How do I get at them?

Air filter housing off, and I see two square-looking Bosch thingies .......... coils?
They are held on by a 10mm AF hex bolt each and I took one bolt out.

The Bosch thingy is then lose, and can be pulled and waggled but refuses to pull completely off.
I suppose the Bosch thingy is connected to the spark plug way down inside. I have the correct spark plug spanner and extensions etc.

How do I pull the Bosch thingy off?

No panic here. I had a spare moment or two so I thought I'd have a look-see at stuff ready for a DIY service maybe next month. I put everything back afterwards!

Thanks,
Mick.

I already did the procedure:

To remove the spark plug connector you have to unscrew and to unplug the connector (black BOSCH thing).

To do so you have to pull the yellow part and than press the black part above to unlock the connector:
View attachment 158156

View attachment 158157

After just pull it completely out.

To remove spark plugs is easy to do:
View attachment 158159


Does it answer your question?

larslarsen said:

I already did the procedure:

To remove the spark plug connector you have to unscrew and to unplug the connector (black BOSCH thing).

To do so you have to pull the yellow part and than press the black part above to unlock the connector:
View attachment 158156

View attachment 158157

After just pull it completely out.

To remove spark plugs is easy to do:
View attachment 158159


Does it answer your question?

Click to expand...

yes exactly and if you don't put the connector back the engine check lights come on so don't worry about forgetting to do it again, the car will tell you so.

With the right tools essentially anyone can change their own spark plugs.

Overall the twinair engine is really easy to service:

No periodic valve clearance to check and to correct, no timing belt replacement after xx years / km, what both would be to difficult to do for me.

The only thing what might be difficult to replace is the belt for generator and AC, at 120.000km.

Engine oil replacement after 30.000 km is also not really often.

A little bit tricky is to change the oil filter, but after airfilter box removal from engine, you have quite good access.

larslarsen said:

Overall the twinair engine is really easy to service:

No periodic valve clearance to check and to correct, no timing belt replacement after xx years / km, what both would be to difficult to do for me.

The only thing what might be difficult to replace is the belt for generator and AC, at 120.000km.

Engine oil replacement after 30.000 km is also not really often.

A little bit tricky is to change the oil filter, but after airfilter box removal from engine, you have quite good access.

Click to expand...

dont wait until 120,000 to replace the aux belt, at 75,000 km mine was looking really bad and started making noises after 50,000 kms.

ahmett said:

dont wait until 120,000 to replace the aux belt, at 75,000 km mine was looking really bad and started making noises after 50,000 kms.

Click to expand...

Thanks for advise, but can't see problem at all, my aux belt looks really good, nearly like new.

larslarsen said:

Thanks for advise, but can't see problem at all, my aux belt looks really good, nearly like new.

Click to expand...

how many km's? mind you I do drive a lot in town with ac on so that can't help things.

ahmett said:

how many km's? mind you I do drive a lot in town with ac on so that can't help things.

Click to expand...

Actually 90.000 km...

larslarsen said:

I already did the procedure:

To remove the spark plug connector you have to unscrew and to unplug the connector (black BOSCH thing).

To do so you have to pull the yellow part and than press the black part above to unlock the connector:
View attachment 158156

View attachment 158157

After just pull it completely out.

To remove spark plugs is easy to do:
View attachment 158159


Does it answer your question?

Click to expand...

Thanks, but no, not really, sorry.

Disconnect the plug, and remove the bolt. Yes, I can see that.
However, you just PULL the unit off?
Mine seemed very stuck and I didn't want to just pull and pull.

Thanks,
Mick.

Mick F said:

Thanks, but no, not really, sorry.



Disconnect the plug, and remove the bolt. Yes, I can see that.

However, you just PULL the unit off?

Mine seemed very stuck and I didn't want to just pull and pull.



Thanks,

Mick.

Click to expand...

Yes, simple pull. There is a sealing inside, makes it a little bit stuck.
I remember my Punto I had to pull with both hands together to unplug.

Thanks!

I'll get round to looking again in the next few days. I'll give them both a good hard tug!

Thanks again,
Mick.

Mick F said:

Thanks!

I'll get round to looking again in the next few days. I'll give them both a good hard tug!

Thanks again,
Mick.

Click to expand...

that should do it, a word of warning make sure you use a magnetic spark plug wrench and a long one at that. I had a spanner set and that worked but i'd bought a magnetic one from Halfords for the next change, it was best priced and slim. The damage could be costly if the spark plugs were to drop as you lift them out. You prob know already, when you put the plugs back, gently do the unscrew motion till you feel a click and then screw them in by hand first.

good luck.

larslarsen said:

Engine oil replacement after 30.000 km is also not really often.

Click to expand...

That is an awfully long interval on a fairly highly stressed turbocharged engine with a timing chain.

Agree on above. These extended service intervals are in those of us who regularly service our vehicles, an utter joke. I personally wouldn't leave an oil change on a TA past 10k miles, but that is me. Healthy oil, means a healthy turbo.

frupi said:

Agree on above. These extended service intervals are in those of us who regularly service our vehicles, an utter joke. I personally wouldn't leave an oil change on a TA past 10k miles, but that is me. Healthy oil, means a healthy turbo.

Click to expand...

some of these long intervals are designed for people who take out servicing plans, so thinking about this if one pays for servicing for 3 yrs you may just get 2 services and a pat on the back and a coffee or two for paying them for 3 yrs.

frupi said:

These extended service intervals are in those of us who regularly service our vehicles, an utter joke.

Click to expand...

Why? You think you are smarter than FIAT's engineers?
Replacing fluids and parts earlier than prescribed is just a waste of money!

AGH1965 said:

Why? You think you are smarter than FIAT's engineers?

Replacing fluids and parts earlier than prescribed is just a waste of money!

Click to expand...

No, I don't profess to be a qualified engineer on anything other than diesel fuel injection pumps pre 1988!

As for the point you're making, we'll have to agree to disagree. You are perfectly entitled to your opinion, as am I, and I firmly believe that changing fluids and parts where necessary and earlier than what even Fiat's engineers state, can sometimes be better in the long term. As an example, I've had friends and neighbours who have disregarded cambelt changes or stuck to what the manufacturer states and have subsequently lost their engines due to smashed timing gear etc when the belt has failed. Book says 100k miles, subsequent experience of premature failures, drops that to 60k.

Oh, and I guess you're talking about the same Fiat engineers that designed the door handle hinges, the boot micro switches etc. Do I need to go on?

Had I kept the TA, after the second service, which would have been last month, I would have resorted to fairly regular oil/filter changes on that engine, and I mean every 5k miles as I do with my Saab 1.9. For me, that means two oil changes a year, no hardship for me personally.

AGH1965 said:

Why? You think you are smarter than FIAT's engineers?

Replacing fluids and parts earlier than prescribed is just a waste of money!

Click to expand...

That really depends on how long you intend keeping your car!

frupi said:

I would have resorted to fairly regular oil/filter changes on that engine, and I mean every 5k miles as I do with my Saab 1.9. For me, that means two oil changes a year

Click to expand...

Every 5k miles??? That would probably make the oil drain plug the most wearing part of the whole engine!

Mick F said:

I see two square-looking Bosch thingies .......... coils?

Click to expand...

Slightly off-topic, but are these TA coils really made by Bosch? I'm pretty sure that Beru was the supplier in the past.

AGH1965 said:

Why? You think you are smarter than FIAT's engineers?

Replacing fluids and parts earlier than prescribed is just a waste of money!

Click to expand...

Thing is though, the cost of those parts is a pretty small part of car running costs, and peanuts compared to the cost of potential repairs.

What you have to remember is that FIAT's engineers are designing a car to go through the 3 year warranty period (possibly with some grace period after that) with as few failures as possible. After that, FIAT (and most manufacturers, in fairness) simply don't care.

The "extended interval" servicing business started solely to keep the cost of ownership as low as possible for fleet buyers (who keep the cars for those 3 years at most on lease contracts) and has then permeated through most (though by no means all) of the market as manufacturers have competed with each other for that low cost ownership for that warranty period.

Why do you think BMW and others have been seeing timing chain "stretch" (in reality, wear on the plates where the pins pivot) problems recently? Highly stressed, turbocharged engines on EIS.

Your car, your money, your choice.