Long Term Review - Fiat Punto EP 1.3 - EDIT: Sold the car @ 1,90,000 kms

phamilyman · 21st September 2010, 19:41

WE Gurgaon are a bunch of jokers. my windscreen has a crack smaller than that - and they simply refused - they were primarily interested in changing my windscreen. After arguing, they wanted to charge some 800 odd bucks which was overkill.

They apply a resin and then UV to ensure the crack doesn't spread.

but if the crack is less than 1cm and only on the outside, not inside - don't bother. It won't spread. Don't waste money on it. I'm carrying one such "scar" proudly

headers · 21st September 2010, 20:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by epicenter.rulez

hey guys
second blow...
while going home from factory yesterday, was following a truck.
a stone (a small rock sort of) stuck in the rear tires of the truck flew right into the windshield of the car and before anything could be done about it, a crack had appeared on the left hand side of the windshield.
didnt make any sense to stop the truck guy and argue with him as he wasnt doing it deliberately. so decided to head home. on close inspection, it looks like it can be repaired by the Windshield Experts but i am keeping my fingers crossed for it.
have observed the glass closely today and it seems that the crack will hold. but lets see how it works out.

,

If the crack is small. dont bother, it wont come off. I had the same issue with my accent and it held on until i sold the car @ 86K.

IMO the windshield experts in chennai were useless and told me to replace the entire windscreen!!!

After that incident 3 yrs ago, I avoid tailgating such trucks!!!

architect · 22nd September 2010, 01:41

My car was delivered with a one centimetre long crack on the front windscreen (windscreen: yes, I still use the Queen's English) by the dealer, only to be discovered too late.

It has been there for 28 months now, and hasn't spread. That's the whole point of a laminated glass windshield: to prevent small cracks from spreading and glass disintegrating. My advice, let it be.

better4worse · 22nd September 2010, 20:46

@epicenter.rulez - Couple of years back, I had a small crack (smaller than a rupee coin) at the right bottom corner of my Wagon R windshield. It took 3-4 months for the crack to grow into a full foot long one. It would have grown further but i got the windscreen replaced instead...it was too much of a distraction while driving at night. My suggestion would be to atleast contain the damage with the help of WE.

@garry.brant - I had the same thing done to my car, but it wasn't for free or fully covered by insurance. I think I paid 800 buck or so for the exercise.

epicenter.rulez · 23rd September 2010, 17:42

thanks a tonne for your replies guys
i think i will hold on to the crack for a while until it actually starts moving someplace else or extending.
if it doesnt then it stays as it is forever.
i'll invest in a better muffler as of now.

thanks again guys...tailwinds!!

epicenter.rulez · 30th September 2010, 11:31

hey guys
the car crossed 39k today. nothing major has happened to the car as yet except for the glass breaking some days back. a couple of dings and scratches on the front bumper trying to wrestle with the traffic and a slight rattle from the front right wheel. looks like a ball joint is dead but will have to check it out thoroughly when i take it to the service center day after tomorrow.
the tires have also crossed the 10000 mark and are due for rotation and balancing. the alignment has been perfect and except for the slight veer to the left due to the road camber once in a while, its going great guns.
will also be going for the remus exhaust (universal bolt on) within the next week or so.
opened up the k&n a couple of days back since it also had around 10k on the clock since it was cleaned and found it quite dirty. a bit of overoiling on my part the last time i'd cleaned and washed it and the rest of it was the doing of the wet weather. with this car having no resonator box and pulling air directly through the intake pipe to the air filter, it accounts for the amount of dirt in the filter.
the mileage has been a consistent 18 to 19 kmpl since the last update which was around at 28k or so and i have no reason to complain on that part.
now if only i could get a better turbo charger setup and wangle a better (swift) gearbox in that shebang...just thinking aloud.
drive safe guys...have a lot of fun doing it too!!
and dont forget the seat belt.

garry.brant · 30th September 2010, 22:52

Quote:

Originally Posted by better4worse

@garry.brant - I had the same thing done to my car, but it wasn't for free or fully covered by insurance. I think I paid 800 buck or so for the exercise.

I believe you have 100% claim on glass and paint. Well I just paid the file charges for the same thing.

epicenter.rulez · 3rd October 2010, 18:33

hi guys
had a chance to visit the tata workshop day before yesterday to get the noise from the front right wheel well checked.
the guys were again all gaga over the car wondering how it could pull better and smoother than a 90hp and couldnt find anything suspicious under the hood exept for a new type of air filter and promised me to recommend it to anyone and everyone who'd listen.
jokes apart, the test drive did reveal the noise and as suspected by yours truly, even the service advisor almost confirmed my fears that the ball joint may have failed and in the worst case, there'd be something wrong with either the strut assembly or the entire rack.
not to worry, he said, all the above mentioned parts were available off the shelf and it was just a matter of few minutes while the car was raised up on the two post lift and the underpinnings checked to confirm how brilliantly mechanically inclined both of us were.
the lift turned our theory of broken ball joints, failed struts and malfunctioning racks a complete 360 degrees and threw them out of the garage door.
the real culprit was actually the bash plate below the engine which had worked itself loose due to some whim and fancy only known to the bash plate and the fasteners holding it in place. to make matters worst, a small stone, the size of a child's fist had somehow managed to wedge itself between the right suspension links.
every time the car went over the rough surface, the stone vibrated along the suspension parts, the bash plate added its own frequencies to the symphony and the music vibrated through the structure bone into the interiors of the car.
it took not more than 3 minutes to tighten everything, remove the stone, check out all other nuts and bolts and bring the car down from the two post lift and finish everything off with a smiling service advisor waving the key under my nose like a magic wand that was supposed to turn me into something subatomic.
a cup of tea as a parting drink on the dealers part and i was off on the road, to return home listening to "riders on the storm"
a morning well spent.
one more thing thats come to attention while i was at the dealer is that there are around 5 linea diesels and one linea petrol lying at the workshop with failed engines.
the petrol guy took the car into a water logged street and when the car stalled, tried to start it again and again. the engine suffered from a hydraulic lock and one of the connecting rods broke into 4 parts, one into two and two of them were bent beyond recognition.
from what i could gather, the insurance company refused to reimburse the owner siting abuse and he is getting it done with his own money which at the end of the day will make him poorer by atleast 2.15 lacs.
the diesels all had failed oil pumps and one had a failed waterpump. all these cars are within 5000 kilometers of use and all are getting new engines (full replacements) under warranty.
just for your information guys.
all of you out there, drive safe and always wear a seatbelt.

ku69rd · 4th October 2010, 18:56

Hi Mandeep,
Been a nice review of yours. Following you right from the swift review that you had put in. Currently have a swift and was planning for a punto. Somehow was not quite convinced with the Punto and decided to stick it in with swift. She has run 66K in 32 months (obviously cant match your mile crunching life style).
How do you rate Pete's box? do you think its money wisely spent?

PS: waiting for the photo of your smoked headlamp

epicenter.rulez · 5th October 2010, 11:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by ku69rd

Hi Mandeep,
Been a nice review of yours. Following you right from the swift review that you had put in. Currently have a swift and was planning for a punto. Somehow was not quite convinced with the Punto and decided to stick it in with swift. She has run 66K in 32 months (obviously cant match your mile crunching life style).
How do you rate Pete's box? do you think its money wisely spent?

PS: waiting for the photo of your smoked headlamp

hi,
thanks for taking the pains of going through the reviews of the car.
the swift is still alive at the back of my mind. a magnificient car to own but the charm gradually wears out once you start understanding the punto. except for the nippy pickup nothing else even comes close to the punto..
about the petes box, yes i will say that it is money wisely spent. the swift became hell on wheels when the box and k&n went into the hood and the punto, because of its increased kerb weight and a slightly laid back gearbox.
i've enjoyed around 30000 kilometers on the punto with the tuning box and the car is already 40k old today.
yes i will recommend it to anyone who wants to enjoy a car to its fullest.
thanks again and drive safe.
always wear a seat belt.

oh and yeah...the headlamps still arent smoked...but wait a couple of days and you may have another pleasant surprise

headers · 7th October 2010, 12:04

Good to hear all is well with your GP. 40K in how many days Sir?

epicenter.rulez · 7th October 2010, 15:21

Quote:

Originally Posted by headers

Good to hear all is well with your GP. 40K in how many days Sir?

Sir, 8 months sir. actually 8 months and 5 days and as we talk the odo reads 40915

epicenter.rulez · 10th October 2010, 09:42

guys,
the punto has been remussed...the car sounds absolutely fantastic and the complaining noise from the engine bay has shifted right behind the tailgate and transformed into a nice bassy note that you'll absolutely fall in love with once you hear it.
the gearing has become amazing and the 4th gear now pulls to 120.
the car does an easy 140 at around 3400ish rpms.
more later once i drive back home.
absolutely amazing!!!
drive safe guys, always wear a seat belt.

epicenter.rulez · 17th October 2010, 18:25

Gaaij
for your viewing pleasure!
enjoy!

shibujp · 23rd October 2010, 20:30

Just when I thought I had got over the temptation to get a Remus end can for my Swift you do this!!

how much did it cost and was any cutting involved. Would it be a straight fit for the Swift? I mean - just unbolt the current end can and fit the Remus?

Drive on!!
Shibu.

21st September 2010, 19:41	#91
phamilyman Senior - BHPian Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Gurgaon Posts: 5,968 Thanked: 4,642 Times	WE Gurgaon are a bunch of jokers. my windscreen has a crack smaller than that - and they simply refused - they were primarily interested in changing my windscreen. After arguing, they wanted to charge some 800 odd bucks which was overkill. They apply a resin and then UV to ensure the crack doesn't spread. but if the crack is less than 1cm and only on the outside, not inside - don't bother. It won't spread. Don't waste money on it. I'm carrying one such "scar" proudly
	() Thanks

22nd September 2010, 01:41	#93
architect Senior - BHPian Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Ghaziabad, U. P Posts: 1,359 Thanked: 764 Times	My car was delivered with a one centimetre long crack on the front windscreen (windscreen: yes, I still use the Queen's English) by the dealer, only to be discovered too late. It has been there for 28 months now, and hasn't spread. That's the whole point of a laminated glass windshield: to prevent small cracks from spreading and glass disintegrating. My advice, let it be.
	() Thanks

22nd September 2010, 20:46	#94
better4worse BHPian Join Date: May 2007 Location: New Delhi Posts: 302 Thanked: 2 Times	@epicenter.rulez - Couple of years back, I had a small crack (smaller than a rupee coin) at the right bottom corner of my Wagon R windshield. It took 3-4 months for the crack to grow into a full foot long one. It would have grown further but i got the windscreen replaced instead...it was too much of a distraction while driving at night. My suggestion would be to atleast contain the damage with the help of WE. @garry.brant - I had the same thing done to my car, but it wasn't for free or fully covered by insurance. I think I paid 800 buck or so for the exercise. Last edited by better4worse : 22nd September 2010 at 20:47.
	() Thanks

23rd September 2010, 17:42	#95
epicenter.rulez BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Valsad Posts: 235 Thanked: 277 Times	thanks a tonne for your replies guys i think i will hold on to the crack for a while until it actually starts moving someplace else or extending. if it doesnt then it stays as it is forever. i'll invest in a better muffler as of now. thanks again guys...tailwinds!!
	() Thanks

30th September 2010, 11:31	#96
epicenter.rulez BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Valsad Posts: 235 Thanked: 277 Times	39000 kilometer update hey guys the car crossed 39k today. nothing major has happened to the car as yet except for the glass breaking some days back. a couple of dings and scratches on the front bumper trying to wrestle with the traffic and a slight rattle from the front right wheel. looks like a ball joint is dead but will have to check it out thoroughly when i take it to the service center day after tomorrow. the tires have also crossed the 10000 mark and are due for rotation and balancing. the alignment has been perfect and except for the slight veer to the left due to the road camber once in a while, its going great guns. will also be going for the remus exhaust (universal bolt on) within the next week or so. opened up the k&n a couple of days back since it also had around 10k on the clock since it was cleaned and found it quite dirty. a bit of overoiling on my part the last time i'd cleaned and washed it and the rest of it was the doing of the wet weather. with this car having no resonator box and pulling air directly through the intake pipe to the air filter, it accounts for the amount of dirt in the filter. the mileage has been a consistent 18 to 19 kmpl since the last update which was around at 28k or so and i have no reason to complain on that part. now if only i could get a better turbo charger setup and wangle a better (swift) gearbox in that shebang...just thinking aloud. drive safe guys...have a lot of fun doing it too!! and dont forget the seat belt.
	() Thanks

3rd October 2010, 18:33	#98
epicenter.rulez BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Valsad Posts: 235 Thanked: 277 Times	hi guys had a chance to visit the tata workshop day before yesterday to get the noise from the front right wheel well checked. the guys were again all gaga over the car wondering how it could pull better and smoother than a 90hp and couldnt find anything suspicious under the hood exept for a new type of air filter and promised me to recommend it to anyone and everyone who'd listen. jokes apart, the test drive did reveal the noise and as suspected by yours truly, even the service advisor almost confirmed my fears that the ball joint may have failed and in the worst case, there'd be something wrong with either the strut assembly or the entire rack. not to worry, he said, all the above mentioned parts were available off the shelf and it was just a matter of few minutes while the car was raised up on the two post lift and the underpinnings checked to confirm how brilliantly mechanically inclined both of us were. the lift turned our theory of broken ball joints, failed struts and malfunctioning racks a complete 360 degrees and threw them out of the garage door. the real culprit was actually the bash plate below the engine which had worked itself loose due to some whim and fancy only known to the bash plate and the fasteners holding it in place. to make matters worst, a small stone, the size of a child's fist had somehow managed to wedge itself between the right suspension links. every time the car went over the rough surface, the stone vibrated along the suspension parts, the bash plate added its own frequencies to the symphony and the music vibrated through the structure bone into the interiors of the car. it took not more than 3 minutes to tighten everything, remove the stone, check out all other nuts and bolts and bring the car down from the two post lift and finish everything off with a smiling service advisor waving the key under my nose like a magic wand that was supposed to turn me into something subatomic. a cup of tea as a parting drink on the dealers part and i was off on the road, to return home listening to "riders on the storm" a morning well spent. one more thing thats come to attention while i was at the dealer is that there are around 5 linea diesels and one linea petrol lying at the workshop with failed engines. the petrol guy took the car into a water logged street and when the car stalled, tried to start it again and again. the engine suffered from a hydraulic lock and one of the connecting rods broke into 4 parts, one into two and two of them were bent beyond recognition. from what i could gather, the insurance company refused to reimburse the owner siting abuse and he is getting it done with his own money which at the end of the day will make him poorer by atleast 2.15 lacs. the diesels all had failed oil pumps and one had a failed waterpump. all these cars are within 5000 kilometers of use and all are getting new engines (full replacements) under warranty. just for your information guys. all of you out there, drive safe and always wear a seatbelt.
	() Thanks

4th October 2010, 18:56	#99
ku69rd Senior - BHPian Join Date: Sep 2009 Location: Bangalore Posts: 2,510 Thanked: 1,779 Times View My Garage	Hi Mandeep, Been a nice review of yours. Following you right from the swift review that you had put in. Currently have a swift and was planning for a punto. Somehow was not quite convinced with the Punto and decided to stick it in with swift. She has run 66K in 32 months (obviously cant match your mile crunching life style). How do you rate Pete's box? do you think its money wisely spent? PS: waiting for the photo of your smoked headlamp
	() Thanks

7th October 2010, 12:04	#101
headers Senior - BHPian Join Date: May 2006 Location: Greater Chennai Posts: 4,667 Thanked: 559 Times	Good to hear all is well with your GP. 40K in how many days Sir?
	() Thanks

10th October 2010, 09:42	#103
epicenter.rulez BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Valsad Posts: 235 Thanked: 277 Times	guys, the punto has been remussed...the car sounds absolutely fantastic and the complaining noise from the engine bay has shifted right behind the tailgate and transformed into a nice bassy note that you'll absolutely fall in love with once you hear it. the gearing has become amazing and the 4th gear now pulls to 120. the car does an easy 140 at around 3400ish rpms. more later once i drive back home. absolutely amazing!!! drive safe guys, always wear a seat belt.
	() Thanks

17th October 2010, 18:25	#104
epicenter.rulez BHPian Join Date: Oct 2009 Location: Valsad Posts: 235 Thanked: 277 Times	42700 Kilometers Update & Remus Teaser Pics Gaaij for your viewing pleasure! enjoy! Attached Thumbnails
	() Thanks

23rd October 2010, 20:30	#105
shibujp Senior - BHPian Join Date: Mar 2005 Location: Trivandrum Posts: 1,753 Thanked: 3,224 Times View My Garage	Just when I thought I had got over the temptation to get a Remus end can for my Swift you do this!! how much did it cost and was any cutting involved. Would it be a straight fit for the Swift? I mean - just unbolt the current end can and fit the Remus? Drive on!! Shibu.
	() Thanks