Servicing

[doomer2007]

Hi guys.

I bought my car at 32'000(odd)
It was last serviced by the old owner at 24'000. Its now just over 34'000 and i am going to get her serviced.
I was just wondering where you all would advise me to get it serviced?

My dad is a retired mechanic, and has told me if i buy all the bits and pieces he will give it a full service for me. I didn't want to do this as there wouldn't be a stamp to say it has been serviced and doesn't look as good if i was to ever sell her(although i would keep receipts obviously)
The other alternative would be to go back to fiat for a service, again though i've been told this is very expensive. Or just a local garage?

Where do you guys go and what would you advise?

Thanks as ever.

 

[Anonymous]

is it a diesel or petrol model? when was the cambelt last done? because at that mileage your first cambelt change could be due. When I have my car serviced i usual get an oil and filter and the fuel filter changed as mines a jtd. On a petrol ud b best getting the sparks done, u can also change the air filter, pollen filter and i doubt many people do this but I have my gearbox oil changed too, thats all I can think of

gaz

 

[Buzz]

DO NOT go to a fiat main dealer. Theres a very good reason we call them 'stealers' instead of 'dealers'. Its extremely expensive, and very poor value for money. a basic oil and filter change is probably about £170 at fiat, but kwik fit, budget etc can do it for £25 (without any other checks), and a local garage probaly would be in the region of £120 for a basic service with relevant safety checks.

Please find a decent local motor factor, and go order up :
- a new air filter
- oil filter
- 5 litre bottle of 10W40 semi-synthetic (or synthetic) oil.
- Fuel filter
- A pack of Bosch Super-4 spark plugs
- 2 litres of engine coolant.

You are in an excellent position to get shown how to do all of this stuff by your dad, and the small fortune you save on garage labour can be invested in additional servicing and a case of beer for your dad. The coolant, and fuel filter, for example, might last another year, or 2, before a catastrophic failure, but now they're guarantee'd to be good for a few years. Plus, they're probably overdue already. Its pretty easy to service bravo's brava's and mareas, and on a car as old as your bravo, i'd happily accept a set of dated receipts as proof of servicing when buying from another enthusiast. Plus, i've always noted that folk who service their own cars, tend to do it slightly early. My tendency is to do a full service of mostly everything at 10k (except brake fluid because its too damned messy for me to do alone).TommyK for example does full services every 12k, with an intermediate oil/filter change halfway between! Thats way more often than necessary, but it does prove a point about folk who service their own car i think?

As far as cambelt, as mentioned above, it might be worth you visiting an independent fiat specialist if theres one near you. I dont, but my local mechanic is good, and he's done my last 3 belt and tensioner changes. On a 1.4 bravo, 1.8bravo, and my skoda diesel just a few months ago. I'd suggest that its probably not been done by the last owner of your bravo, making it a very good idea to get done sooon. Your dad is most likely able to do it, but perhaps he might not be so keen, especially if its a HGT you have (its likely he wont want to do it if its a HGT). Best ask him

I really wouldn't worry about the lack of stamp in the service book. On a car over 5 years old, stamped books make very little or no difference at all to the value of the car. From my own experience, someone who can service a car themselves, usually drives it better too, and i'd much rather buy a car that someone has worked on carefully themselves and has tons of receipts for, than a car with no receipts at all, and a few stamps and a couple of old MOT's in the book.

Hope this helps, Doomer


Buzz
The champion of the Bravo 1.4
& now ex owner of a Bravo 1.8

 

[Buzz]

I'm assuming its petrol and 4cylinder btw. If its a HGT you need 5 sparks, and if its diesel, then 4 new glow plugs are due, and make sure you definitely get the fuel filter done if its diesel. Finally, if you have an air-con model, or a HLX, you should have a pollen/cabin filter, and it doesn't hurt to change that either.

cost wise, i'd approximate:

£13 - a new air filter
£5 - oil filter
£16 - 5 litre bottle of 10W40 semi-synthetic (or synthetic) oil.
£10 - Fuel filter
£20 - A pack of Bosch Super-4 spark plugs
£5 - 2 litres of engine coolant.
£14 - Pollen filter

onlye estimates there, as it varies from car to car, and depending where you go...
(ps, if you asked a garage to do all that, it'd cost you somewhere in the region of £400

Buzz
The champion of the Bravo 1.4
& now ex owner of a Bravo 1.8

 

[doomer2007]

Hi guys,

Buzz and Gaz thanks so much for that Really helped, plus the prices..that was a bit of a wake up call for me!

Ok.. I definatly won't be going to fiat, or to a garage for that matter!!

Sorry i should have mentioned.. X reg 1.6 HLX petrol.

I have took note of all the bits you have mentioned and will get them asap, and my Dad will do it (yes, a case of beer seems much cheaper!)

The Cam belt wasn't changed at the last MOT (well i say last, it was the first as its such low mileage) so i will ask my dad if he will/can do that also, i don't think he will mind, but if he can't do it ill have to go to a garage.

Your right about the stamp thing.. Its surely more of a good thing to buy off somebody that does their own work, like you said it proves he knows the car and would have looked after it. And the fact the car is what 7 years old means the stamp doesn't mean too much.

Thank you very much again.

doomer2007

 

[Buzz]

An MOT is an annual safety inspection that you have to get at a certified garage. A service should be an annual thing or done every 12k. You may be confusing the 2?

However, if you are doing a low mileage, then you can get away with just doing an oil and oil filter change one year, and a full service the next year. Yours needs a full service this year though, and the list above is a good place to start.
Also, i neglected to mention your gearbox oil and brake fluid. If these have never been done (your service book may give some indication of this) Then these are due also. I know its a whole lot of stuff, but it is kinda a one-off cost as next year, or in 12,000 miles all you need to replace is the engine oil and an oil filter which will only cost £20 to do at home.

As your car is 7 years old, the cambelt is now overdue the change. Fiat suggest 5 years or 70k miles, whichever is sooner, and the consensus from us lot seems to be 5 years or 50k not 70k.

Good luck, and let us know how you get on. ALl of this work should make a noticeable difference to your car, and help ensure reliability for the next few years...

Buzz
The champion of the Bravo 1.4
& now ex owner of a Bravo 1.8

 

[doomer2007]

Hi again buzz!

Excuse me, i meant Service not MOT!! Got a day off work today as i usually work sundays.. Still asleep i think!

Yea its fine it might be a lot of things but as you say the difference will be really noticable and its totally worth it to keep the car running smoothly
I will check back to let you all know how it goes e.t.c

Many thanks for the help, really appreciated

Doomer2007

 

[Nick]

A Local EX-fiat garage quoted me £180 for a full service now i have no idea what is included in a full service lol(but how many different definions of full serice can there be), But is that a half decent price?

 

[Buzz]

A non-franchised garage probably defines a 'full' service as:

New engine oil,
New oil filter,
New air filter,
New spark plugs if its petrol or glow plugs if its diesel.
Some might fit a new fuel filter in a diesel,

Lots of visual checks.

Thats it. £180 isn't too cheap tho when you look at the http://audivwrepaircentre.co.uk/


Buzz
The champion of the Bravo 1.4
& now ex owner of a Bravo 1.8

 

[stephen01]

the loacl fiat garage by me wanted 180 for a FULL service, when i asked what i got for my money i was shocked to find out that did NOT include spark plugs!!!

if your dad is willing get your self down to your loacl parts shop and buy all the stuff your self, worked out what i need for the rat and i could get it all for approx 70 pounds! ie oil(fully syn), oil filter, spark plugs,fuel filter,air filter.

 

[stephen01]

plugs were bosh super 4 also!

 

[doomer2007]

Hi guys..

Buying parts with Dad tomorrow night, being serviced either weekend or start of week.

My dad has just left and i forgot to ask him.. How much is a cambelt to buy?
Trying to work out how much its all going to cost me.

Thanks

 

[Joske]

Cambelt is approx £20 - £25 at Fiat. Or you can buy a kit for approx £40 - £80 depending on model. Try www.shop4parts.co.uk for genuine parts. If your also a fiatboo member you get 10% off aswell.

So Good, Fiat Want It Back!

 

[Buzz]

Its not just the belt though, you need to replace the tensioner too. As often as not, its a tensioner that fails, not the belt, causing the belt to fall slack and comes off.

Buypartsby have this kit at under £60 delivered and Shop4Parts have a genuine kit coming in nearer £100.

Buzz
The champion of the Bravo 1.4
& now ex owner of a Bravo 1.8

 

[doomer2007]

Wheel nuts!

WHAT A DAY!

Was driving to the local city to go shopping.....got a puncture. Excellent, hammering down with rain, wearing a white jumper and new jeans/trainers...just what the doctor ordered!

I pulled into the nearest thing which was a hospital incidentally!
Got 3 of the 4 nuts off, then realised one was a security nut... I attached the provided extra bolt to take it off... but wouldn't come off!

To cut a long story short i was there for about 2 hours trying to get if off, in that time a plumber with his socket set plus a builder came to attempt to help, but none of us could get if off!

generally pi**ed off i called my Dad who told me to walk to the nearest shop and try and find some tyre filler just to get me home (which luckily the shop was just 5 minute walk away)

Managed to do that, got home... And that was when my dad quite comfortably showed me that the security nut really did come out!

He had to hammer the bolt onto the security nut, as it had been circled previously.

But if the nut was the correct hex shape i would imagine it would have fitted a lot more easier? You have to be so precise with the bolt provided, it only goes on one way, i couldnt do it, neither could the plumber or builder!!

Anybody else ever had this problem!!

What an awful day!

 

[Buzz]

If your dad had to hammer that security adapter on then it sounds like someones been trying to force it off.

Oh, wait, they have. It was a builder and a plumber

they are usually pretty simple. i keep mine coated with a very fine layer of copper grease on them which you cant really see is on them, but it stops them going rusty and making removal really quite easy.

Buzz
The champion of the Bravo 1.4
& now ex owner of a Bravo 1.8

 

[doomer2007]

Haha!

exactly buzz!

I do have 1 question though, on my alloy in the centre, i have a circular black fiat badge with the fiat sign in the middle. On the wheel that got the blow out it has cracked and come out when my dad was trying to get that bolt off.

Do you know where i can get a new one of these?

Thanks

 

[Joske]

You could always get these.

CLICK HERE

If not try fiat should only be a few quid.

So Good, Fiat Want It Back!

 

[doomer2007]

There real nice. The ones i have dont have the red outline though, although i could always change the whole 4(even though i have a yellow bravo!!)
I'll whizz into fiat afer work tomorrow, if not they will do.

Many thanks

 

[Dan]

Sounds like a bit of an adevnture doomer. But you sound enthusiastic so stick with it and you will have loads of fun with the car.