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Technical Its all a bit much for me now!!

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Technical Its all a bit much for me now!!

auto_blanco

auto_blanco

Established member
Parked in the garage
Joined
Jun 1, 2007
Messages
931
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Location
Solihull
After 12700 miles since May 07, my GPS has been a good little workhorse for me, ploughing up and down any roads I wish to take it on, but its really starting to annoy me now.

All the little things are adding up to a big problem, a brief list of things getting on my nerves:

Creaking front doors
Rattly tailgate/back seats
Windscreen wash hits wipers
Noisy tappets
Mismatched door trims outside
Brakes moaning loudly going backwards
Terrible wandering over 50mph
Rattly noisy suspension
Poor MPG (39)
Poor Handling at low speed, getting worse???
Noisy Air Con pump
Squeaking interior fan
Lacklustre heating
Suspension cant handle 4 passengers
Noisy/on its way out passenger electric window
Rattly alternator
Crap engine mounts that bang around if you're not super smooth
Steering seems way too light in non city mode now
Rattling seatbelt on passenger side
Weird steps in power delivery, maybe a missfire, engine mounts, who knows
Water marks on SkyDome blind
Leave the engine idling on a cool night with the heater on and the engine actually cools down!!!

It seems like alot of little things but add them up and im seriously considering losing alot of money and chopping it in for something built properly, I actually drive my 198k mile, J reg BMW 520i now in preference quite alot, and leave the Fiat for my other half to pop to the shops in, which isnt good enough.

My plan was to keep it at least 3 years and rack the miles up but I just dont think it can take it, so summer 08 at the latest its down to BMW I think for a 1 or 3 series, I was hoping the little Fiat could hold its head up and go the distance but im afraid I cant put up with doing 60k miles plus in it.

Motorway journeys are actually tiring in this car. What with correcting its path all the time etc

I once went 1000 miles in a weekend along with a mate, including a brief stop at her university, to see a friend up in Scotland and I absolutely loved it, in terrible snow, at night, driving rain, mountainous roads, a really epic trip and we had a great time battling the elements, course I was driving a G reg Granada Scorpio I paid 100 quid for, but it used less fuel, and didnt tire me at all to drive, oh how I wish Id stayed with reliable old buses like that.

Another fave drive of mine was visiting another mate at uni in Lampeter, 160 odd miles each way, including some proper, fun, welsh lanes. I did that in my Alfa 33 1.5 ie, which again, didnt tire me out, did 45mpg at 80 on the motorway, is far quicker, handled far better on lanes and, believe it or not, used less oil than the Fiat, ie, none!!!!!!!! Grrrrrrrr!

I dont mean to be harsh to the poor Fiat but its really getting on my nerves in a big way, I had to vent, especially as im up late working again.
 
Last edited:
I had alot of little things with my car as well!

the worse thing was the steering. It kept pulling to the left and the steering wheel wouldn't centralise. I have since sorted that out with the dealer who fitted a new steering column into the car and so far it's been fine. so maybe its that reason? does your steering column vibrate and make a buzzing noise when you are steering at low speed?

other things were:

dodgy electric window
door lock went dodgy and i couldn't open from the inside.
 
Geez.. maybe it is too much trouble keeping it..

pilotho said:
the worse thing was the steering. It kept pulling to the left and the steering wheel wouldn't centralise. I have since sorted that out with the dealer who fitted a new steering column into the car and so far it's been fine.
Click to expand...

I have the exact same problem: this was after a wheel alignment, and the dealer kept saying "that's the way it is" :mad:

Is it pulling to the left when you let go of the steering wheel, or does it pull to the left when you have your hands on the steering wheel?
 
Ill help with what i can...

Creaking front doors Have the hinges and strap been greased?
Rattly tailgate/back seats Check for broken peg clips on the boot lid
Windscreen wash hits wipers search the GP forum
Noisy tappets
Mismatched door trims outside get dealer to rifit
Brakes moaning loudly going backwardsknown fault look at top of techforum
Terrible wandering over 50mph Tracking??
Rattly noisy suspension
Poor MPG (39) mines about the same
Poor Handling at low speed, getting worse???
Noisy Air Con pump
Squeaking interior fan
Lacklustre heating mines like a furnace
Suspension cant handle 4 passengers how fat are your mates ;) mines fine with a trailer on the back close to the nose weight limmet
Noisy/on its way out passenger electric window
Rattly alternator
Crap engine mounts that bang around if you're not super smooth
Steering seems way too light in non city mode now your used to older cars??
Rattling seatbelt on passenger side is teh buckle the right way round?
Weird steps in power delivery, maybe a missfire, engine mounts, who knows
Water marks on SkyDome blind
Leave the engine idling on a cool night with the heater on and the engine actually cools down!!! It will do as the hot water that heats the cabbin is pulled off the heater matrix which is linked to the engine water jacket (sorry if thats stating the obvious)
 
Andy, thanks for the replies, the car will have to go in soon for the idiots, sorry I mean Colliers techs to look at, but mostly I resent that it has the problems in the 1st place, its just not a quality product, you get what you pay for I guess, or maybe im just too demanding...

My main issues are the suspensions lack of capability with the car fully loaded, the roads around here are poor and it just cant cope, especially in Coventry city centre! And the heating is crap, its the only car ive ever had where you can have it on full heat, fan on setting 2 and never ever get too hot inside the cabin, even wearing a coat. Its just terrible I should be having all these problems after so few miles, I mean a dodgy sounding alternator and a terminal sounding A/C pump already?
 
auto_blanco said:
Andy, thanks for the replies, the car will have to go in soon for the idiots, sorry I mean Colliers techs to look at, but mostly I resent that it has the problems in the 1st place, its just not a quality product, you get what you pay for I guess, or maybe im just too demanding...
Click to expand...

Why not take the car to a dealer with a good rep from on this site? It seems they are the weakest link not resolving the issues for you mate.
 
auto_blanco said:
My main issues are the suspensions lack of capability with the car fully loaded, the roads around here are poor and it just cant cope, especially in Coventry city centre! And the heating is crap, its the only car ive ever had where you can have it on full heat, fan on setting 2 and never ever get too hot inside the cabin, even wearing a coat.
Click to expand...

ive had no problem with the suspension been able to cary load then again mines the active so it probably has different springs :confused: but i have had it loaded to the gunnels when i went camping over the summer plus a trailer tent on the back and didnt have an issue...

as for the heating it probably has an air lock in the heater matrix mention that to them when you take it in,,
 
auto_blanco said:
After 12700 miles since May 07, my GPS has been a good little workhorse for me, ploughing up and down any roads I wish to take it on, but its really starting to annoy me now.

All the little things are adding up to a big problem, a brief list of things getting on my nerves:

Creaking front doors
Rattly tailgate/back seats
Windscreen wash hits wipers
Noisy tappets
Mismatched door trims outside
Brakes moaning loudly going backwards
Terrible wandering over 50mph
Rattly noisy suspension
Poor MPG (39)
Poor Handling at low speed, getting worse???
Noisy Air Con pump
Squeaking interior fan
Lacklustre heating
Suspension cant handle 4 passengers
Noisy/on its way out passenger electric window
Rattly alternator
Crap engine mounts that bang around if you're not super smooth
Steering seems way too light in non city mode now
Rattling seatbelt on passenger side
Weird steps in power delivery, maybe a missfire, engine mounts, who knows
Water marks on SkyDome blind
Leave the engine idling on a cool night with the heater on and the engine actually cools down!!!

It seems like alot of little things but add them up and im seriously considering losing alot of money and chopping it in for something built properly, I actually drive my 198k mile, J reg BMW 520i now in preference quite alot, and leave the Fiat for my other half to pop to the shops in, which isnt good enough.

My plan was to keep it at least 3 years and rack the miles up but I just dont think it can take it, so summer 08 at the latest its down to BMW I think for a 1 or 3 series, I was hoping the little Fiat could hold its head up and go the distance but im afraid I cant put up with doing 60k miles plus in it.

Motorway journeys are actually tiring in this car. What with correcting its path all the time etc

I once went 1000 miles in a weekend along with a mate, including a brief stop at her university, to see a friend up in Scotland and I absolutely loved it, in terrible snow, at night, driving rain, mountainous roads, a really epic trip and we had a great time battling the elements, course I was driving a G reg Granada Scorpio I paid 100 quid for, but it used less fuel, and didnt tire me at all to drive, oh how I wish Id stayed with reliable old buses like that.

Another fave drive of mine was visiting another mate at uni in Lampeter, 160 odd miles each way, including some proper, fun, welsh lanes. I did that in my Alfa 33 1.5 ie, which again, didnt tire me out, did 45mpg at 80 on the motorway, is far quicker, handled far better on lanes and, believe it or not, used less oil than the Fiat, ie, none!!!!!!!! Grrrrrrrr!

I dont mean to be harsh to the poor Fiat but its really getting on my nerves in a big way, I had to vent, especially as im up late working again.
Click to expand...

Sell it
 
dont get me wrong, the car isnt doing anything terrible, its not leaving me at the side of the road, its still gorgeous, it still has a cracking stereo, and if it had been bought to just ferry my girlfriend around town doing a few k miles a year it would be perfect, its just not really suitable for 20k a year, sometimes loaded with 4 people, full tank of fuel and boot full of stuff, its just not solid enough to cope.

I love the car in so many ways, afterall I bought it in the 1st place didnt I? and it does pain me to want it gone, maybe im too much of a perfectionist especially having bought a Fiat which maybe wasnt a great move, but no other car of this type looks as good or has so much equipment (when it all works properly) still, onwards and upwards.....
 
I think a car like the punto always would be the wrong car for travelling 4up distances though even without any niggly problems...

Surely something like a mondeo etc is more suiting? :confused:

Granted bloody ugly in comparision though ;)
 
I disagree, its got 5 seats so carrying 4 people shouldnt be a problem should it? if Fiat cant make suspension to carry it they shouldnt give the car the ability to, but who would buy a 2 seat Punto I suppose, maybe if it was a van.......

They bill this car as somewhat of a grown up Punto for doing more stuff in, why make it more refined for motorway use and then making it unable to cope in other areas? any car made in 2007 should not struggle with the use I give it!

My 1st car, 1993 Fiesta 1.1, dealt with 4 people and rough roads so well, and took long trips loaded, and helped out as a van while moving house....

I expect my cars to be up to a bit of hard work, they are afterall machines to rely on, not toys!
 
Last edited:
auto_blanco said:
dont get me wrong, the car isnt doing anything terrible, its not leaving me at the side of the road, its still gorgeous, it still has a cracking stereo, and if it had been bought to just ferry my girlfriend around town doing a few k miles a year it would be perfect, its just not really suitable for 20k a year, sometimes loaded with 4 people, full tank of fuel and boot full of stuff, its just not solid enough to cope.

I love the car in so many ways, afterall I bought it in the 1st place didnt I? and it does pain me to want it gone, maybe im too much of a perfectionist especially having bought a Fiat which maybe wasnt a great move, but no other car of this type looks as good or has so much equipment (when it all works properly) still, onwards and upwards.....
Click to expand...

it is very suitable for 20k a year i am doing it.i have commented on a other post concerning your woes pointless repeating myself:)
 
I think maybe I expect too much, too many years of owning old BMWs built like the preverbial outhouse I suppose ;)

I dont just want a car that is physically capable of doing the miles and no more, I want the quality to still be apparent 60k on....I just dont think it will and as ive yet to see this model with 60k on it, let alone 100, 120, 200k that I might expect the car to do if kept 6-7 years, I dont want to be the 1st to prove that the car will turn into a rattly wobbly old tatter.

I may well be demanding and some of you may disagree wholeheartedly with me, and thats fine, everyone has their opinion, but this was my 1st Fiat and will probably be my last, at least until they have the quality to back up the marketing.
 
auto_blanco said:
I think maybe I expect too much, too many years of owning old BMWs built like the preverbial outhouse I suppose ;)

I dont just want a car that is physically capable of doing the miles and no more, I want the quality to still be apparent 60k on....I just dont think it will and as ive yet to see this model with 60k on it, let alone 100, 120, 200k that I might expect the car to do if kept 6-7 years, I dont want to be the 1st to prove that the car will turn into a rattly wobbly old tatter.

I may well be demanding and some of you may disagree wholeheartedly with me, and thats fine, everyone has their opinion, but this was my 1st Fiat and will probably be my last, at least until they have the quality to back up the marketing.
Click to expand...

Can understand where your coming from, the car doesn't feel like it will wear well in terms of interior quality/rattles. Would be interesting to see how they are after 3/4years.
 
3 Questions.....

Im going to be selling my GPS in the new year and I have a couple of questions about it.

1stly, it says StarJet on the front, and in the brochure it refers to an 'electronically controlled phase variator', now what is that, Renault replaced a cam variator on my mums old Megane and it was to do with the VVt, i didnt know these cars had that feature.

2ndly, I worked out my fuel economy brim to brim in mixed driving, and driving like a Grandma (although not my own!!) it only did 36mpg over a tankful, which quite frankly is pathetic and nowhere near Fiats figures, is that normal because to be honest most of the car is worrying me about being broken.

3rd question, my engine mounts seem very very soft indeed, even dipping the clutch to change gear can make a horrible bang, let alone letting the clutch out again, going backwards is a horribly juddery affair and I think broke, never experienced anything like it in any modern car.

Somedays, the car seems lively, frugal and gutsy, other days it feels limp and dead and you really need to work it, whats going on?

Just turned 14k miles too.

Ive been offered a cracking deal on a new facelift Focus TDCi in the new year from someone I know at Fords so looks like im selling out unfortunately!
 
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