[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by neotraveller

That awesome mileage. Hope you can share the tricks to get better mileage. I am consistently getting 9.5kmpl (avg speed is 18 kmph only)

I also hear mild humming sound during full turn at slow speed. Eagerly waiting to see what your SA says about it. I will be going for service next week.

Here are a few steps i follow to get max mileage from my car. Sometimes i give short bursts of speed like today i did to overtake a ritz, hit 4.5k RPM in 2nd gear and off i went, immediately mileage came down 0.1 tick

1. Have reduced my gearshifts RPM limit from 3000 to 2200-2500 RPM. 2500 is max i hit when am not in a hurry. To overtake slow ducks i do hit 3000-3500 RPM but thats the max i hit in daily city drives.

2. As soon as cabin gets cool i switch off the ACC (24 degress) using compressore button , i know its stupid as ACC is there but am ok with a little less cool air for 1 min as petrol is costlier by 4 rs. I think doing this has increased FE tremendously and i dont even feel uncomfortable. Dont do this when am with my whole family or else i will get killed.

3. Not doing sudden gear changes to 2nd from 3rd to get that intiitial pickup from the car. Linea takes even U turns in 3rd easily if i dont have to make a complete stop. Pickup is slow from 3rd gear from lower speeds.

4. I dont switch off car at signals of 30-34 secs as when we do this and restart FE falls by 0.2 ticks.

Also, that sound when turning steering comes only sometimes, dont know if it will come tomorrow or not. SA on phone agreed that there is a manufacturing defect of some part and that will be changed under warranty if found bad.

If its a small thing i will get changed but if they have to open Dashboard or anything major i will not get that done. Rattles will creep in and that little noise while turning steering hardly bothers me.
More updates tomorrow.

[gpa]

Originally Posted by coolboy007

Hope my 1st encounter with a TASS is satisfactory and not poor like some members here, me and my friend (silver linea E+ 1.4) will go together and maybe get a engine oil change. Am not sure whether to get oil changed or not. Will ask SA there to show me condition of oil and will ask him what to do.

coolboy,

It is best you get the oil and oil filter changed. During the running in period of a new engine (first 1000-1500 kms) metal slivers are worn off from the engine and deposited in the oil. This should be drained out during the first service (when ever it is due). Make sure you insist on an oil and oil filter change regardless of what your SA tells you or the perceived "condition" of the oil.

This will go a long way in keeping your engine in top form.

Cheers,
gpa

[coolboy007]

Here are the observations and my views on my 1st service of Linea:

1. Reached service centre at 10:20 am and within 2 minutes the SA came to me to prepare a jobcard.

2. They took all details and lead me to the way to customer lounge,
now is the best part i liked about my service centre was that Lounge for cab drivers was different and for others a separate chilled lounge with "family waiting lounge written" was there.

3. Went down to service bay, SA advised me against oil change. He quoted a whopping 4000 for engine oil and filter change . He told that if i still want to waste my money i can go ahead as they dont recomment it. NO OIL change was done. Rs 4000 isnt a small amount.

4. Told them to replace AC broken vent, it was replaced with a new one under warranty.

5. Fuel lid doesnt close properly, it was taken out and again replaced under warranty.

6. My FIAT logo on boot door was loose, they tightened it from inside the boot door.

7. Air filter was cleaned and all other liquids topped up. Air filter is opened by removing those 3 screws on engine cover.

8. Seat height adjuster and chrome strip they had no solutions, accepted its a manufacturing defect.

9. I told them about vibrations when steering is turned full turn . Went on a roadtest but noise didnt come so they couldnt work. They said there is a problem with 2 parts on shockers in initial Lineas.

Negatives about service
1.They removed the front conole to change broken AC vent and i think they used screw drivers to take it out. It has made some damage (very little) to the black part. I just saw it at my appartments gate.

2. They said wheel alignment is chargeable , i was confused and said its a part of 1st service but they said they dont do it free. I said leave it, i will get it done outside.

It was a good experience with service centre, exterior and interior was cleaned nicely, all jobs carried out to satisfaction. People attended me immediately and everything done within 3 hours. I was chilling in an excellent customer lounge with airtel digital and a 32" lcd.

To me, this experience is better or at par when i go to samara hyundai for my Santro services. Attending time at ABS was far better,

Thanks phamilyman, Ashok malik is a nice man and was praising you left, right n centre. Its a good service centre and am happy i went here.

Overall experience 9/10.

Well done ABS motors.

[aks_karthik]

Wheel Balancing is free.
Please check with the service centre again.
here in Chennai everyone got wheel balanced with free of cost.

[gpa]

Originally Posted by coolboy007

Went down to service bay, SA advised me against oil change. He quoted a whopping 4000 for engine oil and filter change He told that if i still want to waste my money i can go ahead as they dont recomment it. NO OIL change was done. Rs 4000 isnt a small amount.

Why was he charging you such an astronomical amount for an oil and filter change? Does the Linea use fully synthetic oil? And if he doesn't recommend it at the first service, when is the change to be done?

[VahanPujari]

Originally Posted by neotraveller

That awesome mileage. Hope you can share the tricks to get better mileage. I am consistently getting 9.5kmpl (avg speed is 18 kmph only)

I also hear mild humming sound during full turn at slow speed. Eagerly waiting to see what your SA says about it. I will be going for service next week.

Neo- 9.5 kmpl FE @ avg speed of 18 kmph is a very good mileage. I get 9 kmpl @ avg speed of 18 kmph. See, CB's FE is at 28 kmph avg speed & that makes a huge difference. I get 12-13 kmpl @ 27-28 kmph, 16 kmpl @ 40-50 kmph.

[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by aks_karthik

Wheel Balancing is free.
Please check with the service centre again.
here in Chennai everyone got wheel balanced with free of cost.

I will lodge a complaint with Fiat regarding it. I mean job works should be uniform throughout the country. Even its mentioned in manual regarding wheel alignment, still they didnt do it.

Originally Posted by gpa

Why was he charging you such an astronomical amount for an oil and filter change? Does the Linea use fully synthetic oil? And if he doesn't recommend it at the first service, when is the change to be done?

Its a synthetic oil which is used in Linea because it has a 15000 kms service interval. Now oil change will be done at 15000 kms next year as recommended by Fiat. SA told me that fiat doesnt recommend oil change now and said he had checked condition of oil, so i thought why spend 4k on a oil and filter change.

Originally Posted by VahanPujari

Neo- 9.5 kmpl FE @ avg speed of 18 kmph is a very good mileage. I get 9 kmpl @ avg speed of 18 kmph. See, CB's FE is at 27-28 kmph, 16 kmpl @ 40-50 kmph.

Yeah, that surely may be a reason. My Avg speed is higher, after i reached home today after getting service done, my Avg speed stood at 30 km/h and FE at 12.6 km/l. Service centre was in a good location.

[VahanPujari]

Originally Posted by coolboy007

3. Went down to service bay, SA advised me against oil change. He quoted a whopping 4000 for engine oil and filter change . He told that if i still want to waste my money i can go ahead as they dont recomment it. NO OIL change was done. Rs 4000 isnt a small amount..

Oil change would have costed you Rs. 1900-2000. It requires 3.1 Ltrs of oil & Selenia K oil for Petrol Linea comes at Rs. 500-odd per ltr.

Even I decided against oil change @ 1st service, reason as follows:

• It was only 3600 kms. Synthetic oil lasts longer
• Earlier I decided that instead of Fiat-specified interval of 15000 km, I'll change oil at every 7500 kms (because of tough indian conditions, & traffic conditions-my car runs 90% in B2B traffic)
• I'll get it changed now at 6000-7000 kms & then at 15K kms. To me, this makes more sense than oil change at 3000 kms & then after a long interval at 15K kms

4. Told them to replace AC broken vent, it was replaced with a new one under warranty.

Negatives about service
1.They removed the front conole to change broken AC vent and i think they used screw drivers to take it out. It has made some damage (very little) to the black part. I just saw it at my appartments gate.

Good you changed it. So the earlier dealer sold you a dummy. Complain it to Fiat.
I was always skeptical that when they changed that central satia in my car, they'll make some scratches on metal console. So I stood on their head when they were changing it & I must say they did a very neat & professional job. Before pulling it out by inserting screw-driver in the edges, they placed a clean cloth & pushed it liberally within the edges & ensured that screw-driver never comes in direct contact with the metal console. Damn, I was pleasantly surprised, it was neat.

2. They said wheel alignment is chargeable , i was confused and said its a part of 1st service but they said they dont do it free. I said leave it, i will get it done outside.

Dude, I told FastLove here & you knew it. You should have shown the service booklet to them which mentioned wheel alignment / balancing is part of 1st free service

[aks_karthik]

Sorry i mistakenly said some false input.
Wheel Alignment is listed in Free Service schedule not Wheel Balancing.
So Alignment is free but Balancing is chargeable.

[coolboy007]

Originally Posted by VahanPujari

Oil change would have costed you Rs. 1900-2000. It requires 3.1 Ltrs of oil & Selenia K oil for Petrol Linea comes at Rs. 500-odd per ltr.

Your reasons seems good VP. I will check oil condition at 7000 kms and get a oil change done. 2000 rs isnt much at all and i would have got it changed today itself. Why did the dealer bluff with me? If it costs 2000 rs why he asked 4000 with filter. Oil filter costs very less, have read it in that spare part chart. Seems i will have to send a mail to fiat, asking for explanation and exact prices of that Selenia oil in delhi.
Could it be that they didnt had stock of engine oil? Highly unlikely as just when i was leaving a Linea with 15k kms service had come. Did they intend to overcharge me, but they only told me not to change oil. Am very confused.

Good you changed it. So the earlier dealer sold you a dummy. Complain it to Fiat.
I was always skeptical that when they changed that central satia in my car,

Damn, i was enjoying chilled air in customer lounge and was seeing them change it from glass window Didnt know they will spoil the finish. Atleast they changed it, my dealer told me they have to remove all dashboard. Funny people.

Dude, I told FastLove here & you knew it. You should have shown the service booklet to them which mentioned wheel alignment / balancing is part of 1st free service

They didnt listen to me, showed it in manual too, in the end i mentioned it in Job card, both me and my friend for his Linea mentioned "wheel alignment not carried out, even though its a part of 1st service". If i complain to fiat, they will say sir we will do pick n drop and do wheel alignment, its 60 kms round trip wasting my 250 rs petrol. Alignment is fine I told many of my friends got it done for free they said they must have been charged. Then Fastlove's charged alignment gloomed in my mind and i gave up.
My service exp was so good that i dont want to complain, atleast 9 people were cleaning my car at one go, wiping it nicely Dont want to ruin their effort.
This was the only - 1 for service centre.

[coolboy007]

Friends, i need your advise for my silver beauty.

I was thinking of getting Teflon coating done and the quotation i got from Reliance autozone (ambience mall, Gurgaon) is 2700-2800 for 2 coats. They use DUPONT material and the work being done on other cars was very very good.

Should i go for Teflon coating or not? If yes, should it be done after monsoons? Am really worried about the swirl marks which are increasing on the car. Will teflon hel protect against small scratches caused by wiping car with dry cloth?

[b] Will also come up with a 3000 kms report soon as my Linea has now completed 2980 kms, FE standing at 12.4 kmpl [/quote]

[vinay.pillai]

Amazing fuel efficiency. Great. Keep the thumbs up always.
My Car is going for the Teflon coating today. I feel it is better to get done before monsoon as it will protect the body paint from rain water (mix of dust and other pollution stuff) especially if we are living in a polluted city.

[VahanPujari]

CB/ Vinay

After reading various threads / posts on t-bhp & the detailed explanations, I had decided against teflon coating. If I were to do some treatment on my brand new car for paint protection, I would do 3M Paint Protection treatment costing 3500 to 4500/- with 2 free rounds on 6th month & 9th month.

[aks_karthik]

Yes There's some problem with Teflon coating.
If you get any scratches deeply after teflon in place,then the portion is not posible for repaint/touchups.
Moreover,Teflon will peel from that area and near by too,resulting very weird looking paint finish.
Please check with some people/friends and go for Teflon coating.

[gpa]

coolboy,

I would advise you against the teflon coating at the dealers. What it actually is a polish applied using an orbital polisher and not actual 'teflon'.

You can buy some really good liquid polishes and waxes for that money and keep you car in pristine form. You have a range of choices from Turtle Wax, Formula, Meguiars and 3M.

Cheers,
gpa