[nkg77]

Originally Posted by spiritofdriving

My bro in law has a Linea Emotion Pack and he'd having this rather strange issue.

Issue is that his car's rear left tyre gets kind of chipped off or wear in an uneven way that it started making a flapping noise when going in average speeds.


Attachment 879116

Mostly the culprit will be the rear axle which is causing the uneven wear. Fiat is replacing the rear axle for a batch of cars produced in the early 2011 time frame. Please ask your Bro in law to check with TASS whether his car is also in the recall list.

OT: I have a Punto Epack that has done 14.5k kms in 9 months and I have not seen any uneven wear and tear. The only difference I can see is mine is having Appollo Accelare where as your BIL is having Goodyear. I rate Goodyear and JK tyres as the worst ones in the market.

[sagarpadaki]

Originally Posted by spiritofdriving

My bro in law has a Linea Emotion Pack and he'd having this rather strange issue.

Issue is that his car's rear left tyre gets kind of chipped off or wear in an uneven way that it started making a flapping noise when going in average speeds.

One of the SAs told this is am ABS issue another said its an alignment issue. We checked with a wheel aligner and he said this is common in Lineas. We rotated tyres but again issue is recurring to the rear left side tyre. Issue is ONLY to the tyre on the rear left side. Rest all are fine

He'd changed tyres before 30k for the same issue. The new one only ran 30k I.e. he's pretty much fed up and we can't keep changing tyres and no solutions being offered by anyone.

Bro in law is located in Calicut, Kerala.
Pic is attached.

He already changed a tyre. Current and previous tyre is Goodyear GT3 195 60.

So experts, any advise that I can convey will be helpful.

The tire looks really bad. To know if the axle is indeed the culprit get an alignment done at a reputed facility outside. If the values for the rear wheels are off then you know the axle is the problem

[spiritofdriving]

Originally Posted by nkg77

Mostly the culprit will be the rear axle which is causing the uneven wear. Fiat is replacing the rear axle for a batch of cars produced in the early 2011 time frame. Please ask your Bro in law to check with TASS whether his car is also in the recall list.

OT: I have a Punto Epack that has done 14.5k kms in 9 months and I have not seen any uneven wear and tear. The only difference I can see is mine is having Appollo Accelare where as your BIL is having Goodyear. I rate Goodyear and JK tyres as the worst ones in the market.

Thanks mate.
Checked with BIL. His doesn't fall in the replacement program. He bought it in 2010 June. Manufactured in April 2010.

They checked if axle has to be changed, but is normal. Suspension is normal and even alignment.
Is in a deadlock now.

[amit_mechengg]

Originally Posted by spiritofdriving

That's quick Amitji.

Do you suggest writing to the tyre company or Fiat?

Also what did you mean by alignment reports?

Hows yours deforming?

Do you also have a Linea?

ya i too have a linea. the deforming on my tyre cannot be seen. it can sometimes be felt on very smooth road.

i have seen many goodyears on fiat cars deformed similar to yours.

can you please try different tyre this time. may be appolo accelare or may be new mrf zlo or yokos etc.

prima facia i am suspecting tyre problem. the radial metal threads within the tyre look deformed badly.

[spiritofdriving]

Originally Posted by amit_mechengg

ya i too have a linea. the deforming on my tyre cannot be seen. it can sometimes be felt on very smooth road.

i have seen many goodyears on fiat cars deformed similar to yours.

can you please try different tyre this time. may be appolo accelare or may be new mrf zlo or yokos etc.

prima facia i am suspecting tyre problem. the radial metal threads within the tyre look deformed badly.

Thank you.
I shall suggest the same.
Will write to the tyre company anyway to check what they say.

Originally Posted by spiritofdriving

Issue is ONLY to the tyre on the rear left side. Rest all are fine.

If the uneven wearing occurs on the rear left tyre only, then Goodyear GT3 tyres on the whole cannot be blamed. My Linea runs alright on OE Goodyear GT3 from the past 37 k km without any issues. I suggest checking the suspensions on the rear left side.

[spiritofdriving]

Originally Posted by sagarpadaki

The tire looks really bad. To know if the axle is indeed the culprit get an alignment done at a reputed facility outside. If the values for the rear wheels are off then you know the axle is the problem

Thanks Sagar.
Will ask him to get the figures. Once I do, I'll post them here.

J.Ravi we'd already checked suspension and they said is okay.

[drpullockaran]

Remove the shock absorber and take it to a shock absorber repair fellow to check for its resistance during its entire travel in the compression and decompression stroke.
Also do have a check of the mounting points of the rear anti roll bar.

[invidious]

I had my horn conking off a whole bunch of times. First, the left wing would go; followed by the right wing and finally the center. This happened 4-5 times during the first 2 year warranty period and it was fixed by Fiat each time with the assurance that the problem is solved for good. When it happened again, this time instead of fixing it they told me that the horn pad needs to be changed and the total cost to me would be about Rs. 25k. It would be an understatement to say that I was pretty pi$$ed. I told them that they should have told me about the horn pad during the 2 year period and even though I have extended warranty the horn is not covered anymore because it comes under "wear and tear". After escalating the issue, an engineer from FIAT asked me to bring the car to a service center where he inspected the car. He was profusely apologetic about what had happened and assured me that my issue will be fixed at no cost. It has been over a month and it seems that the issue is now resolved.

[autocrat]

Originally Posted by An1

Yesterday I noticed, the interior REAR roof light of my Linea stopped working. Normally it comes on when I switch off the engine and take out the key.. But now it just would not switch on, by even manual operation.

Will get it checked on the 1st service..

Has any of you had this problem too? I'm more miffed as it's just been 20 days since I bought her.

Its been a week since I got my 2012 Linea MJD Dynamic. Here are my observations:

1) One of the bulbs in the front cabin lights burned out on day 1. One number plate bulb burned out on day 2. Took my car to Concorde Motors Mysore Road - Both bulbs promptly replaced

2) The horn in my Linea sounds more high pitched than ones on other Punto and Lineas. It was checked, and promised to be taken care of during first service. Anyone faced this problem?

3) The ride is magic - but I hear a faint squeak from the front LHS suspension when I turn the steering and go over a speed bump / rough patches. Any cause for concern?

4) Too much brake dust accumulated on alloy wheels in just 350+ kms of usage. I know Punto ? Linea pads are soft, but is it expected at 300 km?

5) Boot Lid lock is hard - needs a lot of force to close.

6) Mileage of 11.1 kmpl indicated in the MID, with average speeds of 15 kmph. Yet to fill the tank for second time - will get more accurate mileage figures when I do. So far all the running has been in the city with a couple of short runs on tolled expressways. After filling 30 litres of petrol a week for my Xeta for last 6 months - I am happy to see 300+ kms in a week with fuel to take me another 150km still in the tank

7) Underbody does not scrape anywhere Even on uneven roads where my Xeta scraped a few times.

8) It took me just a few minutes to get used to the long clutch and left hand side indicator stalk. After a week of driving Linea, I drove my Indica today and the short clutch felt unusual! and I operated the wiper stalk a few times when I wanted to use the indicators. I think I am more tuned to the Fiat now.

9) 3M Sunfilms (CS35 + CR70 on windshield) are excellent - they keep the heat at bay and the cabin is very pleasant. I missed the CR70 on front windshield on my Indica today. I think my Indica will need the same sun film treatment. Will book an appointment in HSR 3M Car Care next weekend.

10) I am still hesitant to rev the engine beyond 2000~2500 rpm. There is no running in mentioned in the owners manual - but I am not really sure if the new engine can be revved to redline right away.

11) Music System - vastly improved audio quality compared to older Puntos (haven't heard in Lineas). Blue & Me is working brilliantly with my phones - a Nokia X2-02 and Galaxy Note. But I am not sure if both phones can be paired at once. Vista comes with a music system that can pair with 5 phones at a time!

12) At 80 kmph, around 2000 rpm, in 5th gear, the car felt silent, but was able to hear faint wind noise from around the right rear view mirror area. Not much though.

13) Is underbody coating needed? Will it act as a sound deadener?

14) Found a flanged nut lying on rear seat after a wash - not able to find out where it fell out of.

Request Linea owners to post their replies.

[sukrit7]

While I don't own a Linea, i've used it extensively and I do own the punto so will try to address your queries.

Originally Posted by autocrat

Its been a week since I got my 2012 Linea MJD Dynamic. Here are my observations:

3) The ride is magic - but I hear a faint squeak from the front LHS suspension when I turn the steering and go over a speed bump / rough patches. Any cause for concern?

Do you hear it if you turn the steering when the car is stationary?
Get it checked. Might be the shocker mounting/elastic pads. It's a common problem.


5) Boot Lid lock is hard - needs a lot of force to close.

Ya. this is normal. The boot lid is supported by Shockers which hold it up in place. When you shut it, you're basically working against the force exerted by the shocker which is why it needs force.

10) I am still hesitant to rev the engine beyond 2000~2500 rpm. There is no running in mentioned in the owners manual - but I am not really sure if the new engine can be revved to redline right away.
You can take it up to 3.3.5k rpm gradually. Even if you redline nothing will happen. The only reason we don't do it is because engine parts need a little time to bed in.

11) Music System - vastly improved audio quality compared to older Puntos (haven't heard in Lineas). Blue & Me is working brilliantly with my phones - a Nokia X2-02 and Galaxy Note. But I am not sure if both phones can be paired at once. Vista comes with a music system that can pair with 5 phones at a time!

Yes. Multiple phones can be paired.

12) At 80 kmph, around 2000 rpm, in 5th gear, the car felt silent, but was able to hear faint wind noise from around the right rear view mirror area. Not much though.

Common problem in Linea and punto.

13) Is underbody coating needed? Will it act as a sound deadener?

Nope. In fact, fiat doesn't even recommend this. When I'd bought my car, i'd written to fiat about the same and they clearly said there was no need for it.

14) Found a flanged nut lying on rear seat after a wash - not able to find out where it fell out of.

So much for FIAT's PDI. Probably nothing to worry about but as and when you get the other issues addressed, ask them to look into this too.


Request Linea owners to post their replies.

[autocrat]

Originally Posted by sukrit7

While I don't own a Linea, i've used it extensively and I do own the punto so will try to address your queries.

The squeak comes when the car is moving, definitely when the steering is turned and then the shocks compressed (ex. going diagonally over speed breakers)

Will try to pair both phones and update tomorrow,

Thanks Sukrit7!

[sukrit7]

It might be shocker mounts. Unfortunately,I don't remember exactly what sound my car made but I do know it is very common and Fiat is aware of the problem.

Also,while multiple phones can be paired,they won't work together. Blue&me supports also one connection.

[Prash]

Using Linea MJD Emotion pack since February 2009, probably the first linea in Mumbai. I have faced few problems these years but Fiat has done commendable job and till date my linea still runs in full strength and vigor. Special thanks to Mr.Mangesh at Fiat who has always gone out of his way and helped me tackle problems that I have faced in these 3+ years of love affair with this Italian beauty.
My linea has clocked 38000 kms and is out of the 2 year warranty phase but still holds the extended warranty to it. But again as the extended warranty clearly mentions of no warranty on suspension and related issues after 35000 kms I cannot claim anything on it.
Since the days of delivery I have been facing a problem. In night drives I could always hear this particular noise but could not explain it to the service guys. Moreover this noise use to increase with the number of hours the car was driven. But this argument fell on deaf ears to the service advisor all these years as in day time even I could not hear that sound. Finally I gave up thinking the noise being just unrepairable. In fact there is one more very prominent tak tak noise that comes whenever car hits potholes on its front tyres. For this very problem my linea has blocked parking space in Fortune cars, Andheri for collectively 10 days and at BCMA for 5-6 days. But none of the dealers could find where the noise was from. So I still live with these 2 noises coming from lineas front and under belly which at times gets on my nerves in night peaceful drives.
Now for the noise coming from the front side of the car, which gradually use to increase after couple of hours of run has become prominent and can get to human ears in day time with noisy surrounding. So now I can make the service guys to listen to that noise. Hence along with the timing chain replacement issue I went to BCMA. Explained the problem of noise from the front suspensions emiting (to the service advisor) and he was quick to endorse that this noise is of the elastic pads and the more car is driven the more noise increases. I wanted to ask him where was he all these years???????????? But no point as now my linea has crossed 38000 kms and the deadline set by extended warranty guys is 35000 kms.
What do I do now? The elastic pads will cost Rs.7000 approx and I will have to pay for it, even though I always knew that this problem was there. And after surfing few sites and reading team bhp reviews I came to know that Lineas had this problem since initial days. Need to decide what can be done now.
Also if you guys could help me with the gear box issue with my linea. The gear shifting has become harder and at times gets difficult to shift the gear. I realized this when I drove a friends Linea. What could be the problem with it? Do I need to totally replace overall gear and clutch parts or just one thing that is giving me this problem.

[autocrat]

Originally Posted by Prash

I realized this when I drove a friends Linea. What could be the problem with it? Do I need to totally replace overall gear and clutch parts or just one thing that is giving me this problem.

If your friends Linea is a 2012 model, the clutch for 2012 models is redesigned - the clutch is very light. I am not sure what are the changes made. Your service advisor may have the details.