undo the smaller hex headed bolt or bits will come loose inside the box!

The drain plug is underneath on the back of the box where the final drive housing is and is another female hex plug. It's low down and faces rearwards on mine if I remember. Also needs to be at the lowest point so the oil can drain out. Make sure you can undo the filler/level plug before you take the drain plug out! No good if you can't put the new oil in! To refill the car must be level and you just put oil in until it starts to dribble back out the hole - remember to put the drain plug back before filling! Ha Ha! I always check with a bit of wire in the filler hole just to be sure the level is up to the bottom of the hole. Both plugs are taper plugs as far as I know - every one I've done was anyway. So just tighten them up fairly tight with an average length tool when replacing them. If you dramatically overtighten them they can be very difficult to remove next time. Some people use plumbers tape on them but I've never had one that leaked when done up firmly so I just fit them dry.

 

[JMaia]

The large female allen headed plug in the last picture looks like the filler/level plug in our Panda. It's on the front face of the box? DON'T undo the smaller hex headed bolt or bits will come loose inside the box!

The drain plug is underneath on the back of the box where the final drive housing is and is another female hex plug. It's low down and faces rearwards on mine if I remember. Also needs to be at the lowest point so the oil can drain out. Make sure you can undo the filler/level plug before you take the drain plug out! No good if you can't put the new oil in! To refill the car must be level and you just put oil in until it starts to dribble back out the hole - remember to put the drain plug back before filling! Ha Ha! I always check with a bit of wire in the filler hole just to be sure the level is up to the bottom of the hole. Both plugs are taper plugs as far as I know - every one I've done was anyway. So just tighten them up fairly tight with an average length tool when replacing them. If you dramatically overtighten them they can be very difficult to remove next time. Some people use plumbers tape on them but I've never had one that leaked when done up firmly so I just fit them dry.

Do you remember if you can reach the drain plug with the car down? I couldn't find it.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Do you remember if you can reach the drain plug with the car down? I couldn't find it.

Drain plug is difficult because you do need to get right under the car altogether. Might be possible with 2 wheels up on the pavement but then the car won't be level. Fill/level plug is on front of gearbox and is easy.

 

[GrandePunto PL]

Gearbox drain is 8 mm "Allen" key. This also can be done completely flat on the ground. No lifting/jacking needed.
Most important. Learn how to Search, don't ask people "google-able" things. This is not a purpose of the Internet.
Google (images): https://www.google.com/search?q=oil+drain+c514+fiat

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Gearbox drain is 8 mm "Allen" key. This also can be done completely flat on the ground. No lifting/jacking needed.
Most important. Learn how to Search, don't ask people "google-able" things. This is not a purpose of the Internet.
Google (images): https://www.google.com/search?q=oil+drain+c514+fiat

Thanks. Yes, I forgot to say the drain plug takes a smaller key.

D'you know? I take on board what you say about people learning to do searches for themselves, but I think one of the great strengths of this forum is the depth of vehicle specific knowledge of some of us who contribute. Personally I get great enjoyment out of helping when I can - probably some sort of "left over" from my days as a trainer? - and I wouldn't want to discourage anyone from asking for help and guidance.

 

[The Panda Nut]

I'm confused, I'm using the scissor jack that came with the car, how am I supposed to use it then?

Its correct and correctly positioned. THe sill is strngthened at the arrow point for arounf 5cm. Cars weight is correctly taken on the floor NOT the sill seam.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Its correct and correctly positioned. THe sill is strngthened at the arrow point for arounf 5cm. Cars weight is correctly taken on the floor NOT the sill seam.

Agreed. It's not just the downward "pinch" sill seam which is strengthened but the area around it too. I still don't like the scissors jacks though because of their instability and tendency to scratch the paintwork so later allowing rust to develop.

Can I also take the opportunity to stress how important it is to only jack the car on a sound stable surface, especially when using scissor or one legged jacks - in other words the one which comes with the car (if you get one at all these days!). I've been preaching about this all my working life and especially when I ran my Com Ed evening classes but was caught out by this myself a couple of years ago down at my sister in law's down in Devon. She has a fine gravel driveway - "pea gravel" I think it's called? Anyway That was back when I had the Ibiza and I had a slow puncture in the O/S front tyre. We were going food shopping that morning and I'd rung the tyre place in town. He'd said that if I dropped the wheel in as we went past he'd do it within the hour and we could pick it up again on our way home. There is a slabbed hard standing outside her garage, but her car was on it so I decided, against my better judgement, to just change the wheel for the spare where it stood on the gravel. Put the one legged jack (the one with the nylon pad that I've featured in some of my posts) in place and started to jack up. I'd chocked the N/S/R wheel to try to stop the car moving but, just before the tyre left the ground, the whole front of car moved sideways by about a foot or so and "spat" the jack out! Luckily I'd not yet removed the wheel, although I had slackened the studs by about half a turn, so all I had to do was retighten a couple of the studs, move Sister in law's car, drive mine onto the slabs and complete the job - which went without a hitch. If I'd got as far as removing the wheel before the car fell off the jack it would have been a very different and inconvenient story and I might have suffered an injury too.

Also, if using one of these "come with the car" type jacks, get all the lifting done in one go and remember that if you're changing a very flat tyre you'll need to jack it up more than the height it takes to get the flat tyre/wheel off the vehicle so the fully inflated replacement will go on. It's best not to have to "fiddle" with the jack once the wheel is removed and also, when you jack up a wheel remember the other side of the car will lift a bit too so that tyre won't be gripping the road so well and you won't need much force to push the car sideways off the jack. Bearing this in mind, don't get too violent fitting the new wheel, you might just push the car off the jack without meaning to.

 

[The Panda Nut]

Ive had two cars fall off jacks in 51years of car servicing. My Triumph Herald fell off because I hadnt put the had brake on properly. Trapoed my hand between arch and wheel top. Saved by a stainless steel watch strap which was cut in two. Hold the sides of a wheel being removed or replaced, never top andbottom!

The other was our Leon. Those evil VAG half scissor jacks. Again insufficient handbrake and wrongly placed chock... The Panda jack has a deep slot so its top sits in front and behind the cill floor seam which never should be used to jack. It lifts under the reinforced bit of sill and floor by the arrow mark. Used correctly its good way. aThe Vagthing lifts under the sill seam on a fitted shaped top tray. Being German, you can bet is designed to bits, but its clearly only ever and emergency tyre repair tool nothing more.

 

[JMaia]

Do I always need to lift the car to reach the drain plug? Has anyone managed to access and open it with the car on the ground? I think I need to remove some kind of plate to reach the rear of the gearbox.

EDTI: I'll lift it, open the drain plug, and lower it so all the oil comes out. Then lift it again to close it. Trying to save the hassle, but I guess it can't be avoided.

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Do I always need to lift the car to reach the drain plug? Has anyone managed to access and open it with the car on the ground? I think I need to remove some kind of plate to reach the rear of the gearbox.

EDTI: I'll lift it, open the drain plug, and lower it so all the oil comes out. Then lift it again to close it. Trying to save the hassle, but I guess it can't be avoided.

I don't think you'll need to put it back on the ground to get it drained - as long as you have the vehicle jacked up evenly. Please don't just jack up one side with the scissors jack and crawl under without supporting with stands will you? Finding a nice big curb and a length of timber of the same height and driving one side up on the curb with the other on the plank would work well. I've done that with our Pandas and the Punto

Both the above vehicle drain plugs were quite easily accessible without removing anything. Does yours have an undertray perhaps? none of my Pandas have had one and neither did my boy's Punto.

 

[JMaia]

I don't think you'll need to put it back on the ground to get it drained - as long as you have the vehicle jacked up evenly. Please don't just jack up one side with the scissors jack and crawl under without supporting with stands will you? Finding a nice big curb and a length of timber of the same height and driving one side up on the curb with the other on the plank would work well. I've done that with our Pandas and the Punto

Both the above vehicle drain plugs were quite easily accessible without removing anything. Does yours have an undertray perhaps? none of my Pandas have had one and neither did my boy's Punto.

I plan to lift it like this—this is the picture I took the other day when I changed the motor oil. The problem is that it's not level, and I only have two jack stands, which isn't ideal for draining the oil.

New photo · Tuesday, May 27 ð¸

Tap to view!

photos.app.goo.gl

 

[Zardo]

What I'm struggling with now is locating the drain bolts for the gearbox oil. I can only find one (a 12 mm Allen bolt), but I'm not sure whether it's for draining or filling the gearbox oil.

GP 1.2 8v Gearbox oil drain plug M16 16 ÷ 20 Nm
1.5 kg of oil (should be about 2 litre)

TUTELA CAR TECHNYX

SAE 75W-85 - FIAT 9.55550-MX3

- Check that the oil level just touches the lower edge of the filler opening. (car should be strictly level)
- Clean the filler plug, put back in its housing and tighten to the recommended torque.

GP 1.2 8v Gearbox oil filler plug M22 23 ÷ 28 Nm

(Always open the filler plug first in case it's seized)

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

I plan to lift it like this—this is the picture I took the other day when I changed the motor oil. The problem is that it's not level, and I only have two jack stands, which isn't ideal for draining the oil.

New photo · Tuesday, May 27 ð¸

Tap to view!

photos.app.goo.gl

I can't see any reason why it won't drain like that. The car is level and with the plug being at the bottom back of the box it should drain just grand. It'll need to be on level ground to get the level correct when you refill it, but you could put most of the oil in with it up in the air and just let it down for the last wee dribble to bring it level with the bottom of the filler hole - filler hole is at the front of the box and there's enough space between the front of the box and radiator for access.

 

[JMaia]

I can't see any reason why it won't drain like that. The car is level and with the plug being at the bottom back of the box it should drain just grand.

Since the car isn't level (only the front is raised), the oil shouldn't completely drain out, right? Or am I missing something?

 

[Pugglt Auld Jock]

Since the car isn't level (only the front is raised), the oil shouldn't completely drain out, right? Or am I missing something?

The drain hole is at the back of the final drive casing at the bottom of the box, no? It is on the Pandas I've worked on and it was on my son's Punto too. if yours is like this then the drain plug will be at the lowest point with the vehicle either standing level or with the front end jacked up so it should drain just fine. It's when the filling is being done that the car needs to be level to achieve the correct oil level.

I do seem to have a little voice in the back of my head saying that I've seen one with the drain to the side of the box just in front of the driveshaft position? Without being there with you and being able to look at your actual box I don't think I can say any more.

Ah. If you type in "gearbox oil change on Fiat Punto" to you tube, there's an excellent guide by Haynes manuals which should come up showing you how. I think it says to have the vehicle level for refilling. I'm sure that one would drain just fine with the front end on stands. I was looking for it just now and a video showing a transmission oil change being done on the HGT came up which shows the other position for the drain as I mentioned above. That one might be better with the vehicle level but I doubt much would be left behind with the front up on stands

 

[JMaia]

Yes, it makes sense. Raising just the front might even improve drainage. I'll order the oil and provide an update.

 

[Zardo]

Ah. If you type in "gearbox oil change on Fiat Punto" to you tube, there's an excellent guide by Haynes manuals which should come up showing you how.

Interesting. Gearbox comes up as nr 16 in the current Punto Playlist: