Ive been doing some work on a friends car for him.
Its a 1996 Fiat Punto GT turbo.
Fitted a new headgasket for him.
Basically what happened was he wanted some head work doing, bigger valves, ported and polished and a high lift cam fitting.
I removed the head and sent it to an engineering firm down south.
Took several weeks turn around for the head to come back. It turned up monday, I fitted the head back to the block, new gaskets, seals etc etc.
Now its all together I find the battery flat. Not a problem as I have jumper pack.
The engine turns over but now has no spark and no fuel.
The car has a toad alram fitted but this seems to be working fine as it wont let you turn the engine over unless you disarm it.
Now Ive noticed the key code that shows up on the dash for a few seconds when you switch the ignition on and then should go out doesnt even light up at all.
Ive checked all the fuses, relays etc.
I rechecked the wiring loom in the engine bay against another GT turbo, this is fine.
I fitted new terminals the 3 earth wires on the engine and made sure they have a good contact yet still nothing works.
When i switch the igntion on I get about 2 volts to the fuel pump and relay. If I use my test lamp to the switchable side of the relay it powers the relay up and the fuel pump works.

Any ideas, Im pulling my hair with it it now.
Next step after the holidays is to ring a sparky to look over it if no joy here.
Thanks.
THAT PART IS NOW SORTED, BUT.....

New problem:
I bought another chipped key and code box, now fuels and sparks so that bits sorted.

Now I have a new problem.
Since fitting the head back to the car, its reluctant to start and sounds low on compression.
Comp test shows average of 100psi across all cylinders which is low.
An engineering firm has fitted new valves, ported the head, shimmed and fitted a fast road cam.
Ive put the head back on the car ands its hard to start.
Once started its very flat to drive.
When it started it was smoking alot but then as its warmed up, its clearing up.
When the fan cut in the engine cut out and hasnt started since.
Any sensible suggestions please, Im so sick of it now.
Thanks.

 

Deffo sounds like the standard immobiliser is not disengaging. Have you tried a different key? Could be the chip inside the key is knackered?

 

Yeah, I should have said mate Ive tried the red master key and its still the same.

 

Bump.
Anyone got any ideas apart from a gallon of petrol and a match

 

nope.... its a Fiat...... I'd go with your gut feelings....

 

dont know nothing about fiat,could it of wiped something with the battery being flat for awhile i know on vectra b when its a immoiliser pproblem the ecu light flashes and just changed the ecu,key reader and the key an it was fine but i had a spare car lucky enough

 

I bought another chipped key and code box, now fuels and sparks so that bits sorted.

Now I have a new problem.
Since fitting the head back to the car, its reluctant to start and sounds low on compression.
Comp test shows average of 100psi across all cylinders which is low.
An engineering firm has fitted new valves, ported the head, shimmed and fitted a fast road cam.
Ive put the head back on the car ands its hard to start.
Once started its very flat to drive.
When it started it was smoking alot but then as its warmed up, its clearing up.
When the fan cut in the engine cut out and hasnt started since.
Any sensible suggestions please, Im so sick of it now.
Thanks.

 

sounds to me like the valves are not seated right

 

did you lap the valves in or was it the engineering firm that you sent it to?

 

It was the engineering firm that did everything to the head, I only fitted the head back to the block with a new headgasket.

The head work was done by a firm in Herts called Autocare. They have a 340bhp punto 1.4 8valve turbo!!!

 

- Valves lapped in?
- are the followers hydrolic or solid/adj/shim? have they been set up? or jacked up?
- is the cam timed in correctly?
- Was that comp test done cold or hot?
- Have you done a leak down test?

 

Yes, Apparently the valves have been lapped in mate.
The followers are hydrolic and ive checked the gaps, there fine.
Ive been and checked the timing for a 3rd time and its definately spot on.
I did a comp test when cold annd no I havent done a leak test yet.
Cheers mate

 

Well run it up till it at full temp.

then do another comp test,
with jump pack connected, all plugs out, throttle full open,


If its a after market cam, it will need to timed with a adjustable vernier and dial gauge, or at least checked the valve timing is near enough correct.



Have you touched any sensors? checked all sensors?

 

Yeah I have checked all sensors several times and everything seems to be in order.
I might just try a wet test to see what results that gives me.
Thanks for the advice I checked up and was told I wouldnt need a vernier for this cam????????

 

You need to do the comp test hot still to give accurate readings.


at a guess you want to be seeing 140-160 psi on a accurate comp tester.


Are any sensors running off the cam?

 

No there aint any cam sensors of any description fitted to this engine mate.
I will try and get it started again 1st thing, warm it up and then see what compression we have then.
Its a nightmare to start aswell.

 

if it having trouble starting/running, and all compressions are 100psi cold,

chances are there is cam/sensor issue or something else not right.

 

Well Ive just done a wet test and straight away the compression goes well over 200psi.
Is it worth trying to put a bit diesel down the bores and leave over night to see if it will help the rings. They could just be glued????

 

If the engine was perfect before head swap, and no crap or moisture got into the bore since it was last run, then it will be highly unlikely to be rings on all 4 bores.

You still need to do a hot comp test, as rings wont be sealing correctly at all at cold.

 

Update:
Ive pulled it back to bits again and the head is perfect as I thought it would be.
There is marks on the bores, not very harsh but all the same Ive drop the sump off and pulled the pistons out and this is what ive ended up with,










Looks like theres been some det going aswell.
What the hell has caused that damage?
It was fine before any headwork was done.. The car was starting and driving fine.

 

was it mapped to run the new head and cams?

 

It didnt really get a proper chance to fire up mate.
It was very reluctant to start and would only do so after several attempts.. It would barely rev up let alone drive.

 

Got another block lined hopefully for the car.
Ive managed to find a low mileage block.
Do you reckonn its worth whipping the sump off and fitting rings and shells etc before I put it altogether and fitting to the car??

 

looking at the blow by on the pistons i'd say thats been on its way out for a while, it could be that the old head condition (valve seating, cam etc) was bad enough to match the bottom end, when it had a new head the bottom end promptly shat its self?

 

Was the head scrubbed, ports cleaned out etc, seen this before, where people don't and assume the recon place does it, they don't, even a pressure wash is no good, it needs scrubbing.
On a engine block alone I spend a day prepping it after boring etc, and a good 2 hours is scrubbing.
tabetha

 

I have a sneaky feeling it hasnt been mapped since it had alot of engine work done early last year.

I know the spec of the engine until it fucked up was:
1.4 8valve mpi
GT25R Turbo
seb 4.11 chip
2.5" elbow & downpipe
2.25" exhaust with decat
tubular manifold
Piper cross open filter
Dawes Device MBC
Adjustable FSE
Uprated fuel pump
Head ported & flowed
valves cut back
piper 285 camkit
270cc injectors & apexi avcr ebc

Any other suggesstions when I put it back together with a new block?

 

i would go with tabetha on this one,shite in the re-worked head,especialy if it was ok before the head was done.

 

looks to me like it was semi-goosed anyway and the final nail in the coffin so to say is machining swarf ingress

moral is bench clean engine parts YOURSELF if you know they have had work done to them
dont take anyones word for it !!


some of them score markings look fresh mate

its a fiat leave it on the road and give it a few weeks and it will be dust anyway and blow away in the wind leaving a rusy coloured crap on the floor were it was once parked

 

Nightmare mate bloody cars they arte apain in the arse.