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Punto (Mk2/2b) The Runabout. Punto ELX Speedgear

Introduction

Well after finally scrapping the family runabout, a 1998 Vauxhall Corsa Breeze nonetheless (Awful car). I have now convinced the family the next runabout car should be a Fiat. Named the runabout because that's what it is, its nobodies car really, everyone will drive it from time to time. The new owner who will drive it the most is getting a little older now, the gear changes are getting crunchier so we opted for an auto, speedgear = :slayer: Sooo smooth.

Anyway here it is, 1.2 16v, 50k on the clock.
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Boom Speedgear awesomeness.
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Not a huge fan of the fake alloys :yuck:, not sure if I should take them off and just run steelies, ideally I want to put alloys on but its not my car...
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Also want to clean the headlight lenses up. they're slightly yellowed, any tips?
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Quite the chatty bunch then....

You've got too used to the Classic Panda section...! :D

Those wheel trims are... :yuck:

I'd be tempted just to get some standard, bolt-on FIAT trims... -- much nicer! (y)

Anyway: welcome to the world of Punto Speedgeariness...! I love mine: best automatic I've ever owned.... :worship:
 
You've got too used to the Classic Panda section...! :D

Those wheel trims are... :yuck:

I'd be tempted just to get some standard, bolt-on FIAT trims... -- much nicer! (y)

Anyway: welcome to the world of Punto Speedgeariness...! I love mine: best automatic I've ever owned.... :worship:

Yeah sometimes I forget not every part of the forum rambles as much as us lot...

Wheel trims are horrible (n) Might pick up some Fiat hubcaps if I can get nice ones.
I love the Speedgear box, am I right in thinking its a CVT box?
Got 48mpg out of it on a 50 mile motorway run the other day, wasn't exactly dawdling either.... :eek:
 
I love the Speedgear box, am I right in thinking its a CVT box?

Yup! That's why it's so smoooooth...! (y)

Got 48mpg out of it on a 50 mile motorway run the other day, wasn't exactly dawdling either.... :eek:

That sounds about right (although the display is usually up to 5% optimistic...). I average low 40s (tracking my mileage, etc.) in mine; but have seen mid-fifties, on a journey up the M6, when there were roadworks just about everywhere.... :)
 
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£10 each? :eek: Might as well buy some alloys! Or go for the tatty £8 ones...
Yours is definitely a better colour...
Out of interest do you have remote central locking? Our doesn't which I was a bit surprised, I assumed it'd be standard on a mk2.
 
Out of interest do you have remote central locking?

I do, now...! It isn't standard on the ELX, I'm afraid. However, there are a handful of guides in the, er, Guides section... -- this is the first one that pops up; and here's another one (which I think is slightly better/more detailed...). Kits can be bought off eBay for £20 or so.... (y)

It's not a major job... -- just a bit fiddly...! :rolleyes:
 
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£10 each? :eek: Might as well buy some alloys...

There are often sets of Sporting alloys (like I have on mine, now -- see below...) in the Classifieds, on here; or on eBay. Expect to pay between £100 and £200, for a set of four, depending on tyre make and condition. :rolleyes:



Here's another eBay link...! (y)
 
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The Punto was messing about yesterday, it hadn't been driven for about a week so my Dad asked if I could just take it out to give it a bit of a run.
After about 5 minutes driving I noticed that every time I used the brakes the warning light to say one of the lights is out comes up, it goes away as soon as I stop braking, all of the lights work fine.
Slightly weirder thing, sometimes when I brake but not very often the thing beeps like its slipped into reverse, it'll only beep once and the display goes from D to R and back to D in less than a second :confused:
Other than that it drives perfectly so I'm hoping its just some electrical bug...
 
Other than that it drives perfectly so I'm hoping its just some electrical bug...

Has it rained in Kent, recently...? :D

This is the infamous when-did-you-last-clean-out-the-rear-light-clusters-especially-the-nearside-one Speedgear bug: that hits us all, eventually.... :eek:

It usually means the earth connection to the reversing and brake lights has got tarnished. All you need to do is remove the rear light cluster (using the handy tool in the spare wheel well), undo the connector, and give it some love -- e.g. with a brillo pad, bit of wet-and-dry, WD40 and a screwdriver, whatever takes your fancy... -- until it's nice and shiny again. :cool:

While you're there, clear out the years of detritus that's collected between the light and the bodywork. :p

If this doesn't work (and it usually does), check the earth connection inside the boot. This occasionally comes loose, or frays. But with the Speedgears, cleaning the light terminal usually does the trick. (y)

Yell, if I'm making less sense than usual.... :nutter:

PS: This is explained more sensibly, I think, in my Members Motors thread.... :confused:
 
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The Punto was messing about yesterday, it hadn't been driven for about a week so my Dad asked if I could just take it out to give it a bit of a run.
After about 5 minutes driving I noticed that every time I used the brakes the warning light to say one of the lights is out comes up, it goes away as soon as I stop braking, all of the lights work fine.
Slightly weirder thing, sometimes when I brake but not very often the thing beeps like its slipped into reverse, it'll only beep once and the display goes from D to R and back to D in less than a second :confused:
Other than that it drives perfectly so I'm hoping its just some electrical bug...

this is covered well on forum its dirty earth on rear light
 
This is the infamous when-did-you-last-clean-out-the-rear-light-clusters-especially-the-nearside-one Speedgear bug: that hits us all, eventually.... :eek:

Ah yes I find myself doing such all the time ;)

I'll have a look at it next time I'm wherever the Punto is living for the time being, my Dad text me the earlier today, it was somewhat apparent that he'd driven it and become incredibly annoyed by the thing so I'm glad it should be somewhat of a simple fix (y)
 
It usually means the earth connection to the reversing and brake lights has got tarnished. All you need to do is remove the rear light cluster (using the handy tool in the spare wheel well), undo the connector, and give it some love -- e.g. with a brillo pad, bit of wet-and-dry, WD40 and a screwdriver, whatever takes your fancy... -- until it's nice and shiny again. :cool:
:

Ah, you made it sound all so easy. To be honest not a difficult job, did get a bit confused when trying to find the special tool Fiat provide as the manual didn't make it clear what this tool looks like. Found the tool in the end and got the offside cluster off, cleaned the connections etc and then started on the nearside...
Ah what is this thing that I hadn't noticed until now?
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Looks like a subwoofer? Is this standard on ELX's? The manual didn't mention having to move it to get the cluster off which I did.

Anywho cluster removed, cleaned connections.
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Ignition on,
check lights all still work,
Flashing light, looks like car with boot open but I'm lead to believe its a gearbox light :confused:
Start engine, light went out.
Drove around the block,
Didn't think it was in reverse or warn that a light is out.
Success :D
 
The manual didn't mention having to move it to get the cluster off which I did.

I didn't mention it either.... :eek:

Put some of that newfangled drum and bass music on, and feel the powah! :p

Personally, the upgraded door speakers I have are a bit more chunky in the bass department... -- and are especially good for Bruckner and Brahms symphonies...! :rolleyes:

Glad you got it sorted, though...! (y)
 
Well for the last few days I've been driving just our little runabout Punto and nothing else, this has been all fine and dandy but every time I get out of it somewhere public I feel like it's my car and those horrible hubcaps just had to go :yuck:.
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So at long last I pulled them off to reveal the extremely dirty steelies. After ruining a sponge cleaning the steels I bought some cheap, slightly less tacky hubcaps for the grand price of £3, for a set of 4. They're not great but they're better and I couldn't find any Fiat ones for less than about £5 - £10 per wheel :eek:
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Unfortunately what I had neglected to notice is that these hubcaps are 13" whilst I was unaware that the Punto has 14" wheels... So they sort of fit but not quite. So I'm buying cable ties and I'm going to make them fit.... :p
So for now it's just on steelies, still looks better than those 'orrible hubcaps....
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dirty black steel wheels look better than the new too many fake bolt trims imo

Agree but not my car and I was strictly told not to just bin the old hubcaps and leave bare steelies, the main driver of the car hates bare steelies so £3 tacky hubcaps it is, slightly better than the old ones although they're an inch too small for the wheels.... (y)

I'll get hold of some proper Fiat ones eventually, for less than £50 hopefully :eek:
 
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