Technical Check Your Hubcaps

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Technical Check Your Hubcaps

John R Smith

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I thought I ought to check the procedure for changing a wheel, in case I picked a puncture. So as a preliminary, I popped off the rear n/side hubcap using a flat-blade screwdiver. As it came out, so did a broken bit of grey plastic. There are four plastic clips and steel spring ring which hold the cap on. One was missing altogether, and another one was broken, leaving me with two clips. I managed to bodge the cap back on using some insulating tape wrapped around the remaining clips, but it looks like they had the work-experience lad assembling these. I will of course get this replaced under Warranty, I hope, and will get Vospers to check the other three at the same time. It might be a good idea to check yours.

John
 
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Are you talking about wheel trims or the centre caps for alloys?

If it's the latter, I've had a few cars delivered now where one or more of the clips are broken (the caps are usually on the floor in the cars when they're delivered) and have had to put in claims with Fiat for replacements.

Mine can't be the only dealership that has experienced this, so it may be that your dealership didn't notice when your car was delivered (if we don't record damage/missing bits on the delivery note we can't claim) so just fitted them rather than paying for replacements :(
 
as yet i have not broken any centre caps fitting them on pdi after checking wheel torque

but they are a fiddle to fit the first time round as they are new and i think you will find it's more than likely your dealer who has broken them and decided that 3 clips will do and said nothing act dum you know how it goes

i would advise anyone who has bought one to remove them all and check this as it's very common on fiats with these types of centre caps then you can all get some under warranty

we have had to replace a few under warranty also on new cars as some have come broken also not sure how thou as no one should be riding in the passengers side during transport this is were the are when they come to the dealer in the foot well in a plastic bag
 
ok so i pdi'd one today that had 3 broken hub caps in the boot

i don't know what's going on at fiat cos i couldn't even find bits so they must have been broken before they were put in the car

looks like fiat are going to get allot of warranty claims on these caps so i say again check all your hub caps it's highly likely some will be broken fitted to cars
 
Just to update you on this -

I took the car back to the dealers, and we discovered when we took the other caps off that another one was broken. I got the two broken ones replaced under warranty, no quibble, they didn't have them in stock but got them in for me next day.

John
 
Sorry to be really thick here,but do you mean the middle bit on the alloys? If I take that off then its the clip things inside there that might be broken?? Want to check mine before saturday as she is going in to have her number plate holes filled and new ones stuck on:)
 
Sorry to be really thick here,but do you mean the middle bit on the alloys? If I take that off then its the clip things inside there that might be broken?? Want to check mine before saturday as she is going in to have her number plate holes filled and new ones stuck on:)

Yeah on the alloy versions,the little 500 disk that covers the bolts.If it isn't broken don't try fix them, i.e if they feel very secure I would just leave them
 
well might be worth putting some copper slip on them or grease like i do on pdi then they shouldn't get broken again in the future cos they'll slip on and off easy

3 clips present will still hold them on the car securely just so you know
 
Never thought of that!good idea(y). I was actually taking the wheel off to rub the rust off the brake drum and put a smidge of copper grease on because I heard the drum can react with the alloy and cause alloy corrosion?
 
Never thought of that!good idea(y). I was actually taking the wheel off to rub the rust off the brake drum and put a smidge of copper grease on because I heard the drum can react with the alloy and cause alloy corrosion?

yes indeed front and rear hub centers should have some copper on em or you'll find yourself unable to change a wheel at the road side i see this every day in fact i have had to buy a plastic sand filed dead blow hammer to remove wheels from cars

as far as servicing goes on petrol models the wheels don't get removed until the third as this is the point were front brakes are getting low and rear's get a nice wash out if there drum so buy this time there well and truly stuck

i tend to remove all wheels every service and do this on cars i service on first and second just to save me some hassle in the future

if you have a 12mm spanner handy it's worth removing the bolts holding the drums and disks on that align the wheels for you these can get stuck also with time
 
yes indeed front and rear hub centers should have some copper on em or you'll find yourself unable to change a wheel at the road side i see this every day in fact i have had to buy a plastic sand filed dead blow hammer to remove wheels from cars

as far as servicing goes on petrol models the wheels don't get removed until the third as this is the point were front brakes are getting low and rear's get a nice wash out if there drum so buy this time there well and truly stuck

i tend to remove all wheels every service and do this on cars i service on first and second just to save me some hassle in the future

if you have a 12mm spanner handy it's worth removing the bolts holding the drums and disks on that align the wheels for you these can get stuck also with time

I just took all the wheels off and put some copper on, it was surprising how quickly they had started to stick. Thinking maybe the car has been sat outside in bad weather for a couple of weeks before we got it. Thanks for the advice
 
Sorry to be really thick here,but do you mean the middle bit on the alloys? If I take that off then its the clip things inside there that might be broken?? Want to check mine before saturday as she is going in to have her number plate holes filled and new ones stuck on:)


Slightly off topic- I would strongly recommed you dont have number plates just stuck on, have them screwed on, as a couple of days ago , some little scrote bags tried to take the plates off my sons car outside the house, rear were stuck, front were screwed, they gave up as they snapped the front one thinkng it was stuck, and dumped the rear cos they couldnt get both.
We dont live in a big city either, police thought they would be used for petrol station drive away, or getaway from robbery.

Back on topic, I will definately check mine when it arrives.:)
 
I think you were just unlucky we have had both our plates stuck on and so far no problems, our smart car had them stuck on, again no problem I don't think it's something that kids look for as there are plenty of cars with them stuck on.
 
I was over-taken by my driver side rear alloy wheel cap on Sunday while driving down the A470 into Cardiff. Its not the type of road you can just pull over on, so I had to leave it. It came flying off under breaking!

I got home and gave the rest a push, they all feel fine.

Went to the dealer today (monday), the sales girl told me shes had a few cars with broken clips, but she had'nt had one that came off while driving.
The parts guy says that Fiat will not replace it under warrenty so I will have to buy a new one at over £13.
The reason he gave was that it may have been loosened when cleaning. I have'nt cleaned the car for over a month! And even so, as drivers, can we not expect a car part to stay fixed to a car? What next my bumper? my wing mirror?

The sales girl said she will talk to the warrenty guy on Wednesday so see what she can do. Also she said i may want to write to Fiat Customer Services UK and explain the issue.

Can anyone offer advice?

KJ2000
 
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