Punto Cylinder Head Gaskets

Does anyone know why there is a problem with Punto head gaskets failing so regularly? Obviously you only hear of the people who have had this problem but it does seem to be of a similar proportion to the same problem on Rover 'K' series engines.

I have heard it said that there is a fault with the casting or design of the cylinder head which allows this to happen.

Any observations or comments from anyone would be interesting. I would particularly like to hear from undergraduate-car-mechanic on his experiences in this area.

Reply to
Brian Hall
Loading thread data ...

All I know is that every Puno owner I've spoken to, the head gasket failed between 40,000 - 45,000 miles. Mine went at 42,000 miles and cost £250 to repair.

S
Reply to
simonbray

simonbray heeft ons zojuist aangekondigd :

I don't know where i read it, possibly here, that there is an other gasket availeble, wich is more solid then a standard gasket... I already had to change mine at 75.000 km, i suppose that i will encounter it again some time (since i will keep driving it for a few years).

Reply to
Draak

Snap. Or should I say "me too".

Al

Reply to
Al Reynolds

the gasget nearly allways goes on number 1 cylinder and sometimes number 4, and as far as i know fiat have never said anything about it. I myself belive that its a problem caused by cylinder head temperature variation.

Reply to
undergraduate-car-mechanic

I know of one person who had the head gasket changed at 28,000 miles, another who had two go at about 38,000 miles and again at 48,000 miles plus a few others between 40,000-50,000. Our Punto is now on 29,000 miles so we are expecting the worse within the next year.

Meanwhile has any body else had problems with gearboxes, clutches and wheel bearings?

Brian

Reply to
Brian Hall

Yep, the clutch was a problem with mine to (you could feel it), i had it replaced at 70.000 km or so, but was not gone totally, i did not want to be surprised (i am talking about a mk1 punto, 1998, now 115.000 km).

Reply to
Draak

I have a 1998 Punto 60SX - clutch release bearing went @ 47000 miles & cylinder head gasket @ 57000 miles. Mechanic (independant, but FIAT trained) said problems with the gasket never occured with this engine (8v) in the Uno, only in the fuel injected version, as in the Punto. Not sure how true this is.

So far (60000 miles) no probs with wheel bearings, he said, touching wood :-)

Rob

Reply to
Rob

Our Punto 1.2ELX Dec 2000 model had 2nd gear replaced at 18,000 miles when we were told by the dealer that the clutch was over 60% wore up. Within a few miles the Punto had a front wheel bearing renewed and a shaft in the steering column replaced. Since then there have been hand brake problems (sticking on) and the rear silencer box fell off and it took a week to get a new one.

Presently the other front wheel bearing is being renewed but there is problem. The ABS sensor may have been damaged when removing it and when everything was refitted the ABS light came on. A new sensor was supplied by the dealer and wouldn't fit so the correct one had to come from Italy. This was fitted and the ABS warning light still lights. Checking again with the dealer and it now turns out that we should have originally been supplied with wheel bearing, for the ABS model Punto, which must have a toothed ring or something for the sensor to use. I can't say what it is like as the dealer hasn't got one in stock at the moment. Anyway perhaps our old ABS sensor was okay anyway but it is another £50 spent on a car that we are rapidly loosing confidence in.

The worse thing in all cases was trying to get new parts. Even though on every occasion we gave all the necessary numbers from off the body and engine, we have delays getting parts and often the wrong parts. The rear silencer was a fiasco in that the dealer supplied one part which was wrong, then another which was wrong and eventually we had to send the old part so that they could find one which looked the same. When they finally did the exhaust wouldn't reach the front section because another piece of exhaust was required as well and guess what they didn't have that it in stock.

So with 29,000 miles on the clock and knowing what will go wrong next, we have an ABS light to put out even before we can think if we can afford to change the Punto for something else.

Reply to
Brian Hall

Could undergraduate-car-mechanic please tell me the physical diffence between wheel bearings for ABS equipped and non-ABS equipped Puntos. The dealer said that the ABS version "has magnets in one end". Is this the case or just a tooth ring arrangement? Is it obvious which end of the bearing the sensor uses?

Many thanks.

Brian

Reply to
Brian Hall

my 1.2 16v piss oil on head gasket on 70 000 km

Reply to
zvone

I would have lost confidence in a dealer/mechanic that doesn't know what parts he needs when replacing a silencer or a wheel bearing, who does not know that an ABS sensor needs that toothed ring to generate the pulses for the ABS system but simply throws it away (at least I thing they've thrown it away as I can't imagine it being part of a bearing). A dealer who has his customer bring his car in for replacement of a wheel bearing and send that customer back on the road with a lot less money in his pocket and a non funtioning ABS system.

If you also know when it will go wrong, my advise would be: stay in. ;)

Reply to
Jeroen van Erp

Reply to
jason ashworth

As soon as our Punto came out of the 3 year warrantee period we took it to our local car repair man to maintain. We have been with him for several years now with our other cars and he is very competent on most things. He didn't throw a toothed ring away when he fitted the non ABS bearing and obviously the bearing must have looked similar to the original or he wouldn't have fitted it. I must admit that I have never heard of an ABS sensor using anything else other than a toothed ring, so I am rather intrigued in this ABS brake version wheel bearing. The dealer told our man that the correct bearing has magnets in it which I can't quite come to terms with, but as it is £59 to buy compared with £26 for the non ABS, there must be a substantial difference.

When I know more I'll let you know.

Thanks for your interest.

Reply to
Brian Hall

The ABS wheel bearing has magnets moulded into the rubber seal between inner and outer races which the sensor uses instead of the normal toothed ring.

The new wheel bearing turned up early last week but the box had been opened and the items inside were not the correct bits. So another bearing was ordered and arrived last Friday. Our repair man fitted the new bearing yesterday and the ABS light has gone out.

So to replace a simple wheel bearing on this car took 25 days, cost £97 in parts and £74 in labour plus VAT giving a total of £201.

Fiat cars may be cheap to by but they are hellishly expensive to run. A lot of parts on other cars that are rarely replaced seem to be consumables on Fiats e.g. head gaskets, clutches, wheel bearings, etc

Reply to
Brian Hall

How easy is to change a gasket yourself? I'd rate myself as a "beginner mechanic".

Reply to
Peter Hucker

very easy for any competent amateur...3 hours work

with vegetable soup.

Reply to
SimonDS

Reply to
Peter Hucker

weight, and always falls over on its right side when intoxicated.

Reply to
SimonDS

Noted.

Will post back after explosi> 1 person, haynes manual, common sense, torque wrench!

Reply to
Peter Hucker

MotorsForum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.