second hand fiat punto

xirokx

xirokx

xirokx

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Joined
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Hi there,

A mechanic I know is selling an M reg Fiat Punto SX for £300...

The condition is mint including tyres and all body work...

It however has the 2 negatives:-

- dodgy smell inside like smelly fish

- the temperature gauge I noticed whilst driving it for 15mins when straight to High , what does this mean??? I have no knowledge about cars, I can just about change my tyre...

All expert knowledge and advise would be appreciated

Thanks
 
xirokx said:
- the temperature gauge I noticed whilst driving it for 15mins when straight to High , what does this mean??? I have no knowledge about cars, I can just about change my tyre...
Click to expand...

Lets put it this way, if it was a cheap and easy problem to fix the guy have fixed it.
 
whys hes selling it ?

if hes a mechanic and a friend then you should probably ask him about the temp gauge because he should really have an idea
 
I havent spoken to him yet about the temperature gauge...

I was hoping for some definitive type answers before asking him to clarify how good he really is :) :)

I drove the car and it drives well, no damage to the body work and the tyres look good as well as the interior...

However after having driven for 15mins and noticing the temp guage was a right at the top it now makes me wonder....

Any more ideas?
 
Ask him why it gets so damn hot?

Why is he selling it? It looks like he knows something is wrong with it and he's offloading it on the cheap because he can't fix it cheaply.
 
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could it be the early signs of the head gasketing going?

i have no knowledge of cars so just thought id ask...

or could it be a faulty temperature gauge?
 
Another vote for a head gasket problem - very common on Punto's with the FIRE engine. Very unlikely to he the gauge - if he's sure it is then he'll fix it for free won't he?

Run away, quickly.
 
The smell inside is probably the heater matrix leaking - do the windows must up when the heater is set to hot or is the radiator level dropping ? The problem with the temperature gauge could well be the head gasget on the way out but it is more than likely linked to what could be a leaking heater matrix. The high temp could also be a dodgy thermostat. I had the same car and had all of the problems with mine that you describe.

The cost of getting all the work done in a garage could be quite costly as generally to change the heater matrix the whole dashboard has to come out although i have heard it can be done without taking it out - this will probably set you back about £180. Thermostat change very easy. If you were to do all the work your self it would probably set you back around £40 - £50 if you buy a recon matrix from a scrappy (make sure its been pressure tested though). You could try and put some radiator sealant in and that may fix the matrix leak but that should really only be a temporary fix - try it and if the smell goes away you know the matrix was at fault. Barsleak is a good product

These cars are very easy to fix and most parts you can pick up from your local Motor shop or the scrappy.

I would expect to pay £300 max for it if there was nothing wrong with it !
 
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thanks for your responses, its really helpful for a n00b like me...

I spoke to my mechanic this morning and he never commented on the smell but said the temperature gauge was high because of a dodgy water pump that he is replacing today...

What do you think? Is that true?

Please continue to help - thanks
 
If it's a friend surely there is no issue of trust or if the car is dodgy?

If I sold a friend a car I would let them know everything good and bad with it.
 
teulk said:
I would expect to pay £300 max for it if there was nothing wrong with it !
Click to expand...
£300 for a "mint" 1995 punto (of all things) with a raft of headaches? makes sense if youre a sado mascicist :D

do not touch the car. do not trust mechanics either. run
 
It's overheating mate so it's likely the head gasket and probably the rest of the engine is knackered.

Take it from an ex-Fiat/Alfa mechanic.

1995 punto, probably is due for scrapping. Like most other cheap small cars of this year.
 
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