[Firebird]

Originally Posted by codemarauder

Ahh.. yes, and Fiat recommends some other brand that I am not able to recall.

It's PENZOIL buddy for Petrol 15W40. The service book mentions the same as well.

[prabuddhadg]

Originally Posted by clevermax

Hey code, if your battery is working fine, it is not at all recommended to put water or acid in the name of top-up. without all these, it would serve your car for about 5 years at least. But if you allow the service guys to top it up on every service, the life of the battery will surely be reduced. In my Zen-D, the battery ran for about 6 years trouble free, until a service guy topped it up, and within next 2 weeks, one of the cells was dead.

Battery works fine and then performance seems to deteriorate quickly. Reason being water drying up on the cells. It is best to keep checking for level of water in the battery cells. If the plates are showing, pour some distilled / demineralised water. Then the battery will work fine for years.

[codemarauder]

Just refilled the tank to the full. Car ran 108.3 kms in 9.08 litres, which comes to 11.93 kmpl. This run was in city over 4 days, AC on 90% of the time and engine idling at signals for 130 seconds many a times.

A long highway run is due on Holi.

[amit]

Originally Posted by codemarauder

Bardahl Engine oil additive - 444.44/-

Bardahl Engine Treatment started after the Fiat-Tata tie up. It's probably used in Tata cars and the dealers took the intiative and started using this for Fiat cars too. The additive costs Rs.4,44,450 per liter!

They put 0.001 liter of this product. I wonder what results are achieved with such small quantity.

[Mad Max]

code, please don't put any of these additives unless you know all about what its going to do. It would scare me if they just started adding stuff into my service. Please tell them no and also tell them to give you a call before they start the servicing, not after they do it.

I have a black Palio 1.6 too. Just that I am downright careful of whatever they stick in my car. I've made sure that they tell me what they'll do in the service before they actually do it.

Glad you are able to drive it around, mine barely inches kilometres (about 30) everyday.

[codemarauder]

I did my first pollution check on 25th Dec (1st service done) and values were:

NO = 0.001
HC = 0020

Now, when I went for a check today (2nd service done) to a different center the values are:

NO = 0.1
HC = 446

How could they be so different? Both were done for Bharat-II standards and they did not have facility for Bharat-III. Could there be a problem?

[codemarauder]

The windshield washer had conked off before second free service. I had told the service advisor about the problem. At the time of taking delivery, I was told that windshield washer motor is gone and will be replaced under warranty. I waited for call for so many days. Calling back the advisor also did not help.

Then I decided to call workshop stores directly and I was shocked when came to know that there was no order placed for the motor even after 1.5 months. I decided to go to the workshop yesterday. Stores person booked the order and asked an electrician to check the car if there are two motors or only one.

Now the fun begins. Electrician asks me on the way - "Is it an Indica or Indigo?" When I say - "Palio!", he became apprehensive. We open the hood, he starts looking around and could not find motor anywhere. He asks me to take the car inside. He raises it on jack, lies under the front bumper and again could not find any sign of the motor. Then I tell him to look into the front left wheel well. Again nothing. I sense trouble now and ask him to go and check the workshop manual.

He vanishes and suddenly another electrician comes and starts checking fuses. Wow, what a fusebox it is. You can open the screw with your ignition key and fuses inside look like colorful capacitors. One catch here - instructions written on the lid are in Italian.

Ok, the first electrician comes back, does something while I am looking at the beautiful fuse box, and his facial expressions say - EUREKA! Here is what he had found:


And voila, motor resides inside the plastic cover under the wheel well. Me and my friend had already researched and even pulled the carpets out but had found nothing. I had never imagined that washer motor could be hidden here:



After this much of fun, the serious business takes over. No current in the connectors. Fuses are alright. Next suspects are wiring or the stalk. I am in no mood to get things screwed up more and even that electrician is repenting his decision to fiddle with the fender. He is not able to put the plastic cover back properly. I ask him to call someone from bodyshop. The bodyshop fellow comes and declares - "It is broken, I can't fix it." But we all know, it was opened after unscrewing. Electrician shoes him away. Its getting terrible. I am repenting too to bring the car to Tata Motors workshop. I ask him to pack the stuff as best as he can, put the screws safely in the ash-tray and drove off.

Lesson learnt again - "Dhingra Motors workshop is good for routine service, body works but don't take your car there when some brains are required."

Delhi guys please suggest me the best workshop for Fiat. Is it Orix in Gurgaon or Vivek on Mathura road.

[extreme_torque]

@code.... Shoot off an Email to FIAT explaining him the situation and ask them to suggest you a workshop.

[finneyp]

Yep, write to Fiat about this experience, as per reviews by Delhi PUG members, Vivek Auto seems to be doing a good job, they were erstwhile Fiat dealer/SC, also do check out Samyak Motors.

[codemarauder]

Yesterday took the car for 3rd free service. I was facing following issues:

1) Windshield washer is off since 2nd service.
2) Speedo/Odo meter had conked off at 13942 kms last week.
3) Rub rail on rear right door came off thrice. I suspect bad quality dual-tape used by the workshop to paste it when they replaced the door.
4) Car wobbles within RPM range 1500-2100.

Reached Dhingra Motors, Gurgaon at 9.30 am and service advisor came to me at 10.15 am. There is always a long queue at the workshop and it takes anywhere from 30 mins to 1.5 hrs just to drop your vehicle. Later on when I looked at the scheduling board, my car's in-time was 11.56 am.

Anyways, mentioned all the issues to him. He was not well versed with servicing schedule for Fiat as he told me that engine oil is changed every 10,000 kms and not at 5,000 kms service. He was surprised when I mentioned that Fiat is serviced every 7500 kms.

Car was ready at 7 pm. They needed one more day to resolve windshield washer problem and it was not possible for me to leave it there for a Monday. To my suprise, speedometer issue was resolved. The speed sensor (Sending Unit) was replaced under warranty. Service advisor himself pasted the rubrail on the door as no body shop mechanic was free. Overall a reasonably nice experience.

Service cost INR 680.00 (Engine oil, filter, fuel filter)

Just for the sake of comparision, I got serviced my Firefox Cyclone push bike too yesterday and it costed me INR 930.00 (Front tyre change, cleaning, oiling, gel saddle cover)

[bottle]

Is there any reason you still persist going to Dhingara motors even though they clearly arent familiar with fiats? No other options ?

[codemarauder]

Originally Posted by bottle

Is there any reason you still persist going to Dhingara motors even though they clearly arent familiar with fiats? No other options ?

Thanks for your conern.

Well, there are no other options in Gurgaon for the first 3 free services. Somehow, it was not possible for me to visit Vivek Auto in Delhi. I will try Orix now.

[bottle]

Ah ok, anyways now that the free service is done with you can look out for better options. What about the varying rpm issue (wobbling) you mentioned, was that resolved ?

[JishD]

I'm also facing a slight wobbling problem....think its a wheel balancing issue.

Blame it on Gurgaon roads

[codemarauder]

@mods: I am unable to find "Report thread to a moderator". Could you kindly modify the thread topic to a relevant one.

Time to revive this thread after 14.5 months of ownership experience.

Yesterday got the car back after 30,000 kms service. Consumables + labour cost INR 3320 after 15% discount. Apart from regular consumables, this time 1 litre coolant was added and all the spark plugs were replaced.

Ownership experience has been satisfying without any major trouble (rest are documented in this thread). Managed to do a couple more than half a dozen long distance highway runs till now.

Once I had bent an alloy wheel after hitting a huge pot hole but fortunately was able to get it rectified. Rim straightening experience is described here http://www.team-bhp.com/forum/tyre-a...ml#post1012553

Now comes the second most talked after point about Palios, and that is mileage. I had been consistently getting a mileage of 12kmpl in the city and 16+kmpl on the highways. But on a recent trip to Jaipur, managed to extract 18kmpl very easily. Of late I have changed my driving style and in city I keep my RPM below 2000 always and since then my city milage is varying between 12.5 and 14 kmpl on normal unleaded petrol.

And the most talked after stuff, the A.S.S. Dhingra Motors are changing for better day by day and I could sense the improvement on each visit. They have most of the spares available (like combination switch, clutch cylinders, brake pads etc.) and most importantly, the attitude of the service personnel has changed drastically.

Overall, it is a very satisfying experience till now. Whoever of my friends has driven this beast, has gone fida even when they own the likes of NHC and Swift.