fuel pressure FIAT GRANDE PUNTO 2009 199 / 1.G Natural Power Manual

2
FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
The Fiat Punto Natural Power Petrol-
Methane version is dealt with in this ap-
pendix.
For anything not included in this supple-
ment, refer to the Fiat Punto Owner Man-
ual.INDEX
INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 3
SYSTEM FUNCTIONAL DIAGRAM ............................................................................ 5
CANISTERS ........................................................................................................................ 6
SOLENOID VALVES/SAFETY DEVICES ...................................................................... 7
PIPING ................................................................................................................................. 8
PRESSURE REGULATOR/REDUCTION UNIT ......................................................... 8
OIL SEPARATOR FILTER................................................................................................. 8
METHANE INJECTORS .................................................................................................. 8
PETROL/METHANE SWITCH........................................................................................ 8
STARTING THE ENGINE .............................................................................................. 10
PROTECTIVE FUSES......................................................................................................... 10
FUEL CUT OFF SWITCH ............................................................................................... 11
AT THE FILLING STATION .......................................................................................... 11
IDENTIFICATION DATA .............................................................................................. 12
SCHEDULED SERVICING PLAN .................................................................................. 13
WHEELS .............................................................................................................................. 14
ENGINE ............................................................................................................................... 15
WEIGHTS ........................................................................................................................... 17
LOAD COMPARTMENT VOLUME ............................................................................. 17
TYRES .................................................................................................................................. 18
DIMENSIONS ....................................................................................................................19
CAPACITIES ....................................................................................................................... 20
ENGINE OIL........................................................................................................................ 20
CO
2EMISSIONS ............................................................................................................... 20
FUEL CONSUMPTION ................................................................................................... 21
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FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
INTRODUCTION
The Fiat Punto Natural Power version fea-
tures two fuel systems, one for petrol and
one for natural gas (methane).
The two systems are independent of one
another and the methane one is the
phased, sequential, multipoint type.
The starting system runs on petrol and is
the only one.
What is natural gas?
Natural gas is a mixture of gas used as a
main source of energy.
Its main component is methane so for this
reason it is usually known as methane in
Italy but it contains small amounts of oth-
er hydrocarbons and inert gases.
It is extracted in a gaseous stage and trans-
ported to where it is used via gas pipelines;
world reserves are plentiful and evenly dis-
tributed. Methane is fuel with a low impact
on the environment because it significantly
reduces the contribution of the exhaust
gases to the greenhouse effect and creat-
ing pollution.The methane multipoint injection
system
It is an original product from Fiat’s re-
search in the field of alternative fuels that
comes from close co-operation with im-
portant suppliers in the methane sector.
By adapting the sophisticated electronic
control technology of petrol engines to
meet the specifications of methane, it has
been possible to achieve important results
in terms of driveability, exhaust emissions
and consumption.
Using the methane multipoint injection
system the engine offers the same driving
conditions as running on petrol.
It should be borne in mind that, in all dri-
ving conditions, methane operation gives
engine power and torque specifications
that are 10% lower than petrol operation.
Petrol operation is therefore rec-
ommended if a lot of power is re-
quired (e.g. driving uphill with a
laden car, setting off on a steep in-
cline).
Selecting the type of fuel supply
The Fiat Punto Natural Power version is
configured to normally run on methane.When the methane is running out and the
pressure in the canister is close to the cor-
rect operating limit, the system automat-
ically switches to petrol operation.
The engine is always started up using
petrol (to keep this fuel supply system ef-
ficient) and, if the engine was running on
petrol before being switched off, when it
is started up again switching to methane
operation will need to be requested man-
ually.
For this reason there always needs
to be petrol in the tank.
The petrol/methane switch A-Fig. 1,
amongst the controls in the dashboard,
makes it possible to select petrol opera-
tion. The system does not switch auto-
matically to methane operation if the
petrol runs out.
fig. 1F0M0450m
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FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
Passive safety
The Fiat Punto Natural Power version has
the same passive safety features as the
other versions.
In particular, the location and mountings
of the canisters have been designed to
pass the impact tests in accordance with
Fiat safety standards. The flow of methane
coming out of the canisters is governed by
a solenoid valve that is only open during
methane operation.
The solenoid valve unit includes protec-
tion against excess flows (if the high pres-
sure system breaks, the flow of methane
is restricted to values that are not dan-
gerous), overheating (fuse pad that allows
the methane to drain off if the tempera-
ture exceeds 110 °C) and a pressure cal-
ibration device that intervenes if the pres-
sure goes above 300 bar ensuring the
methane escapes in a controlled manner
and as quickly as possible.
The solenoid valve is connected to the
Fire Protection System (inertia switch or
fuel cut off switch).
Active safety
The Fiat Punto Natural Power version has
the same active safety features as the oth-
er versions.
The Fiat Punto Natural Pow-
er version is equipped with a
high pressure methane system de-
signed to run at 200 bar.
It is dangerous to force the system
with higher pressures. When towing
or lifting the car, the instructions in
this booklet at the end of the chap-
ter should be followed in order to pre-
vent damage to the methane system
parts: “Towing the car”.
If there is a problem with the
methane system, only go to a Fiat
Dealer.
Do not alter the methane system con-
figuration or components; they are
designed exclusively for the Fiat Pun-
to Natural Power. The use of other
components or materials could cause
malfunctions and reduce safety.In the case of painting in an
oven, the canisters should be
removed from the vehicle and refit-
ted later by a Fiat Dealer. Although
the methane system has numerous
safety features, it is advisable to close
the manual taps for the canisters
every time the car is not in use for a
long period, transported on other ve-
hicles or moved in an emergency as a
result of a breakdown or accident.
WARNINGWARNING
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FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
FUEL CUT OFF SWITCH
The safety switch is triggered in the case
of an impact, cutting off the methane sup-
ply and causing the engine to cut out.
For further information, see the “Fuel cut
off switch” paragraph in the “Controls”
chapter in the Owner Handbook.
AT THE
FILLING STATION
METHANE GAS FILLER
The methane filler is located near the
petrol one Fig. 14.
It is comes complete with a “single-acting”
valve: fitted in the actual filler casing.
To access the filler, undo the cap A - Fig.
15turning it anti-clockwise.
The profile of the filler
Bfor refilling is the
universal type compatible with Italia and
NGV1 standards.
In some European countries adaptors are
considered ILLEGAL (e.g. in Germany).
In the case of service stations with m
3(dif-
ferent pressure) nozzles, to measure the
residual pressure in the canister, the sin-
gle-acting valves must be undone supply-
ing a small amount of methane.
fig. 14F0M0463m
The other plates (handed over with the
car documentation) contain the date for
the first canister inspection.
Those responsible for the methane supply
are not authorized to refill the canisters
when the inspection date has expired.
fig. 15F0M0464m
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FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
SCHEDULED SERVICING PLAN
Additional operations to the Servicing Plan in the Owner Handbook.
Thousands of kilometres
Visually inspect the condition of: methane pipes and connectors,
fastening of methane tank, renew if necessary (*)
Check pressure regulator and, if necessary, replace internal filter (*)
Check operation and parameters of fuel supply system using autodiagnostic
socket
Replace filter and bleed excess oil if necessary
Check mechanical tappet clearance and restore if necessary
Check tightening torque of canister fastening bands
Check the position/wear of the windscreen/rearscreen wiper blades
Check condition and wear of front disc brake pads andbrake
pad wear indication (for versions/markets, where provided)
(*) or every 12 months
30 60 90 120 150 180
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FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
FUEL SYSTEM (methane)
Dedicated electronic injection for
methane.
Type: Phased, sequential, multipoint.
Injection pressure; about 6 bar.
Stoichiometric metering of the air/
methane gas mixture.
The methane injection system is con-
trolled by the dedicated control unit us-
ing the sensors already on the car, in-
cluding the Lambda sensor for controlling
the fuel metering.
IGNITION
Static advance, electronic, integrated with
the injection.ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Engine cooling system with pressure re-
duction unit heating circuit subject to
strong cooling during operation.
PERFORMANCE
Top speed in km/h.
Running on petrol: 162
Running on methane: 156
Modifications or repairs to
the fuel feed system that are
not carried out properly or do not
take the system’s technical specifica-
tions into account can cause mal-
functions leading to the risk of fire.
WARNING
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FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
CAPACITIES
Petrol
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . litres 45
- including a reserve of . . . . litres 5-7
Methane
– Methane (*). . . . . . . . . kg (approx) 13
(*) The amount of methane depends on
the outside temperature, the supply pres-
sure, the quality of the gas and the type
of refuelling system. The total volume of
the canisters is about 84 litres.
IMPORTANT It should be remembered
that when using a fuel such as methane the
range is very variable because as well as
the driving conditions and car maintenance
it also depends on the temperature of the
gas in the canister.
The methane actually heats up during the
refuelling and cools down whilst driving,
undergoing variations in pressure that re-
duce the quantity that can be used.
It should also be pointed out that whilst
the vehicle is being run in (up to around
3000 km) the fuel consumption may be
higher than the figures given.
ENGINE OIL
The engine oil used is SELENIA K P.E.
(Contractual Technical Reference
N° F603.C07): SAE 5W-40 ACEA C3
grade synthetic base lubricant, FIAT
9.55535-S2 certification.
CO2EMISSIONS
The CO2emission figures in the table be-
low refer to combined fuel consumption.
CO2emissions according to 2004/3/
EC Directive (g/km)
Methane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
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