Edinburgh Fiat

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Edinburgh Fiat

PandaEleganza

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Hi everyone

I can see a couple of older threads about Edinburgh FIAT specialists and note that Harrison Motors in Jane Street has been mentioned a few times. Does anyone have any recent experience of this garage, would you still recommend it, and does anyone have any other recommendations? The car is a Panda 2010.

Thanks!
 
Hi everyone

I can see a couple of older threads about Edinburgh FIAT specialists and note that Harrison Motors in Jane Street has been mentioned a few times. Does anyone have any recent experience of this garage, would you still recommend it, and does anyone have any other recommendations? The car is a Panda 2010.

Thanks!

Hi,
not too many regulars from that area hennabm

:idea: but maybe look on FiatScotland too
 
Hi everyone

I can see a couple of older threads about Edinburgh FIAT specialists and note that Harrison Motors in Jane Street has been mentioned a few times. Does anyone have any recent experience of this garage, would you still recommend it, and does anyone have any other recommendations? The car is a Panda 2010.

Thanks!
Just having a wander around the forum as I'm waiting for Mrs Jock to get ready - We've got grandchildren today! Anyway, this thread popped up!

I posted, within the last couple of days, about the changes at my local MOT provider and how I'd decided to seek pastures new. Harrison's, in Leith, is the establishment I've decided to try! I've been in a few times asking about things I wanted to know about Becky, our newly acquired (spring this year) 2010 1.2 Panda dynamic eco. I got good vibes about this small family business who specialise in Fiat's. They are situated in a trading estate so, although very busy, you can still get stopped quite easily without worrying too much about yellow lines. Lots of Fiat's in evidence but also other cars being worked on - which doesn't surprise me as most small garages need to take what they can get to survive. Mostly I talked with Kenny Harrison, the owner, who has been very pleasant and helpful, but I've also had contact with two others - one I think might be his son? And the other his senior mechanic - they were all very pleasant and seemed to know exactly what they were talking about.

I'll post again when they've done Becky's MOT just to let you know how the experience went but that won't be 'till into the new year. In the meantime I am feeling very positive about using them.
 
For the last couple of weeks I've been slightly unhappy with Becky's clutch (2010 Panda Dynamic Eco - as mentioned above) The slave cylinder "creaks" loudly - and has done for some time - when cold and then again after about half an hour or so, when properly hot. Otherwise it had been working as it should so I had intended to leave it until it either leaked or the weather gets warmer. However there is now a noise when the clutch is just at the "bite point". A gentle wee squeally screech. I first heard it about 2 to 3 weeks ago when it was very slight but it's getting more pronounced (even Mrs Jock can now hear it). My guess is the rivet heads are just "kissing" the pressure plate/flywheel face? Generally I have found in the past that the pressure plate side of a driven plate wears, very slightly, more than the flywheel side so, if it is the rivet heads, maybe I'll get away with a simple clutch kit. Anyway, time to do something about it before any damage is inflicted.

My older boy was over with his Punto the other day so I could renew a worn track rod end which had been knocking away for a few days. The swop over went very smoothly but, for some strange reason, it took me almost an hour to get the wheel alignment (toe) set up afterwards using my "home made" gauge. The weather was sunny and bright, thank goodness, but bitterly cold. By the time I was finished I had no feeling in my fingers and I felt almost unwell! This experience, and the comprehensive "telling off" I got from Mrs Jock, has made me realise that, at 72 years I'm not the man I used to be! So I've decided to let Kenny and his "merry men" at Harrison Motors put a clutch and slave cylinder on the "old girl" I was delighted when he quoted me £290 (approx) so I think there's VAT to go on that and I'm unsure if it includes the price of the slave either, but that sounds a good price to me.

This is the first job (and I suspect as I age, it won't be the last) I've "handed off" on any of the "family fleet" in many years. It's making me feel sad, frail, maybe slightly impotent? and generally old with a lingering feeling of failure and of having let down a friend. On the plus side I can sit in the warm and watch some more old movies on the "Talking Pictures" TV channel!

I'd been promising to give feed back to you on this garage after Becky's MOT which is some time in March, I think? Now I'll be able to do so much sooner as the job's getting done on Monday.
 
Ok everyone, this is the big moment. I've just walked down to Harrison Motors (in the rain) and driven Becky home. Kenny and his merry men seem to have done a good job. Complete 3 piece clutch kit fitted and slave cylinder. Everything working as expected although the pedal is a little soft and very slightly spongy. This may well be due to the "newness" so I'll let it bed down for a couple of days and then give it another bleed if necessary. All the squealy, sqeaky, creaky noises have gone!! He did a couple of other wee jobs too so the bill needs a wee bit of "interpretation" to ascertain the cost of the clutch job alone but I can be pretty certain it would have broken down to £85 for the Valeo 3 piece kit and £157.50 for the labour. The dreaded VAT needs to be added to that which would bring it to bit under the £300 - I think that's acceptable. Of course I could have saved a shed load of money doing it myself, and I would have if it had been summertime (in fact that was the plan, but was thwarted by it beginning to fail earlier than I had allowed for!) Still, look on the bright side, at least I've probably avoided pneumonia!

In terms of a garage recommendation? I would say "thumbs up" all the way. Kenny himself and the members of his staff I've talked with (some at length) have been very pleasant and knowledgeable. The job was completed as promised and to the budget quoted. I'm very pleased with the outcome.

Shortly after buying Becky I ordered the correct Tutela gearbox oil from Shop4parts when I was getting some other parts (so I could make up a big enough order to avoid the shipping charge) as I thought, at 60,000 miles the oil would be getting a bit tired. Kenny changed the existing oil for this after doing the clutch job and I noticed that the very, very slight gear whine which could be heard, possibly more in 3rd than any other gear, has totally disappeared - a nice wee bonus for me! (Mrs Jock, of course, said "what whine?)

So, if you're in the north Edinburgh/Leith area and looking for a good wee garage, could be worth trying Harrisons. I'm feeling entirely happy now about submitting "family fleet" vehicles to him for MOT's from now on.
 
I thought I'd just update this thread as it's been getting on for a couple of months since Kenny renewed the clutch for me.

Before renewal the clutch would emit a "quietish" screeeee noise as it took up the drive. No noise on the move or with the pedal fully depressed and it bit well - no slipping. Whilst depressing or releasing the pedal there would be a very objectionable loud squeak which I thought at first was the pedal fulcrum shaft but after later investigation seemed to be coming from the slave cylinder. At 63'000 miles I decided to just renew the lot. I would hope to get quite a bit longer than that out of a clutch but who could know how her previous owner had treated her?

Kenny was happy to keep all the parts removed so I could examine them and when I first saw the friction plate I was disappointed to see it was not down to the rivets (I thought the "screee" noise was being caused by that) and I feared I had wasted my money, might have got away with just a slave cylinder! Then when I looked closer it was obvious that whoever had owned her before me had been a clutch rider. The release fingers on the diaphragm were almost worn through and the friction plate, on closer examination, was well cooked, looking very dark and "smelly". Why the slave cylinder was emitting the loud "squeak" is still a mystery to me but it was obviously the original and I have a theory about the worn seals gripping the sides of the plastic cylinder?

I collected the car and drove it home. Delightfully quiet, smooth and light clutch action! The pedal felt a little "woolley" compared to before, possibly a little air which was trapped after the slave cylinder change? but I decided to let is "settle" and give it a bleed later, after maybe a month, if necessary.

Well now, after a couple of months, it's settled down nicely. The clutch is silky smooth and quiet. It's noticeable how previously it was a little snatchy, not now. The slight spongyness has completely disappeared so no need for a bleed - Kenny's men did it right first time. If you've read my earlier posts you'll know that I bought Fiat Tutela oil for the gearbox and asked them to do a gearbox oil change for me when the clutch was done. When I got the bill for the clutch There was a charge for gearbox oil showing! Queried it with Kenny who apologised and offered to do her MOT free of charge when due. Top Man!

I've had a good crawl around and everything looks A1. No missing or rounded off fixings etc. I'm very pleased. MOT due in the next couple of weeks so I'll bring this thread to a close with some final comments after the MOT is carried out. There are a few points I know of on which it might/might not fail. The garage I'd used previously probably wouldn't fail on these points so It's going to be very interesting to see how Kenny's guys view things.

So, I'll be back soon, hopefully not in tears! keep your fingers crossed for Becky folks!
 
Today's the big day then. Dropped Becky at Harrison's early this morning and was once again greeted, very pleasantly, by Kenny himself. We had a brief chat during which I told him I was a little nervous about this, Becky's first MOT since I bought her. His reply was "John, you look after your cars. Don't worry it'll pass! - give me a ring around midday".

About an hour ago I rang, and, ------ She's passed! No advisories either!

You may remember that I said previously that after a recent visit to the garage I've been using for MOT's for about the last 20 years? - where there seems to be many new faces I don't recognize - I came away feeling less than impressed. There are things on Becky which I know are not absolutely perfect - but nothing remotely near deserving to be a fail - and just one (strut top mounts) with just a little too much lift in them to satisfy me, which I will be changing when the good weather comes back. I think, had I submitted her to certain test stations (who I won't mention) I would have come away with a long list of "super dangerous things that need doing right now!" It seems that Harrison's opinion is in sync with mine and I'm feeling very happy now, both with the quality of work done on the clutch and this MOT outcome, that I've found a new garage I can trust. It's a bonus that they seem to be just such nice people too!

Oh! and true to his word, he made no charge. (explained in previous post).
 
Well, I'm sure you've all gathered that I'm very happy with Kenny's garage and the work he's done on our Becky. I've always felt nervous when MOT time comes round no matter at what establishment the car is going to be tested and when it's somewhere new it increases the anxiety. - probably because I care greatly that the cars I look after are in A1 condition, but also nearly all our MOT's seem to fall due in the worst of the winter weather and I don't want to be lying under one of my "charges" up to my neck in snow!

The quality of work carried out and the attitude and demeanour of Kenny and his staff has convinced me that this is a garage which will always do it's best for you and where I will get an honest and meaningful MOT done. I've said before that I look at MOT's as an opportunity for a second eye to pick up on things I may have missed and therefore am looking for a strict but fair test to be applied - I feel that is exactly what I'm getting here.

So I think I've now contributed all I can at this time to this thread. It would be nice to hear if any of the many people who seem to have been interested here, and perhaps themselves used this garage, would care to contribute a comment here?
 
Just a wee update on Harrison's garage which I think is worth mentioning. The Panda blew out a front strut a couple of weeks ago in a most spectacular, oil pumping, unlady like display. She blew the seal right out of the top of the N/S strut and sprayed most of the contents of the strut under the wing - helped on it's way by the speed bumps on our road! (good for rust suppression I suppose!) At 60,000 plus miles everything - struts, springs, top mounts, etc, were well past their best so I spent last week rebuilding the lot. (and swelling the coffers of Shop4parts). - see the Panda '03 to '12 section for more. When I'd finished I gave her a bit of an in depth check over and found the N/S/R wheel cylinder to have one slightly sticking piston and both rear cylinders showing early signs of weepy seals, so 2 cylinders needed. I've owned a number of older Pandas but this is the first 169 model so I was unaware, until I was looking at changing the cylinders, that one of the retaining screws on each side is partially occluded by the hub so you can only get an open ended spanner on it and they look very rusty, I'd bet on them being seized - again see Panda section for more. I could strip the whole thing down and remove the back plate to gain access but I'd rather not so I decided to pop along and ask the lads at Harrisons how they would do it. I was received in a very friendly manner being greeted by my first name as I walked in the door. The owner's son and one of the mechanics got involved in the conversation and some very useful suggestions were made. As I was leaving - in fact I was maybe 50 yards away - the mechanic ran after me and said "would you like a couple of the short fixing screws?" Well, as there has to be a good chance of some of them snapping off I was delighted. Followed him back into the workshop where he gifted me a couple of the screws and refused payment. I think this is quite exceptional service. Yes they fitted a clutch for me about a year ago but they know I'm doing most of my own repairs and all maintenance so they are only likely to make MOT money off me. These are just a bunch of thoroughly nice blokes and competent motor engineers. I'm just so glad I've stumbled across them.

just in case you are wondering, I'd like to assure you all that I have no connection or vested interest in this garage apart from being a very very satisfied customer. I've made this post because people are always asking about "trusted garages" and I think these guys are "right up there".
 
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