General I just got my car!!!

[moogs]

Hi All,

Picked up my brand new Imola Yellow JTD at 1230 today.
Lovely - the two tone leather is not as brash as I had feared.

Quality of build is not up that which I've gotten used to from driving a Pug 607 but overall it's OK.

However, less than one mile away from the dealer and what should ping on but an "ABS failure" on the dash.

WTF, as they say.

No time to go back in my lunch hour so now a phone call to make. Brill.

Morgan
(suffering mixed feelings of joy and buyer's doubt)

 

[D-Stilo]

Switch it off then back on again

I work with computers, this fixes 90% of their problems. Now I own a Stilo and this fixes 90% of it's problems too!!!!!!!

You'll get used to it!

Cheers

D

 

[Stu DemonD]

I found that - any warning light I tend to dismiss to begin with; only if it is persistant will I then worry

It may be the car has been up on some ramps for a PDI - the same thing happened with my Mondeo after a service; soon reset itself, though, as sensors locked back on.

Stu

 

[moogs]

Thanks!
I'd read about the warning light thing a few times on here.
(Thanks to you all for helping me choose the car, by the way)

I thought I might be one of the lucky ones with no probs. Simply could not believe it when it popped on, not even one blimmin mile from brand new.

I'll keep an eye but have already booked it in for next Wednesday

Will post photos soon but I guess we all know what a yellow JTD looks like!

Incidentally, here's a nice review of the Stilo, perhaps a bit old but a good write up nonetheless.... http://www.carenthusiast.com/roadtests.html?article=217

Cheers

Morgan

 

[StiloBoy]

Most of the folk on this board broke their car within the first 3 months, i think you might just have the record! First day!

 

[moogs]

First day? First mile!!!
And now it seems that occasionally the accelerator doesn't respond. Pah.
Apart from that it's totally kickass and I can't wait to start seeing what it can do.

 

[moogs]

Arg!!!!
15 times, fifteen sodding times this morning in 5 miles to work the accelerator refused to register. The car is going in tomorrow to be looked at but this is daft. One time was on a roundabout too and could have been very dangerous as I floundered with no drive in the way of oncoming traffic.

Unbelievable.

 

[Stu DemonD]

You are joking??? Obviously not, but I know I would be well peeved.

I know I bought a Stilo with an open mind, knowing about a lot of the niggles already from this forum, BUT to get no throttle response........

 

[moogs]

Yep, I too was open minded. After all, people "generally" seek out forums when they have problems so there's usually an uncharacteristically high proportion of faults here.
However, I was not ready for ABS failure in the first mile and then a second literally dangerous fault to occur in my first 4 days of ownership.

The throttle problem is really odd as when it happens, instincts tell you that you're stalling the engine and it can't cope with the load. It's just not a natural thing to be physically disconnected from the engine.

Right now the car is a potential danger but I have to drive, can't just put life on hold. No courtesy car available till tomorrow. The only other option would be to get taxis everywhere and submit expenses receipts when the car goes in for the work tomorrow..... is that a tenable approach?

 

[Stu DemonD]

Well, you do have every right to reject the car now, I would have thought, and possibly have a claim for expenses - you got any free legal helplines you can call, i.e. through banks, insurance or any credit cards you may have?

I think give the garage every opportunity to put it right. Keep all details of who you speak to, verbal agreements, etc. It may prove valuable later on IF it goes further.

 

[moogs]

Thanks, Stuart.
Yep, I have looked into the idea of rejecting the car... just for background knowledge. Of course, the garage will no doubt do their best to fix it. However, on the occasions I've called to tell them what's going on with it they seem unwilling to listen for 'common faults'. Rather they seem to want to get the car in for diagnosis and sort it from there.

My fears are that the car will take longer than a day to fix. You do hear of cars that spend more of their first year in the garage than on the road. While the hulk of metal is depreciating at the rate it is, every day off the road would cost me money with no return.

Not to mention, eleven grand is a giant load of money and, if I wanted an unreliable car, I could have spent 5k on a second hand car and 6k investing in my house for example.

Fingers crossed for good news tomorrow.

 

[twincamms]

Bloody......................

electronics!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The accelerator on the Stilo is totally 'fly by wire' there is no physical connection (throttle cable) between the pedal and the engine, so it looks like your electronic unit needs replacing!

The warranty will cover it!

 

[moogs]

Re: Bloody......................

Hmm, although I knew about the drive-by-wire from reading here before I bought the car, in practise it's not a very reassuring feature, especially since it's already kerplunked.

Round here, there are a lot of blind roundabouts. I.e. you can only see about 10 yards of the approach road to the right. Unfortunately, very few drivers coming onto the roundabout consider your position and fly through the junction without braking. It's these very people you have have to get clear off and really boot it across the roundabout.

Imagine then if my acclerator decides to go awol again, more unexpectedly in the future. I could find myself T-boned, injured or possibly dead.

The fix or replacement unit should sort it but there'll always be this Sword of Damocles hovering. Melodramatic I know, but then a healthy sense of mortality tends to breed that.

 

[wizgti]

To be honest if it was me I would refuse to drive it anymore - ring the garage and insist that they come and pick it up and deliver a courtesy car, if they refuse or are still intent that they haven't got a courtesy car then tell them that you reject the car under the sales of goods act. It's downright dangerous to be driving that car at the moment - not to mention illegal (would it pass an MOT-NO , so therefore it's illegal).

By now I'd be thinking of driving it through the showroom window and claiming that the accelerator stuck on!

 

[moogs]

Like your style, Wiz!

I just called them and asked what to do as I didn't fancy driving it. They suggested to get the AA to transport it to them.

I then stated my that I needed to be places and needed a car so they've sourced me one of the sales cars.

However, the guy will be coming here in the replacement and driving my car back to the garage, with full knowledge that my car is potentially dangerous and not driveable with 100% control.

Oh well, not my moral dilema any more I suppose...

They were pretty nice about it and good of them to get me a car. We'll see what happens.

 

[wizgti]

Gald your getting it sorted-it's probably just a dodgy connection which hopefully they'll quickly fix. These things happen no matter what make it is and at least they're doing something about it!

 

[moogs]

It's just crazy isn't it, that things can go wrong so soon. However, I guess sooner rather than later is better and they have managed to find a car for me.

I used to own a Suzuki Baleno and that thing was bulletproof. Never had anything needing looking at... was a great motor. the Japanese difference I guess.

Looking through the forums at all the talk of sensor faults, and electrical faults caused by tight wiring looms, I wonder if it's the LHD - RHD conversion that may have a lot to do with the overall reliability.

 

[moogs]

Fiat just called - car now fixed.

The ABS failure was a sensor, as suspected.
The accelerator pedal was apparently a faulty (sticky) brake switch telling the engine I was braking and therefore the engine would refuse to acclerate.

Will have to see how it goes.