[vipul_singh]

Originally Posted by HydroFuel

One Question please.
After a decade of proper maintenance at which places it has rust, corrosion which is inevitable with age? Which are the areas to be checked? And which is of serious concern?

I have been doing thorough checks for rust periodically, especially when the car is on a lift a the service center. Currently, the car has 6 bubbles (average diameter:4 mm) on the RF door (driver's side) just below the window line. But since they have not grown over the past 1.5 years, I have not corrected them. There is also a wee bit of surface rust in the petrol cap cavity (near one of spot welds)

The rest of the car is (seems?) free of rust.

Usually, I have seen Palios rust at the bottom of the hatch and doors. There are outlets for rain water at the bottom of these panels, which should be free from blockage at all times.

Originally Posted by phamilyman

Is this Noida or LKO? The regn number is LKO!

The car was purchased in Lucknow in 2002 and my father used it for 4 years (for all of 15K Kms). Once I got a job, I exchanged it with a new City ZX (that I bought). Since then, the Palio has been with me in the NCR.

Some more pics for you guys, since we are all enthusiasts . Sorry about the incorrect white balance, but these are straight off my phone camera

[HydroFuel]

Vipul
In such a long run which parts have you changed and how many times, like fuel pump, alternater, radiator, AC compressor, throttle body etc. This shall give an idea for a prospective buyer like me. I have read somewhere on the forum that some parts for 1.6 has to be changed as whole not in baby parts and are expensive. Is it true?
I am in dilemma whether to go for 2001-2003 or post 2005 1.6.
Will 10 year old car give more problems than 6-7 year old even if properly maintained?

[vrprabhu]

Vipul,

I am facing similar situation with my 2004 1.2 ELX NV Sport. I am now strongly inclined to go for a full paint job after reading your post .

I am having the following issues -

a. Corroded exhausts - got the stainless end can from 1.6 and welded it (as the pipes didn't match). But now auxiliary pipe silencer is now having issues.

b. The windshield (front) is having scratches - don't know whether to get it buffed or replaced.

c. A few minor rust spots in the wiper arms and engine bay and slightly broken battery holding bay (the plastic case to which the fan fuse is fixed is broken).

d. One of the fog lamp holders is broken.

Did you face the above issues, and if yes, how were they resolved.

Thanks in advance, and I am sure that your Palio will easily last another decade - they don't build cars like that any more.....

[vipul_singh]

Originally Posted by HydroFuel

Vipul
In such a long run which parts have you changed and how many times, like fuel pump, alternater, radiator, AC compressor, throttle body etc. This shall give an idea for a prospective buyer like me. I have read somewhere on the forum that some parts for 1.6 has to be changed as whole not in baby parts and are expensive. Is it true?
I am in dilemma whether to go for 2001-2003 or post 2005 1.6.
Will 10 year old car give more problems than 6-7 year old even if properly maintained?

GTO once mentioned that vehicle unreliability (and associated expenses) tends to occur in ‘phases’. My experience has been similar. The first instance of frequent parts failure occurred at around 65K - 75K Kms, the second one at around 105K – 120K Kms. In each of these instances, something or the other was going wrong every month, and I used to spend quite a bit of my available time at the service center.

Here is a list of mechanical parts that have been replaced over the 11 years due to faults. This excludes parts replaced due to accidental damage, service parts (including items like timing belt) or replacements of trim parts (I usually replace them when they start looking a bit sad).

Battery; 20000KMs, 80000KMs, 127,000 KMs; Rs 4500 in each instance
Alternator cut-out; 30000KMs, 75000KMs; Rs. 3300 in each instance
Front Brake pads and disc (replaced as a set); 55000 KMs, 110,000 KMs; Rs. 9000 in each instance
Clutch Master Cylinder; 65,000 KMs; approx Rs. 2000 (?)
Alternator bearings; 65000 KMs; approx Rs. 1500
Front Struts (Left and Right); 65000 KMs, 125000 KMs; Rs 8000 in each instance (earlier, the price per strut was Rs. 2500, now it is Rs. 5200)
Front Strut mounts (Left and Right); 65000 KMs, 125000 KMs; Rs 2000 in each instance
Combination Switch; 70000KMs, 90000KMs; Rs 3300 in each instance
RHS Lower control Arm; 70000KMs, 85000 KMs, 100000 KMs; Rs. 4000 in each instance (looks like there was a huge issue with Lower control arms quality. The boot used to rupture, leading to premature wear. This issue seems to have been solved)
Camshaft position sensor; 70,000 KMs, 125000 KMs(proactive); Rs 1500(?)
Radiator fan; 75,000 KMs; Rs. 7800
Electronic A/C thermostat; 75000KMs; Rs. 1400
RF Door power window assembly; 80,000 KMs; Rs 5500 (the whole assembly had to be changed because of a 5-rupee plastic part that broke)
Clutch Kit; 100,000KMs; Rs. 6000 (changed proactively, there was still life left in it)
Clutch Slave Cylinder; 100,000 KMs; approx Rs. 2000(?)
Coolant Thermostat; 105,000 KMs; Rs 2500
Coolant hose; 105,000 KMs; Rs. 500
Rear Brake Shoes and wheel cylinder; 110,000 KMs; Rs. 3000
Coolant reservoir cap; 110,000 KMs; Rs 300
LHS Lower control Arm; 115,000 KMs, Rs. 4000
Air intake hose; 120,000 KMs; Rs. 1900
Steering Rack; 120,000 KMs; Rs. 16,000

I would let you be the judge on whether the above costs are par for the course or too high. However, in all but one instance (when a coolant pipe burst), the vehicle has given ample warning that something is about to go wrong. To this date, I have the confidence to take the car on overnight journeys. I also took it to Leh in 2011 and it came back without any problems whatsoever.

I do not believe that the car has become more unreliable with age (which is not the same as mileage). As I mentioned above, with each vehicle, there are likely to be phases where parts failures will be common, and you need to grit your teeth and bear it. But yes, you do need to watch out for rubber boots (and plastic parts) hardening and breaking on older cars, which can lead to damage/wear to the components they were protecting

[trinity0114]

Great looking Palio there & must say you've taken quite an effort to maintain it the way it is. Any new updates on your car?

[vipul_singh]

@trinity: yes there are some updates. One of these updates may be useful for Palio owners and car owners in general. Hence posting in some detail:

1) Steering rack: The steering rack which was replaced at 120K Kms became noisy over the next 10000 KMs. There was a loud creaking sound in the mornings when the car used to go over speed bumps at low speeds. This was diagnosed as dry joints within the steering rack assembly. With reference to the image below, the boot covering item#6 was opened and filled with copious amounts of grease. The noise has completely gone away. One of my friends was facing a similar problem in a Figo. The same tip sorted out his problem as well:

Diagram (for illustration):



2) Caliper pins (both sides) were replaced. With 130 KMs of use, the pins had worn out and the calipers were emitting a rattling sound when going over mildly imperfect roads

3) Both rear dampers were replaced. The damping was fine on both, but the connecting ends had worn out, leading to a rattle at low speeds over sharp bumps

With this, the car is running like a dream . Current milage is 132K Kms

[an_and]

Hey Vipul, an amazing job that you have carried out on your palio. I have a 1.2 ELX bought nov 2003, and done some 150 K. I need to do a similar job as yours on the painting and the interiors front. I was also thinking of changing the entire carpet and its internal beadings as well. What are your suggestions? And does anybody know of a good paint shop in mumbai and the probable cost that i am looking at?

[HydroFuel]

Originally Posted by an_and

And does anybody know of a good paint shop in mumbai and the probable cost that i am looking at?

just go through this thread by 'thedragula', it might help you.
http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/long-t...o-1-6-gtx.html

[SHAHBAAZ]

Hi friends,

Its been great reading reviews for Palio but bad on my side that I did'nt post anything regarding my Palio. Firstly, I would like to thank Vipul to start this thread for Palio. Taking time to maintining a car itself is an activity where you never know how time flies off. But penning down regularly with every detail update of the things he did to maintain the beauty is awsome. You have done a great job maintaining a Palio.

Your thread has impressed me to share my experience with my Palio.

I own a 2002 Palio EL!

Yes EL -WPS-WPW - Meaning without Power Steering and Power windows. Its a basic piece of metal but with a class of driving mannerism.

This is my self owned first car though a second hand. Previously I used my dad's Premier Padmini, Amby, 118NE & Dodge Kingsway(Dad's gift) then Indigo and finally a Santro. I have driven many more cars manufactured in India but somehow i was not satisfied and each time i saw a Palio, my desire to own one increased. I remember during my study days I got an opportunity to drive one of the first few 1.6GTX(Tangereine Mist) of my relative staying in Bombay. The drive so stuck in my nerves that whenever I drove some other car, I started to compare it with a Palio. Later when I started earning, I always had in my mind that one day i will for sure own one but due to FIAT aftersales issues I postponed the ownership.

Finally in 2009 I purchased a Palio after a long hunt. It was an expensive deal of 1L but worth considering the ingenuity of the car.
The car was very basic and the body paint looked dull but the body line spoke about the care the previous owner took. During the purchase it had 62K on the odo. I drove it for 6 months before giving it a coat of paint. Now it's 4 yrs of paint but still has the gloss. Got the dark film peeled off to fit a lighter green Lunar and gave the B-Pillars a mat finish to have a masculine look. I did search for alloys and side skirts but could not find a suitable. Finally, last year I figured out a set of Aura and fitted with the stock size tyres. I love to have my vehicles in clean and stock condition.
Few of the readers may find this strange but it still has the blue plastics at the front door rubber seals.

I am attaching few of the pics of which 2-3 are before paint job. The latest ones have Alloy's fitted. Will upload few more later with more details in my writeup as to what issues i faced with the Fiat/TATA service centers..
Now the odo reads as 99750kms.

[SHAHBAAZ]

Some more pics taken on sunday. Have now crossed 100,000kms.

[vijaycool]

Nicely maintained car. I have similar moon mist silver gtx but it needs some cosmetic attention. Have you replaced the timing belt? I havent seen in the part replacement list. Its better to be replaced at 60k interval as 1.6 are interference engine

[vipul_singh]

Originally Posted by vijaycool

Nicely maintained car. I have similar moon mist silver gtx but it needs some cosmetic attention. Have you replaced the timing belt? I havent seen in the part replacement list. Its better to be replaced at 60k interval as 1.6 are interference engine

@Vijay: thanks for taking interest. I did not mention timing belt in my post above, since I understood it to be a periodic maintenance / service item. I have replaced the timing belt twice (@60000 and 120000kms respectively, as per schedule). All belts have been inspected along with timing belts and replacements made as needed. In fact, smaller items like spark plugs have also always been replaced as per schedule (every 30000 kms).

In the meantime (since last post), the brake booster has been replaced (due to an issue similar to the one in architect's thread where the brake pedal would not return once depressed. This turned out to be an ordeal because after the new brake booster was installed, the car's brakes (all 4) tended to randomly jam, and would require pressure to be released thorough the brake bleeder in order to get moving. This was diagnosed as insufficient clearance between the brake booster rod and the master cylinder. There have been no problems since the clearance was readjusted. Total damage was about INR 14K

Also the alternator had to be replaced due to bearing noise which would not go away despite the bearings being replaced. The good part was that the charging voltage also jumped from 13.7 Volts (peak) to 14.3 volts (peak) with the new alternator. This cost around INR 13k.

The car has now completed 12 years with 138K on the odometer.

[vijaycool]

How are the brakes performing after replacement brake booster. I have heard Palio MJD comes with bigger master cylinder and it has good bite at the wheels. BTW i have changed mine to adventure rotors and calipers.
Also noticed when you opted to repaint bumpers and fenders not removed. Any reason for this? This is the place where I saw rust on every palio

[MaddyCrew]

Originally Posted by vipul_singh

Also the alternator had to be replaced due to bearing noise which would not go away despite the bearings being replaced. The good part was that the charging voltage also jumped from 13.7 Volts (peak) to 14.3 volts (peak) with the new alternator. This cost around INR 13k.

I have a strong feeling that my Palio Stile 1.6 is also suffering from the same issue. Is the sound like a pretty irritating hum/ whirring sound that can be heard over the engine sound? How can I diagnose this correctly? Any tell tales?

[architect]

Originally Posted by MaddyCrew

I have a strong feeling that my Palio Stile 1.6 is also suffering from the same issue. Is the sound like a pretty irritating hum/ whirring sound that can be heard over the engine sound? How can I diagnose this correctly? Any tell tales?

One simple way of finding out which moving part has bearing noise is to increase RPM. Certain parts (like water pump) rotate at constant speed even when RPM increases while others like Alternator tensioner will change the 'pitch' of the whining / humming sound with accelaration. Another more sure-shot 'desi' way that mechanics use is to get a really long screwdriver (atleast more than a foot long) and place it on the part you suspect is making the bearing noise. Put your ear next to the other end. It works a bit like a stethoscope of the doctor, if your screwdriver is on the correct part, you will hear the bearing noise amplified in your ear. If it is on the wrong part, you will still hear the whine normally. By elimination, you can try this on all parts with bearings like water pump, alternator, alternator tensioner, radiator fans etc etc. Clutch release bearing is usually the easiest to identify, it makes a humming / whining (typical bearing noise) when you press the clutch pedal and reduce RPM.

Disclaimer: These are not fool-proof ways.