General Should I or shouldn't i
- Thread starter MrZetor
- Start date
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General Should I or shouldn't i
Yep, good choice for a first car, as long as it's in good condition
Any common faults
Most Grande 'faults' still apply
Multiair unit ..or semi.auto gearbox..
are the items that cost $$€€'s to fix
My 2012 has the same issues as my 07
Charlie
OP is looking at a 1.4 8v, so no MultiAir unit to worry about at least.
Compromised cooling system is favourite for H.G. failure
Change the coolant regularly to ensure limited corrosion..
Check levels very regularly
Compromised cooling system is favourite for H.G. failure
Change the coolant regularly to ensure limited corrosion..
Check levels very regularly
Does the headgasket fault apply to the 1.4 8v
What fault?
Any Alloy engine of a modern design employs minimum cooling fluid for fast warm.up
Loss of cooling will cause hotspots.. damaging the gaskets ability to seal
I've fixed failures on every FIRE motor
1000 8v
1108 8v
1242 8v
1242 12v
Loss of coolant is the standard cause
You notice Ive not listed any 1.4's
In the UK the taxation system favoured smaller engines...
And in the 199 body: Grande. Evo. 2012+
The mj diesel and TA petrol offer much better tax and fuel costs than a 1.4
My older fiats 1300cc and 1500cc... 80's cars were IRON not Alloy and had no cooling worries
What fault?
Any Alloy engine of a modern design employs minimum cooling fluid for fast warm.up
Loss of cooling will cause hotspots.. damaging the gaskets ability to seal
I've fixed failures on every FIRE motor
1000 8v
1108 8v
1242 8v
1242 12v
Loss of coolant is the standard cause
So would a grande punto be OK. Or are they notorious for blowing headgasket. And someone I think mentioned gearbox issues.
They are not notorious for head gasket problems.
Like any car if it has been neglected then it could have faults.
When you get a car make sure to do the required pre driving checks and other periodic checks and servicing. That is how to prevent faults / failures caused by neglect.
Good luck
The 1.4 8v engine is no worse or no better than any other fiat engine. The main problem which charlie keeps pointing out is that if a car is not looked after then they can have cooling problems and then suffer a head gasket fail, Fiat’s are cheap and people don’t always look after them so there “seems” to be a problem with head gaskets when more often than not it’s a problem with owners.
The problem is the car over heats and damages the head gasket. If it’s kept cool then there is no problem. This applies to literally every engine that’s made of alloy.
There are some engines that have genuine head gasket problems that can just spontaneously blow but that really doesn’t apply to fiat.
If you want an1.4 8v there is no real reason not to, my only advice would be to drive one because they are very slow and under powered especially in the comparatively heavy Grande and Evo
Gearbox problems are also not “common” they tend to apply to people who have tuned a car over the top or mistreated the gearbox, again this is the same as any car, if you “grind it till you find it” then even the most expensive cars and the hardiest gearboxes will fail.
What you need like anyone else is a well looked after car, take some precautions with maintenance when you get it, and you should be fine
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You keep saying 'as a 1st car'
That generally means something short lived..
As you make some driving mistakes..
While building NCD
A tidy Grande will be in the £400 to £800 bracket..
Like any £600 vehicle.. any major failure will potentially make it unviable
Tell us what you need it to be capable of..
Its comfortable.. but not great on hills.. or long high speed trips..
But not many £600 cars are.
As a hint here.. I own 4 grandes.. none ore 4 cyl petrols
Diesels are cheaper to run.. use less fuel..
twinair is cleaner running
That generally means something short lived..
As you make some driving mistakes..
While building NCD
A tidy Grande will be in the £400 to £800 bracket..
Like any £600 vehicle.. any major failure will potentially make it unviable
Tell us what you need it to be capable of..
Its comfortable.. but not great on hills.. or long high speed trips..
But not many £600 cars are.
As a hint here.. I own 4 grandes.. none ore 4 cyl petrols
Diesels are cheaper to run.. use less fuel..
twinair is cleaner running
