Panda 2012+ Hello there!

[TaDa]

I will confess immediately- I do not own a fiat!

Instead I am a good neighbour to someone who is

My neighbour has a panda 2012+ and I've said I'll service it!

So my first post is going to ask if there's a good page on how to go about that and, failing that, what type of sump plug it has and what torque do I apply to do it up

(I'm hoping the rest will be straightforward)

Cheers
Phil

 

[oyumurtaci]

I've also been looking around for a Haynes manual or similar workshop manual, but so far no luck.

 

[varesecrazy]

I will confess immediately- I do not own a fiat!

Instead I am a good neighbour to someone who is

My neighbour has a panda 2012+ and I've said I'll service it!

So my first post is going to ask if there's a good page on how to go about that and, failing that, what type of sump plug it has and what torque do I apply to do it up

(I'm hoping the rest will be straightforward)

Cheers
Phil

Hi Phil , and welcome,

petrol of diesel..?? 4 cylinder or 2..??

they are all relatively simple to work on.. just be aware that MOST of the modern panda's are still under a degree of manufacturers warranty,

and SOME will want hooking up to a laptop after an oilchange..,

It's all covered by FF,


Charlie - Oxford

 

[TaDa]

Thanks for that heads up - I'll do the basics today - and perhaps find a way to do the techie bits later.

Its a 4 cylinder 1.2 - I never realised they did a 2 cylinder - but thats just my lack of experience in the smaller car world (I drive a Discovery II)

Any help/guidance appreciated

 

[varesecrazy]

that petrol FIRE engine has been around for @30 years..,
very tough , basic, motor

modern ones run on more expensive oil ( for emissions)

otherwise VERY easy to work on,
spark plugs out is about the worst job

Charlie - Oxford

 

[TaDa]

I had to buy a set of socket hex keys - something I've been meaning to do for a while - other than the spark plugs, the rest was just painful

The illuminating part was that when I finally got under and started work on draining the oil I tapped the sump and it sounded hollow!

My neighbour had said that the low pressure light had come on so I was kinda prepared for a reduced amount of oil to come out - but when in total, and I'm being generous here, I got a pint I was gobsmacked - I was amazed there was even any oil in the filter - it must have been running hot (very hot) and I don't know how long off total engine failure would have been!

I'm going to write up my experiences as some sort of 'how to' section.

 

[varesecrazy]

I had to buy a set of socket hex keys - something I've been meaning to do for a while - other than the spark plugs, the rest was just painful

The illuminating part was that when I finally got under and started work on draining the oil I tapped the sump and it sounded hollow!

My neighbour had said that the low pressure light had come on so I was kinda prepared for a reduced amount of oil to come out - but when in total, and I'm being generous here, I got a pint I was gobsmacked - I was amazed there was even any oil in the filter - it must have been running hot (very hot) and I don't know how long off total engine failure would have been!

I'm going to write up my experiences as some sort of 'how to' section.

how many miles on this car..??

I've only ever had 1 of my 30+ FIAT's use oil,
and that was a "scrapyard engine" fitted in an old banger

what was tricky..?? I'm guessing the airfilter element isn't the less than a minute with just fingers job - that it was for 25 years - progress eh..!!

Charlie

 

[Super Uwe]

I will confess immediately- I do not own a fiat!

Instead I am a good neighbour to someone who is

My neighbour has a panda 2012+ and I've said I'll service it!

So my first post is going to ask if there's a good page on how to go about that and, failing that, what type of sump plug it has and what torque do I apply to do it up

(I'm hoping the rest will be straightforward)

Cheers
Phil

Hi Phil,

I wonder if this might be one for jrkitching to help with, I have a feeling he did a guide on the 500 section for this.

Not 100% sure but pretty certain the new Panda and 500 will have the same parts.

Edit - sorry, just read your latest post! ) Anyway, I reckon JR will still have some input!

 

[Super Uwe]

how many miles on this car..??

I've only ever had 1 of my 30+ FIAT's use oil,
and that was a "scrapyard engine" fitted in an old banger

what was tricky..?? I'm guessing the airfilter element isn't the less than a minute with just fingers job - that it was for 25 years - progress eh..!!

Charlie

Hmm....when we had our 12 plate 1.2 Easy, it was a bit of a "drinker". And I'm sure there are one or two others on here who have said the same? Maybe there is something in it after all.

On the contrary, both our old 59 plate and my wife's current 13 plate 1.2 500s hardly used a drop of oil. In fact, I regularly have to double and triple check the dipstick to make sure I haven't cocked it up.

 

[jrkitching]

Anyway, I reckon JR will still have some input!

The 1.2 FIRE uses a tapered sump plug and there is no sump washer; I've yet to see a torque wrench setting for the plug, but normal tightening with hand tools has always worked for me and I've never lost one, nor stripped a thread.

The sump itself is probably the weakest part on the whole engine; it's a flimsy piece of low-grade pressed steel that's barely fit for purpose when new. In salty climates, they quickly rust unless protected and more than a few older FIRE engines have lost all their oil due to corrosion-induced sump perforation. The upside is that replacement sumps are reasonably cheap and easy to change in-situ.

If yours is still serviceable (which it should be on a 2012 car), cleaning off any surface rust & applying some sort of protective coating is a sensible precaution.