Technical Break Fluid?

[badmouse]

Hi, I'm new here so I'm not sure if this is in the right place, but I've just bought a Punto (2000) and I can't find my brake fluid! I have the manual but it's not behind the fuse box where it's supposed to be. Does anyone else have this problem and know where it is?

 

[s and b]

are you sure you should be touching brakes

 

[badmouse]

Re: Brake Fluid?

Oh is that it? I thought that was something else.......

 

[badmouse]

Re: Brake Fluid?

It's my first car; I probably shouldn't be touching anything.

 

[atom0007]

what did you think it was?

Get yourself a haynes manual and start on the easy (non life threatening) stuff.

Everyone has to start somewhere

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

Brake fluid should be changed every two years....!!

 

[s and b]

Brake fluid should be changed every two years....!!

what?
all of it or the easy bit in the master cylinder that can be done with a turkey baster

think carefully before answering

 

[Peter Pick-Up]

All of it of course...!!
Don't fool yourself, think safe...!!

 

[AJKing]

Re: Brake Fluid?

It's my first car; I probably shouldn't be touching anything.

Nothing wrong with doing work on your car as long as you don't find yourself getting stuck before you start, because if you do, its probably going to be rather challenging and could land you with infinate problems

All of it of course...!!
Don't fool yourself, think safe...!!

 

[Dcthebear]

Find a really good tyre and brake garage to do it for you for now to be sure its done and safe. Get them to give the cars brakes, steering, wheels etc a thorough check. It won't cost the earth in money but WILL in yours or someone else's lives if there is a fault. Like myself you have an old car and as such it will have wear and decay around crucial parts. As said above, get a Haynes manual and learn where things are and how they work. Loads of help and advice on here for everything.

 

[badmouse]

Thank you for all your advice.. I took the car to Kwik Fit who said it needed new brakes, shoes and drums as well as a new exhaust and tyres. I already knew about the tyres but am gutted about the rest! They quoted me £700 for the lot which I thought was horrific, but I've contacted a mobile mechanic who will do all of the brakes including shoes for £100, and apparently I don't actually need new drums.

My car is fairly old and didn't cost me a huge amount but are these common problems with Fiat Puntos? Is there anything else that can typically go wrong with a 12 year old model at 80000 miles?

Don't say everything I might just cry...

 

[Ziggy122]

Thank you for all your advice.. I took the car to Kwik Fit who said it needed new brakes, shoes and drums as well as a new exhaust and tyres. I already knew about the tyres but am gutted about the rest! They quoted me £700 for the lot which I thought was horrific, but I've contacted a mobile mechanic who will do all of the brakes including shoes for £100, and apparently I don't actually need new drums.

My car is fairly old and didn't cost me a huge amount but are these common problems with Fiat Puntos? Is there anything else that can typically go wrong with a 12 year old model at 80000 miles?

Don't say everything I might just cry...

Common issues with Punto's that jump straight out at you are these
1 - The Coil pack derived misfire - DIY fix
2 - The Wiper linkages popping off - DIY fix
3 - The Powersteering - Cry
4 - The Input bearing - Cry
5 - Wear and tear - depends

Every car is subject to wear and tear, a city car will be quicker to wear out the brake and clutch, as you constantly stop start
Where as a motorway car is likely to be wearing faster on wheel bearings and tyres due to lots of miles

It really does depend on the life of the car

The Rear brake are £12ea for drums roughly - £25 shoes
Front are about £12 per disc and about £10 for pads

Brake fluid 2litres will nicely do - About £6 p/l

Exhausts its £100 for the local Quick fit exhaust places
Or
£30 back box
£30 middle pipe and a saturday afternoon

at 12 years old - get underneath the car and have a look at the floor for signs of rust and holes
If the car is looking crusty - and look like its going to fail the mot due to chassis rust, then run it ragged and scrap it
If its clean and tidy underneath
Then Even you - can get underneath with a wire brush to clean road crap off - and reseal the underside
Thats next on my beloved punto

ziggy

 

[Most Easterly Pandas]

My car is fairly old and didn't cost me a huge amount but are these common problems with Fiat Puntos? Is there anything else that can typically go wrong with a 12 year old model at 80000 miles?

It's a 12 year old car, anything wear and tear related can go.

Welcome to motoring

 

[AndyRKett]

Fairly sure if you've recently past your test (like in the past 6 years) you should be doing show and tell so should have some idea of what's involved in basic checking fluid levels how to identify them etc

I took the car to Kwik Fit who said it needed new brakes, shoes and drums as well as a new exhaust and tyres. I already knew about the tyres but am gutted about the rest! They quoted me £700 for the lot which I thought was horrific,

This is a very common and well known fault with kwik fit basically if you take your car to them everything magically cost 15 times the actual price, though I can't work out why it's not like they spend any money training their rip speed branded staff. I once asked them to look at a simple brake fault on a ford they told me it needed a complete new braking system and quoted me £1000, when I'd stopped laughing and i must say it took an very long time and two full asthma inhailers to catch my breath, I drove away and took it to a local independent who changed one sticking front calliper. Though for the next two weeks if I past that branch of kwik fit I did stop to point and continue my laughing marathon.

As its an old gal now make sure you keep a couple hundred handy or accessible (credit card) just in case as you're bound to have big problems if you're not well prepared, have money just in case and you'll probably have years of trouble free motoring