Ok, so following on from my recent introduction, and having had the new addition (the 10 plate Fiat 500 by Diesel) for a week, I've had a chance to get underneath the car and found the following:

1 - front coil springs badly corroded
2 - rear coil springs badly corroded
3 - rear shock absorber top bush almost disintegrated, both sides
4 - rear drum brake self adjusters jammed

All fairly easily rectified (at a cost, obviously), but I have to say I'm a little peeved at the garage who told me the handbrake travel was "due to the car sitting for a while and just needing the handbrake cable adjusting".

Also, the shock bushes. The car had done less than 300 miles since it's MOT in November last year, and the shock bushes were an advisory on the MOT the year before, so I suspect the last MOT isn't really a particularly thorough one. :bang:

Going to replace the suspension all round with a set of coilovers, as the top nuts at the front look like they're going to disintegrate the second I put an electric impact wrench on them

and today, I've noticed that the car smokes an awful lot when idling at traffic lights (only on an uphill incline) and when pulling off from the same. Not yet sure what that might be (it's blue smoke)

Perhaps it wasn't so much of a bargain after all

Which engine does it have?

It is a 9 year old car, so most of what you have is normal wear, I'd be having words with the selling garage...big spiky words.

D

rallycinq said:

Which engine does it have?

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From the previous thread, it's a 1.3 MultiJet.
Blue smoke is oil, I reckon turbo oil seals are probably shot.

Smoking is a mot failure now, we've had to replace all the suspension on our 59 plate and rear brakes and drums sump on petrols rust badly don't forget to replace the lower control arms too, a bumper off job

As you say all fairly easily fixable but annoying to find. Ours is a 2010 Panda with 63,000 miles on it, so very similar mechanically (although ours is a petrol) All 4 of our springs are pretty crusty looking - Oh well. The blue smoke would worry me a bit as blue smoke is usually burning oil. I have seen diesels with injector problems emitting a very light blue - almost white - smoke but once you know what oil smoke looks like you wouldn't confuse the two.

Think I'd be having a look inside the inlet trunking for excessive amounts of oil lying about (in low points and intercooler) but don't get too upset if there's only a very light residue because the breather system will ensure a small oil "trace" is present in most diesel intake systems. If a turbo seal has blown there are usually wee puddles!

My biggest concern is the corrosion present on our rear axle. - which, I've learned is common on Pandas and the 500 - It's significant but not really serious yet (She just passed MOT last week). I need to do something about it in the not too distant future. I'm swithering between power washing it in place and coating with the likes of Waxoyl or dropping it off the car and getting it grit blasted and powder coated or enamel painted. My internal engineer is saying it's a no brainer. Of course the grit blasting will be better. But then my internal financial advisor is saying yes, but much more expensive! (the financial advisor doesn't know yet that if I go down the grit blasting road I'll probably take the opportunity to fit new flex hoses and metal brake pipes and ---- who knows what else? Some springs maybe?

rallycinq said:

Which engine does it have?

It is a 9 year old car, so most of what you have is normal wear, I'd be having words with the selling garage...big spiky words.

D

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Thanks. I'll certainly be having spiky words with the garage. I'm considering writing a letter to the garage invoking my 2015 Consumer Rights Act entitlements, but I need to establish what this smoking issue is first rather than going at them piecemeal...