The engines on the old Fiat Punto, such as this 2003 1242cc Active, are one of the simplest to work on and normally give few problems. One of the great things about this engine, is that the cam-belt can break without doing any damage, a rare commodity in the motoring world.

There were no problems with the cam-belt on this one though, as it had been replaced less than seven months ago. The Fiat had been brought to me because the engine was suffering from coolant loss. The header tank needed topping up every week.

Small leaks can often be difficult to trace, as the escaping coolant can evaporate leaving no trace. Using the cooling system pressure tester to pump up the cooling system of this Punto, I watched as the pressure slowly dropped, proving that somewhere there was a leak.

Eventually, I tracked the leak down to the water outlet at the back of the cylinder head next to the inlet manifold. The problem was not to be too serious. The small outlet which holds the temperature sensor comes complete with a new sensor. Although it is only held in place with two bolts, it is clipped into the end of the inlet manifold, meaning it must come out at the correct angle.

Once the job was completed the cooling system was bled out and the Punto was active again.

You can download this story as a PDF, as well as other technical tips at TechTips.ie.

There are lots more Tech Tips to view, and they are all searchable, on TechTips.ie.