Query for the motorheads/mechanics on my dilemma

tommy21

I drive a 1999 Fiat Punto (1.2). Couple of days go while racing to the hospital with someone, a little smoke came out the air vents in car and I noticed temperature needle was in the red. So got to hospital and once I had emergency sorted, I got a chance to check the coolant level. It was quite low so I topped it up, but within 15 minutes en route home (the needle gradually rising all the time) the same thing happened again. Got to a mechanic today who fit me in at last minute and did a quick check. He thinks "head gasket" is gone and while he won't have price until tomorrow, looking at probably €450-600 including labour for new one. Quite annoying as only two weeks ago I renewed my insurance policy for about 700€ (24 year old male )


It is prone to a few other minor problems, for instance the air condition runs cold a lot and will only come on full blast or not at all, car is always fogging up too despite running the air con (rubber tubing on back door loose I think this is the cause at least in the morning when I first get into car).

My question is this - is it worth it in the current market putting that kind of money into a decade old car (only 58,000 on the clock though) and of course does this price sound about right for what needs to be done. How much would a decent second hand car of the same calibre (a strange word to associate with fiat punto lol) set me back in a market that's supposedly flooded with cars?

Thanks in advance

AzureAuto

Hey,
Thats too much to be paying for a headgasket job on a punto. Head gasket set is around 80-90 euro, labour (including skimming) should be no more than 250. Obviously you need to determine the reason for the car overheating, but in my experience the water pumps, thermostats and cooling fan give probs.
Well worth keeping. The punto FIRE engine that you have is otherwise bulletproof and will go on forever, provided it is serviced and maintained correctly. If I were you I'd get the work done and keep the motor on the road as you wont get a better cheap to run/insure car than those little puntos.

Darragh29

I suppose when you throw in a replacement timing belt kit & water pump which your mechanic should be also replacing with the head gasket, and the labour, I'd be pencilling it in at around 350-400 Euro...

The fan problem is just the switch at the dash I'd say, the switch itself is actually bypassed on the highest setting which is usually why the switch works on the highest setting only if there is a problem with it. Not an expensive issue to resolve. If the car is fogging up inside, the most likely explanation for this is that the setting you have for the air circulation is for the air to circulate around inside the car instead of pass through...

frank gooding

My cousin had a punto around 00 she had to get the head done twice.

Walk away fix it again tomorrow.

tommy21

AzureAuto wrote: »

Hey,
Thats too much to be paying for a headgasket job on a punto. Head gasket set is around 80-90 euro, labour (including skimming) should be no more than 250. Obviously you need to determine the reason for the car overheating, but in my experience the water pumps, thermostats and cooling fan give probs.
Well worth keeping. The punto FIRE engine that you have is otherwise bulletproof and will go on forever, provided it is serviced and maintained correctly. If I were you I'd get the work done and keep the motor on the road as you wont get a better cheap to run/insure car than those little puntos.

Well he said thermostat and cooling fan appeared to be operating correctly anyway. So you think 250 is all that should be??

tommy21

frank gooding wrote: »

My cousin had a punto around 00 she had to get the head done twice.

Walk away fix it again tomorrow.

Hmm possible I just don't know.

tommy21

Darragh29 wrote: »

I suppose when you throw in a replacement timing belt kit & water pump which your mechanic should be also replacing with the head gasket, and the labour, I'd be pencilling it in at around 350-400 Euro...

The fan problem is just the switch at the dash I'd say, the switch itself is actually bypassed on the highest setting which is usually why the switch works on the highest setting only if there is a problem with it. Not an expensive issue to resolve. If the car is fogging up inside, the most likely explanation for this is that the setting you have for the air circulation is for the air to circulate around inside the car instead of pass through...

Well mechanic said it is time the timing belt was checked too. So you think for a new pump, timing belt and head gasket it would be 350-400. Switch sounds promising though I've tried both air circulation settings to no avail.

Darragh29

tommy21 wrote: »

Well mechanic said it is time the timing belt was checked too. So you think for a new pump, timing belt and head gasket it would be 350-400. Switch sounds promising though I've tried both air circulation settings to no avail.

It's best practice to always fit a new timing belt when an old one is taken off and I'd usually go a step further and replace the tensioner and the water pump just for completeness.

As for the switch, at the back of your switch, you have a variable resistor which is usually incorporated into the switch. If this switch goes open circuit (loses continuity or breaks somewhere in the line), then you lose all fan control settinsg except the last one which by-passes the resistor circuit...

jetfiremuck

You said you saw smoke from the vents. You might have a leaky heater core. Can you smell coolant from the vents. If you have a/c the heaater core if leaking will drain out through a/c drain and may not wet the carpet inside. Have the cooling system pressure tested first before repairs. Go change the thermostat and cooling fan switch.

tommy21

jetfiremuck wrote: »

You said you saw smoke from the vents. You might have a leaky heater core. Can you smell coolant from the vents. If you have a/c the heaater core if leaking will drain out through a/c drain and may not wet the carpet inside. Have the cooling system pressure tested first before repairs. Go change the thermostat and cooling fan switch.

Now that you mention it I do remember a weird air freshner smell. I shall be driving it tonight for 10 mins to test (mechanic said its ok in short term as long as I keep refilling coolant/water). When you say the heater core do you mean the radiator?

tommy21

Darragh29 wrote: »

It's best practice to always fit a new timing belt when an old one is taken off and I'd usually go a step further and replace the tensioner and the water pump just for completeness.

As for the switch, at the back of your switch, you have a variable resistor which is usually incorporated into the switch. If this switch goes open circuit (loses continuity or breaks somewhere in the line), then you lose all fan control settinsg except the last one which by-passes the resistor circuit...

Sounds wise but I've got a sinking feeling I will be walking. I can't afford the growing list of repairs if what you say is true

jetfiremuck

tommy21 wrote: »

Now that you mention it I do remember a weird air freshner smell. I shall be driving it tonight for 10 mins to test (mechanic said its ok in short term as long as I keep refilling coolant/water). When you say the heater core do you mean the radiator?

No The heater matrix thats inside the car, behind the dashboard. Like I said have the cooling system pressure tested to verify problem. Good Luck

debbie123

AzureAuto wrote: »

Hey,
Thats too much to be paying for a headgasket job on a punto. Head gasket set is around 80-90 euro, labour (including skimming) should be no more than 250. Obviously you need to determine the reason for the car overheating, but in my experience the water pumps, thermostats and cooling fan give probs.
Well worth keeping. The punto FIRE engine that you have is otherwise bulletproof and will go on forever, provided it is serviced and maintained correctly. If I were you I'd get the work done and keep the motor on the road as you wont get a better cheap to run/insure car than those little puntos.

i agree my fiat is giving me trouble so looked on all the suggested cars for sale websites and there is very little out there with average mileage and an nct that ticks all the boxes economical cheap to tax insure ect

psycho-hope

hey tommy, i have an 00 punto and had a similiar prob recently wit it minus the smoke, turned out there was a massive air lock in the radiator system and all that was needed to fix it was for it to be complety drained and then refilled, apperently if theres an air lock it confuses the thermostat and stops the fan kicking in right, mechanic did suggest it could be the head gasket if it was he was quoting somewhere between 350-450 depending on how long it took