Aaaaaaaarrrrrggggghhhhhh!!!!!!!
- Thread starter renaultvation
- Start date
I think I may have sorted it! After checking virtually every wire and connection and finding nothing amiss, I checked the feeds to the fuel pump relay and found one dead. I bypassed the relay and the pump worked, but the engine still didn't fire. I realised that the pump does not prime when the ignition is turned on, but only when the engine is cranking. I turned my attention to the ignition relay and found that the control wire was only providing 0.5 volts instead of 12volts. This pointed to a problem with the ECU which I had already had professionally tested. However, with nothing to lose, I ran a hairdryer by it for about 5 minutes (it sits behind the centre console). I left it a moment, then cranked the engine and it fired up and ran sweetly. I tried again the following morning and nothing, so I tried the hairdryer trick again and it ran.
My solution: I took the ECU out and put it in the airing cupboard for a couple of hours, then placed it in a plastic bag with two sachets of silica gel. I put it back in its cradle, still in the plastic bag, plugged in the two connectors and sealed the bag and tried the engine to check it was still running. I tried it this morning after sitting overnight and the car started immediately. I tried again this evening after a very wet day and again it started.
I think I need to replace the ECU, but this fix seems to be working. Trouble is finding one. This car uses a GM ECU, which was unique to the 1.6 Punto and was always a bit of a rarity. To add to the rarity, it is a very early model which pre-dates the built-in immobiliser.
My solution: I took the ECU out and put it in the airing cupboard for a couple of hours, then placed it in a plastic bag with two sachets of silica gel. I put it back in its cradle, still in the plastic bag, plugged in the two connectors and sealed the bag and tried the engine to check it was still running. I tried it this morning after sitting overnight and the car started immediately. I tried again this evening after a very wet day and again it started.
I think I need to replace the ECU, but this fix seems to be working. Trouble is finding one. This car uses a GM ECU, which was unique to the 1.6 Punto and was always a bit of a rarity. To add to the rarity, it is a very early model which pre-dates the built-in immobiliser.
Should call you Sherlock
Well done. Can you sort our "spare" Golf Tdi next please?
Well done Chris.
Jostein
0
I've just read your entire thread, Chris. A very interesting read ! As you may know, I bought a replacement for our old '96 Cinquecento Sporting (which was broken into and immobiliser system destroyed) a couple of years back - from Hannover (Germany). A very interesting project in itself 
The "replacement" Cinquecento has always had some similar bad habits to your Punto. Last summer it just decided not to start at all, this after a year and a half of infrequent mishaps.
It's now resting at a colleague's workshop after he collected it late last year, but has not been started on yet. So it was interesting to read all this, as I think it would be a good idea to follow in your tracks on this one.
Many thanks for posting this, and also for Jon providing all this input.
Let's hope we can get to the bottom of the problems too, even if the cars are a bit different with the Cinq having immobiliser and twin coil packs (both changed, by the way )
The "replacement" Cinquecento has always had some similar bad habits to your Punto. Last summer it just decided not to start at all, this after a year and a half of infrequent mishaps.
It's now resting at a colleague's workshop after he collected it late last year, but has not been started on yet. So it was interesting to read all this, as I think it would be a good idea to follow in your tracks on this one.
Many thanks for posting this, and also for Jon providing all this input.
Let's hope we can get to the bottom of the problems too, even if the cars are a bit different with the Cinq having immobiliser and twin coil packs (both changed, by the way
)