Fiat Punto Fuel Issue..

[J4MIE]

Right, after taking my mum's little Punto down to the lakes last weekend and I am fed up with it.

Whenever you try to fill up with petrol it always clicks off after about 10p worth has gone in and I don't know how she puts up with it as it's been like that for a while. As a result it takes forever to fill up and I blame that for arriving at my destination late.

As I am not really mechanically minded, does any fellow forumers have a clue what may be causing it? :)

[MrJan]

Seems to have been happening with my car a lot recently, I find that adjusting the angle of the nozzle can help, also changing how far in it is.

[Malbec]

Right, after taking my mum's little Punto down to the lakes last weekend and I am fed up with it.

Whenever you try to fill up with petrol it always clicks off after about 10p worth has gone in and I don't know how she puts up with it as it's been like that for a while. As a result it takes forever to fill up and I blame that for arriving at my destination late.

As I am not really mechanically minded, does any fellow forumers have a clue what may be causing it? :)

I used to have a Mk 1 Punto and if I recall correctly it has a little flap halfway down the fuel filler pipe. Are you sticking the fuel hose far enough down so that it pushes through the flap? If not the fuel is probably hitting the flap and flowing back up the filler hose making it think your tank is full and cutting the flow.

[J4MIE]

Yeah tried wiggling it about but doesn't seem to make any difference, even shouting at it in the petrol station doesn't have any effect :(

[Daniel]

Seems to have been happening with my car a lot recently, I find that adjusting the angle of the nozzle can help, also changing how far in it is.
Wot he said, also if you're only getting 10p of fuel in you're probably not running it low enough.

My 500 is the same J4mie, I'm a bit anal when it comes to refuelling and I always brim it

Here's my fuelly page
http://www.fuelly.com/driver/306maxi/500
and all my fuel ups
http://www.fuelly.com/driver/306maxi/500/log

I tend to run my car till it's running on fumes. Officially the 500 has 35 litre fuel tank but I've put 42 litres in it once! I usually get about 35 litres in before it clicks for the first time, after that I let it settle down for a few seconds and then fill it slowly till it clicks and then I pull the nozzle out and fill it slowly till it won't take anymore fuel. It takes some time but I figure it beats having to go into a petrol station, wait for the clot in front to fill up, finish talking to their friend inside, check their makeup in the mirror, then pull up into their spot, undo the cap, fill it up and then wait in line to pay etc etc :)

There are a couple of myths about running your car low and brimming it as well.

Firstly people say "OMFG!!!! Don't run your car low on fuel, it'll pick up the crud from the bottom of the tank!!!!", sorry to break it to people but in modern cars with plastic tanks you don't get crud in there.

Secondly people say "OMFG! Don't brim it! The petrol will expand and you'll come back to your car to find petrol has come out of the filter or something", well I actually googled the expansion rate of petrol and you only have to drive something like 8 miles to cancel out the expansion of fuel if the fuel temp rose 20 degrees.

[Daniel]

Yeah tried wiggling it about but doesn't seem to make any difference, even shouting at it in the petrol station doesn't have any effect :(
Try turning the nozzle 90 degrees either way or perhaps 120 degrees, my 500 has the same arrangement as Dylan has described and this does help at some petrol stations.

[veeten]

Simplest answer: get a VW... :p :

[Sonic]

I do enjoy playing the "I'll go to the next one" petrol stationgame. I love to hear the babble of sounds my little citroen comes out with when the trip computer thinks there are 0 miles in the tank, but safe in the knowledge that even when the computer says empty I've got another 2 or 3 litres to play with. Rules of the game are simple; 1 point is awarded for every petrol station you pass when the red light is on. 5 points awarded for every station passed when trip reads zero. But loose 50 points if you run out and have to push! Join in, or dont , but do :D

[Daniel]

I do enjoy playing the "I'll go to the next one" petrol stationgame. I love to hear the babble of sounds my little citroen comes out with when the trip computer thinks there are 0 miles in the tank, but safe in the knowledge that even when the computer says empty I've got another 2 or 3 litres to play with. Rules of the game are simple; 1 point is awarded for every petrol station you pass when the red light is on. 5 points awarded for every station passed when trip reads zero. But loose 50 points if you run out and have to push! Join in, or dont , but do :D
I do want to run out of fuel in the Fiat to see just how much fuel you can actually get in there. I suspect even when I run it low there's still more in there or possibly not :p

[Mark]

My Dads old car had the same problem. The only real solution is to fill it slowly so it doesn't cut out!

[janneppi]

I had the same thing in my Civic on some stations, I had to turn the nozzle 180 degrees, it's bit akward, but no cutting offs happen. Nowadays It doesn't really happen anymore, either I stopped using the wrong brand stations, learned a proper way to puthe nozzle in, or they've changed the nozzle angles.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

I've never has any issues with mine when refuelling. My only problem has been the cost of the petrol.

[tannat]

Wait til Jon Brown goes to sleep and swap the questionable parts between your Punto and his Abarth :p

[Daniel]

Jon, the car J4mie is referring to is a Mk2b Punto which is completely Fiat unlike your Grande Punto so it's quite safe to say that the fuel filler is of a different design.

[MrJan]

Has anyone thought that the problem might be with the badge? ;) :p : Try a VW badge on the front and the reliability might be a bit better :laugh:

[Daniel]

Shut it Toyota boy

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Has anyone thought that the problem might be with the badge? ;) :p : Try a VW badge on the front and the reliability might be a bit better :laugh:

Asking for an addition to an ignore list then?


:p

[MrJan]

Asking for an addition to an ignore list then?

Not a fan of German cars? How about one of these then?

http://www.carclinicpenrith.co.uk/acatalog/honda_logo.jpg

Or perhaps

http://www.flymodelcars.com/shop/logo_ford.gif

:p : :laughing:

[Daniel]

Not a fan of German cars? How about one of these then?

http://www.carclinicpenrith.co.uk/acatalog/honda_logo.jpg

Or perhaps

http://www.flymodelcars.com/shop/logo_ford.gif

:p : :laughing:
Are you for real? Aside from things like Type R's and the like those marquest as as bad as the rest.

[Brown, Jon Brow]

Not a fan of German cars? How about one of these then?

http://www.carclinicpenrith.co.uk/acatalog/honda_logo.jpg

Or perhaps

http://www.flymodelcars.com/shop/logo_ford.gif

:p : :laughing:

yaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaawwwwwww wwwwwnnnnnnnnnnnnnn

[MrJan]

Are you for real? Aside from things like Type R's and the like those marquest as as bad as the rest.

:D I had a '96 1.6 Civic before I got the Toyota and the thing never missed a beat mechanically. Whenever it was out of a built up area it went around between 5-7000rpm and got a severe thrashing. The thing was a s*** heap but served me well and someone got a bargain at £320 when I sold it. I wouldn't be against getting another when I sell the 2, apart from it not having a great MPG.

[Malbec]

Are you for real? Aside from things like Type R's and the like those marquest as as bad as the rest.

In what way? When it comes to reliability Honda is always near the top and their engines are always revvy and fun whether or not you get a VTEC one. Handling isn't bad either and most decent models used to get properly sorted double wishbone suspension. Can't say that of most if any FIATs. Top class engineering for not that much money.

[Daniel]

I meant that they're boring.

[Malbec]

I meant that they're boring.

But is a Punto interesting?

[Daniel]

You have to say that the styling of the Grande Punto was pretty much class leading at the time. Then there's the 500 which spent a month or two last year in the top 10 sellers list in the UK. Not bad in a recession for a car which is overpriced and not as practical as its rivals.

[Malbec]

You have to say that the styling of the Grande Punto was pretty much class leading at the time. Then there's the 500 which spent a month or two last year in the top 10 sellers list in the UK. Not bad in a recession for a car which is overpriced and not as practical as its rivals.

So? The current Civic raised eyebrows when it was released, it still certainly looks modern.

The 500 isn't part of the Punto range if I'm not mistaken but you're right, its interesting. As is the S2000 say, or other cars in the Honda range.

I wouldn't call much of the rest of the FIAT range interesting, I can't even remember what the Focus equivalent is called or recall what it looks like, do FIAT even bother with a Mondeo equivalent? If so again I recall nothing about it. And I speak as someone who adores Italian cars who bought a Punto in the past (mainly for the classleading space, not for excitement).

[Daniel]

So? The current Civic raised eyebrows when it was released, it still certainly looks modern.

The 500 isn't part of the Punto range if I'm not mistaken but you're right, its interesting. As is the S2000 say, or other cars in the Honda range.

I wouldn't call much of the rest of the FIAT range interesting, I can't even remember what the Focus equivalent is called or recall what it looks like, do FIAT even bother with a Mondeo equivalent? If so again I recall nothing about it. And I speak as someone who adores Italian cars who bought a Punto in the past (mainly for the classleading space, not for excitement).
The Focus equivalent is the rather lovely Bravo. Go sit in one and I suspect you'll actually quite like it. The styling is much nicer than the yawntastic Golf and Focus. It's a nice car but it just doesn't get marketed.

I'll be honest about Fiats. I like old Fiat's like 124's 130's, 131's etc etc but I really don't rate anything that they made until the Panda, Grande Punto and Bravo in their respective classes. I like Fiats now but I'm honest about the reasons why people still have a laugh at them even now.

No car is perfect however. A jiggly ride in my 500 behind Mark in his rather composed Fester said a lot about the craptastic suspension in the 500.

While you're in the Fiat showroom have a look at the interior in the Punto Evo as well :)
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_dborH_yU7U8/S1sKvVU88uI/AAAAAAAAAJ4/QWpWxycQsU4/s1600/2010-Fiat-Punto-Evo-Interior-View.jpg

[MrJan]

Is the 500 that cutting edge car based on a design that's 50 years old? ;)

*Having poured petrol on the fire, Jan retreats to a corner to snigger*

[Daniel]

Meh. Telll me you don't like the looks and interior

[mjh]

The Focus equivalent is the rather lovely Bravo. Go sit in one and I suspect you'll actually quite like it. The styling is much nicer than the yawntastic Golf and Focus. It's a nice car but it just doesn't get marketed.


+1 for the Bravo / Brava.
I had a Fiat Tipo, and despite my experiences with that replaced it with a nearly new Brava for a very keen price. It was a cracking car. Up until the point I parked it backwards in a hedge :( (I had been going forwards at high speed shortly before that). My Dad (and his Auntie prior to that) have driven Fiats for years. The family have always found them reasonable small cars.

[wedge]

Right, after taking my mum's little Punto down to the lakes last weekend and I am fed up with it.

Whenever you try to fill up with petrol it always clicks off after about 10p worth has gone in and I don't know how she puts up with it as it's been like that for a while. As a result it takes forever to fill up and I blame that for arriving at my destination late.

As I am not really mechanically minded, does any fellow forumers have a clue what may be causing it? :)

Try rotating the nozzle at various degrees or pull the trigger very slightly and stupidly slow flow rate but at least you've got fuel going in without it cutting out all the time.

Anyway, one time I tried to fill to the brim and beat the clicking and I was doused in fuel. That told me!

[Daniel]

Try rotating the nozzle at various degrees or pull the trigger very slightly and stupidly slow flow rate but at least you've got fuel going in without it cutting out all the time.

Anyway, one time I tried to fill to the brim and beat the clicking and I was doused in fuel. That told me!
I like your signature. I'd hate to think that for the extra money I spent on top of buying a Panda that people didn't know I have a 500! :rotflmao:

I brim by pulling the nozzle out of the filler neck completely and just filling very very slowly :)

[veeten]

... and the difference between a Punto and a Punter. ;) :p :

[tannat]

I can't read FIAT without the old Fix It Again Tony joke echoing in my ears..

Whats the reliability of current Fiats?

None here stateside since the early 80's...

[Daniel]

I can't read FIAT without the old Fix It Again Tony joke echoing in my ears..

Whats the reliability of current Fiats?

None here stateside since the early 80's...
http://www.autotrader.co.uk/EDITORIAL/CARS/FEATURES/auto_trader_ten_point_test_fiat_500.html#7_Reliabi lity

I'd agree with that :)

[tannat]

[URL]
I'd agree with that :)

Nifty looking little ride...

Looks as if you could drive it around town at 10/10ths with no one taking notice....