[andyonwheels]

Pre-Registration experience -

• Car was parked out in open (actually even out of the stock yard) in an emptry site.
• Not cleaned at all. Mud-dirt on car.
• Interiors, esp plastics are all stained out, though slight rubbing removed it.
• Rear right and front left doors would not shut.
• Slight rust in exhaust pipe.
• Driver side seat was disappointingly dirty. (was told it was 'cos of drivers moving the car in and out). Damn!
• VIN number revealed Aug '13 batch - some solace!
• Goodyear stocks - thinking of swapping them for Michelin Primcay 3 ST's.
• Should I be checking the engine mfg. date as well?
• Gear shifts seemed fine.
• Was advised not to take vehicle for drive or moving it.
• Forgot to turn engine ON and check for any odd sounds. Should I be going back?
• 'H' reading still visible on ODO with 11km on meter.

Not the best way to get a first glimpse of your future car.
Have been re-assured all would be fixed before delivery.


Any leads on how to spot the tryre mfg. date? Mine are Goodyear (GY) stocks and there is a set of 4 digit number that says 0213 (feb?) but not sure what that means. The GY tyre info reading tyres did not help much either.


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[TheTeacher]

0213: 02 is week of mfr, 13 is year. So these tyres were made between Jan 8 and 14 in 2013.

Since you checked the VIN, I wouldn't worry about the engine mfr date.

My car was dirty too (perhaps not as much as yours). Just tell them you want everything taken care of prior to delivery.

Re. turning on the engine, I personally think it is not an issue. Things can always crop up after driving 100/200 km. What do we do then, other than taking it into the shop. Just stress again that their PDI should be good.

Good that it has run only 11 km! Mine showed H 10 when I took delivery. This is comforting, isn't it?

When will you be taking her home?

[puchoo]

As far as the interiors go they will get cleaned however would urge that you keep a look out for 'worn' areas - these would be areas which look dirty but might actually simply have got a bit discolored or faded and no cleaning will take care of it.

Note them down even if they cannot do anything at that point and ask them what they plan on doing to fix it and then get it done on the first service or if they dont have a solution ,ask them to give you in writing that they will replace it.

Originally Posted by andyonwheels

[*]Interiors, esp plastics are all stained out, though slight rubbing removed it.[*]Rear right and front left doors would not shut.

[JayKis]

Originally Posted by andyonwheels

Pre-Registration experience -

• Car was parked out in open (actually even out of the stock yard) in an emptry site.
• Not cleaned at all. Mud-dirt on car.
• Interiors, esp plastics are all stained out, though slight rubbing removed it.
• Rear right and front left doors would not shut.
• Slight rust in exhaust pipe.
• Driver side seat was disappointingly dirty. (was told it was 'cos of drivers moving the car in and out). Damn!
• VIN number revealed Aug '13 batch - some solace!
• Goodyear stocks - thinking of swapping them for Michelin Primcay 3 ST's.
• Should I be checking the engine mfg. date as well?
• Gear shifts seemed fine.
• Was advised not to take vehicle for drive or moving it.
• Forgot to turn engine ON and check for any odd sounds. Should I be going back?
• 'H' reading still visible on ODO with 11km on meter.

Not the best way to get a first glimpse of your future car.
Have been re-assured all would be fixed before delivery.


Any leads on how to spot the tryre mfg. date? Mine are Goodyear (GY) stocks and there is a set of 4 digit number that says 0213 (feb?) but not sure what that means. The GY tyre info reading tyres did not help much either.

Tyre Pic 1
Tyre Pic 2

Same experience with me as well.

The car was brought to the dealers showroom on my request and there is only open parking there. So it was slighly dusty.

Driver's side seat was very dirty. SAme reason was given to me as well.

VIN Number revealed May 2013 manufacturing date. Wasnt happy. But i raised a ticket with Fiat and has got an acknowledgement on email from the dealer with FIAT marked in CC that it is not a demo car and a regular car

My tyres are goodyear too. Mine is 0813 so thats the fourth week of Feb. I wouldnt be too worried about the tyre manufacturing date here since tyres have a shelf life of atleast 3 years.

I might get my car by wednesday/thursday. When are you getting yours?

[andyonwheels]

Thanks 'teacher, puchoo and JayKis'. Have notified them of things i need done before the delivery and hope they live up to it.

Am working on getting the Jet delivered this Sunday.

To all owners, if you can recall, am generally curious as to what were the first few things you did when you drove out with the car?

[Biraj]

Originally Posted by andyonwheels

To all owners, if you can recall, am generally curious as to what were the first few things you did when you drove out with the car?

All the best for your personal Jet

Apart from the usual PDI, some of the things that I did:

1. Tanked up from the nearest pump
2. Went to the nearest tyre shop (Bridgestone in my case) and got the tyre pressure checked
3. Went to the temple for a pooja
4. Took my parents and sister for lunch at their favourite restaurant
5. Took my dog on a drive in the evening (it also is a part of the family)
6. Tried really hard to control the smile on my face as someone might have recommended a psychiatrist, looking at the way I was smiling. (it looked a lot like this smiley)

[Klever]

Hi Friends.

My friend booked(Oct 1st, 2013) a Fiat Linea Tjet Hip hop black at fiat cafe Jubilee hills, Hyderabad. He was told by the dealer that there is a shortage of Hip Hop color vehicles and that the delivery would take at least a month and half(if not more) from now.

Can someone confirm if this is indeed the case in the rest of the cities in India?

[andyonwheels]

HH Black though gorgeous is probably the least of the moving colors of the Jet and does have an extended waiting period than others - however month and half does seem long. It could be the color and maybe shifting focus over to the Classic.

[xaero]

Originally Posted by andyonwheels

Thanks 'teacher, puchoo and JayKis'. Have notified them of things i need done before the delivery and hope they live up to it.

Am working on getting the Jet delivered this Sunday.

To all owners, if you can recall, am generally curious as to what were the first few things you did when you drove out with the car?

To be extremely truthful, I got so excited back in 2011 when I saw my T-jet, that apart from getting a few stains cleaned and the plastics from the seats removed, I did not check anything, I just wanted to get behind the steering and go to the nearest PP to tankful it and just drive it.

[Sivasankar]

Ask your friend to go for white or silver.

Black is very difficult to maintain. I have one, so just some friendly advice.

Originally Posted by Klever

Hi Friends.

My friend booked(Oct 1st, 2013) a Fiat Linea Tjet Hip hop black at fiat cafe Jubilee hills, Hyderabad. He was told by the dealer that there is a shortage of Hip Hop color vehicles and that the delivery would take at least a month and half(if not more) from now.

Can someone confirm if this is indeed the case in the rest of the cities in India?

[D'Artagnan]

Originally Posted by Klever

Hi Friends. My friend booked(Oct 1st, 2013) a Fiat Linea Tjet Hip hop black at fiat cafe Jubilee hills, Hyderabad. He was told by the dealer that there is a shortage of Hip Hop color vehicles and that the delivery would take at least a month and half(if not more) from now. Can someone confirm if this is indeed the case in the rest of the cities in India?

Originally Posted by Sivasankar

Ask your friend to go for white or silver. Black is very difficult to maintain. I have one, so just some friendly advice.

I'd second bhpian sivasankar's advice. There is a black linea parked on our lane, the car has lost its shine and luster after a few months of usage. Black is a difficult colour to maintain, swirl marks are easily noticeable.

[puchoo]

That would also be true on the Oceanic blue or the Wine red , the colors are difficult to maintain but if your friend is willing to put in the effort then let him get what he wants. Take a look at KarthikK's thread - he has a black one and it looks better than what it would have looked in the showroom but he has put effort into it.

I have resigned myself to the fact that no matter what i do i cannot really avoid the marks , and i will spend a couple of thousand a year on detailing but so be it.

Originally Posted by Sivasankar

Ask your friend to go for white or silver.

Black is very difficult to maintain. I have one, so just some friendly advice.

Originally Posted by D'Artagnan

I'd second bhpian sivasankar's advice. There is a black linea parked on our lane, the car has lost its shine and luster after a few months of usage. Black is a difficult colour to maintain, swirl marks are easily noticeable.

[andyonwheels]

Allright! She has arrived!
Guess it will be a few days before it really sinks in.

Tyre dilemma: any inputs will help a lot in making a decision.

I am changing the stock Goodyear NCT 5's. So that decision has been taken.
I had also singled out on the Michelin Primacy 3 ST's as the upgrade.
Enter my elder bro and he was suggested by our cars (3 Marutis) service center owner of 15 years to go in for the Bridgestone G3's.

My driving style - mostly sedate (more so as I usually highway out with my wife and 2 kids) and occasional speed-ups based on good clean road conditions. I do like to get a good connect and feel of the car sticking on the road - essentially confidence inspiring.

Am no expert on tyres, what I have gathered so far on the
P 3ST's -
Pros: Overall noise-free tyres, firmer side-walls compared to the PLC's.
Cons: Fairly new to Indian roads, so not been able to find long-term reviews yet.

BS G3's
Pros: Good grip on dry and wet conditions
Cons: Noisy, scope for mud and small stones to embed between the treads.

While it's a no-brainer to opt for less-noisy tyres (one of my preferences), I still find myself wanting to learn and hear more from users out there.

[khoj]

Congratulations on your new ride.

Did Mr. M.A.S.S. give any particular reason for singling out the G3 as the product of preference.

BS make some good tires but G3 is not the tire you want unless you are looking to engage in drag races at every traffic stop. It is a hard compound tire aimed at a specific section of the market. One will be better off getting one of the Turanzas or the Ecopia if one wants to go with the BS family.

If you do not want to explore unchartered waters with the ST3 then let go of the noise criteria and go in for anything from the Yokohama C drives or one of the BSes mentioned above or the Goodyear Assurance or the Continental CPC or a Hankok, Federal, Pirelli, the list is endless and all manufacturers will be able to offer you good products.

As for sticking to the road etc, this is as much a result of how a vehicles' chassis, suspension and steering are set up as much as it is of the tires. The Linea does not disappoint on that account be it on any tire. Infact the NCT5s are not bad either but almost all GYs have a tendency to become hard and excessively noisy beyond the 8-12K Kms mark. BTW the Goodyears are not the only stone gatherers, all of the tires will do the same, some more than others.

Originally Posted by andyonwheels

Allright! She has arrived!
Guess it will be a few days before it really sinks in.

Enter my elder bro and he was suggested by our cars (3 Marutis) service center owner of 15 years to go in for the Bridgestone G3's.

Am no expert on tyres, what I have gathered so far on the
P 3ST's -
Pros: Overall noise-free tyres, firmer side-walls compared to the PLC's.
Cons: Fairly new to Indian roads, so not been able to find long-term reviews yet.

BS G3's
Pros: Good grip on dry and wet conditions
Cons: Noisy, scope for mud and small stones to embed between the treads.

[carrerastrax]

Originally Posted by andyonwheels

Allright! She has arrived!
Guess it will be a few days before it really sinks in.

My driving style - mostly sedate (more so as I usually highway out with my wife and 2 kids) and occasional speed-ups based on good clean road conditions. I do like to get a good connect and feel of the car sticking on the road - essentially confidence inspiring.

Congratulations on the new car and also wishing you a great ownership experience.

For the tyres, may I suggest the Yokohama AVS DB 550V? Search the forum and enough content is available on these tyres. These tyres compliment the linea's driving character well. Changed them on day 1 and I intend to go in for the same replacement, when due. My benchmark is Michelin when it comes to comfort, but I stayed away from PLCs because I've been a victim of soft sidewall issue (on the XM1+), and I had to replace the two left tyres after 1k kms. These Yokos are as good as the Michelins and offer great grip in wet and dry as well. A well rounded tyre.