Technical Please help.... Fiat punto Mia 2001 8v

[LucyBrelsford]

Hiya...

I brought my Poppy Punto 9 weeks ago she's already in the garage but won't know what's wrong until Monday grr

For about 2 - 3 weeks I have noticed a very slight rattle when accelerating but as being new to driver asked others and they said It was normal so thought nothing of it.

Yesterday out the blue as i accelerated the slight rattle turned into a very loud rattle lost all power, thought I had ran out of petrol very slowly managed to get to the garage filled up and started it was the same, the AA man said it sounded like my engined was pretty much gone.

He drove it to tow it then said it could be my head gasket.

Anyhow for a while she has had no power behind her I thought it was normal cause she's only a 1.2 but now i know it isn't. Also she stalled a lot I thought it was my driving but now I'm not sure.

Just wondered what you guys think it sounds like and also If the engine has gone I have found a fiat breakers who will sell me a engine for 150 and how much to fit?

Please help as I know nothing about cars except been driving to months and this is already my second car arghhh and there is no way she is being scrapped
I'm so so gutted and feel sick as it was a private sale I am now a fully fledged member of the AA Wish I was before though... Lesson learnt

 

[eamonnf]

Its quite unlikely to be the engine thats gone however it does sound like the head gasket has gone, still as its an 8v its not too bigger job!

 

[LucyBrelsford]

Ahh, well it had a head gasket 3000 miles ago according to the receipts that came with it, and that cost £390 to be fixed does that sound about right?

It's just so annoying... Also howl long wiil she be in the garage for if it is the head gasket?

Thanks

 

[mk2 2000]

The head gasket isnt a big job but it does take time even on an 1.2 8v, garages are all different on cost and is hard to give an accurate cost as it depends on how much time the garage take, but for the head gasket set off ebay its ruffley about £25 but the head will need to be scimmed which i got priced at £40 the rest of the cost is just labour. If its going to get the head gasket done the i recommend doing the timing and altenator belts which shouldnt be too expensive

 

[LucyBrelsford]

I really hope it is the head gasket, the car when I start it though also just judders I'm so scared its gonina need a new engine, the cam belt was changed when it had its last head gasket around 3000 miles ago.

Thing is the temperature light never came on or any warning light for that matter it just sort of went :-(

I'm just so unlucky with cars..

Thanks guys

 

[mk2 2000]

The temperature light wouldnt come on unless the heat of the engine increased or the water pump failed.
Do all the warning lights appear on your dashboard when on ignition is on ?

 

[LucyBrelsford]

Yeah they do when you first turn the key but they go off when the engine has started, the AA report said low compression in 1/2 cyllinders and loud rattle from the engine...

I wish I knew more about these things so I could stop panicking lol

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Head gaskets don't normally 'rattle' because of the car you have (1.2 8valve) its unlikely as with other cars to be a problem with the cam belt either which on some cars can 'rattle' if the timing is out and the pistons strike the valves, oil starvation however does rattle. You will probably have to wait and see what the garage say for a definitive answer.
there is also something called piston slap where the pistons are able to wobble about in the cylinder bores which sounds something like this




in the mean time don't lose the number for that spare engine

 

[LucyBrelsford]

No I won't but any idea how much it would cost to fit the engine?

Thanks

 

[PuntoHowTo]

on the cheap probably about £150? depends on your garage and what work they already have on

 

[LucyBrelsford]

The car only rattled when I accelerated, when I was stationary the car was just juddering :-(

 

[mk2 2000]

Low compression in 1&2 cylinders could be inlet and exhaust valves. but best thing to do is do a wet and dry test and note the readings

 

[PuntoHowTo]

Low compression in 1&2 cylinders could be inlet and exhaust valves. but best thing to do is do a wet and dry test and note the readings

I know you're a new member, but you really need to read the original post the LUCY made

Please help as I know nothing about cars except been driving two months and this is already my second car arghhh

I don't really think doing compression tests is her thing, especially with the car being in the hands of a garage, who will hopefully get back to her with an answer on monday in the mean time we can only speculate as to the cause of the problems, however she could raise some funds but running a book on it

 

[mk2 2000]

It was a suggeation on what she could have done as i have down it on my own punto

 

[PuntoHowTo]

the obvious difference between you doing a compression test and Lucy doing it is firstly, You had the car to be able to do it (hers being in the garage).

and although i'm guessing she would like to save money where possible i'm not sure she wants to become an amateur mechanic quite yet.

 

[LucyBrelsford]

Haha... Thanks guys, no I don't intend on becoming a amature mechanic anytime soon, only just mastered water and oil! Only been driving since 8thMarch.

Just wondered at worse case scenario how much it's gonna put me back as its the second car since I have been driving and will not scrap this one only to be in the same situation. Would rather spend money the money on her

 

[chaos]

Head gaskets don't normally 'rattle' because of the car you have (1.2 8valve) its unlikely as with other cars to be a problem with the cam belt either which on some cars can 'rattle' if the timing is out and the pistons strike the valves, oil starvation however does rattle. You will probably have to wait and see what the garage say for a definitive answer.

Unless it's predetonation that the OP could hear...

The low compression on cylinders 1 and 2 could point towards a HG failure between the two cylinders. I think it would be too coincidental (but by no means impossible) that both cylinders have leaky valve assemblies.

Lucy, it sounds like you have a list of the work done when the head gasket was last changed (£390 for supply and fix the head gasket sounds about right from a garage when the labour charge will be between £45-60 an hour depending on garage). Did they skim the cylinder head? If not, then the new gasket tends to fail shortly afterwards.

If the head gasket does need replacing, then it would be sensible to budget for a head skim, a new cam belt (even though the current one has done 3K, I wouldn't reuse it), a new water pump (you may as well, if it fails in the future you'll have to redo the cam belt) as well as the new gaskets.

When I last did a FIRE head gasket (must have been about 5 years ago), it cost me £100 for the parts I mentioned and a head skim.

 

[LucyBrelsford]

The invoice for the last one that I can read says

Remove cylinder head and take for retesting

Rebuild with all be gaskets and head bolts

Fit new water pump

Fit new Cam belt kit

Fit new coolant

Fit new thermostat

Fit new spark plugs

Total 390.88

But surely that wouldn't go so quick :-( I think it may have done 5000 miles thinking of it :-(

 

[chaos]

The invoice for the last one that I can read says

Remove cylinder head and take for retesting

Rebuild with all be gaskets and head bolts

Fit new water pump

Fit new Cam belt kit

Fit new coolant

Fit new thermostat

Fit new spark plugs

Total 390.88

But surely that wouldn't go so quick :-( I think it may have done 5000 miles thinking of it :-(

If the cylinder head mating face is warped (more likely with an alloy head) then a new HG will go very shortly after; the seal between the cylinder head and the engine block is not as good as it should be.

You will need new head bolts as well if you remove the head (the bolts stretch on fitting); they may or may not come with a HG kit.

 

[s and b]

make sure garage are aware it lost power before stopping which could have been a seizure that has since relaxed now everything has cooled down
otherwise they might do a top end rebuild only for the bottom to be kaput once running