[Fiat&Me]

Once topic comes for maintenance, problems, highway failures of FIAT aka Padmini car there is a competition in people to blame premier cars and bash them in all directions. I feel all these bashing are from such people who never maintained the car properly. Only fill petrol drive rashly till it fails and then blame PAL/Padmini. I saw so many people who really abused the car in all the ways.
I am using Petrol Padmini since 25 years, crossed 1,50,000kms but still she is so rugged, durable, beautiful and most important reliable. I bet if I cover 250-300 kms per day and with a speed of 60-80 km/hr with 4 persons aboard she will go for world tour via road. I really wonder why people blame such a masterpiece of automobile engineering which was a technology of 1960s that we were using in 1970s/80s/90s. It was performing well with all kind of abuses and till today it is performing well.
I could find following reasons,
1. I saw many people not doing washing of car for months together. They used to do full washing/greasing once in a year or once in 2 years. Now if the mud gets stuck to lower body and it is residing in mudguards for months together which metallic body will not rust? ( I fully agree that to reduce production cost, because of poor galvanizing and no under-body paint coating, FIATs and Ambassadors were having severe rusting tendency) If all joints are not greased for a year how bearings and joints will perform? Now people are spending thousands of Rs for under-body coating for a good technology car but in those days people have not spend even Rs.100 for rubber paint.
2. Most of the cars were parked outside road/ sunlight/rain for years together without cover. If a car is kept under sunlight for 2-3 years which color will not fed? And why cracks will not appear on color?
3. Gear box, rear diff oil was only topped up every year and used for 2-3 years. Just imagine what will happen to gear teeth? Still Padminis were giving solid performance.
4. Most of the time cars were overloaded. Actual capacity is 4+1 but always it will be 5+1+kids plus lot of luggage in rear dickey. Just imagine what will happen to suspensions that to horrible Indian road conditions of 60s to 90s. Still Padminis have given marvelous service.
5. Habit of using very low cost duplicate spares everywhere and expect the car should not fail. I have seen many using local made batteries because of that whole copper inside wiring became green, due to leakage acidic residue on terminals. If you clean this residue it will fall on metal of battery plate/mudguards and rust/eat the metal.
6. No changing of spark plugs for 6/7/8 years. Use duplicate hose pipes/fan belts and when it breaks in middles of journey then blame PAL Quality.
7. Use belts, rubber hoses till it breaks. The attitude was even if you find cracks don't replace keep on using.
6. Put heavy/dirty water from all sources i.e. river/nala/well/roadside ponds in rainy seasons and because of 'scaling' inside radiator, once engine starts heating, blame PAL.
7. The road conditions of India in 1980s and 90s was so pathetic and fully with potholes. I still remember the cement road made by British from Ahmednagar to Pune was in use till 1995. All the cracks were patched by tar. If a fully loaded car covers around 1000 km distance on such roads, immediately door setting was required. ( I fully accept this is the problem of older door design. Because for Maruti 800/Van it was not required)
8.Apart from this I also have a blame on PAL but that is again indirect blame on all of us. It may be a very bold statement "Due to cost cutting all the parts of original FIAT1100 are deteorated in quality when indiginized. Our auto industry was not so matured at that time so every part whether a metallic body, engine component, plastic, rubber, paint, finish was having inferior quality as compared to 'Made in Italy'. But it is not PAL's fault. It is the technology that they have to bear with all the sub vendors and produce the car with whatever is available.
So in short, PAL produced "Premier Padmini" was a brilliant masterpiece by considering all the limitations. It was one of the best car produced in India. If you use properly, carefully and judiciously it is a lifetime machine with you !!"

[S1FIAT]

I have a specific problem with my car fuel pump (stock), have swiped it with power operated one, but it's noisy all the way. Is there any better solution for this? should the servicing of old fuel pump will solve this problem?
(1995 - S1 Model)

[ilangop]

Hi S1Fiat, the location of the pump really matters. Where have you placed it? Have you checked the location of the pump in a 118NE or M800. Noise is audible if the pump is inside the engine bay.

[S1FIAT]

Originally Posted by ilangop

Hi S1Fiat, the location of the pump really matters. Where have you placed it? Have you checked the location of the pump in a 118NE or M800. Noise is audible if the pump is inside the engine bay.

Yes it's true, Now i have placed it in Engine bay and mounted on body (without any rubber plate in between), so when i switch on, it starts shattering (with turr turr sound), also tryed to cover with cotton cloth to minimize the noise but nothing worked.

If you can advise the place where it can be mounted (with snap of NE for reference) would be !!

[vigsom]

Originally Posted by samsag12

I need help regarding a speedometer problem that i am facing lately. Actually i got the speedo cable of my S1 replaced a couple of days back, also got the meter changed to Konkorde (clock type). Now the issue is that the needle while running fluctuates a lot and lacks the precise reading. For confirmation i tried with another Konkorde meter i had but still the problem persists.
Fiatians please help me in this regard finding a solution to my problem .

PS: If somebody has any schematic of the wiring coupler of Konkorde meter please do share. I hope 118NE manual has the diagram of same which can be of use as the meters are very identical.

The fidelity of the speedo is lost because the speedo cable is not locked properly

I can attribute this to one or more of the following:

1. the worm gear in the Gear Box is worn out
2. the port in the worm gear into which the speedo cable is inserted is worn out - this should have a square cross section but must have become slightly round with time

Just mount the speedo cable with minimum bends ; genuine cables don't need any lubrication at all.

If the speedo cable is not routed with minimum bends,the inner cable will eventually shear off.

[ilangop]

Originally Posted by S1FIAT

If you can advise the place where it can be mounted (with snap of NE for reference) would be !!

Attached a picture for your reference. The view is from below the rear bumper. In the petrol version of my car the exhaust pipe is on the left hand side. So the electric fuel pump finds a place in empty space in the right. You may place the pump somewhere where it is marked red.
NE has its fuel tank inside the trunk, unlike the Padmini. So you will have to get under the vehicle and check for yourself and find a suitable location where the rear axle & suspension parts dont foul. I think the pump is completely sealed, so no worries about water splashes and mud. USe the right sized hose and proper hose clamps.

[silverado]

Originally Posted by S1FIAT

Yes it's true, Now i have placed it in Engine bay and mounted on body (without any rubber plate in between), so when i switch on, it starts shattering (with turr turr sound), also tryed to cover with cotton cloth to minimize the noise but nothing worked.

If you can advise the place where it can be mounted (with snap of NE for reference) would be !!

Which is the place to shop for Padmini parts in Pune?

[ilangop]

Originally Posted by silverado

Which is the place to shop for Padmini parts in Pune?

Kalpana Motors, Quarter gatwe chowk, Nanapet. Will update you with their phone number in the evening. You can get almost everything there, but if you want to stock parts in bulk then Shetty Motors, Mumbai is the best.

[DHABHAR.BEHRAM]

Originally Posted by S1FIAT

Now i have placed it in Engine bay and mounted on body (without any rubber plate in between), so when i switch on, it starts shattering (with turr turr sound), also tryed to cover with cotton cloth to minimize the noise but nothing worked. If you can advise the place where it can be mounted (with snap of NE for reference) would be!!

Dear S1FIAT - please PM me your mobile number, I'll call you and guide you in totality. I presume your car is a Premier Padmini, then electronic fuel pump must me mounted below the spare wheel inside the boot area. 118NE sketch is of no use. You are welcome to see the installation in all my cars. Two of my cars are in Pune and I also work in Pune.

Best regards,

Behram Dhabhar

[kavesh55]

Originally Posted by S1FIAT

Yes it's true, Now i have placed it in Engine bay and mounted on body (without any rubber plate in between), so when i switch on, it starts shattering (with turr turr sound), also tryed to cover with cotton cloth to minimize the noise but nothing worked.

If you can advise the place where it can be mounted (with snap of NE for reference) would be !!

Hi S1 Fiat- Would recommend the earlier setup. The mechanical fuel pump runs fine on an S1. However, Dhabhar.Behram on the forum would be the best to answer this.

[samsag12]

I need to change the Speedo union of my PP S1 and want to know will the Padmini one be a direct fit.

[mycarhasablower]

since people have used s1 speedo consoles in their padminis without changing the union and the speedo accuracy unaffected, i dont see why it should be a problem. i confident that they are the same.

[bullboy]

Last week we did 220km roundrip in a 90 padmini and the car performed quiet well and were able touch 80+ speeds with 4 people on board.
Quiet a reliable car.The above said car is used to parked on the road side and takes all the beating of the harsh kerala weather. The car is maintained well but not exceptional but is in a quiet good shape.
Need to love these machines.simple and reliable.

[mathurvipul]

Hi I am restoring a 1967 Fiat 1100. Stuck at a point where I need a 5 hole engine head and standard size sleeve. I was told by the mechanic that on this engine a thicker than the normal available sleeve is used.

If you can help me get these parts it would be a big big favour.

Vipul

[manishalive]

Originally Posted by mathurvipul

Hi I am restoring a 1967 Fiat 1100. Stuck at a point where I need a 5 hole engine head and standard size sleeve. I was told by the mechanic that on this engine a thicker than the normal available sleeve is used.

If you can help me get these parts it would be a big big favour.

Vipul

A standar available liner will do just right for you, most of the guys use the same. As of now Tiger Power is only available, but you can check at jadsons / car automobiles / best automobiles and you might get a better quality.

As for the cylinder head, I believe it is for originality, the only place in Bangalore will be LIA Bhai in gujari, he might be having some period engines in his godown, but you have to take the complete engine.

Both places Jadson and Gujari you can refer Fiat Club Bangalore, you will get a better responce.

And if you cannot find your stuff in Bang, the only place to hunt is Bombay .