[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by puchoo

Wheel balancing and alignment should fix this problem , you can choose to get it done at a FIAT workshop or alternatively outside , basis my experience across all my cars i find that third parties such as Bridgestone do a better job than the workshops themselves.

Thanks. I was wondering the same thing. The alignment is way off, had been trying to find time to get it fixed.

[Twiny]

Originally Posted by DRIV3R

They cost only 1490 INR a side.

http://www.99rpm.com/front-suspensio...nto-linea.html

2486 was the Fiat pricing in the invoice for one side when I got them replaced in 10/2012; (was a free replacement under warranty)

[sriramr9]

Originally Posted by coolkurt

Thanks. I was wondering the same thing. The alignment is way off, had been trying to find time to get it fixed.

Got the alignment check done after a period of clocking 7000 kms & found the deviation to be more than twice the acceptable tolerances. The acceptable tolerances for the front wheels are between 0.6mm to 2.1mm and the my vehicles front wheel's alignment setting was 4.xx.

Per discussion with the personnel there was not much one side wear either inner or outer sides, the deviation was toe out and was corrected.

Not sure if Suspension bushes also matter here, as their wear and tear may have an implicit effect on alignment. Some one pl correct if am wrong here.

I paid 350 for the above. Hope this helps. Shall upload screenshot of the alignment correction figures.

[StarrySky]

I was given a rough estimate of Rs.4300 including labour for change of elastic pads. This quote was given about 4-5 weeks back by Hyson Fiat, Thrissur but they haven't been able to source them for my car till now.

[sdp1975]

Originally Posted by StarrySky

I was given a rough estimate of Rs.4300 including labour for change of elastic pads. This quote was given about 4-5 weeks back by Hyson Fiat, Thrissur but they haven't been able to source them for my car till now.

I purchased the elastic pads from Kava automobiles about a year ago for around 2600/- + 200/- handling. Paid 800/- to a local mechanic to change the pads, any decent mechanic can do the job. So overall it came to around 3.5K

[puchoo]

Do update on how it goes.

Originally Posted by coolkurt

Thanks. I was wondering the same thing. The alignment is way off, had been trying to find time to get it fixed.

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by puchoo

Do update on how it goes.

Well I took it for checking the alignment today. The guy checked the tyres..we went for a short spin. As always, my car was veering towards the left. After getting back to the alignment center, I was advised that, seeing the age of my tyres..( nearing 4 years and completed 35k kms), it was better to live with the problem a little longer. He said now if he does his magic, there could be two possibilities. One that it gets rectified. Two, the car starts to wobble even more dangerously. The tyres still have 3-4k kms of life left in 'em so it was better to live with it till I go for a replacement. For the time being, it's better that the left front tyre be maintained at a slightly higher pressure in order to offset the veering.

[puchoo]

Thanks! Might it not be more prudent to simply take this as a reason to change the tyres and now wait any longer?

Originally Posted by coolkurt

Well I took it for checking the alignment today. The guy checked the tyres..we went for a short spin. As always, my car was veering towards the left. After getting back to the alignment center, I was advised that, seeing the age of my tyres..( nearing 4 years and completed 35k kms), it was better to live with the problem a little longer. He said now if he does his magic, there could be two possibilities. One that it gets rectified. Two, the car starts to wobble even more dangerously. The tyres still have 3-4k kms of life left in 'em so it was better to live with it till I go for a replacement. For the time being, it's better that the left front tyre be maintained at a slightly higher pressure in order to offset the veering.

[coolkurt]

Originally Posted by puchoo

Thanks! Might it not be more prudent to simply take this as a reason to change the tyres and now wait any longer?

Actually my Punto has been relegated to local run ins for now...grocery shipping and the likes. within 2-3kms..short haul. My Civic is a more fuel efficient workhorse, so with the increasing petrol prices, my Punto 1.4 works out to be much more expensive as far as running is concerned.
Hence I'm not in a hurry to get the tyres replaced immediately.

[lapis_lazuli]

Two rattles : One solved, the other diagnosed, but yet to be solved

Friends:

There had been a persistent rattle from the rear central and the rear left of my GP 1.2 Dynamic. Despite countless visits to the ASS, headbanging, kilometers of test drives, they could not resolve it! However, I solved one of them. The other has been diagnosed, but a medicine is yet to be found .

1) Rear central: It is the boot door. Despite several adjustments of the latch mechanism/strike plate/tape around the hook, it didn't really work. But then, if you lift the boot, and at the 2 extreme corners you find 2 rubber stops. Now, these are rotatable and adjustable!!

STEPS TO MINIMIZE/ELIMINATE BOOT RATTLE:

1) Screw these rubber stops tight, totally clockwise.
2) Release the boot and the boot will lock easily.
3) Open the boot again. Unscrew the stops by half a turn on both the ends
4) Drop the boot: it will lock by itself again
5) Repeat the steps TILL the boot does not lock on its own after dropping and you need to apply a firm but gentle pressure to lock it.
6) Take a test drive, and hopefully the boot rattle will be gone. In may case, about 1.5 turns were required, on both the sides. In a friends case, about 2 turns on the left and 1.5 turns on the right. Yes, there might be a skew. You need to find that out by trial and error. This has to be checked every 15 days or so.

2) The rear left rattle:

I was fearing the worst, a weak spot weld or whatever. One fine day, while cleaning the car and all, the rear left side seat lock got disengaged. I did not notice it nor did I lock it again. When I took a drive later on, boy, was I happy? There were no rattles at all. Is it magic?

I had to brake suddenly, and the seat rolls over to the front. I park the car, lock the seat up again. (Mind you, ASS has put 3-4 layers of STEELGRIP over the lock pin already) When I resume driving: oh no, the rattle is back! End of peace!

War begins: I disengage the seat again, the rattle is gone! I repeat this over the same stretch of road, at least 15 times over 2-3 days. IT IS THE SEAT LOCK mechanism, or something related to the rear larger seat,for sure, but WHY? It is as snug as it can be, when upright and locked. In fact I put 3 more layers of tape, and the lock has to be actually forced to engage properly, but still there is this rattle. Like some body hitting the metal plate with a pencil, randomly. I release the seat lock, voila, rattle vanishes! Any medicine ? What is the seat banging/hitting against? It reduces if somebody is seated on the rear seat, if this helps!

[sriramr9]

Originally Posted by lapis_lazuli

I solved similar issue by spraying the channel guides with silicone spray lubricant. I used CYCLO silicone spray (petroleum free, the butane/hexane is only the propellant which evaporates very fast, so please, no parallel discussion on its suitability ). With the nozzle, spray along the channel in even distances only along the sides. For the top is not required. Roll the window up and down three or four times. Let it sit for a day. repeat again next day. The shuddering problem vanishes.

{A different finding: Instead of paying so much for fancy silicone spray and also searching at a lot many places, it is better to procure the Silicone spray used for plastic moulding industry. It is cheap, available in the industrial market and is high grade silicone, so as to facilitate easy removal of expensive moulds. Available in Chawri Bazar, Delhi.}

Thanks for your inputs, very valuable. please post a pic or two taken while you are on the job. That will give us more idea as to how to carry out this process.

[lapis_lazuli]

Originally Posted by sriramr9

That will give us more idea as to how to carry out this process.

Ah yes of course. But this will be possible after 10 days. I am off to a vacation! But it is simple actually, very simple The window glass is between two channels right? One on each side and top, after it fully closes. Forget the top. For the left and right side, spray every 2 inches with a short burst of silicone spray with the extender nozzle. This prevents wastage and you can pinpoint. After you are done on both the sides, just roll up and down the glass a few times. Repeat this the next day. But spray at slightly different locations this time, again every 2-3 inches. Roll up and down, and it should be fine! I will post pix, but this video says it all:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ax60oNhnh0A

It says "slow power windows" but the process is identical to what I am trying to explain. See app 00:50 onwards, where he nozzles up the channel
Cheers!

[DRIV3R]

Originally Posted by nkrishnap

The cost of elastic pads have come down, its around 1700 bucks now for one unit. Not too sure if this is incl of tax or not.

It's 1301.31 plus tax per side now. Should come close to the figure I posted above.

[Twiny]

Shuddering is observed while taking the vehicle in first gear.. Not sure if a clutch overhaul is imminent.
Does anybody know how much a clutch work for 1.3mjd cost?

[RSR]

Originally Posted by Twiny

Shuddering is observed while taking the vehicle in first gear.. Not sure if a clutch overhaul is imminent.
Does anybody know how much a clutch work for 1.3mjd cost?

Shuddering when taking off is most probably an issue with the clutch pedal play - it occurs when there is too much play and the clutch bites only near the end of the pedal travel. It's quite simple to fix and any experienced mechanic should be able to sort this out easily.