Electrics are a problem on this car. I've done the "lights come on when heater is turned on" fix, had a lot of intermittent steering pump problems (now seem to have gone away) , now I have "wipers stop working".
Is this a common fault? When I've found them to stop I blip the stalk back to the top for the 'one-shot' and it seems to fix it with the wipers starting again (ie dodgy contacts) , but wife says this doesn't work all the time.
When you're driving on the motorway in the pouring rain and you suddenly lose all visibility, it's not funny.
Is it just replace the steering column stalks? - I see it's all one piece including the indicators, or is there some other systemic fault? relay? bad earth ?
Would be good to know before I go and shell out for the stalks.
thanks.
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another good place to search/ask is www.fiatforum.com
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First thing to try is a simple one - lift the bonnet, then remove the plastic covering at the bottom of the windscreen (just 3 screws), then pull the cover off the wiper motor unit directly in front of the driver. Disconnect the multiplug from the motor, then with a torx bit undo the 6 screws holding the cover on. Lift off the silver cover, and clean the grease and muck from both the circular contacts left attached to the car (but dont wash the grease off the worm drive or large geared outer ring), also clean the 2 copper contacts on the piece you have removed. Finally, give it all a good spraying with some Servisol or maplins switch cleaner, leave to evaporate then re-assemble.
99% of the time this will leave you with wipers as good as new and super smooth with no juddering or hesitation, and it will take you under half an hour including having a cuppa while it dries.
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ive never done this on a punto softop driver so please bare with me
firstly you have to take the wiper arms off if you are to to get the plastic scuttle trim off and these can seize
secondly you have to remove the windshield side rubbers from the scuttle trim ,these clip into a piece of plastic either side
then with bonnet open again you can pull the trim out ,now the reason for my post,its very very easy to crack the screen at this stage if you pull it wrong or its even easier to crack the screen when you put this trim back in so be ultra ultra careful (i have the teashirt for a similar setup on 2 different cars)
dont know if it will cure the above problem but just thought i would advise anyway
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You could take a motor of a scrapyard car and cover the stripdown where it doesn`t matter.
Total fix would be around a tenner around here - or you couild buy a new motor from Fiat.
From memory one version is around £60 and the other just over £100. I cant remember whether the cheaper motor is for the MK2 or M2b.
The advantage of a new motor is that you get complete new linkages too - and the joints on the linkages seem a weak point.
There are numorous cost free bodges to fix popping out joints and also new linkages with plastic not rubber bushes available from Wipax? - for around £30.
We have two Punto`s, one in it`s 8th year and no electrical problems.
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firstly you have to take the wiper arms off if you are to to get the plastic scuttle trim off and these can seize
you are correct, they must be removed first and in my haste i ommitted this from my post. however i have never personally had a wiper arm seize onto the spindle, just giving it a slight wiggle while pulling upwards from the lower part of the arm always works for me. however, take your own precautions if you feel you have to as i obviously cannot vouch for the state of your wipers.
secondly you have to remove the windshield side rubbers from the scuttle trim these clip into a piece of plastic either side
not strictly true - with the 3 screws removed, lift the scuttle from the middle and it will flex you then just need to manipulate each side out from under the rubber trim at the A posts.
dont know if it will cure the above problem but just thought i would advise anyway
no problems, just passing on what I have learnt and what worked for me, as always anyone reading should take their own precautions.
one final thing is to lubricate all of the ball and socket joints on the linkage as well, just a squirt of maintenance spray or light grease will do. if any feel a bit sloppy just grip them tight in your hand and squeeze, that is enough pressure to pop the joint fully home if it has worked loose
Edited by softopdriver on 18/11/2009 at 09:51
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