General Grande punto no good.....?

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General Grande punto no good.....?

Petercoen37

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Hi guys I need some reassurance about my punto, so I used to have a punto mk2 2004 1.4 16v and I adore it but recently it was costing to much to fix so I upgraded to A grande punto 1.4 2009
and the ride is absolutely terible the suspension is fine so I am told but it doesn't feel right to me and the steering is very loose feeling. On general its feel like the car is going to go one way and the chassis another
I ve had a new shock on the back already and its been to have a suspension and steering check and test drive but I am told its fine. Any feed back will be great I am gonna load some photos up
 

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It would be interesting to know if the car was checked out by someone competent who, perhaps, was familiar with Fiats?

If the car has been competently assessed and nothing seriously amiss found then I'd be looking at suspension bushes first which can get "soft" and cause some really quite strange handling feelings. If any of them are showing signs of tearing away from their metal parts they would immediately invite a more in depth look. Try also "bouncing" each corner of the car to test the shocks. Shocks can wear internally without leaking. If you can bounce it quite easily and it goes on bouncing up and down for more than 2, or maybe 3? oscillations then that shocker is worn. Often you'll find one side bounces more than the other - they should be the same - which is a good indication that the "slack" oner needs replaced (I'd always renew in pairs - ie 2 fronts/2 rears) unless it's "partner" was obviously very new.
 
As Jock says replace in pairs, this is always good practice. Getting under the car and have a good poke about to see what has more movement than necessary or worn out. Safety first and all that, make sure car is properly secure.
 
Does it pass MOT? Have it checked by a professional. It's not ok to continue driving it as it may get worse. It could be worn tie rod ends which are critical to safety. Probably many loose bushings there already.

Also if city mode will make steering very light.
 
(I'd always renew in pairs - ie 2 fronts/2 rears) unless it's "partner" was obviously very new.

I was reflecting on what I've written here - "Unless it's partner was obviously very new" - This would satisfy the MOT inspector but it's probably as well to be aware that different shock absorbers have different damping rates and there are "cheap and cheerful" options which will work substantially differently to a high quality jobbie where performance is a priority. Mixing different makes/models on the same axle is not really to be recommended and the insidious thing if you do this is that, driven gently you probably won't notice much but driven in a "spirited fashion" you will notice a difference between how the car behaves on left and right hand bends especially if the road surface is a bit bumpy so making the suspension flex. (Don't know what it's like around you but Edinburgh's roads are an utter disgrace at this time and getting worse by the day - Millions seem to be available to build segregated bike lanes though? For those of you who don't know Edinburgh, it's all built on hills so you need to be fit to cycle and whilst the weather can be very nice in the summer it's no certainty and in winter it can be positively grim! I wouldn't be cycling to work as I'd arrive in a sweaty bubble and, more often than not, soaked to the skin and frozen to the bone! I do have a bike though and do recreational cycling, so please don't think I'm "anti cycling", I'm not. Just don't think it's very practical for the majority of city workers.)

Also worth considering is that if you have one quite "stiff" shock on one side and a "soft" one on the other then when going over things like sleeping policeman speed bumps, where the bump is across the whole road, it's the stiffer shock which will be doing all the work.

So, personally, I would always fit shocks in pairs and always of the same make and model.
 
I've also had the same issue ongoing for the past 2 years or so (haven't driven much though in the past year), even though the car has brand new front strut assemblies (in pair, all parts brand new), the MOT passes the shakedown test without comments, and nothing feels loose anywhere when trying to wiggle and shake things by hand on the ground or on jackstands.

I'm starting to think it's a feature of Grande Punto from 2008-ish :D

The last things left are the rear axle bushings, or the steering rack. However, there are no grinding sounds or oddities when turning even max left/right in the parking lot. The steering shimmy only appears at highway speeds. Just like you describe, it feels like the car chassis is going to a different direction than your steering movement. Sometimes the car starts pulling one way even without moving the steering wheel *at all*. The steering wheel can be dead straight, and the car suddenly seems to think "let's steer a little bit left/right" completely randomly, while the steering wheel still stays unmoved.
 
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I've driven my Boy's 2012 punto 1.4 Easy on many occasions but only across town so never more than 40 mph - or thereabouts - and I must say the Panda is a much more "taut" and involving drive. I've noticed it's (the Punto) steering behaves very similarly to the Panda which is to say it's very sensitive to camber - which makes it pull to one side - and, to a much lesser degree, doesn't like longitudinal joints in the road surface. The Punto is much more "soft" and "squishy" but comfortable.

I find both these cars much more prone to being affected by camber than any other vehicles I've owned. By that I mean that if the road is dead flat the cars steer straight with no tendency to pull one way or the other. If the road has a pronounced camber/crowning the car wants to pull away towards the N/S gutter and if you drive down that same cambered bit of road but on the "wrong" side of the road (taking appropriate care of course) then it tries to pull right (towards the O/S). I've never owned cars which have displayed this "feature" so strongly before and indeed I was convinced there was something wrong with the Panda until my boy bought the Punto and I found it behaves exactly the same.

Oh, and before you all suggest getting tracking etc done, been there extensively!
 
I've driven my Boy's 2012 punto 1.4 Easy on many occasions but only across town so never more than 40 mph - or thereabouts - and I must say the Panda is a much more "taut" and involving drive. I've noticed it's (the Punto) steering behaves very similarly to the Panda which is to say it's very sensitive to camber

Oh, and before you all suggest getting tracking etc done, been there extensively!

As we agreed back then Jock.

Some just behave that way.
 
you need to invest a good amount of money buying a used grande punto to restore these issues...
 
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