Fiat Punto overheating

Stheno

Hi all

I have a 98 fiat punto 1.3 and the head gasket blew on it and was replaced a few weeks ago.

I've done probably close to 1000 miles on it since then (I tend to have high milage)

Anyway tonight I drove out to the shops (about ten mins each way) and the darn car is overheating again, plus the blowers are shooting out cold air only.

Someone did say to me that after replacing a head gasket it needs to go back to the garage after a few weeks to be checked/tightened or something?

Anyone got any ideas?

Thanks
Theresa

johncm

i never heard of a punto going back to get the head tightened. If its blowing out cold air only id go with its the head gasket. If the head wasnt skimmed it could be warped(sp) and when you tighten the head it will still leave a small gap where the water can leak.

crosstownk

Some cars need to go back after a head job to have the head bolts re-torqued. This is not the case on most modern cars as the head bolts stretch. Not sure about a your Punto.

My advice would be to get the car back to the repairer ASAP before you do more damage. The fact that the heating/ventilation system is blowing cold air is a sure sign that the cooling system is low on coolant. Check your oil, if the level is well up then you've a head gasket problem for sure. However, if the oil level is normal it is still possible that the gasket is blown. On the other hand, it could be just that some hose, seal, junction, etc was not refitted correctly during the last job and the engine has lost it's coolant as a result.

BrianD3

If you have a cold heater and an overheating engine then that usually means there's little or no coolant in the system, so first thing to do is to check the level. If the level is down then suspect the head gasket blown again or not fitted right in the first place. If the level is ok then the cold heater and overheating could be due to a number of things - bad water pump, airlock etc. It may even be the case that your car isnt overheating at all and that the gauge/warning light on the dash is faulty.

Stheno

The head gasket was skimmed when it was fixed as it took a couple of days to do it (I do trust the garage involved)

It's going back to the garage tomorrow.

My OH had a car with the blowers going cold and he ignored it and the engine seized one day (that said he never bothered minding it.)

I've noticed the last couple of days that the drivers footwell is constantly soaking so I wonder if there is a leak somewhere? Or is coolant leaking or something?

Anyway thanks for your help and time

crosstownk

Leak in the footwell could be due to a coolant leak from the pipes leading to and from the heater matrix. It could also be rain water leaking in somewhere.

The head gasket wasn't skimmed - it was thrown away and a new one fitted. The cylinder head itself was skimmed to ensure that its surface was level before refitting - if the cylinder head surface is distorted or uneven in any way then it may well leak as per johncm's post.

Stheno

The cylinder head itself was skimmed to ensure that its surface was level before refitting -

Sorry that's what I meant, am not too good with cars

Thanks again

Stheno

Got the car back the radiator is leaking, so they've sealed it and will price up replacing it

AS_PokerKing

nouggatti wrote:

Hi all

I have a 98 fiat punto 1.3 and the head gasket blew on it and was replaced a few weeks ago.

I've done probably close to 1000 miles on it since then (I tend to have high milage)

Anyway tonight I drove out to the shops (about ten mins each way) and the darn car is overheating again, plus the blowers are shooting out cold air only.

Someone did say to me that after replacing a head gasket it needs to go back to the garage after a few weeks to be checked/tightened or something?

Anyone got any ideas?



Thanks
Theresa

Hi, the best thing to do with your fiat punto to stop the hhead gasket blowing in it is...buy a tin of petrol, pour it over the car and burn it out, then buy a car that works...preferably a japanese one.....

best-a-luck

dr.bollocko

Thats just mean.
But I still laughed.

Anan1

dr.bollocko wrote:

Thats just mean.
But I still laughed.

Really? I yawned.