Croma Scottish Newbie - Indy Garages?

[Bazm]

Hi Folks, just joined the forum and have placed a deposit on a Croma which I'm hoping to pick up next week.

This will be the first Fiat for me, and I chose the Croma as it's simply great value for a much underrated car. It took a while to convince my wife of that, and I'm not sure I actually have. Lets see what she thinks when she drives it and gets to know it.

It's going to replace a Volvo V70. Our son is shooting up in height and at 6'3" the back of the Volvo is a bit tight for him. Huge load area but no leg room in the back. Otherwise we love the car.

We are in the Glasgow area, so any advice on specialist independent (or otherwise) garages who might have seen a Croma would be great. I did come across a specialist down in Essex which is a bit far away, but with at least an annual visit to the South Coast in England we might be able to time having a service done over there..

So who is going to be first with a Croma horror story?

 

[Telegraph]

Hello and welcome We love! our Croma I bought it five years and have covered nearly sixty five thousend miles.Our sons are both tall! youngest is now six foot five and the car has had loads of room for us. I have had to solve some problems
but all in the end easily and cheaply fixed!.This forum has been very helpful in sorting the problems out. The one thing I would recomend if you cover long distences is to change the alternator as they can only be trusted for 40k and could lieve you stranded. If you can find a good vaux/saab indie they will be able to help.

 

[Bazm]

Hi Telegraph, good to hear a positive endorsement of the car. As well as the Volvo we have a Renault Scenic (not the most reliable) but there is much more room in the back compared to the Volvo. We had a very short test drive in a Croma a couple of weeks ago and that convinced us about the space in the back. We didn't buy that particular car however...

The one I am in the process of buying is a silver Eleganza 150 Diesel DN55 YSR.

If anyone has any history on that car I would appreciate it. It had a new cam belt and water pump recently, but I'm not aware of the alternator having been changed. I have read that is a weak point. I will look out for a Vauxhall / Saab indy.

 

[BrianMcL]

Hi Bazm,
Welcome to the club / support group

I've had my Croma since new and done 93k miles so far. It's fair to say that they are fragile and you'll see from reading through the forum the sorts of things that go wrong.

I'd definitely recommend changing the alternator at some point as they are prone to failure. If the egr's not already got a swirl gasket fitted then get one and get it fitted.

I live in Paisley and wouldn't be able to recommend the main dealer as they caused me a lot of problems a few years ago. I would recommend JR Volkswagen in Paisley as he's a traditional, old school mechanic and knows his way around. An example was when I was quoted £1000 by Macklin to change the steering rack after an MOT fail due to a worn track rod end (the main dealer told them that Cromas don't have the rod ends available separately. Jim took one look at it and got the one off a vectra that fitted fine. £40 job done.

And if you've got the skydome sunroof don't open it.

 

[BrianMcL]

And get multiecuscan and the KKL and elm327 cables or you won't even be able to do a proper oil change.

 

[Bazm]

Hi BrianMcL,

Many thanks for posting and your advice. We are actually in Beith having recently moved back after living away. That's why we don't know the garages in the area. I have never had or used a diagnostics kit, but looks like I need to invest in one. I'll be doing some work on the car myself. Where can I get all the stuff you mentioned?

I'm picking mine up from down south next week and then straight into a 200 mile drive home, and I'm quite excited. It's been a while since we have had a new car. It will give me a chance to get to know it too.

Thanks again.

 

[Bazm]

On the same note, where would I get a swirl gasket and a new alternator? Are there any replacement alternative alternators that have a longer life span.

I have become a dab hand at removing and cleaning the EGR valve on the scenic. I know more about that engine than I ever planned on knowing ...

I look forward to finding my way around the Croma. Despite having had a service just 6k miles ago, I'm going to do another with new filters all round including cabin just do I know where I'm starting from and to help it get through the winter. Interesting reading on the recommended oils...

 

[BrianMcL]

Not sure where the best place to get an alternator is these days (and the 120bhps seem to be more prone to eating them than the 150s to be fair) but if yours hasn't got a swirl gasket fitted already they're about £4 on ebay, which is also one place to get interface cables.

There will be a link to multiecuscan somewhere on the forum but if you google it you should be fine. Nick (s130) is the resident expert on it, and very many other things as well

The diagnostic port is behind the small access panel / change holder cubby hole thing by where your right knee is when behind the wheel. The panel just screws off and there's a bunch of cables behind it. Behind the cables is the scart style interface port. Much easier to see from outside the vehicle.

I just get my filters from eurocarparts when they have a sale.

 

[varesecrazy]

this MAY be of no relevance..

BUT the Grande Punto is also GM influenced..
and the alternator failings on them is down to the scuttle drains regularly rinsing the thing in rainwater.. well worth checking,

Charlie

 

[Bazm]

Thanks Charlie & Brian for the input. I had never heard of a swirl gasket but now know what they are supposed to do (after some googling). I'm surprised it made so much difference to your car Brian, or was that more the effect of the clean, then the swirl gasket helps to keep it clean. Will definitely get one if it doesn't already have one. I was planning on cleaning the EGR anyway with the service.

Input on alternator useful too. I'll look out for that. I read elsewhere that the GM part is readily available. I have been reading through the forum and it is full of great info. Would be good to have a full list of the GM parts that we can use and which may be lower price and more readily available. Perhaps there is already something like that which I haven't found yet. Stories like the 40 quid track rod end versus the whole steering rack are really, really useful.

I have yet to educate myself on the multiscan. Have never used one, so much to learn....

Picking the car up on Wednesday now, and will report back on my impressions. I have never bought a car so "blind" before. read up etc, but a friend of mine actually went to see it on my behalf and offer made on the strength of that.

 

[Bazm]

Brian,

I read your separate posts about the swirl gasket by the way, hence knowing about the difference it made to your car...

 

[BrianMcL]

Bazm - the swirl gasket utterly transformed the car and I can't recommend it highly enough.

A brand new egr will have a similar effect for about 10k miles, maybe less, but the swirl gasket will extend the life of it as well.

Not sure about the GM alternator - can anyone else comment if the electronics are the same?

 

[Bazm]

Good enough for me. Will get one ASAP

 

[Telegraph]

Hi yes I can confirm that a vectra cdti (z19dth) are a good fit but be sure to get one witth at least 140 amps and come with a pulley.I had some problems with a suppler who repeatedly tried to send me first a 105a then two 120a and finally I did get a 140a all of which would fit and run but you do need the bigest.
It is well worth calling a fiat dealer as thier price is competetive.
If you have a nice shed and a soldering iron a kit is available (ebay) with a new slip ring and rectifier/diode brush pack this would head off any drama for at least
two or three years.
For any one unlucky to have thier alternator fail I think if you can isolate the batery ASAP! by undoing the clamp to the negetive terminal of the battery and disconect the lead from the alternator at the positive there might be enough life in the battery to get you home.

 

[Bazm]

Hi Telegraph,

Many thanks for the alternator details. Especially the tip on disconnecting the alternator in the event of a failure. Best make sure I have the required tools, and train my wife as to what to do too..

Interesting about pricing. I'm just assuming Vauxhaul is going to be cheaper but obviously not necessarily.

Great input. Many thanks.

 

[Radlet6]

On the same note, where would I get a swirl gasket and a new alternator? Are there any replacement alternative alternators that have a longer life span.

I have become a dab hand at removing and cleaning the EGR valve on the scenic. I know more about that engine than I ever planned on knowing ...

I look forward to finding my way around the Croma. Despite having had a service just 6k miles ago, I'm going to do another with new filters all round including cabin just do I know where I'm starting from and to help it get through the winter. Interesting reading on the recommended oils...

The problem is not poor alternators, but the position in the engine bay. They suffer from a lack of cooling and hence go phut after two or three years. That said the cheap ones from China burn out even quicker. The last one I had fitted didn't last a year.

Swirl gasket on EGR makes a big difference. It goes so much longer before it requires cleaning/replacing. The best fiver you will ever spend.

 

[Bazm]

Sometimes the cheaper Chinese stuff is very serviceable in other areas / products but I have no experience in Chinese car parts.

From previous post I know I need to specify the 140 Amp version, and that the Fiat and GM pricing is very similar. In that case it would seem better value to go for one of those.

Has anyone thought of redirecting any airflow over the alternator to cool it?

 

[Telegraph]

Hi I thought it would be good to show the the thing that causes all the trouble ie loss of all electric power not even dash pannel will light and your beak down man will not have a clue whats wrong, the result is a tow home!.
I have done this job twice now both times haveing a strong urge to find to person who put the nuts that hold the fuel filter cage on the other side of the bulkhead :bang: and let them know what I think about them! on a posative note in the end it is cheap fix.

 

[Bazm]

Hi Telegraph,

I take it you just replaced that module then rather than the whole alternator?

 

[Telegraph]

Hi I didn't but I have done two autopsies, I would deninately have changed the thing if the slip rings were ok but mine were both worn out. I have since seeen kits which include the slip ring for £40 but for another £100 you can get a new one with a garentee.