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Cold Start Problems - 03 Fiat Punto?

I have a 1.2 8v 52 reg fiat punto and have real trouble starting it in the mornings ( only in winter - absolutley fine in summer ) The problem is so bad it can only be helped by wrapping the engine in a thick blanket every night and making sure no matter what it is started every 12 hours. It was serviced just over 6 months ago. The Fiat garages advised to change the spark plugs first, but they were changed on the service, and it seems to be more of an electrical prob(?), the battery has trouble catching(?) i keep perservering and finally get it started, if i dont keep the revs up for a couple of minutes it dies again, the clock also resets itself back to zero each time this happens ( making me think its a batt prob ). The battery has one of these lights in the top that shows its charged - should i change the battery or be looking somewhere else for the problem??
Thankyou x

Leila Campbell
November 2006

Fiat Fiat 188A1000 Vehicles, Cars Start Fiat Punto

I recently bought a 03 plate fiat punto from a local garage. I had a similar problem with it not starting in cold weather. I took it back to the garage explaining the same symptoms. They kept it for a few days, running tests and reading the computer on the car to see what was wrong. It said nothing was wrong. They replaced spark plugs and some cable linkages for the accelerator and nothing happened. They booked into a fiat dealer garage and they only found the problem out because they had had the same problem in another car the week before. It took them a week to figure it out.

The problem with mine was that the wrong starter motor was fitted to the car, which was confusing the onboard computer. Once they changed the starter motor for the correct one (apparently there are two types made for that car - and it seems only one works!)
Since it was replaced the car starts perfectly everytime - fingers crossed!!

Hope this helps

Tom
December 2006