Phil
Member
Disaster struck, after noticing a strange chemically smell around the car earlier in the day, (yes, I now know!), I later went to start the car and it didn’t want to start easily or run well; making a spluttering noise. So when I then opened the door I smelt a stronger smell. This time I recognised it as petrol – and what’s that damp patch of tarmac under the left hand side rear of the car? Well I had a fuel leak on the 90 degree metal pipe that comes out of the fuel filter. I knew this part was in bad condition (corroded), when I spotted it two years ago. But when I took it to two separate garages at the time they didn’t want to touch it!
I called the AA, the helpful AA man (who arrived within 5 minutes) tried to repair it with metal putty and then strapping a rubber pipe over the affected area - but to no avail – it still leaked. So they then relayed my car to my local garage. Luckily the garage was able to fit me in to look at it the next day. All the parts required; filter, banjo bolt, 90 degree metal pipe from filter, plastic pipe to the engine compartment, pipe to tank, are no longer available from Fiat. They did warn me that the car could be scrap, but they’d get a selection of filters and parts from the motor factor to see if they could find anything that would fit. Well, they managed it, my car now has a Vauxhall Corsa filter, no banjo bolt, no 90 degree pipe, and the new rubber pipe now goes over the plastic pipe, rather than the old "barb" fitting inside the plastic pipe. Hey presto:
I was dead chuffed they fixed it and so soon, I was having visions of having to buy a cheap motor to tide me over as commuting to my place of work via public transport is virtually impossible at the times they require me in.
I called the AA, the helpful AA man (who arrived within 5 minutes) tried to repair it with metal putty and then strapping a rubber pipe over the affected area - but to no avail – it still leaked. So they then relayed my car to my local garage. Luckily the garage was able to fit me in to look at it the next day. All the parts required; filter, banjo bolt, 90 degree metal pipe from filter, plastic pipe to the engine compartment, pipe to tank, are no longer available from Fiat. They did warn me that the car could be scrap, but they’d get a selection of filters and parts from the motor factor to see if they could find anything that would fit. Well, they managed it, my car now has a Vauxhall Corsa filter, no banjo bolt, no 90 degree pipe, and the new rubber pipe now goes over the plastic pipe, rather than the old "barb" fitting inside the plastic pipe. Hey presto:
I was dead chuffed they fixed it and so soon, I was having visions of having to buy a cheap motor to tide me over as commuting to my place of work via public transport is virtually impossible at the times they require me in.
