Hello all, nice to be here - first post from a possible first-time Fiat owner.

I don’t know if people on this forum often ask whether a particular car might be a good buy, but I’m going to try, and I’d appreciate any input, encouragement, or dire grievous warnings

I'm looking at a 1998 Marea Weekend SX 100TD with 120k on the clock. It’s been owned by a friend for a few months, but he’s just bought a cleaner one. My friend has done the cambelt (don’t know about idler/tensioner - will check), had the injectors tweaked, and put in a new radiator. In the last 6000 miles with the previous owner it’s apparently had a clutch, new front discs, and the rear suspension fettled.

What’s wrong with it: central locking doesn’t work, so you have to insert an over-ride widget into the dashboard. Rear wash is out. There’s a warning light to do with exhaust management that goes out when the engine is hot. Couple of dings: scraped sill, stone chip on bonnet, manky door handles. Tiny spot of rot in the arches, not much.

Drives a treat. Will be MOT’d. Price: around £500.

I’m tempted to try it and see how it goes. Any warning bells? Anything I must check? What say ye?

No bites. Okay, too vague? Maybe I shoulda just asked about the exhaust warning light?

Try posting this in the 'Lets Talk Fiat' section you should get more responses, this is really a technical section.

Cheers fiatdrivingfan, will do.

100TDs are relatively rare on the forum.

I'm afraid you could be waiting a wee while for an owner to sign in and see your post. Will be waiting even longer for a 100TD owner to sign in who ventures out of the Marea section to Lets talk Fiat.

What is this exhaust warning light. My 20V doesn't have this?

i believe your warning light is emissions related so prossibly as simple as a glow plug.

Ry

I have a 1998 Marea 100TD Weekend, and today's project is to replace the cambelt etc. for the second time, so I am probably as well placed to comment as anybody here.

I've got no idea what the widget on the dashboard you refer to is, but my car (an ELX, so next trim level up) doesn't have one so I'd guess that it's some sort of after-market immobiliser. If that's what's breaking your central locking then you're on your own, sorry.

If the warning light you are referring to is the glowplug light and it flashes for 30 seconds after the engine has been started, then it means that one or more of the glowplugs needs replacing. I did mine last winter (they're not expensive) and it transpired that nos 2 & 3 had failed. 1 and 2 were easy to replace, 3 & 4 very fiddly (but not technically complex).

If it's not the glowplug light then you'll need to identify it somewhat better, perhaps by using the handbook.

HTH

if its had all this work done, then its likely a good buy as the parts replaced alone are worth that. Except if the idler, tensioner and water pump haven't been replaced with the timing belt - these should at least be done by now - so find out what exactly was done and at what mileage. if it was done at 60K then its due again.
Exhaust management light ?. No such thing - better find out what that is exactly.. most likely glow plugs but this would flash after starting..
If its the injector light (engine management) then you're gonna have to get it scanned to see whats up. but if its running ok with the expected whoosh then its probably nothing serious..

Oilburner & stylers, that's v helpful. The belt, idler and tensioner have been done this year: I'll check the water pump. I'm keen to track this warning light down because as you say there's no such thing, as I found out according to the handbook pdf. The main thing is yes, it goes 'whoosh' . I'm having a proper look this weekend, armed with a small/dangerous amount of forum knowledge, and I'll be having a right jiggle of that boot lock... barring unforeseen problems I sense a Weekend outside my house soon...

KK Jale said:

I'll be having a right jiggle of that boot lock...

Click to expand...

You didn't mention boot-lock before

That area at the back of the car is prone to sucking up a lot of motorway grime, and the result is inevitably corrosion. In my case, the rear wiper seized up (steel inside alloy) and the tailgate handle stopped returning after use (tiny little spring corroded).

The effect of the tailgate handle sticking up was most annoying because it meant I couldn't open the boot ...is this what you meant when you said:

central locking doesn’t work,

Click to expand...

If so, my solution to this (once I'd got fed up of using a small screwdriver to "hook" it back down) was to drill a small hole in the handle, insert a loop of wire through the hole, and use that to pull the handle down every time after use. It may sound crude, but it works a treat and you wouldn't notice it if you didn't know it was there.

Having taken everything apart to investigate, I can tell you that the only alternative was likely to have been very expensive.

hi well i have had my 2001 weekender 110sx jtd for 2 months now and i am very pleased with it it's good on juice it's a good reliable runner looks good as well tho i cannot compare it with others round here cos in that 2 months i've only ever seen 2 and they were in cambs not s.wales where i live lol.but back to your question i would say deffo keep it be part of the gang lol...andy

Apologies OilBurner... it's so easy to be unclear when writing... to my knowledge the boot lock is fine, but I'd read it was a common problem in the forum archives and made a mental note to check it on second viewing... and I'd also already found your wire loop fix in a previous thread... thanks, that's my kind of bodge

I also made a mistake in my first post – the central locking does work, it's just the remote lock (aftermarket?) that doesn't. Doh.

Cheers Andy, funny isn't it but normally when you get interested in a vehicle you see them all the time... since I've been considering the Marea, I haven't seen a single one. Exclusive bunch you lot!

Taking it for a spin on Sunday all being well.

no help in this post really but one of the weekends you saw might of been me as ive got one one the road and one for spares in my garage