Hi,

I have a 1.3 Multijet Punto Mk2b, registered July 2003.

I have vibration in my steering at around 58-60mph and have diagnosed this to be play where the inner track rod goes into the steering rack, sadly rather than in the track rods themselves.

I brought a new steering rack, based on the registration number and after the garage took off the old one, they discovered the part I supplied was incorrect, then when I asked them to supply their own part, this too was incorrect. They have now quoted me £150 to have the old part refurbished which will take 4 days.

This is the third time I have had a problem ordering the correct part for this car, previously had problems with a radiator and a rear engine/gearbox mount (dog bone).

I know that Mk2b Multijets are fairly rare and I am wondering if the parts catalogue has ignored the difference in parts for this car because they are rare...

Thanks for help!

Seth

i had the same car as you and can confirm the steering arms were definitely different to any other punto ive seen

So if the inner ball joints have failed why not just replace them with new track rod ends?

As rwcks failing themselves is very very rare.... vs the coloumn....

Shop4parts maybe of some help here as they specialise in fiat parts


Ziggy

Did you search ePER on top of this page for the correct part #..?

I did look on ePer but the part numbers I found on there were very confusing. Especially since need to make sure it was a right hand drive rack rather than left hand drive. There were about 4 sequential part numbers but I couldn't find anyone selling what I needed. Lots of sites in Ukrainian/Russian.

as ive already said the drumsticks were very different to cookin puntos,much beefier for a start

steering rack fail on a punto, thats unheard of

flisko said:

steering rack fail on a punto, thats unheard of

Click to expand...

play on the inner joints was quite common
on old corsas ie 51 plate onwards it was the law

2 weeks ago it was at the garage for a week after they tried first my part and then their own, realising that neither would fit. So then they said "we can send it off to be reconditioned for £150", without any other options other than searching scrap yards for racks that might also be suspect, I said OK then. It seems however that the reconditioners didn't actually do anything other than paint the body of it black and stick new gaiters on it. The garage didn't test it because there was obvious play in the wheel and at the point where the inner joints go into the rack when I got it back. Took it back to them on Monday and they have sent it back to their reconditioners again... the garage did admit the problem was with the rack. I am a bit concerned that I will get it back with the same problem again though...

The play is definitely in the rack and not the tie rods...

nerd8192 said:

2 weeks ago it was at the garage for a week after they tried first my part and then their own, realising that neither would fit. So then they said "we can send it off to be reconditioned for £150", without any other options other than searching scrap yards for racks that might also be suspect, I said OK then. It seems however that the reconditioners didn't actually do anything other than paint the body of it black and stick new gaiters on it. The garage didn't test it because there was obvious play in the wheel and at the point where the inner joints go into the rack when I got it back. Took it back to them on Monday and they have sent it back to their reconditioners again... the garage did admit the problem was with the rack. I am a bit concerned that I will get it back with the same problem again though...

The play is definitely in the rack and not the tie rods...

Click to expand...

these arent reconditioners are they
they are scrapyard core rejuvanators
garage seems hopeless too
you can feel the play on the inner joints easily when connected up
a proper reconditioner would know what alternative rack ends would fit or where to source them
i needed a 2001 ka rack last year and the prices were eye watering till i delved and found a 09 panda rack was the same but with one drumstick different
good luck
i miss my mk2b multijet

s and b said:

these arent reconditioners are they
they are scrapyard core rejuvanators
garage seems hopeless too
you can feel the play on the inner joints easily when connected up
a proper reconditioner would know what alternative rack ends would fit or where to source them
i needed a 2001 ka rack last year and the prices were eye watering till i delved and found a 09 panda rack was the same but with one drumstick different
good luck
i miss my mk2b multijet

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The garage is part of the ProTyre franchise, in the past they have done reasonable work, but it is rather crap they didn't test their work.

I was looking at scrap racks on eBay just now and found one in Stoke (I live in Crewe), so maybe that's an option... I dunno - like you say, you can't tell the play unless it's hooked up...

I like the car too - amazing mpg and easy to drive, starts every time and hasn't really let me down. Survived being driven 40 miles with a failed water pump last week! I would be **** to have to scrap it because of this, especially as I have already paid £320 to that garage for the work and reconditioning. Plus all the other things I have sorted out on it.

nerd8192 said:

The garage is part of the ProTyre franchise, in the past they have done reasonable work, but it is rather crap they didn't test their work.

I was looking at scrap racks on eBay just now and found one in Stoke (I live in Crewe), so maybe that's an option... I dunno - like you say, you can't tell the play unless it's hooked up...

I like the car too - amazing mpg and easy to drive, starts every time and hasn't really let me down. Survived being driven 40 miles with a failed water pump last week! I would be **** to have to scrap it because of this, especially as I have already paid £320 to that garage for the work and reconditioning. Plus all the other things I have sorted out on it.

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i looked on the bay for you too but couldnt see one

Any idea if the 2006-2010 steering rack for a 1.3 MJET is the same part? There are a few of those on ebay...

Otherwise:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-PUNT...753496?hash=item2f0b66dcd8:g:Jk4AAOSwBp5ZqB4r

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/03-06-FIA...062260?hash=item3f6175fdb4:g:pRAAAOSwP2FZjFXw

nerd8192 said:

Any idea if the 2006-2010 steering rack for a 1.3 MJET is the same part? There are a few of those on ebay...

Otherwise:

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-PUNT...753496?hash=item2f0b66dcd8:g:Jk4AAOSwBp5ZqB4r

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/03-06-FIA...062260?hash=item3f6175fdb4:g:pRAAAOSwP2FZjFXw

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i have this vision in my head that the arms (drumsticks) were bigger than those pictures but one is clearly marked up as 1.3
up to you but i would be tempted if feedback was good

no idea if later grande is same i never liked them after a door handle bit me

s and b said:

i have this vision in my head that the arms (drumsticks) were bigger than those pictures but one is clearly marked up as 1.3
up to you but i would be tempted if feedback was good

no idea if later grande is same i never liked them after a door handle bit me

Click to expand...

There is a number marked on the rack, but it's not a fiat part number... comes back to a TRW part I think...