Technical Fiat Bravo 105 JTD niggles!!

[punto-paul]

Hi everyone!! just need a little help and advice.

As I've just bought a 1999 Bravo 1.9 JTD locally, at a great price.

Overall the car is good, and has been well serviced so nothing to do there. Just needs a good clean and polish externally, but there's a couple of niggles I want to try and sort out.

No1. The glow plug light comes on sometimes while driving, but switching the engine off then back on sorts it out. Maybe a sensor or something like that ?

No2. The drivers window doesn't always want to go up, but wiggling the wiring cover / trunking between the door an the door post it starts working again. I'm thinking broken wire, but not sure how to undo the cover / trunking?


Also I have set of mk2 Punto Abarth alloys in my garage, with 195/45/15 tyres that need replacing. Looking at the Fiat handbook, the HGT has 195/50/15 tyres.

Would this size be okay for my JTD, as currently it has 14 inch steel wheels.


Thanks in advance!!

 

[Neverth]

For the door wiring just get one from scrapyard and swap it over. It detaches from the body by rotating the round cover and pulling it.
Then just remove the door panel and pull the rest of it off.
The most annoying part is the lock connectors.
I did this for passenger door and had to swap manual windows to electric one from my car (along with the window motor) when I swapped a replacement door into my car.
The drivers door has bit more wiring as it has controls to the other windows.

For the tyres I had HGT wheels and they had 195/55 R15 as it has the same diameter as the original 185/65 R14. 50 should not be an issue, but I'm not sure about the offset on punto wheels.

 

[punto-paul]

Cheers for that, I'll keep an eye out for a Bravo in my local scrap yard and see if I can get a decent drivers door wiring loom!

Fingers crossed, should be a reasonably straight forward job.

Having a closer look the original wheel rims have decent tyres, and the owner even gave me a spare wheel rim with an almost new tyre fitted.

So I've put that on, to replace one that was starting to perish. As having so many pot holes on the roads, has put me off fitting my alloys.

Besides, I had a spare set of brand new wheel trims in the garage so fitted those.

May as well, least the car looks a bit more loved now

 

[bluejohn125]

As regards wheels and tyres, basic Bravas / Bravos had 14" steel wheels with 176/65x14 tyres, smarter versions (except the 2L HGT) had 15" alloys (like yours) with 185/55x15 tyres. The equivalent (for diameter) in a wider tyre would be 195/50x15 but you'd get worse economy and no real benefit in performance.

185/55s have a reasonable sidewall if you're worried about potholes. Nexen NBlues are a good choice (I've always run my Brava on the older N2000s).

 

[punto-paul]

Finally got the Bravo taxed today, so I could enjoy driving it at last.

I've been driving an automatic for a while, so driving a manual again has took some getting used to!

With a bit of help from my brother, giving the car a decent wash and polish.

And a few bits and pieces, plus a set of new wheel trims I had in the garage.

Does look a bit more loved now!!





Rear tyres do make a rather large amount of road noise, which is a bit annoying. Thought it might be a wheel bearing at first, but after checking they are all okay.

So I might treat it, and get the alloys I have fitted after all.

Had to get a pic off the net, as the alloys are tucked away at the moment.



Should look good I think, hopefully I'll sort the paint on the front bumper. Along with a few other odds and ends, and it'll look a different car!

 

[bluejohn125]

Those Abarth alloys are great, they should suit the car really well.

Not sure why your rear tyres seem noisy... obviously there are lots of things that vary between tyres.. grip, water removal, life, economy, noise, sidewall stiffness. All things to consider when choosing for your alloys.

I've found that there is a lot more noise in the Tipo or Brava when the seats are folded down and no parcel shelf. And older shocks / bushes might transmit more noise?

 

[punto-paul]

I had a local garage check it out, as the noise was getting quite bad especially at any speed above 40 mph.

Which as my main commute is on the motorway, is hard not to go faster than that!!

Turns out despite my own check, the wheel bearing was worn on the drivers rear.

When the garage checked, with the car lifted off the ground. And the wheel span it made no noise, but on a road test with someone in the back it became obvious. Plus the wheel rim is slightly buckled, not badly but I have a spare so will fit that.

Unless I fit the alloys first, I am tempted to go fit them now! So cheers bluejohn, as you say should look great on the car. Certainly better than sitting in the garage, just doing nothing !I'll price up some tyres, and go from there.

Least the noise issue is solved, thankfully nothing too expensive but fingers crossed now that's sorted