General just got my first car

[cinquento_owner]

hi,
new to the forum. im 17 and have just brought a fiat cinquecento . its an L reg with 24k on the clock. it needs a new exhaust backbox and some paint filling in where someone keyed it down one side and thats about it. my dad drove it home which took about an and he was really suprised how well it drove. first gear is quite difficult to get into but he said it was slowly loosening up, so could it just be that it needs more grease or some useage. i see others having problems with first gear so is this a common fault? is there any other areas i should look at?

 

[rallycinq]

Hi, and welcome.

Check the gearbox oil urgently, then if OK, adjust the clutch.

Cheers

D

 

[seicodriver]

Welcome

 

[gianni1]

I also just got a Cinq Sporting ('96). It was really rough shifting gears till I replaced the clutch cable (with the major service). Now shifts fine and have driven over a thousand miles on it...

G

 

[fingers99]

Really important to check the gearbox oil, as Rallycinq says. A very common fault on the 899s is the inner driveshaft gaiters failing. If that happens you loose gearbox oil very quickly and the gearbox shortly afterwards.

If the gearbox oil is OK, a clutch adjustment usually sorts it.

 

[Eklipze3k]

On the same topic - I just got my first car yesterday - an X reg Seicento Sporting. It seems to have a similar issue dropping down into 2nd from any gear at any speed above approx 15mph - chrunches quite badly.

I'm going to get the dealer to have a look at it anyway but if it happens again I'm just wondering if it's a simple fix ?

 

[rallycinq]

Clutch adjustment first, new clutch later, when the adjustment runs out, or the cable snaps.

Cheers

D