306maxi said:

Do the top mount bushes actually affect suspension geometry though? When i was at the garage and they were checking the allignment that said that it was the beam that located the wheels and the dampers wouldn't affect the suspenion. At the time I did disagree, but thinking logically and visualising things, it makes sense.

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Think so on the front - if the top of the suspension strut isn't properly located on the inner wing mounting points, it could throw out the location of the top of the hub carrier - and if the hub carrier isn't properly aligned it will definitely throw out the camber.

I'd need to take the struts off to give you a more definite answer - which I might do in the spring, to check for corrosion & get a bit of rustproofing in there if I don't like what I find.

jrkitching said:

Think so on the front - if the top of the suspension strut isn't properly located on the inner wing mounting points, it could throw out the location of the top of the hub carrier - and if the hub carrier isn't properly aligned it will definitely throw out the camber.

I'd need to take the struts off to give you a more definite answer - which I might do in the spring, to check for corrosion & get a bit of rustproofing in there if I don't like what I find.

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Obviously on the front if there was any dodginess to do with the dampers then that would affect allignment as a strut directly affects allignment, but on the rear it shouldn't or at least I was told it shouldn't!

306maxi said:

Obviously on the front if there was any dodginess to do with the dampers then that would affect allignment as a strut directly affects allignment, but on the rear it shouldn't or at least I was told it shouldn't!

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The rear dampers shouldn't affect the alignment - unless the car's been damaged in an accident, it's all down to poor QC in the factory.

I was talking about the front geometry in my earlier post (although I realise your current problem is with the rear):

jrkitching said:

Also it's not unknown for the factory to fit the top front suspension bushes back to front, which throws out the front wheel camber.

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Joanne91 said:

I've taken another look and I'm almost certain it's a pin that snaps. Seems a very small part considering the amount of flexing it has to do.
I'm going to ask nicely if they'll fix it. Having just done my homework on the Statutory Rights mentioned by an earlier poster, I think there's a good argument that a fair person would expect a door handle still to be functioning three months down the line.

I know some people class handles as trim - but surely if an integral pin snaps it's a mechanical problem? The actual handle segment looks fine.

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I had a March 2008 500 1.4 that had no door handle problems and it was sold close on to 40K miles - so it had quite a bit of use. This is in stark contrast to a VW Golf that I had that was plagued with problems even on the new replacement ones lasting no more than a year. There are several threads on various forums and here is an example of one and how to go about replacing them.
http://www.golfmkv.com/forums/showthread.php?t=86472
On my current '00 Fiat Marea the handle no longer works on the passenger side - this has been caused by some of the guys that worked for me who didn't know how strong they were yanking on the handle even though the door was still locked. Given that your car is nearly 4 years old I would be of the opinion that it's 'wear and tear'. That said some have had the handle replaced…
http://www.fiat.co.uk/Community/forums/thread/11808.aspx

Anyway, given that it's a Fiat part it should not be expensive. Couldn’t see one on shop4parts but 'buyer beware' on the ‘auction site’ they can be picked up cheaply…
http://www.ebay.co.uk/sch/i.html?_nkw=fiat+500+door+handles
http://www.shop4parts.co.uk/?name=store&op=Results&keywords=door+handle

Many years ago my car got boxed in by a Reliant van at a friend's premises. He didn't know whose it was, and tried the door to see if it was open so we could push it aside. It was locked, but as he pulled it the door flexed, so he thought if he pulled harder it may open. There was a sound like ripping cardboard, then he was standing holding a doorhandle, surrounded by a patch of torn GRP. His face was still deadpan as he looked at me and said "Wasn't very strong, was it?" He then placed it back in the gaping hole, and only then discovered that the handbrake was off and we pushed the van back.
I was only a lad, and was initially aghast, but halfway home the situation hit me and I nearly crashed from crying with laughter. It's making me grin even now.
He did find out who owned it, and paid their repair bill.
Sorry if a bit off-topic, but it does concern a door handle (that was stronger than the door).

TrevC said:

...
Sorry if a bit off-topic, but it does concern a door handle (that was stronger than the door).

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A neighbour across the road from me had her belongings taken from her car about 2 nights ago. She had left the car unlocked and it was parked outside our 'door'. When she contacted the police they said that at the moment 'youths' are trying the door handles on cars at night to see if they can get them to open. I wonder how hard they're pulling on them.

306maxi said:

Well that's the strange thing, the rear end has always been a bit squirrelly, especially under brakes. tyre wear seems OK, but I've been rotating tyres so that could be disguising things a bit.

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tire wear is absolutely amazing. i am on 40,000 km and have only rotated the tires once at 20,000 km so the wear should be about the same technically front and rear. They are still looking good, i will check wear again in 10,000 and decide whether to change all 4 or not. I do get the feeling that they may be losing air a bit quicker than when brand new, but since all 4 are losing pressure uniformly over a period of time, it is definatley not a puncture unless i managed to puncture all 4 wheels at the same time haha.

loveshandbags said:

A neighbour across the road from me had her belongings taken from her car about 2 nights ago. She had left the car unlocked and it was parked outside our 'door'. When she contacted the police they said that at the moment 'youths' are trying the door handles on cars at night to see if they can get them to open. I wonder how hard they're pulling on them.

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The problem is so bad in some car parks in the Peak District that some folks remove everything from the car and leave it unlocked.

jrkitching said:

The problem is so bad in some car parks in the Peak District that some folks remove everything from the car and leave it unlocked.

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There was a discussion before about alarms and how useless they were. The OH's alarm went off a few nights ago outside our house. Thinking now - it might be linked to the neighbour's theft. With the new motor the alarm is a standard fit. I'm glad I had the 500 parked in the workshop. I also got two proper remotes with the new one. All in all worth €260 + €400 to have it on a 500. Not that I'm complaining.
:Offtopic:

TrevC said:

More details required, guys. Is it the visible part of the handle that breaks, or some fitting/clip that's inside the door? I thought the handle itself looks a quality job, I can't even tell if it's plastic or metal. Just thinking ahead in case mine ever goes.

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I'll take some pics tomorrow in daylight. It's too dark and cold out at the moment. Imagine the front of the handle, where it hinges when you pull it out. Underneath that is a plastic assembly with a hinge. It's cracked where that joins the chrome handle.

TrevC said:

More details required,...

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first two attached pictures (taken from Adrian Bravo 's Guide "How to fit Fiat 500 door handles to a Bravo) show "the way it should be" , 3rd what - in my case - causes the "malfunction"

me2 said:

first two attached pictures (taken from Adrian Bravo 's Guide "How to fit Fiat 500 door handles to a Bravo) show "the way it should be" , 3rd what - in my case - causes the "malfunction"

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Looks to me as though some preventative maintenance in the form of a spot of lubricant on the pin might extend the life of these hinges.

jrkitching said:

Looks to me as though some preventative maintenance in the form of a spot of lubricant on the pin might extend the life of these hinges.

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I am not even a pimple on the elephant's backside of your meachanical knowledge, but does it look like that? The picture seems (to me) to show that the metal hinge itself has failed rather than the pin being worn.

I'm not sure I see that lubricating the pin would make any difference?

RobinPJ said:

I am not even a pimple on the elephant's backside of your meachanical knowledge, but does it look like that? The picture seems (to me) to show that the metal hinge itself has failed rather than the pin being worn.

I'm not sure I see that lubricating the pin would make any difference?

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Depends if the pin was seized which then caused the hinge to break.

From my position of ignorant stupidity I wouldn't think that a seized pin would cause the much bigger piece of metal to break - rather the narrow pin.

Like if I glue an egg bewteen two bricks and then pull, the egg will break before the one of the bricks will. But here, it is one of the bricks that has broken.

RobinPJ said:

I am not even a pimple on the elephant's backside of your meachanical knowledge, but does it look like that? The picture seems (to me) to show that the metal hinge itself has failed rather than the pin being worn.

I'm not sure I see that lubricating the pin would make any difference?

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Yes, it's the hinge which has actually failed. But if the pin isn't lubricated, the extra friction puts additional stress on the hinge, which eventually fractures due to metal fatigue. If the two parts of the hinge are perfectly free to turn on the pin, then there shouldn't be any stress on the part of the hinge that's failed.

Think of it like a door that's stiff to open & close, which becomes much freer once you've put a dab of oil on the hinges.

I shall spray liberally, the hinges on the handles of the Wife's 500 this very weekend coming! I knew that 'free' tin of expensive looking spray lubricant left in my Cadillac after its last service would come in handy!

RobinPJ said:

Like if I glue an egg bewteen two bricks and then pull, the egg will break before the one of the bricks will. But here, it is one of the bricks that has broken.

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Actually that's a brilliant analogy.

Glue two bits of eggshell to a hinge, then use the ends of the eggshell to open & close the hinge. If the hinge is perfectly free to move, all will be well. But as soon as the hinge stiffens up, the eggshell will break. :idea:

OK, good. So now we just need to persuade Fiat not to make car parts out of egg shells.

RobinPJ said:

OK, good. So now we just need to persuade Fiat not to make car parts out of egg shells.

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Or spend more than 2p on the hinges. Or put a spot of grease on the pins during manufacture.