[Biraj]

Originally Posted by superblover

2. The odometer keeps flashing on random

Congratulations on buying this special car, Superblover! It’s a fantastic car to own and enjoy. This is possibly the most anthropomorphic car that has its fuel injected and managed by computers. It would throw tantrums, and those tantrums may just go away when you visit the mechanic. On days, you would get blown away by its robustness, and on other days, you would pull your hair because of its sensitive electronics. What’s guaranteed is that if you invest your time and effort, this car would reward you with fun that you may struggle to find in cars that are way more expensive.

As others have already mentioned, the flashing odo is a sign of Blue&me malfunctioning. A common reason I have observed for it is that mechanics remove it to change the AC filter and don’t reconnect it properly. Proxi alignment helps in fixing the issue in certain cases. You would need someone with the right scanner to do it. Else, check if Blue&Me is connected properly and then reset the ECU by disconnecting the battery for 15-20 minutes. This usually works for me. Remember, it’s a Microsoft system.

[sandeepmohan]

Originally Posted by superblover

The odometer keeps flashing on random starts and I'm unable to understand if it's a good thing or a bad thing. Is the odometer flashing connected to this? Furthermore, I'm simply unable to see any option that indicates Blue&Me and I'm wondering if the odometer blinking issue is related to Blue&Me not working.

I no longer own a T jet.

When I did run into this issue, it was related to a weak battery. The Blue N Me would also act up. Note that the car started and functioned perfectly fine with the weak battery. Some bits and bobs of the cars electricals were basically unhappy with a weak battery is all. I swapped the battery for a new one and the blinking odometer stopped. Blue N Me was back in action. In this day and age, you might want to ditch the Blue N Me for a modern head unit which does all of that and more.

[superblover]

Originally Posted by Biraj

Congratulations on buying this special car, Superblover!

Thank you for the wishes Biraj! Your TJet in Bronzo Scurro paint is such a treat for the eyes!

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

When I did run into this issue, it was related to a weak battery. The Blue N Me would also act up.

Thanks for the heads up sandeepmohan!


The car is currently at World of Service in Chennai and I was quoted 62.7k for the following set of repairs. Copying the estimate here.

• Replacement of Clutch System Rs.38000/-
  
  1. Replacement of Clutch Plate, Clutch Cover Assembly, Clutch Release Bearing complete set
  2. R&R (Remove Replace) of downing the Gearbox to remove the old clutch plate, cover assembly, release bearing & replace with Brand New Spares & uploading the Gearbox
• Replacement of Front Brake Rotor Discs and Brake Pads Set & R&R (Remove Replace) Labour Charges Rs.13000/-
  
• Engine Oil Service & General Check-up Rs.11000/-
  
  1. Replacement of Engine Oil - Fully Synthetic Engine Oil (10000 Kms / 12 Months Oil change interval)
  2. Replacement of Engine Oil Filter - 1
  3. Replacement of Air Filter -1
  4. Replacement of Fuel Filter - 1
  5. Replacement of Coolant Fluid 2 Ltrs
  6. Replacement of Gear Box Oil 2 ltrs
  7. Labour Charges for Engine oil service general check up
• Water wash and Cleaning Rs.700/-

Furthermore he mentioned that the following consumables will be used and I am not sure if they are equivalent to Fiat recommended names like Selenia and Paraflu

• Engine Oil: SK Lubricants ZIC Brand Fully Synthetic Engine Oil
• Coolant Fluid: Vericool
• Gearbox Oil: Bosch

I have asked him to check the spark plugs, belts and engine mounts, battery health and get back to me. The clutch replacement sounds very high to me because 99rpm has the entire kit for 24k and even adding 4k for labour it should be at max 28k.

Inputs on these estimates from TJet veterans would be much appreciated.

[venkyhere]

Originally Posted by superblover

[*] Replacement of Coolant Fluid 2 Ltrs

Coolant min 7-8L is needed in total , unless he is talking about coolant concentrate. Even then, for 50-50 ratio, 2L is very less. Find out more about this, what exactly is the service guy talking about.

[superblover]

The car is back from World of Service and I deferred the clutch replacement taking into account Way2Jimny's recommendation. I am glad I did because the gearbox oil change has greatly loosened up the clutch and the gear shifting has improved drastically. The front brake rotor discs brake pads were changed because they had no life in them left. The sparks, belts, suspension, batteries, and engine mounts are all in order.

I am kinda neutral about my entire experience with World of Service. Mr. Mahesh didn't push any repair onto me and accepted that the clutch replacement can be done at a later date. However after I made the advance payment to initiate the work, I didn't receive any photographs or updates as I was promised and I received them all in bulk after the work has been completed. I was disappointed that for all his talk of being a favourite FNG for Fiat cars, they didn't stock any OEM part. Right from the fluids all the way upto the brake discs, everything was aftermarket. I can understand availability being an issue, but I can certainly see 99rpm has stock and being a Fiat favourite FNG, stocking inventory should not be a major issue. His rates are on par with OEM and it feels like a ripoff to pay similar rates for aftermarket parts of unknown quality. All that being said, the car runs fine and he did listen to my other minor requests regarding a burnt out number plate light and fixed a fog lamp that had a bulb fused. But in the process, the other fog lamp has now stopped working.

I have no complaints about the work in itself. The vehicle performs much better and there is a marked improvement in power delivery and smoothness, so I am not sure if I should chalk it upto World of Service or the previous owner delaying oil service for quite a while.

All in all, a pretty mediocre experience. My advice to potential customers is to approach him and get your vehicle serviced only if you are in a hurry because his turn around time was quick. But do not expect meticulous attention to detail or OEM parts.

Originally Posted by venkyhere

Coolant min 7-8L is needed in total , unless he is talking about coolant concentrate. Even then, for 50-50 ratio, 2L is very less. Find out more about this, what exactly is the service guy talking about.

The coolant is TVS Girling Vericool with a mixing ratio of 1:4. So 2 litres makes sense for the entire vehicle. I am still not sold on the efficacy of using this brand though. And would much rather have Paraflu or other recommended brand of coolant.

[superblover]

I want to order a new boot handle as the previous one had burnt number plate lamps and I made the mistake of trying to pry it open to replace the bulbs. Its a single piece and I ended up ripping the adhesive back and the handle broke. Really a pain in the butt to replace. Only boodmo has the part in stock but the image is not there.

Can somebody kindly confirm if the part number for the boot handle in the facelifted version of the TJet is 735586507? I am looking to get the part with serial number 13 from this link.

https://oriparts.com/41/334/1918/558753#item_11498013

This is the boodmo link that it leads to

https://boodmo.com/catalog/part-handle-37978673/

[Lij]

Originally Posted by Lij

FASS received the low GC front suspensions, these are made in Poland. The rear ones are in back order, hence I have not installed them yet.

I had placed the orders for the front and rear low GC shock absorbers in Oct'23. Although the front ones arrived in Nov'23, I could only manage to get the rear ones by end of Feb'24.

Initially followed up with FIAT customer care but it wasn't going anywhere, and after suggestion from the service center contacted Mangesh Kodalkar over email. This fast tracked the activities and I received the rear shock absorbers on 25th Mar. I could install it only on 7th Mar.

Have driven it for around 200kms and immediate observation is that the new low GC suspensions are much stiffer than the earlier raised GC ones.

Rear shock absorbers, note that the packaging date is that of 2018. So clearly its not being produced any more and FIAT is struggling to source new ones.



While billing I saw an additional amount which was attributed to transportation cost as the rear ones were sourced from some other service center out of state.


Apart from the shock absorbers and the rear coil springs, I also changed the A,B,C engine mounts, both front swing arms, suspension mounts and right ORVM (LED stopped working and entire part is ordered). Cost me 72.2k in total.

The suspension mount has a new design, claimed the service center, to address the issues of the earlier ones that started making noise in a few months. Will get to know in due course of time.

Pictures below showing before and after ground clearance, basically 20mm lower. Hasn't scrapped anywhere yet.

Front

Rear

Side

[superblover]

Originally Posted by Lij

Have driven it for around 200kms and immediate observation is that the new low GC suspensions are much stiffer than the earlier raised GC ones.

Rear shock absorbers, note that the packaging date is that of 2018. So clearly its not being produced any more and FIAT is struggling to source new ones.

The suspension mount has a new design, claimed the service center, to address the issues of the earlier ones that started making noise in a few months. Will get to know in due course of time.

Thanks for the update Lij!
Do let us know if you notice an improvement in the lazy side to side shimmying over uneven roads at higher speeds. I have noticed that my car has this problem at speeds in the 80 to 120 kmph range and feels unsettled and has quite a bit of body roll and shimmy over road undulations. My car has the raised ground clearance suspension and would love to get your feedback.

[Lij]

Originally Posted by superblover

Thanks for the update Lij!
Do let us know if you notice an improvement in the lazy side to side shimmying over uneven roads at higher speeds. I have noticed that my car has this problem at speeds in the 80 to 120 kmph range and feels unsettled and has quite a bit of body roll and shimmy over road undulations. My car has the raised ground clearance suspension and would love to get your feedback.

Yes the swaying movement is gone. My experience with the raised GC was at lower speeds as well there was a bobbing (up & down) movement. The car feels more planted on the curves as well.

[keroo1099]

10 year report card for my Tjet:

The Tjet turned 10 yesterday so it’s probably a good idea to record how the two of us have gotten along in this long-term relationship.

In short, it’s been utterly butterly reliable which is surprising considering the bad name that Fiat has garnered over its stay in India, and my usage of 55k which hasn’t done any favors to the car. The only regime I have scrupulously followed is a yearly oil change even though the fully synthetic oil I used can run longer. I initially started out using Xado’s fully synthetic 5W40 which was brilliant and kept the engine nice and smooth but last year had to switch to Addinol which I think is just as good. Both oils just made the engine stress free and very quiet under load compared to the OE oil Fiat uses. My gearbox continues to use a Xado additive which has kept the shift action positive (for a Fiat) and the gearlever from mimicking a limp spaghetti.

I didn’t really need to seeing the condition, but changed all the belts and spark plugs at the 5-year mark as recommended. The one item that I have changed earlier than normal is the brake rotors which started pitting because of my usage and even skimming the discs didn’t eliminate the brake shudder. From Boodmo I pro-actively ordered and DIY changed the plastic trim around the windshield that was discoloring and showing its age. The only other major scare I got was with the AC not cooling properly which thankfully required a couple of ‘O’ seal replacements and a gas top up and not a wallet hitting replacement. I have changed all the hose clamps to the more regular screw/nut SS type as I didn’t want to get stuck on the highway trying to get the proprietary clamp of a blown hose. Luckily all my plumbing hoses seem to be in good condition including all the silicone hoses to my aftermarket intercooler and none have required any tightening of the clamps. My original battery lasted 4 years and the replacement 55Ah Amaron (50Ah is stock) showed signs of acting up after 6 years so was replaced a few weeks back with an identical unit. The original wiper blades were replaced with a set of Bosch which were ok and those were later replaced with a set of Syndicate blades which seem to be as good as the originals at a fraction of the cost. Considering all the mods I have done with better lights (HID fogs in projectors) I have only replaced one blown brake light and this includes all the cabin and accent lights which are still OE. Talking about the interiors, none of the plastics have faded, no squeaks and rattles from anywhere (the door damping contributes a lot to this) which is amazing considering the number of times I have removed the door pads to tweak something behind, and the seats look and feel as good as new with no sag or wrinkling of the leather. The Isudar PX6 HU that I got about a couple of years ago continues to function as promised and along with my Infinity Ref speakers produces a sound that I am happy with and has made my Hertz amp redundant for now.

I had changed my tyres to Hankook’s when I bought the car and they were pretty good and lasted me about 30K. The Michelin PS4’s that I have now are reaching end of life on age and not tread wear, but still feel good with no micro cracks, very little tyre noise and zero punctures to date. The low GC suspension setup that I fitted some years back is working fine and the used rear coils shows no signs of sagging. This conversion is worth it if you value low speed ride and high-speed handling.

The Gyeon ceramic coating done about 4-5 years ago is still holding but now need some correction work for swirls but other than that the paint has very little orange peel and more importantly no signs of rust as yet even with an occasional hard water wash. All I have done in this period is dust lightly with a Jopasu if dry dust, and use a two-hand method to wipe with a wet microfiber and dry with another, and once in 6 months clay the cat, that’s it, it’s worked like a charm for me. All the glass areas are coated with DIY AvalonKing ceramic coating which prevents water from sitting on the surface and just beading off which is a real blessing at night.

The engine on the Jet is bullet proof, and the Wolf remap along with the bigger intercooler and my DIY version of a cold air intake is working like a charm and has eliminated the low-speed lag which resulted in slipping the clutch over speed breakers. It feels like a much bigger beefier engine now and even my cousin who drives a Cayenne in the US thought it was a 2.0L turbo from the initial grunt even when fully loaded going up the ghats to Ooty. The throttle response is so good it really does feel like have a free Pedal Tune and I am still averaging about 10.5 kmpl in Bangalore city driving with all these performance mods. On the highways with CC set at 100 the max I have managed to get from Bangalore to Mysore is about 16 kmpl.

Most by now know that its impossible/expensive to get parts for any Fiat so over time I have collected a few critical items and kept them in stock.

1. Clutch kit with flywheel from LUK which was a hell of a lot cheaper than OE
2. Febi Bilstein front strut mounts which a friend got from Germany
3. A recommended set of front and rear brake pads, forget the make but not OE
4. A set of Bosch spark plugs instead of the OE NGK

I am hoping and praying I can keep this car going for another 5 years and then decide if I can afford a suitable upgrade which is looking increasingly unlikely given the cost of new cars today.

PS: I completely forgot that I had changed all the engine mounts on the last service. It was a pure fluke that we discovered that two of the mounts Hydralic and gearbox were completely shot but the car was still driving normally except for a mild vibration at idle. Decided to change all three post which the car has become even smoother with nary a hint of vibration roughness.

[keroo1099]

I really must be getting old. I forgot I had compiled a list of critical parts (IMHO) for the TJet with vendor details and part numbers from a website based in Estonia of all places. Attaching it here as it might help some of you who have Tjets/Abarth/MJD procure parts from overseas since the quality of some of the local stuff is pretty bad.

Mods please merge with earlier post if possible.

[ATTACH=ALVADI TJET PARTS LIST 11-08-23.xlsx]2588850[/ATTACH]

[superblover]

Originally Posted by keroo1099

I had compiled a list of critical parts (IMHO) for the TJet with vendor details and part numbers from a website based in Estonia of all places. Attaching it here as it might help some of you who have Tjets/Abarth/MJD procure parts from overseas since the quality of some of the local stuff is pretty bad.

[ATTACH=ALVADI TJET PARTS LIST 11-08-23.xlsx]2588850[/ATTACH]

Thanks for the parts list keroo1099! Are any of these suspension components of the low ground clearance pre-facelift version? Or are they all of the raised ground clearance package? That clarification would be helpful.

On an unrelated note, can anyone help me in sourcing this coupler cable connecting to the blower motor for the T-Jet? It melted and the blower has been intermittently switching on and off.

[keroo1099]

Originally Posted by superblover

Thanks for the parts list keroo1099! Are any of these suspension components of the low ground clearance pre-facelift version? Or are they all of the raised ground clearance package? That clarification would be helpful.

I really don't know. I assume its for the original low GC setup as that only seems to have been introduced in India.

[Way2Jimny]

Originally Posted by MBond007

All these three are very distinct, leaving me super confused. I don't know any other FNG in Noida which can find the root cause of the issues without taking me for a ride. So, I as a last resort I am reaching out to fellow Fiat owners, hoping someone might be able to point out the root cause or how to figure out the root cause.

Thanks in advance.

Hi,

Just curious, is this issue fixed? Can you please give more update on this.