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Old 21st January 2013, 22:53   #1
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Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

I have now just passed the 75,000 KM mark on my Palio Stile MJD. I bought the car in Oct 2008 so that makes it 4 years and 3 months. While I am generally satisfied with the car, I do have a lot of complaints. If any of you know the solution to these complaints, your views are more than welcome.

1) The Engine
By far, this is the best part of the car. Even at 75,000 KM, there is no change in how the engine feels, sounds or behaves. I still get more than enough torque on steep climbs and getting out of craters that one usually sees on the way to Hinjewadi. On the highway, I have not felt the lack of power or acceleration even once when I’ve needed it. For an extended period of time, I ran the car with no servicing and the engine oil was black as tar, the coolant was empty and the brake oil had gone bad. Even then, the engine never gave me any problems.

2) The Gearbox
Once again, I have no complaints here. I have read time and again about the ‘rubbery’ feel of the gearbox and frankly it just irritates me to read that because if the gears slot into place if and when needed without fuss, noise or grating – what is there to complain about?

3) The suspension
Now here is one of the biggest worries I have. I have heard Palio owners wax eloquent about the amazing suspension of the Palio but I am yet to see it. The suspension is unbearably hard and while going over rough roads, I can feel the shudder right up my spine and even onto my hands via the steering wheel. On other cars that I’ve driven, the Figo, Fiesta, Swift, I-20, Accent etc., the wheels just seem to take on the bumps themselves without transferring any of the shudder into the car. The feel improved vastly after I moved from my stock Goodyear GPS-2 to Yokohama A-drive but the feeling is still nowhere near, say an I-20.

Is there a way to soften the suspension a bit?

4) Body
This is quite a mixed bag. I am happy with the fact that the car has withstood numerous bumps and equally numerous biological idiots. The metal body feels solid enough and so do the doors and various components. I am horribly disappointed with the interiors though. Everything in my car seems to creak. The A/C console rattles, the ICE HU creaks, the panel in front of the instrument cluster rattles (though this was an after-market feature provided free by Pandit Auto in the due course of their ‘servicing’), there is a constant rattle from the left rear of my car which I had found to be the speaker but even after tightening it, the rattle exists. Besides all this, every time I go over a bump, it seems like the entire dashboard crashes with a solid symphony. There is also a few thuds to be heard at the back and I'm not sure if it is the boot lid or the parcel tray or something else. I think there is also a wire or something under the front passenger seat which rattles.

The worst though is the atmospherically loud creak and groan that the car makes while going over large speed bumps, even at slow speeds. It seems as if the entire suspension system is creaking or the whole floor is creaking.

Is there anyone or anyway we can trace and eliminate all creaks and rattles? Also, is there a way the suspension creak can be removed?

5) In-cabin noise
Again, this is one of my major complaints with the Palio. The noise deadening and blocking is horrible. Though the engine noise can’t be heard as much as you can in say, a Figo, the noise of the tyres and everything else below the car is horrible. In no other car have I heard so much noise from the floor. No, the tyres are not to blame – I have heard worse tyres on other cars and they don’t sound as bad as my Yokohama A-drives on the Palio.

I've considered getting noise deadening material on the floor and the door panels but there are too many conflicting opinions out there about which material and process is best. Can anyone guide me on this too?

6) Handling
Handling on the Palio is great. The high ground clearance means that in 4 years and 75K KM, I can count the number of instances where my floor has grazed on my fingers. With the 185/70 R13 Yokohama A-drives, the grip is also great and the braking has never let me down. Mind you, I don’t do mad cornering or standing on the brake type of stunts but still the handling does give me confidence. There is one small glitch though – when I corner at a decent speed and there is a bump in the road during the corner, the car seems to fly off for a millisecond and then land back and get its grip back.

Is this normal?

7) Air-conditioning
No problems with the cooling yet but like some others have said, when I turn off the air-con and keep the blower on with circulation mode, I get a very foul smell.

What is this smell and how can I get rid of this?

8) Electronics
Had two fried tail lamps so far but everything else still works.

9) Brakes
As mentioned above, the brakes are good but during my last service (close to 60,000 KM) I got the brake pads replaced by Ravi. Since then my brakes starting grating noisily and the brake kept getting stuck into the floor. I thought my master/slave cylinder would need to be replaced again but strangely enough; a good pressure wash of the underbody fixed the problem to a large extent. On further investigation by the car washer (who is also a mechanic) said my brake oil was messed up which was causing me the problem. This had caused my FE to drop from 20 odd to 18 odd. I tried out servicing at Jitendra Mali’s pit-stop, in the Phoenix Mall here in Pune and they did a splendid job. They changed the brake oil and now the brakes work perfectly and my FE is back up to 20. They also mentioned that the brake pads that Ravi had installed (TVS Girling) were the wrong ones and were too hard which explained the grating sound every time I hit my brakes hard.

10) Steering
The steering is good enough but I would have preferred it to be a little lighter as it is on a lot of other cars that I’ve driven.

11) Things I like
The Palio has a lot of things which are a big advantage over other cars. I like the fact that the brake and the accelerator are placed close to each other so you don’t need to lift your foot to change the pedals – though this is irritating for some, it certainly saves precious milliseconds if you get used to it. These milliseconds could be the difference between life and death. The whole console is turned towards the driver to improve visibility and accessibility. It gives the cabin a ‘cockpit’ like feel. The double barrel headlamps mean that when you turn to high-beam, the low beam doesn’t disappear. This is much less disconcerting to me than driving single-barrel, double-filament lights. The ground clearance is better than any other small car I’ve driven. There is dedicated space for 6 speakers ( in the SDX model). The fuel lid is on the driver side. The wiper has a single wipe and an intermediate wipe function. The visibility of all tail lamps, indicators etc. is very good.

Thank you all for reading this long winding review and I would be more than grateful if you could give me some tips on how to mend my complaints that I’ve mentioned above.
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Old 21st January 2013, 23:32   #2
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

great_guns,

Thanks for a honest review. And Palio is indeed a great Car. I have a 2yr old SDX which has done 64k+ kms and it is still going great guns.

Touch wood I haven't had any mechanical issues with the Car so far apart from the couple of minor crashes caused by some retarded drivers on the road. Every time I drive her it puts a smile on my face.

What I love about it is it's Precise steering, Impeccable handling, Good ride & incredible high speed stability.

Now I'm no expert and I'm sure that the in house experts will comment about the issues that you are facing with your ride.
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Old 22nd January 2013, 12:12   #3
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

Over a period of time, dust/air/moisture does manage to get into the AC system (ducts, cooling coil etc), causing,
- drop in cooling,
- foul smells,
- increase in risk of leaks getting introduced in the system (due to moisture).

To prolong life of AC system components, its good to do a full servicing of AC periodically (say 2 years or 60K KMs or when you start getting such foul smells).

Full service should typically involve,
1) cleaning all the ducts, filters, cooling coil, condenser and other AC/Heating system components (removing the dust and moisture)
2) checking the ducts and other system components for leaks
3) checking/servicing the mechanicals/electricals (serpentine belt, valves, switches etc)
4) putting the components back in their place and finally doing a Full refrigerant recharge

If you haven't done a preventive AC servicing before, you may want to consider going for the same.

Quote:
Originally Posted by great_guns View Post
7) Air-conditioning
No problems with the cooling yet but like some others have said, when I turn off the air-con and keep the blower on with circulation mode, I get a very foul smell.

What is this smell and how can I get rid of this?
.
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Old 22nd January 2013, 13:16   #4
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

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Originally Posted by great_guns View Post
I have now just passed the 75,000 KM mark on my Palio Stile MJD. I bought the car in Oct 2008 so that makes it 4 years and 3 months. While I am generally satisfied with the car, I do have a lot of complaints.

3) The suspension
Now here is one of the biggest worries I have. I have heard Palio owners wax eloquent about the amazing suspension of the Palio but I am yet to see it. The suspension is unbearably hard and while going over rough roads, I can feel the shudder right up my spine and even onto my hands via the steering wheel.

There is one small glitch though – when I corner at a decent speed and there is a bump in the road during the corner, the car seems to fly off for a millisecond and then land back and get its grip back.

10) Steering
The steering is good enough but I would have preferred it to be a little lighter as it is on a lot of other cars that I’ve driven.
First of all Congrats for your mostly happy life with the Palio, for so long. The only reason I bought a Punto and not a Palio was that it doesn't have ABS even as an option.

About the suspension, I think the hardness at slow speeds is the cost you pay for the excellent handling, high speed stability and ride you get on your Palio. And I have never felt that Palio's slow-speed ride is that bad either. I would recommend driving another Stile and compare with yours.

A corner at decent speed and you hit a bump. Try the same thing with a lot of other car of the same class or a few classes above - most of them will get alarmingly unsettled and you would most probably get a heart attack. The few milli-seconds of flight, again, should be the hard suspension setup of Palios.

Again, a lighter steering would have taken away the charm of Palio, I believe. The heavy hydraulic unit is what gives it the sharp handling. Dude, people try hard to make their steerings harder and you want a Palio's steering to be lighter?

Congrats once again, enjoy your ride.
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Old 22nd January 2013, 13:32   #5
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

Thanks a lot for your comments, guys. I would still really like to know the answers to my remaining questions if any one of you has them. I know team-BHP is full of people who really know what they're talking about.
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Old 22nd January 2013, 16:09   #6
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

Congrats on the 75,000 mark. Where are the customary pictures

Quote:
Originally Posted by great_guns View Post
Is there a way to soften the suspension a bit?
The Palio never had a bone-jarring suspension in the way that you describe it to be. Can you confirm that you are maintaining the right tyre pressure? Check the air pressure at 2 different petrol pumps or with your own high-quality pressure gauge.

Also

Quote:
There is one small glitch though – when I corner at a decent speed and there is a bump in the road during the corner, the car seems to fly off for a millisecond and then land back and get its grip back.
The Palio manages mid-corner bumps rather well.

Are you running the original suspension? If so, I can bet you that it's completely worn out. 50,000 kms is the maximum one should drive on the same suspension. Post this mark, the suspension's "damping" is completely lost out. A worn out suspension could also explain the poor ride quality you are suffering from.

Quote:
Is there anyone or anyway we can trace and eliminate all creaks and rattles?
As a car ages on Indian roads, creaks & rattles are inevitable. Don't sweat over it, just crank the music volume higher . If it really bothers you, search through the forum. We have discussed solutions, including damping. Damping would greatly reduce overall noise levels too.
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Old 22nd January 2013, 16:47   #7
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

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Originally Posted by great_guns View Post
4) Body
This is quite a mixed bag. I am happy with the fact that the car has withstood numerous bumps and equally numerous biological idiots. The metal body feels solid enough and so do the doors and various components. I am horribly disappointed with the interiors though. Everything in my car seems to creak. The A/C console rattles, the ICE HU creaks, the panel in front of the instrument cluster rattles (though this was an after-market feature provided free by Pandit Auto in the due course of their ‘servicing’), there is a constant rattle from the left rear of my car which I had found to be the speaker but even after tightening it, the rattle exists. Besides all this, every time I go over a bump, it seems like the entire dashboard crashes with a solid symphony. There is also a few thuds to be heard at the back and I'm not sure if it is the boot lid or the parcel tray or something else. I think there is also a wire or something under the front passenger seat which rattles.

The worst though is the atmospherically loud creak and groan that the car makes while going over large speed bumps, even at slow speeds. It seems as if the entire suspension system is creaking or the whole floor is creaking.

Is there anyone or anyway we can trace and eliminate all creaks and rattles? Also, is there a way the suspension creak can be removed?
parcel tray, the rear seat locks, the panel which holds the lights above the number plate, number plate, rear stop light are the major sources of rattles and creaks which originate from the rear side. Also in my sdx the passenger seat created a rattle.
i fixed up some of the rattles by
  • packing up the gap between parcel tray and rear seats with piece of foam/cloth.
  • Putting a double side tape on the bars on which the rear seat locks rest, also sprayed some 'wd 40' in the lock.
passenger seat rattle and the number plate light panel i got fixed from the service center.
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Old 22nd January 2013, 16:54   #8
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

GTO:

I didn't know there are customary pictures!
LOL, I'll try to post some soon. You might be able to see the million and one scratches that my car has thanks to kids in my building who insist on playing all kinds of sport in the car's vicinity.

Changing the suspension seems like a pretty large investment there. Now that you say it, I don't think the suspension is THAT bad.
Naah, but jokes apart - isn't there a suspension 'setting' that one can use and select whether you want a stiffer suspension or a lighter one? To be honest though, I have felt the same stiffness in suspension from day-1 if I compared it to other cars like the I-20. I hence don't think the issue quite is that the suspension has deteriorated but more that this is how the Palio is built.

I've searched through some threads already for the damping information but the threads are too long and with lots of conflicting opinions. Do you have a link to a thread where I might find the relevant information I'm looking for? I'd be grateful is you could share that with me.

Cheers
Ganesh
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Old 22nd January 2013, 17:44   #9
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

Hi,
I have owned a Palio 1.6 sport since 2009. I havent done the KMs you have but i have driven my fair share.

Suspension: The suspension is a bit stiff at lower speeds but that is what gives the palio its superb high speed ride quality.
Outside noise: I donno, one of the things I love about my palio is that it is super silent. Was this the same since you first Brought the vehicle.
Handling: Flying when you hit a small bump in a corner is not normal at all. I guess you need to get the car checked. Again is this the same behaviour you experienced from the day you brought the car?
Rattles: It is posible that the rattles are part of the high milage. But an experienced Palio mechanic would be able to set it right. Look for the right guy in your area and make him listen to the creaks. he should be able to easily reduce the number of creaks and rattles.
Steering: I love the steering. it is the best steering by far. Not too light giving it a toy car feel and not too hard making it tough to manuver in city. I guess it is a personal choice. I really dont think you can make the steering any lighter

Last edited by gandalf : 22nd January 2013 at 17:47.
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Old 23rd January 2013, 13:36   #10
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

Quote:
Originally Posted by great_guns View Post
Changing the suspension seems like a pretty large investment there.
No offense buddy, but you bought a 6 lakh rupee hatchback, have spent about 3 lakh rupees on diesel so far, yet will hesitate to replace a worn out suspension for Rs. 20,000 - 30,000?

Again, a suspension is usually out of its optimal damping range at 50,000 kms. At 75,000 kms, your suspension should be completely shot.

Would you rather that a ball joint or another worn out suspension component fails on the road, leaving you with zero car control?

Please shower your car with some love & care in return for the service its given you all these years.
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Old 23rd January 2013, 18:52   #11
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

Very well said and I agree.

You didn't quite get the humour though. Anyway, as you may notice, I said that this isn't something new which has cropped up. This is since the first day that I bought the car - the suspension IS stiff and I just don't like it that way. I don't corner at 100 KM/H and I'm not a stunt driver. I'm a pretty sedate driver who mostly drives in stupidly crowded and potholed roads.

Even then, I do understand your point about 50,000 KM so I will at least get the setup checked. My problem is that I'm quite sure anyone I take it too will say that the suspension needs to be changed if I ask them to specifically check it. After all, who would say no to income? Can you recommend someone who will be surely neutral and give me an honest opinion on whether I need to replace my suspension or not?

Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post
No offense buddy, but you bought a 6 lakh rupee hatchback, have spent about 3 lakh rupees on diesel so far, yet will hesitate to replace a worn out suspension for Rs. 20,000 - 30,000?

Again, a suspension is usually out of its optimal damping range at 50,000 kms. At 75,000 kms, your suspension should be completely shot.

Would you rather that a ball joint or another worn out suspension component fails on the road, leaving you with zero car control?

Please shower your car with some love & care in return for the service its given you all these years.
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Old 23rd January 2013, 19:28   #12
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

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Originally Posted by great_guns View Post
My problem is that I'm quite sure anyone I take it too will say that the suspension needs to be changed if I ask them to specifically check it. After all, who would say no to income? Can you recommend someone who will be surely neutral and give me an honest opinion on whether I need to replace my suspension or not?
Nothing beats an advice from an expert but you have a good reason to be skeptic about A$$ and FNG's intentions. There are certain basic checks that even you can do at home (e.g. lift the front tyre through jack and wiggle it vertically (back and forth) if you notice play, something is wrong. There are many videos on Youtube that can help you with doing the diagnosis yourself. Another way of doing it will be taking it to a knowledgeable and reliable (fellow Pune BHPians might be able to help) tyre guy. These guys don't do suspension job so, no worry of vested interest and have decent knowledge about suspension.

A well maintained Palio is one of the best hatchbacks that one can get. It's a car meant for keepers. Enjoy the miles!
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Old 23rd January 2013, 22:00   #13
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

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Originally Posted by great_guns View Post
I have now just passed the 75,000 KM mark on my Palio Stile MJD. I bought the car in Oct 2008 so that makes it 4 years and 3 months...
That's some kilometers on your car. Congrats & hope you clock much more!

Quote:
Originally Posted by great_guns View Post
..

3) The suspension
Now here is one of the biggest worries I have. I have heard Palio owners wax eloquent about the amazing suspension of the Palio but I am yet to see it. The suspension is unbearably hard and while going over rough roads, I can feel the shudder right up my spine and even onto my hands via the steering wheel...

Is there a way to soften the suspension a bit?
I read that this "issue" is from day 1. I am surprised in that case - Palio or Fiat in general has one of the BEST suspension set up for comfort + handling. I suggest you do a suspension overhaul & change the bushes. I have done twice on my Swift & the car rides much better.

Quote:
Originally Posted by great_guns View Post
...

5) In-cabin noise
Again, this is one of my major complaints with the Palio. The noise deadening and blocking is horrible.

I've considered getting noise deadening material on the floor and the door panels but there are too many conflicting opinions out there about which material and process is best. Can anyone guide me on this too?
If you plan to keep it long term, get the underbody coating done as well. Will make some difference for sure. Another option is to add damping to the floor.

Quote:
Originally Posted by great_guns View Post
...

8) Electronics

Had two fried tail lamps so far but everything else still works.
The bulbs I guess? It's OK. I had my head lamp bulbs gone, parking lights gone & tail lamps too.

Quote:
Originally Posted by great_guns View Post
...

10) Steering

The steering is good enough but I would have preferred it to be a little lighter as it is on a lot of other cars that I’ve driven.
This is what people LOVE about Fiat! And you crib? Increasing the tyre pressure could lighten your steering, at the cost of ride quality. Added advantage - better FE!

Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post
...Are you running the original suspension? If so, I can bet you that it's completely worn out. 50,000 kms is the maximum one should drive on the same suspension. Post this mark, the suspension's "damping" is completely lost out. A worn out suspension could also explain the poor ride quality you are suffering from...
Quote:
Originally Posted by GTO View Post
...Again, a suspension is usually out of its optimal damping range at 50,000 kms. At 75,000 kms, your suspension should be completely shot...
GTO, to be frank, I have never came across A$$ suggesting a complete suspension change @ 50,000 kms. From the estimate you quoted, I understand you didn't mean bushes alone, but the whole thing. My Swift has done 80,000 kms now & all I was asked to change were the bushes. To let you know about the roads here, I had my bushes replaced for a second time in 1 year / 15,000 kms! They (MA$$) still say the rest of the suspension is quite OK.

Isn't changing the suspension at 50,000 kms an overkill?! I know car enthusiasts go the extra mile to pamper their car; still!

Last edited by swiftnfurious : 23rd January 2013 at 22:03.
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Old 25th January 2013, 09:40   #14
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

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I don't corner at 100 KM/H and I'm not a stunt driver.
Correct. But a suspension failure even at 60 kph can prove disastrous for you or a biker / pedestrian in your path.

Quote:
My problem is that I'm quite sure anyone I take it too will say that the suspension needs to be changed if I ask them to specifically check it.
Do people stop going for health checkups because the medical world is commercialised?

At the end of the day, you have to trust one person (whether it's a doctor or a mechanic). Go with what he says.

Quote:
Originally Posted by swiftnfurious View Post
GTO, to be frank, I have never came across A$$ suggesting a complete suspension change @ 50,000 kms. From the estimate you quoted, I understand you didn't mean bushes alone, but the whole thing.
Just to clarify : I don't mean changing the *entire* suspension. Just a complete checkup and replacement of all wornout parts (there is no way rubber is still good and neither will be the dampers). Equally, I might add that it's not uncommon for cars to require a complete suspension overhaul at 75,000 kms.

Last edited by GTO : 25th January 2013 at 09:41.
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Old 27th May 2013, 01:02   #15
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Re: Fiat Palio MJD - 75,000 KM Review

Has anyone been able to find the source of creak noise coming while the car bounces over a speed bump? I am facing the same issue along with all the customary rattles of a palio.
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