Experiences

• Singapore races
• Lee David's modifies
• the winning Punto GT in Singapore
• Faulty fuel flow regulator
• Pipe on petrol pump
• Creaking noise from rear of engine
• Damage to alloy wheels
• The Japan experience
• The Chilean drag races
• The treacherous badge

In Singapore there are a couple of rallies and drag races held each year. These rallies are held in very large carparks. The drivers are supposed to navigate through a very tight circuit through a series of tight bends and u-turns. It pretty scary during the race. One mistake and your GT is up on the concrete kerb.
The drag races are held in a long straight line of about 210 meters. Flag off done by electronic lights. In this particular race I was up against a well modified Punto GT and lost out to him.
Unfortunately, after the second drag race my car was unable to continue the second race because of technical difficulties.

So far there are a couple about 30-50 Punto GT in Singapore. A couple of which are extensively modified but I have not come to meet them yet.

(Lee David)

Lee David's modifies

(Lee David)

The winning Punto GT in Singapore

We have tried many ways of increasing fuel pressure but has been unsuccessful as there no after market products that we know of to do so. Here are some of the modifications done to that car:

1. Manual wastegate boost controller
2. Upgraded intercooler
3. Double chip upgrade
4. Koni sports dampers with Jamex sports springs all round
5. OMP cross drilled all round with Ferodo brake pads
6. reworked piping from intercooler to intake (shorter route)
7. K&N 57i injection kits
8. Upgraded double plate racing clutch
9. Greddy blow off valve
10. Downpipe with 3" pipe

(Lee David)

Damage to alloy wheels

I had the car for three months and was unlucky enough to hit a large pothole (not uncommon in Ireland). I didn't notice anything at first, but when washing the car a week later, I noticed a dent in the a front wheel and a bulge in the tyre. I went back to the garage who told me that both the wheel and tyre would have to be replaced. At this time I was quoted a price of $150 for a wheel and $130 for a tyre. I had the tyre replaced and the dent in the wheel knocked out with a hammer (not really advisable, but cheaper than $150!).

Every six months or so, I have the wheels balanced and the tyres checked. After, the first visit, I was told that I needed two new wheels (the car was still in warranty). I contacted Fiat about this arguing that the wheels were made of too soft an alloy and weren't suitable for the Irish market as our roads are notoriously bad.

They didn't accept this and refused to even give me a discount on a new set. Every time I went to have the wheels balanced, I was told that there was more damage done to the wheels (I also had to replace two more tyres due to pothole damage in the first year!). It got to the stage, that at my last visit (four months ago), I was told that all the wheels needed to be replaced and that the garage would refuse to try and balance them again (not a Fiat garage - a tyre specialist).

They told me that they had never seen wheels in such poor condition and that I should complain to Fiat - they weren't round anymore! I had several phone calls and letters arguing with Fiat, but in the end got nothing. I have been holding off replacing the wheels as I will be trading in the car for a new GT shortly. I now have the only car in Ireland with square wheels!!

(Kenneth Simpson)

Whirring noise when turbo boosts

I noticed this when I had the car for about six months. It is sort of a fast clicking noise just as the turbo is boosting. I brought it back to the garage who diagnosed it as a faulty waste gate valve on the turbo. They replaced it and all was fine for about a month. The noise then returned again and they replaced the waste gate valve for a second time. Again, all was fine for a month and then the noise returned. One of the mechanics in the garage where I bought the car is great with turbo cars and researched it with Fiat in Italy who confirmed that this was a known problem with many turbo charged cars and something I'd have to live with. I believe it is also common in the Lancia Thema Turbo i.e. and all turbo charged Maseratis - so I'm in good company. It doesn't affect the performance of the car and is something you don't even notice after a while.

(Kenneth Simpson)

Faulty fuel flow regulator

This problem manifested itself by the engine dying at traffic lights and the fuel injector light coming on when driving. It would stay on for a minute or so and then go off. The Turbo was also over boosting with the needle regularly going into the red. The car was also jumpy when travelling in slow traffic. It took the garage a few weeks to diagnose this one. They had it in for a couple of days and could find nothing. Eventually, they found a faulty connection on the fuel flow regulator.

Once it was cleaned, the problem disappeared. However, this problem has reoccurred twice in the past two years, but is easily corrected by the garage.

(Kenneth Simpson)

Pipe on petrol pump

This one gave me a fright. It was around the time that the fuel flow regulator was causing the fuel injector light to come on. I was driving (luckily near home) when the engine just died. I couldn't get the car restarted. I had all sorts of ideas going through my head - as the fuel injector light had been coming on intermittently, I assumed that it must have been the fuel injector that had failed. I had visions of bills for thousands of dollars as the car had just gone out of warranty. Luckily it was just a pipe that had blown off the petrol pump (which is located in the fuel tank). This was easily rectified by the garage after I had the car towed over to them!

(Kenneth Simpson)

Creaking noise from rear of engine

This one drives me mad. It first manifested itself about 18 months ago. It is a creaking noise which happens when the car starts off or accelerates abruptly. It is worst when the engine is cold and during winter. The garage took the car in when it first started and found that there were pipes at the rear of the engine that needed greasing. They did this which solved the problem for about six months. However, the problem returned and now they can't remember what they did to solve it the first time!

The problem is intermittent and every time I bring the car up to the garage the noise disappears - they think I'm mad at this stage. I have two choices - either take a mechanic home with me, let him stay the night and then hear the noise first thing in the morning (it's worst then) or only drive the car around the garage (it doesn't appear to happen there). If anyone has a solution to this I would love to know - I'm sure it's nothing serious - it's just driving me mad!

(Kenneth Simpson)

The threacherous badge (the Punto HGT with the Sporting badges)

This funny story has been sent by Jesper Jensen, one of the Fiat Klub Danmark promotors. If you check at the Jesper's Punto HGT, you will notice, he applied the Punto Sporting's red italic badge, instead of the original HGT badge.

Yep, its great to be undercover.Just to see peoples faces when they get left behind, its great fun. Actually I have an funny story about the badge.
Once I meat an Volkswagen Polo GTi, the model with xenonlights, and he got left behind big time. He looked very disappointed...
About 3 monts later I met him again, and he rushed over to me, and say: "you really tricked me, I almost sold my car because of you, but then I met one of your friends who told me it was an HGT".
This poor man actually thought that something were wrong with his car. I can only say: "Watch out for those Sportings, they are quiet fast".
By the way, the blue Punto HGT from Anders Damkjær Møller also drives with an Sportingbadge...

(Jesper Broom Jensen)