my T plate 2.4 JTD may be on last legs.

Love the car but starting to cost an arm and a leg in repairs - Croma is looking tempting but would have to shoot myself if I buy a new one ( Fiat Marea`s must be holders of the new car depreciation record )

Need some views on likely damage before I get stung at a garage and work out my options.

Just had an MOT fail for:

Drivers seat insecure - it is the electric adjustable version - Tester not happy you can just move up and down by physical force from the position it has been adjusted to. I thought this was normal had a look ,as far as I can without it being taken out, it seems to be secured by two extendable arms and they just move up and down freely when you give it a yank - is there meant to be something else as well to hold it firm in whatever position it has been adjusted too? and any ideas on cost to repair?

Inner CV boots split - Seem to be cheap parts but how much labour too do?

Thanks
Dave

If I was you I'd get a cheap Bravo drivers seat and stick it in for the MoT only (the dirtiest most ripped one you can find - £5 worth). Chuck it in a skip after the test. Whilst your seat is out, have a good look at what needs repairing before putting it back in though. I'm sure ours doesn't move up and down as easily as you described.

As far as the boot is concerned - dead simple. I did both boots on Prelude1970's 130JTD O/S a month ago and it was very easy. They have a bolted flange at the inner joint - no problems about gearbox oil pouring out! 1 hour labour tops and both boots were less than £10 from FIAT.

Are you sure yours is a JTD - I thought they were the still TD's in 1999.

Cheers,

Have just got a mate to do a quick weld on it and it has got through. Had MOT redone and passed - apparently only outer CV boots are part of test not inner CVs ( I went to Kwick fit in a rush - should have know better )

Will be getting inners done though - a camshaft problem and she would be a definate gonner.


She is a JTD - they started in 1999 on T plates. I have discovered however that Fiat they did use some of the old TD bits up in her as the air con condenser was around the opposite way to the later vehicles.