This is the epic story of my new Fiat Uno 1.0 ltr i.e. which I recieved from my dad, for my perusal over the comig wintery months.
Until it was given a pre-MOT inspection and it was discovered that it needed £500 for welding for a pass (and a few other small things) I drove a Mk3 Ford Transit van - the progress thread for that can be found here: http:// -removethis- fordtransit. -remove this big space bit- org/forum/viewtopic.php?f=27&t=28476

So instead of getting it all welded up, Im scrapping it and hopefuly getting £360 odd for it, helping to reduce my student overdraft


My dad gets bargain vehicles off ebay you see. He currently has over 16 motorcycles, 2 (not including mine) Fiat Unos, a speedboat, 3 jaguars/ daimlers and one of these: http:// -removethis- cars-directory -remove this bit- .net/pics/zil/131/1982/zil_131_3545515.jpg

So lets begin:
I drove it backfrom London (where my dad lives) to Wales (where I live) at 21:45 on Monday 18th August 2008 at a rather fast speed as there was no one around.

It took me a while to get used to how low the clutch is, and how light the accelerator is. I ended up revving rather highly and not going anywhere on the first 5 minutes, which also happend to be the first drive I have ever taken my dad on

I ended up sleeping in my work's car park overnight, rather than getting all the way home.

Then next day, we gave it a dang good hoover and wetwipe inside. It looks quite nice now.

Here be pictures (btw - Im a great fan of pictures in threads, thus, there shall be as many as I can do, over the course of this thread):







Tomorrow (after I get paid), I shall be taking it for a luxury car wash at Tescos, then giving it a bit of a wax to make it shiney.

I have put in the radio from my van that I replaced the standard one with - CD player, AUX in and USB connectivity.
I still have an AMP and sub to add in to the car though, they are currently sitting downstairs... :S

Tonight, I gave the engine a bit of a clean and a look over, and noticed a few things..... :S

1 - is the engine fan not supposed to turn if the engine is running, or does it only run if the engine gets too hot?

2- My distributor seems to be missing 2 graphite contacts:

Is there anythig I can do to fix this, or is it just a case of "get a new distributor cap"?

3 - The in car fan.. doesnt appear to blow hot air :S The windscreen demist is warm/hot.. but the main blower on the central pillar is just plain cold - any ideas what is wrong with it?

4 - I need to install a cigarette lighter in the car - I have already taken out the old one from the van Im scrapping, how hard is it to wire it in myself?

5 - For some reason,I dont seem to be able to find a Haynes manual for my car - they stop at 1995 M reg - mine is a N reg... will this be close enough?

6- I assume I have a Mk2? I can tell the difference between the different Marks of Ford Transits from a kilometer away with one eye shut, but have no idea about the Unos What do I look out for? (On transits its lights and grills mainly)


Thanks in advance all. I look forwards to conversing with you on a regular basis.

Hello and welcome to the forum fellow Uno owner! :wave:

Ucof said:

1 - is the engine fan not supposed to turn if the engine is running, or does it only run if the engine gets too hot?

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It only comes on when the engine temperature goes above 90 degrees. Below this temperature it should be off.

Ucof said:

2- My distributor seems to be missing 2 graphite contacts: Is there anythig I can do to fix this, or is it just a case of "get a new distributor cap"?

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I think this is normal from what I can remember. The 'missing' contacts are moulded into the cap itself and you can only see the edges. I'm 99% sure this is the case, and if the engine runs fine then you've nothing to worry about.

Ucof said:

3 - The in car fan.. doesnt appear to blow hot air :S The windscreen demist is warm/hot.. but the main blower on the central pillar is just plain cold - any ideas what is wrong with it?

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There is nothing wrong with it. The centre console vents are fresh air vents only. The hot air only goes to the windscreen and/ or the footwells. This allows you to have warm/ hot air warming the windscreen and footwells and cold air from the console face vents to stop you getting drowsy!

Ucof said:

4 - I need to install a cigarette lighter in the car - I have already taken out the old one from the van Im scrapping, how hard is it to wire it in myself?

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I seem to remember that the mk2 base model Unos had the wiring in place for the cigarette lighter/ clock unit in the upper console. It's hidden behind the dashboard somewhere. In which case you should try and find a scrap Uno with a cigarette lighter already fitted, remove it and fit this into your car. That way it will be a straight swap rather than trying to fit a unit meant for a different car.

Ucof said:

5 - For some reason,I dont seem to be able to find a Haynes manual for my car - they stop at 1995 M reg - mine is a N reg... will this be close enough?

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Yes.

Ucof said:

6- I assume I have a Mk2? I can tell the difference between the different Marks of Ford Transits from a kilometer away with one eye shut, but have no idea about the Unos What do I look out for? (On transits its lights and grills mainly)

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Mk1's were made from 1983 to 1989, Mk2's from 1989 to approx. 1994/5 (in the UK - later in other countries). You have a mk2 most definitely! Mk1's have a very distinct dashboard with switch pods either side of the instrument cluster. They also have a slimmer tailgate, a chunkier front with bigger headlights/ indicators and also different rear lights. Mk2's have a more 'wedge' frontal profile, a more swollen tailgate similiar to a Tipo and a more 'normal' dashboard. Mechanically both mk1's and mk2's are very similar.

Ucof said:

Thanks in advance all. I look forwards to conversing with you on a regular basis.

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You've come to the right place! Uno nutters abound in this section

Ucof said:

It took me a while to get used to how low the clutch is, and how light the accelerator is. I ended up revving rather highly and not going anywhere on the first 5 minutes, which also happend to be the first drive I have ever taken my dad on

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I always have the same problem when driving my father's car (Citroen). Cluch is hard, accelerator is hard, brake is soft. In my Uno everything is the opposite. So when I sit in Citroen it dies twice before I get used to it, while braking I almost slam my head into window, and if I immediatly after driving it sit in my Uno I end revving it at 3500rpm and not going anywhere

Thanks for the beautiful replies.

1 - I see what you mean about the fan turning - I've always wondered what that "fan turning" sound coming from under the bonnet after a particularly long run was. You have put my mind at rest.

2 - Good to know - I though that two had corroded over the years

3 - Veeery Iiiiinteresting.... I thought that there must have been something I was missing.

4 - I'll give the local scrappies a ring tonight to see what they have - its a pain in the arse not having it to power t'Satnav

5 - Wonderful. Thanks.

6 - Aahhhhhaaoooooooeeeeeeneeeeiow. I'll keep my eyes open. Otherwise I might crash and "die screaming like a pig in a war"


one last question - the belt between t'engine and t'alternator squeeks horribly when I start the car up. It soon goes, but Im the sort of person that will just get annoyed by it everytime, so thougth I should do something about it. Any ideas what is wrong, or should I just get a new belt?

After I gave the engine a bit of a clean out last night (still have oil on my hands ) - I had a look this morning and there is a definate small oil leak from the top of the engine bit on the right hand side. Its only a small leak thankfully, but somethign I should look at. I'll be taking the deckchair and a few beers out tonight and will watch it intently for a few hours to see if it does anything magical. I doubt it.


Oooooh, the actual last question (for this post), spark plug spanners - what size do I need? The one I bought for my transit is too large Is it a 14mm one I need?

Thank you all very much in advance.
Please help yourselves to cake:

Just fit a new belt, they're cheap and its an easy job.

The spark plugs are a nightmare to get out, can't remember thr size though.

Matt

Ok, no worries, thanks for the reply


I have just pur-chased this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370073930231&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123

Hopefully, no one iwll ever get he chance to steal my fuel

Im also about to give the carb a good clean out - got some Reddex and will be following the instructions on the bottle - remove air filter from carburettor, pour half a bottle in slowly

I have also got good news about any parts that I may need - one of my dad's other Fiats... is a donor! Huzzah! I'll be getting a cigarette lighter and a Haynes manual! Whooty McTavish! Now.. I just need to hav a poke in the dashboard and find the wire. I looked at the fusebox, and there is a fuse for it... but I'm just trying to find out where the wire goes now...

I also took the car through the car wash... £4 for not much cleaner 4 tesco points though



One problem that did rear its ugly head today though (I commute about 100 miles everyday, hence the small car with a small engine ) however today, changing gear turned into a nightmare. I would depress the clutch, and getting her (havent decided on the sex of my car yet) into any of the forward gears (1,3,5) was a real stuggle - I genuinly had to push really hard on the gearstick and force it in. Both the rear gears (2 and 4) were happy as larry and really easy to get into. However, the problem has apparently gone away. Any ideas what might have caused this?

Hi there and welcome!

try looking for the Porter uno manual too I prefer it to haynes

Ucof said:

Ok, no worries, thanks for the reply


I have just pur-chased this: http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=370073930231&ssPageName=ADME:X:RTQ:GB:1123

Hopefully, no one iwll ever get he chance to steal my fuel

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Good choice

Ucof said:

Im also about to give the carb a good clean out - got some Reddex and will be following the instructions on the bottle - remove air filter from carburettor, pour half a bottle in slowly

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NOOOOOOOOOOOoooooooooooooooooooo!!!!!!!!!!

not if it's not for cat cars!! you will kill your cat converter :bang: the SPI uno has a throttle body, not a carburettor, so I presume you have some old reddex. Don't think I ever used it on this Uno, but reguerly on my older ones.

Ucof said:

I have also got good news about any parts that I may need - one of my dad's other Fiats... is a donor! Huzzah! I'll be getting a cigarette lighter and a Haynes manual! Whooty McTavish! Now.. I just need to hav a poke in the dashboard and find the wire. I looked at the fusebox, and there is a fuse for it... but I'm just trying to find out where the wire goes now...

I also took the car through the car wash... £4 for not much cleaner 4 tesco points though

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it will need a good T cut, maybe 2 T cuts

Ucof said:

One problem that did rear its ugly head today though (I commute about 100 miles everyday, hence the small car with a small engine ) however today, changing gear turned into a nightmare. I would depress the clutch, and getting her (havent decided on the sex of my car yet) into any of the forward gears (1,3,5) was a real stuggle - I genuinly had to push really hard on the gearstick and force it in. Both the rear gears (2 and 4) were happy as larry and really easy to get into. However, the problem has apparently gone away. Any ideas what might have caused this?

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Fiat Gearbox

joking there have a look at the gear box mounts maybe one is dead? in the mean time - try double D clutching, but don't force it as you'll make it worse .

thinking about it, my uno didn't want to go into any gear before I changed the clutch. there were only half the clutch fingers left on the clutch cover .

here is my daily drive Uno pritty much as it is today



fitted clear indicators and an Uno SX bumper, lowered 40mm amongst other things

Thats very pretty

Thanks for the welcome!
help yourself to cake.. it went that a way ^

Don't worry - the Reddex is fine for cats (it says on the bottle) - I poured less that half of it straight into the top of the carb whilst the engine was running , after removing the air filter, and I was manually opening and closing the air inlet via the cable - it all seems to have gone very well. I didn't want to give it an uber-rev as I don't want to annoy the neighbours
What's an SPI Uni by the way? (Single Petrol Injection? Stupid Puppy Inside? Small Plum Igloo?)

What's D clutching?
The problem seems to have gone by the way, but I will definatly keep an eye on it.

Thanks again.

Sorry I forgot about you..

Double D clutching is what old people tend to do as they learned to drive before syncromesh gearboxes came about:-
dip clutch to move out of gear,
lift clutch in neutral,
dip clutch to select next gear,
lift clutch and continue driving (Few) but tends to help suborn Uno gears

SPI is single point injection as apposed to MPI (multi…..) these Unos only have one injector, just the turbos have 4 .

Now after my second week of driving it to and from work, I'm definitely enjoying it. Steering is lovely and light - I was suprised when my dad said it doesn't have power steering, he just said that it's very light. I suppose that makes sence really.

I took her off for a 50 odd mile trip along good old Welsh country roads the other week - lots of fun tearing along at high speeds - I really should cap my speeds though. It was only when someone there suggested that I could use my SatNav as a co-pilot that I thought it could possibly be a bit safer.
Still, I really need to learn to drive not quite so fast. It is still fun though

Anyway, to business!

I popped over to Halfrauds to pick up a new alternator belt today. But alas, they had one not Will hopefully picking one up at the other nearby Halfrauds tomorrow instead - I have a look at the current one - it doesnt need tightening, it definately needs just a new one. There's obvious bits of wear on it.

I did however pick up some brand new 4" pioneer speakers which are all attached and working sexily. They sound so much nicer now than the sh!te standard ones that the car came with. I'm intending on putting the spare ones in the back now. I have also decided NOT to put either my sub or my amp in the new car. The sub would take up half the boot space, and it quiet enough not to need the amp, and so I will just use my Sony headunit with my tasty new speakers.

Update on the shifting gear problem - It only seems to happen when Im using the clutch a lot, such as being stuck in traffic. If Im just staying in 5th on the motorway all the way home, it has no problems. Any idea what might be causing this?

I also have the problem that is solved in this guide - I'm hoping to get it fixed at some point.

Cigarette lighter issue - does anyone know which wires in the Uno I have to cut to get it to work? Or is there supposed to be an adaptor that goes into the fusebox directly? On the lighter I have taken from my van, there is aparently an earth, a live and a neutral (green, red and brown wires). Unsure what to do really.

How would I go about debadging the car? With a paint stripper? Or will doing that rip paint off too? I only want my Flying Spagheti Monster emblem to be showing ALL HAIL HIS NOODLY APPENDAGE!

While on that subject, Im trying to get rid of the quite frankly 'orrible "Uno Start" stickers on the rear quarters. However, they are a real bitch to peel off - at the moment, I have half of one off, which I then remove the glue with petrol. Are there any chemical cleaners I can use to get the stickers off somewhat faster than the current "half a sticker every week" rate that Im working at?

Also, I have noticed that there appears to be a rear window washer jet in the top left hand corner of the rear window. However, there is no button to make it work. Where should the button/ lever/ knob to push/ pull/ press be?

Thanks in advance all

Also, I mocked this up sometime back - My MS Paint skill know no bounds!

I like UV orange and green colours, though, the respray would end up costing more than the car does!





I'll see if I can get an orange one made up.

Oh, and I might also see if I can add the anti-roll bars as shown here.
Im also finding the suspension *very* soft when cornering

Oh, and Im also tempted to change the dashboard illumination colour

Clutch issue – what’s the clutch fluid level like? Not got a leak? If not, maybe you have got really old hydraulic fluid in the clutch system perhaps the original stuff like I found. Try replacing all the clutch fluid.. tis a separate square reservoir on the o/s strut top.

Sub
Get it in – will make your Uno even faster.. mine takes up about ¾ the boot space.

Dizzy seal
Fix it before your clutch gets oiled

Wires
When you remove the ash tray bit, the loom should be there already with the right connector in place.. just plug and play – same as the clock on the centre console you may need to fish around but it should be there. Brown wire for live, black for earth.. there is also a switched live for the illumination of the lighter – comes on with headlights.. needless to say, I knicked it for the fog light low tension.

Rear badge -get a hair dryer on to warm them up and peal off – so I’m told.. I still have the lovely start badges think mine have lacquer sprayed over them

Rear washer - push washer stalk away from you for rear wash motor towards you for front – then trace fault to a blocked 1 way valve below the water tank.

You sir, are a leg-end!
Thank you very very much for your replies

*does the happy happy dance*

Thanks for the answers, its 23:04, and all I want to do is run out of bed to push the washer stalk away from me

Welcome to The Uno Section

think I had Chas check the wires to his coil at around 12.30am when I was fitting my Uno SX pod (with rev counter) :slayer:

Off you go now

Louie B said:

Rear washer - push washer stalk away from you for rear wash motor towards you for front – then trace fault to a blocked 1 way valve below the water tank.

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Are you psychic? That's exactly what happened...

edit - I have now taken out the valve and stuck the pipe directly into the tank nozzle. Is the valve essential? Because it all seems to work now, though the jet on the rear is rather strong. If it is essential, how can I unblock it?

Thanks.

Well you know

This valve stops all the fluid in the pipe returning to the tank. As the stupidly designed switch also triggers the wiper blade to sweep, you'll soon ware out the blade while it's waiting for water to make it's way along the whole length of the pipe every time .

I was told that the blade is a fiat only full arm, so that's just what I shelled out for. you may be able to replace just the blade rubber though .

As for the valve, don't bother, should be pence from a good motor factor or given away with any purchase from a scappy - look in any Fiat bay

Thanks


Yeah - I replaced just the rubber blade a while back, so that doesnt bother me much now