Punto 99, radiator water boiling

[mack123]

Hi,
i have a fiat punto year 99. after turning the engine on after 5 minutes the rasdiator water starts boiling and a lot of pressure builds up in the pipes going towards the thermostat. it is using a lot of water in the short runs and smoking a fair amount. i think it could be any one of 3 things.
1 the thermostat has gone, which i am looking at today
2 the water pump has gone, which after trying the thermostat and if to no avail, will try this.
3 the head gasket has gone.

it is definately not the fan though as after a five minute run in this cold weather (not in traffic) the fan is not needed.
any help on this would be great as need to get it sorted as soon as possible. thanks

[mack123]

also just as insite the car has done just under 70K. thanks

[HiRich]

Try www.fiatforum.com looking under Punto-Technical. There are several common overheating problems with the Punto engines - search through a few pages and you'll find some ideas. Sadly, head gasket problems are common, and yours sounds like that. A few things worth checking:
- Check the oil filler for 'mayonnaise'. If it's there, a head gasket is very likely, but it can still be the HG even without it.
- Where is there heat? Is the radiator (top and bottom) warming up? If not, the thermostat is a suspect (although as you spotted it could be the water pump and/or impeller)
- Does the heater work? Air locks are a problem on some models (though it can also be a symptom of HG failure).
Feel all the pipes as it gets warmed up. It might give you a clue as to whether there's a blockage (air or thermostat). Note there is probably a small bypass bleed on the thermostat which would put a little heat into the pipe beyond it even if the thermostat is jammed shut.

Browsing fiatforum will give you a range of symptoms, solutions, and some instructions of fixing them.

[mack123]

thanks for that rich. both the radiator and fluid reserve get very warm. the pipes also get very hot and build up a lot of pressure. when i drove it to the garage erliar on the way it used a lot of water and there was a lot of smoke out the exhaust which was fairly constant. there is no mayonaine. did check that one. rac came out yesturday but they knew less than me and said it was the fan motor which i knew it wasnt and i haved taken the bleed cap off and pumped water through from the tubes but this didnt work.

Wonder if anyone knows how much it is to fix a head gasket. as im not keen on the car anyway so would it be worth fixing??
thanks

[HiRich]

Then it sounds like the HG (though it may be worth shorting the fan sensor to check it does work anyway - only a half hour or less, and cheaper than an unnecessary HG).
I don't think changing the HG is too expensive, provided you avoid dealers and choose a trusted garage (browse the forum for some recommendations if necessary, there's a section for garages as well). Fortunately I've not had to have mine done, but I think it would be economical to do - even if that just means you're selling a runner rather than a scrapper.

[mack123]

cheers for theat rich. just took it to garage to confirm it was the head gasket. they are changing that and the cam belt for £350 which i think is pretty good. i think with these done considering its an s reg it could be worth it for the resale.