Cinquecento/Seicento Service your cinquecento WIP

okay so for information on what is required at what mileage see the servicing FAQ

before you start any work on any car consult the safe working practices FAQ

now whislt we have servicing intervals you have to use a little common sense.if you have bought a car with no or part service history then i tend to follow the belt & braces approach and treat it as nothing has been done.
often people will do easy items such as air filters but wont change brake fulid and fuel filters for example.

• visual checks
• oil change
• coolant flush & change
• thermostat change
• brake component checks/replacement
• brake fluid renewal
• air filter replacement
• spark plug/HT lead replacement
• coil pack replacement
• fuel filter renewel
• alternator belt replacement
• clutch adjustment
• valve clearence check (OHC only)
• transmission oil check & change

for any jobs listed use them in conjunction with the other faq's;for example correct torque settings

visual checks should not be limited to the servicing schedule of the car.as a driver you are responsible for the condition of your car not just for that PITA MOT

tyres: check tyre pressures,the condition of the tyres including the inside of the tyre not just the easy to see outside.
check for cuts,tears,bulges etc.
if the tyres are not wearing evenly you are either not checking tyre pressures or need to get the tracking checked

fuel lines & brake lines: inspect all the brake and fuel lines for corrosion and damage. inspect the brake flexi hoses for wear and also collapsed hoses. being a cento inspect the fuel tank for signs of leaks.

under the bonnet: again check fuel and brake lines.check coolant levels in the expansion tank. check the oil level on the dip stick. check brake fluid level,also push down the button on the master cylinder cap(ignition on) and get a helper to check the brake warning light illuminates. check for any coolant or oil leaks.

steering & suspension: check around the steering rack and driveshaft gaitors for splits and leaks.a repair here can safe buying more expensive parts later! inspect shock absorbers for signs of leaks and check springs for damage and/or heavy corrosion

exhaust: check the exhaust for any holes and check all the hangers are in place and not perished

bodywork: centos are galavanised but corrosion is possible.always easier to sort sooner than later so have a good check including sunroofs,windscreen surround,wheelarches and in the boot floor area

other checks: most of these will fall under the other service items so wont be covered here

okay to change the oil and filter you will need

good quality 10w 40 oil
new oil filter
oil filter removal tool (possibly)
oil flush such as forte(optional if for example oil hasnt been done in a long time)
sump plug key 12mm
jack (if possible not the fiat supplied one!)
axle stand(s)
torque wrench + 19mm socket
wheel brace
a container to catch the old oil
latex gloves(not essential but recommended with dirty oil)
rags

okay now people will have there own perferences and tips for any job on a car so i will put mine here but dont assume another way is better/worse

now i usually try to see if the oil filter is loose to be turned by hand with a cold engine.its easier than messing with a hot filter. so try to undo it a little and if it does great.if not use the removal tool. if you dont have one you can put a long screwdriver through the filter body and use it as leverage.however its very messy this way and the car is undrivable if you hit a problem.

however this is getting ahead of things as we want the engine oil warm to drain easier.so once you know you can loosen the filter(or you are going ot have to burst it)then run the engine till its up to temp and turn off.
youcan do this with the car on the ground but jacking up goves better access.
if using the fiat jack then place the jack on the jacking point and raise until it holds but leave the wheels on the ground.
if using a proper trolley jack then i recommend using the area by the suspension arm rear bolting point(hopefully someone will supply pics for these)

loosen the wheel bolts slightly and jack the car up.place an axle stand under a secure point and remove the wheel nuts and wheel.
place the wheel under the car as a back up safey

place your oil catch tray under the sump. undo the sump drain plug
take care here as the oil is hot and yoo dont want to have to fish the sump plug out of that dirty oil.
once the oil is drained then remove the oil filter taking care to avoid spillage.
wipe around the filter mount and sump drain with a rag
apply a little clean oil to the new filter rubber sealing ring(NOT THREADS) and screw back into place: hand tight only
clean the sump plug(check the threads as well) and screw into place
fill up the oil(see faq for capacities) but be careful not to overfill!
check for leaks around the sump plug and filter.if they leak they may need a little tightening.
refit the roadwheel
tighten the bolts as much as you can.
jack up,remove axle stand and lower to the ground.
tighten the wheelbolts to correct torque.
run the engine up to temp and monitor for leaks
switch of the engine and give it a minute to settle.
remove and wipe the dipstick.
replace and remove to check the level and top up if required.

okay with a cold engine,unscrew the expansion tank cap.start slowly to allow the pressure to escape gradually.
undo the lower radiator hose,if this has a factory fit clip then if find it easiest to snap these off with a screwdriver and replace with a standard jubilee/worm drive clip.
remove the hose and allow coolant to drain.
look under the coil packs on the roght of the engine(looking from the front) and you will see a hose entering the engine block.undo the clip on this hose and remove.
this gives you access to the thermostat.undo the 2 10mm bolts and withdraw the thermostat housing.

okay now flushing.i will break this into two parts.
radiator flushing
disconnect the radiator top hose and either insert a hose or a funnel if you have no access to a hose supply.
now run or pour fresh water through the radiator till it runs clear from the bottom.
reconnect the top hose
engine flushing
same as before but you are flushing water in via the radiator bottom hose and flushing.
now for a seicento make sure the heater is on the hot setting to allow water to flush the matrix out.
once all flushed out refit the thermostat and hoses. now personally i would generally just replace the thermostat as a matter of course if im doing a coolant change but its down to you.
note on the sporting a new thermostat gasket is required

filling:
its best practice to premix the antifreeze/water to the correct ratio before adding to the cooling system.
so before adding coolant ensure all clips are tight and all hoses are in good condition.
its easier to use a funnel to fill the coolant.
place it in the expansion tank ,open the 2 bleed screws(one on the bulkhead by the battery and one on the inner wing by the radiator side)and add coolant until it starts to emerge from the bleed screws.
tighten the bleed screws.
top up the coolant to the MAX level
start the engine and allow the coolant to reach temperature(fan cuts in and out)but watch coolant levels dont go to low and motitor for leaks.
stop the engine,allow it to cool and recheck coolant levels and top up if required.

as per the coolant swap thread however if the coolant is under a year old you can drain it into a container and reuse it.

if you are just testing the thermostat then place it in a pan of water.then heat the water till it boils.the thermostat must be fully open by the time the water boils.
its not an exact science just a guide.
also see the cooler opening stat FAQ

once the thermostat is replaced(with new gasket on the 1108CC) follow the filling and bleeding procedure in the coolant swap.

okay follow the jacking & safe practices outlined earlier.

tools required

pliers
flat screwdriver
brake cleaner spray
coppaslip (or similar)
wirebrush
fine grade sandpaper
8mm spanner/socket
g-clamp


front brakes pads:
you can with the wheel removed visially inspect pad and disc thickness however you can only really see 1 pad and thats not good enough!!
so wheel removed so are presented with the brake disc & caliper.
make a good visual inspection at this point ensuring the brake flexi hose is in good condition and also inspect the driveshaft gaitor for splits and leaks.

so turn the steering wheel to turn the front of the wheel outwards allowing access to the rear of the brake caliper.
pop the flexi hose out of its clip on the suspension strut.
pull on the caliper body towards you,it should slide on the caliper sliders.
keep a check on the brake fluid level that it doesnt go over the MAX level doing this.
remove the locking clip from the caliper lower slide and remove the lower slide pin.
pivot the caliper body upwards and suport with something like a piece of coathanger hooked between the spring and caliper body.
do not depress the brake pedal while the caliper body is split like this
withdraw the brake pads
inspect the condition of the pads and measure to see if they are below the 1.5mm minimum thickness.
if any pad is below the minimum then replace all 4 pads.
whether using old or new pads give the brake piston and pad mounting points a good clean with a wire brush and brake cleaner spray
inspect the piston and sealing rubber.the piston will need cleaned up if corroded.
to do this gently depress the brake pedal a few cm to push the piston out a little.
clean the piston up with fine sandpaper and give it a good spray with brake cleaner.
if needed a little brake fluid can be applied to lubricate the piston. do not let any brake fluid or gease come into contact with the brake pads!
push the piston back home.
if it wont move back easily then you can crack open the bleed nipple to allow the piston to slide back.if you still struggle you may need to use a G-clamp or wooden lever stle tool.
close the nipple whilst keeping pressure on the piston to avoid letting air into the system.
before inserting the brake pads,apply a little coppaslip to the backing plates of the pads. do not allow any to contact the friction material
once the pads are refitted then bring the caliper housing down.
refit the caliper slide pin and locking pin.if this is worn or damaged then replace it.
ensure they caliper body can slide back and forward freely.
clip the flexi hose back in place and ensure it is not kinked or damaged and doesnt foul any parts with the steering moved lock to lock.
repeat on the other side.

release the brake flexi hose from the suspension leg mounts.
undo and remove the two caliper mounting bolts
lift the complete caliper assembly up and clear of the discs.
support the caliper and do not allow it to hang from the flexi pipe.
a peice of wire coat hanger bent into an 'S' makes a handy support hooked around the spring.
now undo the wheel locating pin from the disc and the locating screw.you may need an impact driver if the screw is really tight.
after that remove the spacer if your cento has one fitted.
then you can remove the disc.

with the disc off ensure the hub face is clean and at least give it a clean down with a wire brush.
if you have had problems such as vibration from the brakes you need to check the hub face is flat.
i like to give everything a good clean down with aerosol brake cleaner.
apply a little anti seize compound (AKA coppaslip) to the hub face to help prevent the disc sticking.
fit the new disc ensuring you align the two mounting holes
refit the spacer if fitted
fit the screw and locating screw
if you have fitted new discs then you must fit new pads!!(see previous page for pad fitting)
bring the caliper down ensuring the pads go either side of the disc.
you may need to push the caliper piston back to account for the extra pad material of the new pads.
refit the caliper bolts and bolt down to torque.
push the brake pedal a few times, to ensure everything is okay and bring the pads up to the disc
if all's well apply a little anti seize to the spcer/disc centre where the wheel makes contact to prevent seizing.
refit the wheel and torque the bolts.
once the cars on the ground ensure the brakes are still pumped up. take the car for a test run to ensure the brakes are working fine,take it easy!
the brakes need a good 100 miles to bed in and heavy braking must be avoided.