Some crazy problem in my Palio D

satish_appasani · 17th April 2007, 19:05

Last week i was cruizing on a Saturday noon at around 40 KMPH with AC on. The weather was scorching hot. Suddenly the AC went off and there was a drastic drop in power. The car was just limping. I stopped the engine and cranked it again. Still the same problem. I started looking at the meters and indicators. No indicator lights were showing but the temp guage was at full. My heart stopped for a second. I limped the car to the road side and stopped the engine. I opened the hood and noticed some coolant has oozed out of the container. But the coolant is still little above max level.

I left the hood open and let the engine cool down. Called the Fiat Break down service and after few calls found somebody who could help. The breakdown service took a full 2 hours to turn up at the spot. Meanwhile the car cooled down completely.

The service center guy filled the coolant container with water and slowly drove the car to the service center. The engine got back to normal. We were monitoring the temp guage and it was alway below half-way mark.

Once at the service center, the guys checked for any blown fuse. Everything was fine and the radiator fan was also working. The ECU check was also and there were no error except one relay problem. That was fixed.

The service advisor went for a test drive along with me. We were moving at normal speeds with AC on and there was no exceptional raise in temperature. The pointer was midway between the half-way point and one point below it (which is normal). I got the car out and using it regularly monitoring the temp guage.

The next day after the incident, i noticed sometimes that AC went off (indicator shows on) after few mins. Switching off and on brought the AC back. Again this was inconsistant. Now i am hardly noticing this issue.

The temp guage never went above the half way mark again. I notice when the AC is on, the temp guage keeps raising by few degrees and also drops after some time.

After reading Indica starting problems post by tsk, i felt worried because the fan and fuses were fine when the temp went to highest point.

I am giving my car for service in the next couple of days. I know asking the service center to check everything again will yield nothing except me paying a 1000 more towards service charges. Is there anything in particular i should ask the service center guys to check. Does the AC has anything to do with engine overheating? I don't remember if the radiator fan was working when i opened the hood. Usually the fan in Palio runs even after switching off the ignition.

Thanks for any suggestions.

tsk1979 · 17th April 2007, 19:22

Could be the thermostat which is reporting wrongly. If AC gets the signal its engine is heating, it turns off. Indica has this feature, and I am sure even Palio would have this.
The other problem could be the "summer/winter" valve in the cooling system. Does Palio have that? Old M800 had a summer/winter setting. The valve's job was to reduce coolant flow when its winter. We got the valve in our M800 completely removed since winters are never too harsh (no sub zero's).

As for your temp gauge, atmost it will go slightly above the middle mark. If your AC turns off at that level, get the thermostat checked.

But for all that matters, there could be nothing wrong, and your car AC may be normally turning off as it happens after a certain temperature has been reached. I would suggest going to a car wash, or taking the hose pipe yourself, and giving a jet of water towards the condeser fan. This will take care of any dust particles/debris lodged which may lead to AC compresser heating up due to block of airflow.

I have no idea where is Palio condeser fan located, in Indica its below the left headlight. Bumper grill has the tendency to attract debris

spadival · 17th April 2007, 20:35

What about the headlights and power windows? I had this strange problem of headlights and power windows going off on my Palio D.. traced to a loose contact in the fuse box.

satish_appasani · 26th July 2007, 12:05

This problem is still unresolved...
Once in a while i am still having this problem, the temp guage goes up rapidly to max point and the car gets in to limp mode. Happened both when AC is swithed on and off. Today morning it happened for the third time. When switching the engine off, i noticed the radiator fan working for couple of seconds before going off. I let the engine cool down to 1/4th mark and started the engine. Initially i noticed that the two fans (radiator & AC) were not working. I switched on the AC and both the fans started. But the temp continued to go up. The fans continued to work even after the AC was switched off. When the engine was running, i loosened the coolant reservoir cap. Some pressure eased out of the reservoir and the temp slightly came down and stopped going up for few mins. My mechanic feels some airpacket is getting created in the coolant circulation and is blocking the coolant flow.

The above is once in a while case. On a daily basis what i am noticing is the temp reaches half point after i drive around for 10 KMS without AC in a day temp of around 30-35 degrees. When i switch on the AC, the temp comes down to 1/4th point and stays there. Earlier i never noticed the temp going to 1/2 mark. Also i feel there is a change in radiator fan sound and also it doesn't run as long as it used to after switching the engine off.
First i thought it was some thermostat problem. But my mechanic tested that and he said there is no problem. He felt the problem is with some relay. But i can feel he is also clueless on what is happening. The dealer i bought the car from, Anuroop is no more a Fiat Authorized and Fiat suggested me to go Tata service. I am not sure what will be the expertise of the people at Tata with Palio D.

Any suggestion please on whatelse i would need to check? The car is close to 3 years old and has 36,500 KMS on the Odo. Problems like these and lack of proper service is making the car very unreliable to me.

Thank you

tsk1979 · 26th July 2007, 12:24

I suspect the coolant circulating pump has a problem.
Do this.
In the cold car start the engine, and remove the coolant reservoir cap.
You should see coolant circulating, i.e. from the pipe coming from the radiator.

Jaggu · 26th July 2007, 12:37

Take it to a good dealer (Tata is fine) or find a competent independent garage, Hyderabad guys can help.

This seems to be a tempertaure sensor/fan issue.

Rodeo · 26th July 2007, 15:11

Anuroop in hyderabad is charges are very high. I had a problem of heater coil light blinking for 10 sec after starting the car. When i git it repaired from Anuroop, they charged me around Rs1400. Actual part cost for around Rs350-450. + labour charges. Most surprising charge was Inspection chrage of around Rs400/-.

Palio hardly gives trouble (hv it from 4yrs) but when it gives it is very costly to get it fixed.

Does Tata service diesel cars?

gemithomas · 26th July 2007, 16:13

It seems to be your thermostat switch or thermostat itself ( i think they call it by the two names not suure if they are the same). It needs to fuction based on the temperature. Just get it checked. I feel it should be not working properly. Thus leading to overheating. If possible also see if your fan is coming on. when the needle rises to the half mark. Or on the other hand if the fan is running for much longer than it normally should.

It shouldnt be a mojor thing. But identifying the actual problem could cause worries.

satish_appasani · 26th July 2007, 16:55

Mechanic showed me a slight damping at the bottome of the radiator. He said this is slowly leaking water over a period of time and causing the engine to overheat. Today i had to fill 3 liters of water. Could this be one of the reasons?

On cold engine start, i noticed collant is circulating.

gd1418 · 26th July 2007, 17:54

Could be. Get this thouroughly checked. Temp shooting to the max is a dangerous happening. Could lead to engine seizing as well.

Quote:

Originally Posted by satish_appasani

Mechanic showed me a slight damping at the bottome of the radiator. He said this is slowly leaking water over a period of time and causing the engine to overheat. Today i had to fill 3 liters of water. Could this be one of the reasons?

On cold engine start, i noticed collant is circulating.

Jaggu · 26th July 2007, 18:50

Yup i think you have a water leak and 3 liters is lot of water. Attend to it at the earliest.

satish_appasani · 13th December 2007, 19:04

A late update on this. After the leak in the radiator was fixed, the temp was going in to red but still there was overheating problem. With AC switched off, the temp meter was going slightly past half mark. When AC is swiched on, it returns to normal but keeps going to half mark a few times.

Couple of months ago i took the car to a water service center and got a good splash of water with pressure on the radiator. The problem disappeared since then. May be the radiator was clogged with lot of dust.

tsk1979 · 13th December 2007, 19:17

Yes it may happen. I recently got my indica's water container cleaned. The service guys says that for a complete fix the entire radiator needs to be cleaned, but for now cooling system is okay

17th April 2007, 19:05	#1
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 104 Times View My Garage	Some crazy problem in my Palio D Last week i was cruizing on a Saturday noon at around 40 KMPH with AC on. The weather was scorching hot. Suddenly the AC went off and there was a drastic drop in power. The car was just limping. I stopped the engine and cranked it again. Still the same problem. I started looking at the meters and indicators. No indicator lights were showing but the temp guage was at full. My heart stopped for a second. I limped the car to the road side and stopped the engine. I opened the hood and noticed some coolant has oozed out of the container. But the coolant is still little above max level. I left the hood open and let the engine cool down. Called the Fiat Break down service and after few calls found somebody who could help. The breakdown service took a full 2 hours to turn up at the spot. Meanwhile the car cooled down completely. The service center guy filled the coolant container with water and slowly drove the car to the service center. The engine got back to normal. We were monitoring the temp guage and it was alway below half-way mark. Once at the service center, the guys checked for any blown fuse. Everything was fine and the radiator fan was also working. The ECU check was also and there were no error except one relay problem. That was fixed. The service advisor went for a test drive along with me. We were moving at normal speeds with AC on and there was no exceptional raise in temperature. The pointer was midway between the half-way point and one point below it (which is normal). I got the car out and using it regularly monitoring the temp guage. The next day after the incident, i noticed sometimes that AC went off (indicator shows on) after few mins. Switching off and on brought the AC back. Again this was inconsistant. Now i am hardly noticing this issue. The temp guage never went above the half way mark again. I notice when the AC is on, the temp guage keeps raising by few degrees and also drops after some time. After reading Indica starting problems post by tsk, i felt worried because the fan and fuses were fine when the temp went to highest point. I am giving my car for service in the next couple of days. I know asking the service center to check everything again will yield nothing except me paying a 1000 more towards service charges. Is there anything in particular i should ask the service center guys to check. Does the AC has anything to do with engine overheating? I don't remember if the radiator fan was working when i opened the hood. Usually the fan in Palio runs even after switching off the ignition. Thanks for any suggestions.
	() Thanks

17th April 2007, 19:22	#2
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Could be the thermostat which is reporting wrongly. If AC gets the signal its engine is heating, it turns off. Indica has this feature, and I am sure even Palio would have this. The other problem could be the "summer/winter" valve in the cooling system. Does Palio have that? Old M800 had a summer/winter setting. The valve's job was to reduce coolant flow when its winter. We got the valve in our M800 completely removed since winters are never too harsh (no sub zero's). As for your temp gauge, atmost it will go slightly above the middle mark. If your AC turns off at that level, get the thermostat checked. But for all that matters, there could be nothing wrong, and your car AC may be normally turning off as it happens after a certain temperature has been reached. I would suggest going to a car wash, or taking the hose pipe yourself, and giving a jet of water towards the condeser fan. This will take care of any dust particles/debris lodged which may lead to AC compresser heating up due to block of airflow. I have no idea where is Palio condeser fan located, in Indica its below the left headlight. Bumper grill has the tendency to attract debris Last edited by tsk1979 : 17th April 2007 at 19:25.
	() Thanks

17th April 2007, 20:35	#3
spadival Senior - BHPian Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Melbourne, AU Posts: 1,773 Thanked: 26 Times View My Garage	What about the headlights and power windows? I had this strange problem of headlights and power windows going off on my Palio D.. traced to a loose contact in the fuse box.
	() Thanks

26th July 2007, 12:05	#4
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 104 Times View My Garage	This problem is still unresolved... Once in a while i am still having this problem, the temp guage goes up rapidly to max point and the car gets in to limp mode. Happened both when AC is swithed on and off. Today morning it happened for the third time. When switching the engine off, i noticed the radiator fan working for couple of seconds before going off. I let the engine cool down to 1/4th mark and started the engine. Initially i noticed that the two fans (radiator & AC) were not working. I switched on the AC and both the fans started. But the temp continued to go up. The fans continued to work even after the AC was switched off. When the engine was running, i loosened the coolant reservoir cap. Some pressure eased out of the reservoir and the temp slightly came down and stopped going up for few mins. My mechanic feels some airpacket is getting created in the coolant circulation and is blocking the coolant flow. The above is once in a while case. On a daily basis what i am noticing is the temp reaches half point after i drive around for 10 KMS without AC in a day temp of around 30-35 degrees. When i switch on the AC, the temp comes down to 1/4th point and stays there. Earlier i never noticed the temp going to 1/2 mark. Also i feel there is a change in radiator fan sound and also it doesn't run as long as it used to after switching the engine off. First i thought it was some thermostat problem. But my mechanic tested that and he said there is no problem. He felt the problem is with some relay. But i can feel he is also clueless on what is happening. The dealer i bought the car from, Anuroop is no more a Fiat Authorized and Fiat suggested me to go Tata service. I am not sure what will be the expertise of the people at Tata with Palio D. Any suggestion please on whatelse i would need to check? The car is close to 3 years old and has 36,500 KMS on the Odo. Problems like these and lack of proper service is making the car very unreliable to me. Thank you
	() Thanks

26th July 2007, 12:24	#5
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	I suspect the coolant circulating pump has a problem. Do this. In the cold car start the engine, and remove the coolant reservoir cap. You should see coolant circulating, i.e. from the pipe coming from the radiator.
	() Thanks

26th July 2007, 12:37	#6
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,215 Thanked: 15,906 Times	Take it to a good dealer (Tata is fine) or find a competent independent garage, Hyderabad guys can help. This seems to be a tempertaure sensor/fan issue.
	() Thanks

26th July 2007, 15:11	#7
Rodeo BHPian Join Date: Nov 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 356 Thanked: 28 Times	Anuroop in hyderabad is charges are very high. I had a problem of heater coil light blinking for 10 sec after starting the car. When i git it repaired from Anuroop, they charged me around Rs1400. Actual part cost for around Rs350-450. + labour charges. Most surprising charge was Inspection chrage of around Rs400/-. Palio hardly gives trouble (hv it from 4yrs) but when it gives it is very costly to get it fixed. Does Tata service diesel cars?
	() Thanks

26th July 2007, 16:13	#8
gemithomas Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 2,366 Thanked: 143 Times View My Garage	It seems to be your thermostat switch or thermostat itself ( i think they call it by the two names not suure if they are the same). It needs to fuction based on the temperature. Just get it checked. I feel it should be not working properly. Thus leading to overheating. If possible also see if your fan is coming on. when the needle rises to the half mark. Or on the other hand if the fan is running for much longer than it normally should. It shouldnt be a mojor thing. But identifying the actual problem could cause worries. Last edited by gemithomas : 26th July 2007 at 16:16.
	() Thanks

26th July 2007, 16:55	#9
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 104 Times View My Garage	Mechanic showed me a slight damping at the bottome of the radiator. He said this is slowly leaking water over a period of time and causing the engine to overheat. Today i had to fill 3 liters of water. Could this be one of the reasons? On cold engine start, i noticed collant is circulating.
	() Thanks

26th July 2007, 18:50	#11
Jaggu Team-BHP Support Join Date: May 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 20,215 Thanked: 15,906 Times	Yup i think you have a water leak and 3 liters is lot of water. Attend to it at the earliest.
	() Thanks

13th December 2007, 19:04	#12
satish_appasani Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: Hyderabad Posts: 1,112 Thanked: 104 Times View My Garage	A late update on this. After the leak in the radiator was fixed, the temp was going in to red but still there was overheating problem. With AC switched off, the temp meter was going slightly past half mark. When AC is swiched on, it returns to normal but keeps going to half mark a few times. Couple of months ago i took the car to a water service center and got a good splash of water with pressure on the radiator. The problem disappeared since then. May be the radiator was clogged with lot of dust.
	() Thanks

13th December 2007, 19:17	#13
tsk1979 Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2005 Location: San Jose, CA Posts: 23,717 Thanked: 22,825 Times View My Garage	Yes it may happen. I recently got my indica's water container cleaned. The service guys says that for a complete fix the entire radiator needs to be cleaned, but for now cooling system is okay
	() Thanks