2002 Fiat Punto Overheating - HELP!
Discussion
My girlfriends 02 Fiat Punto (I think it's a 1.2) has started to overheat. Today she actually had to pull over and wait for the temperature to go down before completing her journey.
I've checked the oil and coolant level, both are fine and there doesn't appear to be any leaks. She said that she could also hear the fan coming on when the temp gauge went past half way.
Can anyone suggest what could be the cause?
I've checked the oil and coolant level, both are fine and there doesn't appear to be any leaks. She said that she could also hear the fan coming on when the temp gauge went past half way.
Can anyone suggest what could be the cause?
Oh dear!! 
My Punto started overheating, then became “juddery” (misfire) just before the head gasket needed doing….which is very common on these engines (1.2 8v). I drove it around locally for months with the overheating problem (wouldn’t advise this!!), I used to plan my routes to avoid getting stuck in the traffic as when it was on the move the temp stayed around half way. Mine was going through loads of coolant though, and I mean I’d have to fill it every few days! Keep an eye on those levels.
Just for car geekery purposes, here’s what I found when I took the head off. Guess where the HG was buggered…no.1 maybe?
My Punto started overheating, then became “juddery” (misfire) just before the head gasket needed doing….which is very common on these engines (1.2 8v). I drove it around locally for months with the overheating problem (wouldn’t advise this!!), I used to plan my routes to avoid getting stuck in the traffic as when it was on the move the temp stayed around half way. Mine was going through loads of coolant though, and I mean I’d have to fill it every few days! Keep an eye on those levels.Just for car geekery purposes, here’s what I found when I took the head off. Guess where the HG was buggered…no.1 maybe?
slapmatt said:
If the fan is coming on, does this suggest that the thermostat is working?
No. The fan will be powered through a thermostatic switch.The thermostat is a different "bit" - it opens to allow the coolant to pass through the radiator when it gets hot enough. Before that the coolant doesn't pass through the radiator allowing the engine to heat up quicker. They normally fail open and the telltale is that the engine never gets to normal operating temp. Cheap to replace though if you think it's worth a try.
slapmatt said:
Are there any other telltale signs the HG is knackered?
Lots of white smoke from the exhaust, mayonnaise on the dipstick and under the filler cap, oily and/or bubbly looking coolant in the header tank, loss of performance/ecomony.Worth checking that the radiator is in good nick and not a big crumbly mess. Also check there isn't a big carrier bag stuck across it or something like that blocking the air flow. Last but not least check the coolant level when the car is clap cold to make sure it's not going down.
As above really. What I’d do to start with is bleed the cooling system and see if that does any good. As WR mentions, the classic HG thing is “mayo” on the oil cap. I didn’t get that, however, the oil breather pipe was packed with the stuff, but I never thought to check this so didn’t find out until I had it all in bits!
Wombat Rick said:
The thermostat is a different "bit" - it opens to allow the coolant to pass through the radiator when it gets hot enough. Before that the coolant doesn't pass through the radiator allowing the engine to heat up quicker.
My wife's fiat is overheating and she mentioned the petrol is dissappearing faster than normal. Sounds like an HG issue. Just in case it's the thermostat, where is this normally located and what does it look like?The thermostat will be a metal housing on one side of the engine, high up. It will have a big hose going from from the top of the radiator into it. It may have smaller hoses going off it. Have a look on www.shop4parts.co.uk and using the pop down menus go Fiat > Punto > Cooling > Thermostats and see if you can recognise the pics that come up!
Well, the garage said it had an airlock and fixed it for minimal charge. However, two weeks later it's still overheating and now they claim it IS head gasket.
£340.
This is an 02 car with less than 45,000 miles on it. It's had two clutches (luckily under warranty), been in for countless electrical faults and now this.
In my opinion you'd have to be
ing retarded to buy a Fiat, depite how kookie the 500 looks and what the motoring press says (I wonder how many of them put their money where their mouth is?).
£340.
This is an 02 car with less than 45,000 miles on it. It's had two clutches (luckily under warranty), been in for countless electrical faults and now this.
In my opinion you'd have to be
ing retarded to buy a Fiat, depite how kookie the 500 looks and what the motoring press says (I wonder how many of them put their money where their mouth is?).Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff