Fiat Punto stalling

paddypaws101

Hi, I have been having problems with my Punto stalling for some time now. It always starts first time, no problem, but stalls when I am idling at traffic lights or slow moving traffic ( a couple of embarrassing episodes of blocking traffic have ensued! )
The car has had a basic service. First time it happened the AA said it was a sensor which had got gummed up, next time they said the battery was faulty so I replaced it and this did seem to improve things....but there I was on the M11 last fri with the traffic crawling along in one lane.....and it stopped. The noise was not the usual engine starting but as if it was completely dead. 5 frantic minutes later I got it going again but it was pretty scary! All these episodes seem to be when the car has had a nice run on open road.
Any ideas before I brave taking it to a main dealer for diagnostics?

ioscorpio

I'd also be interested as my 2004 punto is struggling after I have just started a journey and then no power as I accelerate. Today it started when I was scrapping the ice off the windscreen, but half an hour later it would not start at all, the battery was dead.

tomstickland

Check the idle control valve. Might need cleaning out.

paddypaws101

tomstickland wrote: »

Check the idle control valve. Might need cleaning out.

Ahh you make it sound so easy! Is that advice for me or the second poster...or both?

tomstickland

First poster.

I had a friend with a Vauxhal Cavalier that stalled at every set of lights. I cleaned out the idle control valve and the problem was fixed. The Vauxhal engines were notorious for it.

If you can't do it yourself then take it to a garage and ask them to do the job, won't take them 20 minutes.

There's no gaurantee that it will fix it, because clearly I don't know what condition your car is in and what other problems there might be.

ioscorpio

I put my battery on charge for a few hours and it has been ok since.

I had a problem a few years ago with a Corsa idle control that would go over 3000 revs when idle at the lights, cost me over £200 to have it replaced, apparently it was hard to get to.