Burnt Palio

babalipk · 26th October 2004, 05:29

Hi,

Today I saw a new posting on Indiacar.com message board, by a distressed Palio owner.
Source: http://www.indiacar.com/messageboard...p?msg_id=13273

He got a new FIAT Palio Diesel (ELX model) on May 31, 2004 (Sundaram Motors, Bangalore), done around 3000 Km by Aug 3, 2004. All of a sudden on Aug 4, 2004 the car caught fire early in the morning while parked (engine was turned off properly.). In the morning the owner observed huge smoke and fire coming from engine bay. He put off the fire but by then the whole engine was burnt. After registering a police complaint, the dealer was informed. Service manager from Sundaram, along with two service
engineers from FIAT inspected the vehicle but couldn’t conclude on the exact reason for such fire (well, they suspected a short circuit). FIAT people later convinced him to go ahead with insurance procedures and clearly promised him that FIAT will pay any amount that insurance will not cover. It took about 2.5 months to repair the car and now FIAT is not keeping its promise and the car owner has to cough up the difference amount of Rs 60K..70K *(difference between actual repair bill and claim accepted by the Insurance company).

This could happen to any car, so what care one should take?

Babalipk

ajmat · 26th October 2004, 10:05

Well, this guy should have contacted the insurance people who should have completed the invesitgation

chaxy · 26th October 2004, 13:49

i guess the insurance company has to do the complete investigation and determine the cause of such a rare accident. If its a manufacturing defect such as wiring then they have every right to damand and explanation from fiat. i dont see why the poor owner should pay for this accident especially if its a new car.
-chaxy

Stratos · 26th October 2004, 15:11

But why would FIAT pay any money...Do they think...it was a manufacturing defect or something??

SLK · 26th October 2004, 15:18

hmm.. FIAT cars are strange, compared to my Marutis. Their radiator fan comes on even when the car is parked and turned off.
Now say there was a leakage in the fuel line, and when the fan came on (some small spark is not a big thing) and boom.

And yes insurance company is to be contacted first. And normally the settle they repair amount with the workshop themselves.

Stratos · 26th October 2004, 15:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (SLK @ Oct. 26 2004,13:48)]hmm.. FIAT cars are strange, compared to my Marutis. Their radiator fan comes on even when the car is parked and turned off.

U said it SLK....after turning off my friend`s Siena Weekend...the fan with its little mur mur... goes on forever!! My friend says.. its takes around 2-3 minutes!!!

Deeps · 26th October 2004, 18:10

This is a rare case. And from the owner's statement it doesn't seem as if there was any negligence on his part. And since the whole engine bay was burnt, we can conclude that it is not a minor issue. So, all things considered it should not be the owner who has to bear any expenses. It should be Fiat.

navin · 26th October 2004, 18:32

from what i understand the fan is controlled by a thermostat that bypasses all controls incl. the engine switch off switch. I first noticed this on a Uno in singapore (so it is not the indian versions that do this). funnily on a later trip while we were driving the Uno in a New Year's traffic it overheated and started smoking.

amit · 27th October 2004, 00:36

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]But why would FIAT pay any money...Do they think...it was a manufacturing defect or something??

I totally agree with that. Since neither the dealers nor the company engineers could find out the problem how did they assume it was a manufacturing defect? And if they promised to pay the difference as a goodwill measure then they should have irrespective of what the fault was.
Personally, I think ideally, the owner should have been given a new car but paying the difference as promised would also be a nice gesture on part of Fiat. Come on, if they could pay Rs. 1.2 crores of duty for a certain ungrateful Mr. Tendulkar, they could do a similar thing for a genuine customer too isn't it? And i am sure this owner would then have got fiat many more customers then what tendulkar could in 7 janams!

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]the fan with its little mur mur... goes on forever!

I personally love the humming sound of the fan. I just love to switch on the A/c and stand outside the car listening to the loud hum from the engine!

SLK · 27th October 2004, 01:10

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] (amit @ Oct. 26 2004,23:06)]I just love to switch on the A/c and stand outside the car listening to the loud hum from the engine!

you don't need to do that.

Just park the car in sun!!!... And it'll give you the music without wasting any fuel

GTO · 27th October 2004, 11:58

Italian electronics, people - Very simply put.

Butttttttttttttttttttt this is the first instance of a burning Fiat Palio that I have come across. There really arent too many details provided (dealer investigation, parts replaced etc.) and from what one can make of it so far...its either a short circuit or rats!

GTO

chaxy · 27th October 2004, 16:35

If the engine got burnt then it must have been a pretty big fire. Its definitely not the fuel getting burnt bcoz its a diesel car And diesel doesnt burn like petrol. *

I remember some UNOs with the words FIRE on the sides.... wonder what they meant *

Revvmaster · 27th October 2004, 16:55

FIRE-Fully Integrated Robotized Engine.

Revv

amit · 28th October 2004, 01:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by [b

Quote[/b] ]from what i understand the fan is controlled by a thermostat that bypasses all controls incl. the engine switch off switch.

I have noticed this feature only on fiat cars. Wonder if it's a European feature....maybe skoda and opel owners can shed some more light.
Also, i would like know why this feature is provided by the company. Is it in any way superior to other cars? if yes, how? Or how is it different and advantagious as compared to other cars?

navin · 28th October 2004, 14:49

got astra, sail and RS and have not noticed it on either nor on my FIL's Audi so I guess it is a Fiat feature.

26th October 2004, 05:29	#1
babalipk Newbie Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: mumbai Posts: 5 Thanked: 0 Times	Hi, Today I saw a new posting on Indiacar.com message board, by a distressed Palio owner. Source: http://www.indiacar.com/messageboard...p?msg_id=13273 He got a new FIAT Palio Diesel (ELX model) on May 31, 2004 (Sundaram Motors, Bangalore), done around 3000 Km by Aug 3, 2004. All of a sudden on Aug 4, 2004 the car caught fire early in the morning while parked (engine was turned off properly.). In the morning the owner observed huge smoke and fire coming from engine bay. He put off the fire but by then the whole engine was burnt. After registering a police complaint, the dealer was informed. Service manager from Sundaram, along with two service engineers from FIAT inspected the vehicle but couldn’t conclude on the exact reason for such fire (well, they suspected a short circuit). FIAT people later convinced him to go ahead with insurance procedures and clearly promised him that FIAT will pay any amount that insurance will not cover. It took about 2.5 months to repair the car and now FIAT is not keeping its promise and the car owner has to cough up the difference amount of Rs 60K..70K *(difference between actual repair bill and claim accepted by the Insurance company). This could happen to any car, so what care one should take? Babalipk
	() Thanks

26th October 2004, 10:05	#2
ajmat Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bangalore Posts: 14,864 Thanked: 27,973 Times View My Garage	Well, this guy should have contacted the insurance people who should have completed the invesitgation
	() Thanks

26th October 2004, 13:49	#3
chaxy BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: hyderabad Posts: 388 Thanked: 18 Times View My Garage	i guess the insurance company has to do the complete investigation and determine the cause of such a rare accident. If its a manufacturing defect such as wiring then they have every right to damand and explanation from fiat. i dont see why the poor owner should pay for this accident especially if its a new car. -chaxy
	() Thanks

26th October 2004, 15:11	#4
Stratos Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Belgium Posts: 2,609 Thanked: 1,449 Times View My Garage	But why would FIAT pay any money...Do they think...it was a manufacturing defect or something??
	() Thanks

26th October 2004, 15:18	#5
SLK Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: DL XX XX XXXX Posts: 1,634 Thanked: 1,011 Times	hmm.. FIAT cars are strange, compared to my Marutis. Their radiator fan comes on even when the car is parked and turned off. Now say there was a leakage in the fuel line, and when the fan came on (some small spark is not a big thing) and boom. And yes insurance company is to be contacted first. And normally the settle they repair amount with the workshop themselves.
	() Thanks

26th October 2004, 18:10	#7
Deeps Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2004 Location: Delhi/Noida Posts: 1,116 Thanked: 170 Times	This is a rare case. And from the owner's statement it doesn't seem as if there was any negligence on his part. And since the whole engine bay was burnt, we can conclude that it is not a minor issue. So, all things considered it should not be the owner who has to bear any expenses. It should be Fiat.
	() Thanks

26th October 2004, 18:32	#8
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,198 Thanked: 9,301 Times	from what i understand the fan is controlled by a thermostat that bypasses all controls incl. the engine switch off switch. I first noticed this on a Uno in singapore (so it is not the indian versions that do this). funnily on a later trip while we were driving the Uno in a New Year's traffic it overheated and started smoking.
	() Thanks

27th October 2004, 11:58	#11
GTO Team-BHP Support Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 70,534 Thanked: 300,735 Times View My Garage	Italian electronics, people - Very simply put. Butttttttttttttttttttt this is the first instance of a burning Fiat Palio that I have come across. There really arent too many details provided (dealer investigation, parts replaced etc.) and from what one can make of it so far...its either a short circuit or rats! GTO
	() Thanks

27th October 2004, 16:35	#12
chaxy BHPian Join Date: Apr 2004 Location: hyderabad Posts: 388 Thanked: 18 Times View My Garage	If the engine got burnt then it must have been a pretty big fire. Its definitely not the fuel getting burnt bcoz its a diesel car And diesel doesnt burn like petrol. * I remember some UNOs with the words FIRE on the sides.... wonder what they meant *
	() Thanks

27th October 2004, 16:55	#13
Revvmaster Senior - BHPian Join Date: Feb 2004 Location: Bombay Posts: 1,190 Thanked: 95 Times	FIRE-Fully Integrated Robotized Engine. Revv
	() Thanks

28th October 2004, 14:49	#15
navin Team-BHP Support Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: Mumbai Posts: 25,198 Thanked: 9,301 Times	got astra, sail and RS and have not noticed it on either nor on my FIL's Audi so I guess it is a Fiat feature.
	() Thanks