Decent FIAT Workshop - Cheap

meeeboards

Okay guys,

My punto is officially really really sick.
Firing on only 2 outta the 4 cylinders (3,4)
Coils have been replaced, Leads Replaced, Sparks Replaced....
People have said its either the ECU or Timing-Belt.

I can understand the ECU maybe but the timing belt?!?!?

Either way its looking like it needs a trip to a proper workshop!
I dont wanna break the bank if i dont need tobe at the same time if its something major i want it to be in good hands.

Any ideas of a decent workshop in Dublin who know their way around a FIAT?;)

BarryM3

Have you checked why its only firing on 2 cylinders?

Are you getting a spark on all four plugs?

Any decent garage should be able to sort it for you, wouldn't have to be Fiat specific

meeeboards

BarryM3 wrote:

Have you checked why its only firing on 2 cylinders?

Are you getting a spark on all four plugs?

Any decent garage should be able to sort it for you, wouldn't have to be Fiat specific

Well i had the error codes read and it threw up 3 codes:
P0300 - Multi Cylinder Misfire
P0301 - Cylinder 1 Misfire Detected
P0302 - Cylinder 2 Misfire Detected

Both AA and a mates Dad (mechanic) guessed it was the coil but accoring to the the guy i brought the car back to he changed the coils an leads yesterday and still the problem is happening. He mentioned "Hard Driving" and the timing belt but i only have the car like 2 days :O I have never hard driven a car and surely other items would be expected to gofirst such as the clutch or gearbox.... not cyliners/piston or timing belts rods!

There is a FIAT dealer just beisde my job here in Sandyford called Ambroglass Glass Motors -Are they any good or will it cost a bomb ust to have it looked at? Either that tractamotors, or unless anyone can recommend a good machanic.

ciarsd

Did you just buy this car off a garage??

meeeboards

Yer but its a long story. It was a straight trade, no warrenty no garentee... was threated more like a private sale as no cash changed hands. The only reson he's looking after it so far is because its only a few days old to me.

BarryM3

Only two things can happen the timing belt... It will break in half, causing complete engine failure or it will jump a tooth which would throw the whole engine out of alignment, not just two cylinders.

If it was my car I would manually check for a spark on the 4 leads and do a compression test... If you dont know how to do this your best bet is to give it to a mechanic... I'm sure Ambrose Glass could fix it but they will be dearer than a regular garage.... its a very basic car so any half decent mechanic shoudl be able to sort it.


EDIT - Just read your last post, an approved SIMI garage can NOT sell cars as Trade..they must offer a minimum of a 3 month warranty...get back onto him

Blue850

Sounds like a coil pack has gone, or the head gasket has blown between cylinders 1 and 2,how is the coolant level? any steam from exhaust? My sisters 00 Sporting currently has the same problem, its just had the head gasket done 3 weeks ago, so hoping its a coil pack and not a warped head:rolleyes:

meeeboards

Well accoring to this guy the coil pack was changed yesterday and it still aint firing on the two cylinders. Coolent levels are perfect, no overheating, and no steam.

A mechanic done this test on the road side.
Started the car, very carefully pulled out the lead for cylinder 1.... car continued to run the same with no change to revs.

Carefully fulled out the lead for cylinder 2.... Car continued to run same.
Carefully pulled out the lead for cylinder 3.... Car Stalled.
Restarted and done cylinder 3.... Car Stalled.

This points to the Coil pack dosnt it? Either that or the ECU

meeeboards

*cough* Bump!

Blue850

Isn't there 2 coil packs in a Punto. one for cylinders 1,2 and one for 3,4 did your mechanic swap the right one?

meeeboards

Got a call back today form him, He says he done a compression test and that it "didnt look good". Says 8 of the 16 vavles are bent and need replacing!!

If this was the case woudlt the ECU have piced it up and reported valve failure on the error codes? So now he says the head gasket and timing belt will be done too.

Total cost is look around 800euro?!?!?!?!?!

RoundyMooney

The timing belt has gone before then, and anyone tinkering with it at the time would have known that. Talk about giving the industry a bad name

As someone else said, trade sales (no warranty) are not an SIMI policy.

Interceptor

Bent valves/damaged head would suggest timing belt snapped and was replaced to assess the damage, the car was then sold as 'ok' but deteriorated as you drove it. I would suggest you call Traynors (no. in Golden Pages) and price a replacement engine rather than fix the one you have.

'cptr

Captain Slow IRL

we had one in our place with the exact same problem, all the same parts were replaced along with the ecu; this didn't cure it, but the replacement wiring loom did.

just as well the car was under warranty.....

you're best to go to a fiat dealership, who else will know their way around a fiat better;)

RoundyMooney

If FIAT main stealers are anything like their Alfa brethren, then they won't be much cop, and will wait for you with open flies. (In my experience).

An independent specialist may be better, and I'm sure someone here will be able to advise, given your location.

Interceptor

It is impossible to diagnose a fault like this over the internet, however you must stay away from main dealers and large garages. There are plenty of good backstreet garages who will fix this economically for you. From your descriptions several inconclusive tests have been carried out and the only thing you can be certain of is that two cylinders have reduced/no compression and are not firing properly.

It is IMPOSSIBLE for the guy who did the compression test to know if this is due to bent valves unless he took the head off. It is not unheard of for a coil pack to die, but this is easy to check by taking out the plugs and seeing if there is spark at the plugs when the ignition is turned.

It is a very common fault with these cars to blow the head gasket between two cylinders and lose compression on them preventing them from firing - it happened to me two months ago and a £20 gasket kit from ebay and four hours had me back on the road.

Sorry I can't recommend a good mechanic - I live in Galway and am writing this in Italy.

'cptr