GRANDE PUNTO 06 needs new steering column - does it need calibrating by Fiat dealer??

ok, to cut a long story short - warning message on steering within a couple of weeks of purchase from dealers. They couldnt diagnose so I took it to Fiat who have said new steering column. and that it will need configuring. but they cant tell me if there are other garages which have the equipment to do that

Fine and dandy - Fiat can fix it, BUT I need to find out if I can get it done cheaper elsewhere before I get the work done (dispute with dealer over liability - mitigation of loss, blah blah)

Every single garage I've rung has given me a different response. The first were really helpful and said, well we can get the part, be we wont know until we get it whether we'll need to configure it/reset the parameters or even if we can with the equipment we have, because we know it works on a punto, but never done a grande punto. good. honest answer.

Next garage - yes yes we can fix it. no coding needed. just fit the column. end of.

Next garage - needs configuring - no we cant sorry

Next garage - eh - coding? configuring? tracking you must mean. no problem we can fit

Can anyone tell me conclusively that a new steering column requires calibrating/coding/configuring whatever you want to call it (so what is the correct term?) and is this something that a fiat dealer or only a garage with specialist equipment can do - or is it justa case of fitting a part?

I am non technical so all this is really baffling me!

thanks in advance

Re: GRANDE PUNTO 06 needs new steering column - does it need calibrating by Fiat deal

just to respond to my own message, I phoned yet another garage, and he said that because it was a steering column, then an actual fiat part would be needed, and since thats the bulk of the cost he couldnt imagine it being significantly cheaper elsewhere anyway. He also said as the sensor on the column is connected to the electrical display that shows the warning message, there will be specialist equipment involved to recalibrate. I still dont know whats right, but he sounded the most convincing so far!

Re: GRANDE PUNTO 06 needs new steering column - does it need calibrating by Fiat deal

lynniep said:

ok, to cut a long story short - warning message on steering within a couple of weeks of purchase from dealers.

Click to expand...

If the problem happened "within couple of weeks of purchase from dealers" shouldn't it be covered by warranty?

Re: GRANDE PUNTO 06 needs new steering column - does it need calibrating by Fiat deal

Davren said:

If the problem happened "within couple of weeks of purchase from dealers" shouldn't it be covered by warranty?

Click to expand...

no its not something that is covered by the warranty.
If anyone's interested, or it happens to them, we have been informed by trading standards that the most likely scenario is that we are covered by sale of goods 1979 - specifially something called burden of proof. This means within 6 months of purchase the dealer is liable for a car which has been deemed unroadworthy, if he/she cannot prove that the issue is not an inherent manufacturing fault ie they have to prove the fault is due to wear and tear since our purchase. this is because the car should be free of minor faults (it was -and they did fix the stuff that was minor after purchase) and also reasonably robust ie should last at least this amount of time. Its clearly not reasonably robust. Its sitting in a fiat dealers workshop looking pretty.

Anyway, we are doing everything by the book in order to try to claim the full cost of repair if we need to get legal, hence the need for alternative quotes/opinions from other garages, to mitigate loss.

What kind of warranty do you have - was it a standard 30 day warranty from a garage dealer? Or did you purchase this from a FIAT main dealer so should have a longer one - if FIAT themselves have specifcally said it needs a new steering column then that is a mechanical issue and surely has to be covered?

Good that you have contacted trading standards, sounds like it's a rubbish scenario - just interested as to why the garage think they aren't liable!

I thought the phrase was that it has to be "fit for purpose for a reasonable period of time". I would't have thught "a couple of weeks" would be classed as a reasonable period of time for the electric power steering column to pack in..

There are some previous posts on this.

The steering needs to be calibrated by fiat. There may be some garages that have the software but i doubt many would yet.

Some have posted that they have changed the column and the wheels do not match the turning direction of the steering (one guy bought two thinking they were faulty).

You could get someone else to fit and fiat to calibrate - not sure how you move the car back to fiat though (recovery services maybe).

TBH the issue is likely to lie with the warranty company rather than the Dealer, though neither want to stomach the cost of a new column and calibration.

I've seen various aftermarket warranty's over the years, and they always cover steering racks and associated hydraulic parts. The problem is that these companies never recognise electrically-assisted columns, and always argue that "if it's not listed- it's not covered" (if you've got a 3rd party warranty, have a look- you won't find anything relating to the electric PAS).

I've had many an arguement over the phone with an idiot in a call centre over the wording and how behind the times they are. They won't class it as a rack fault, a fault in the mechanical column and it's joints, or even try to claim it as a fault in the hydraulic pump (even though it does the job of the pump).

I always configure the column (and for those they say you cant well I can assure you that you can if you carry this out the correct way) and there is no charge for this as its in with the fitment.

Does Fiat dealer have to fit the column, well there are a few points you should look out for so I would say yes. Does not mean you have to buy it from a dealer but probably best to get them to fit it but only at a hours labour.

Hi - thanks for the responses.

Warranty is from the dealer (not fiat, just a dealer) and doesnt cover the column, and even if it did its only £300 max.

Have found the cost of replacing column elsewhere, but yes that involves getting the car moved, fitting, and getting it back to dealer. All adds up to about the same price so the argument for doing this is poor as the costs are too similar.

The dealers ARE liable. Have had a lot of conversations now with Consumer Direct on behalf of Trading Standards. They have made no effort to rectify the situation and are stubbornly refusing to be held liable. Its up to them to prove that a) there was no fault with the car on purchase i.e. it was roadworthy. b) it is 'reasonably robust' enough to basically 'work' for the first 6 months.

Unless they did a diagnostic at the time, which we know they did not and could not because they dont have the equipment, they cant prove it was roadworthy. The used car validation certificate they gave us is therefore irrelevant because it doesnt cover that. It seems a bit unfair on them as they can't check everything, however thats the law. The only leg they really have to stand on is to prove that the damage is due to wear and tear since we bought it from them. It may have been a grey area on an old car, but not on a car thats only 4 and has done less than 30k.

Anyway, I cant comment much more in case we have to take legal action, which is likely...

lynniep said:

Warranty is from the dealer (not fiat, just a dealer)....... Unless they did a diagnostic at the time, which we know they did not and could not because they dont have the equipment...

Click to expand...

Sorry, just to clarify- the issue isn't with a Fiat Dealer, but a used car dealer?

It's just that the term "Dealer" usually suggests a Fiat Main Dealer.

Thats what I though....getting confused here!

I had mine replaced under the 28 day warranty, but I purchased my car from a Fiat dealer. How much does the Fiat dealer want out of interest?

sorry yes I am being confusing. I bought the car from a general used car dealer. They couldnt diagnose the fault at their own garage although they could see that there was one. We had to take it to a fiat dealer to be diagnosed, where its still waiting to be fixed.

I assume they (garage you got car from) are paying for the repairs?

Hi - just for your info - my steering angle sensor is faulty (sounds like the same as yours) this gives the ESP/hillholder unavailable....

Dealer has tried to recalibrate but still faulty

I have been quoted £855 for new column/fitting and calibration from Fiat dealer in Cleckheaton
For now it is staying faulty as I dont have the money to fix this year - may look at getting it replaced next year as long as nothing else major goes wrong .

I was told this is not an MOT failure (only ABS warnings are) so it could be argued the car is roadworthy in that sense....

Question for the tech - does the body computer log the time and date of the error messages? maybe if they could be printed it will help your case to prove the fault existed when sold

Keep us updated on how you get on - good luck

steering angle sensor is built into the column switch.

T14086 said:

I assume they (garage you got car from) are paying for the repairs?

Click to expand...

I think that's the issue, the dealer says theyre NOT paying for the repair. Quite how they can get away with that is baffling. I don't blame lynniep for considering legal action.

you mean non franchise garage not a franchised Fiat dealer....got confused again...happens with age apparently, Dave told me

Sporting_Chris said:

Hi - just for your info - my steering angle sensor is faulty (sounds like the same as yours) this gives the ESP/hillholder unavailable....

Dealer has tried to recalibrate but still faulty

I have been quoted £855 for new column/fitting and calibration from Fiat dealer in Cleckheaton
For now it is staying faulty as I dont have the money to fix this year - may look at getting it replaced next year as long as nothing else major goes wrong .

I was told this is not an MOT failure (only ABS warnings are) so it could be argued the car is roadworthy in that sense....

Question for the tech - does the body computer log the time and date of the error messages? maybe if they could be printed it will help your case to prove the fault existed when sold

Keep us updated on how you get on - good luck

Click to expand...

Just an update on my Steering angle sensor error.....
I have just had my tracking done/adjusted (even though the car was not pulling either way) and this seems to have solved the problem and i no longer have esp unavailable similar to what a previous poster stated. Cheap fix at £20!!!

I wonder if my fiat dealer would have spotted this before replacing the steering column that they recommeded/quoted me £855 for.

So if you do have ESP error and the diagnostic code points to the steering angle sensor get your tracking checked first:slayer: