[TorqueyTechie]

With me using the car as my regular drive to office in the Bangalore traffic there was bound to have some scratches on the car which I used to neglect. But it pained me more when a biker zigzagging through the traffic lost balance , banged on my car but zoomed away creating couple of prominent dents on the rear passenger door. I made up my mind to get these dents along with the one which was originally present fixed. This Wednesday gave the car to Trend automobiles. Got the car back in two days with all the dents fixed and a complete polish done.

Few pics of the end result.
1. Dents on the passenger side.


2. Front bumper scratch.


3. Passenger side dents fix


4. Front bumper fix.


More than happy with the end result and my car looks like a new one. Advantage of a good polish and black color.

[swiftnfurious]

You managed to get a great car at a great price. This'll serve you easily for the next 5 years and still fetch a decent resale, so the effective price difference will be great. I managed to grab a well maintained GTX which had run 35K kms, yours is a much better deal.

Originally Posted by TorqueyTechie

...1. Noticed that there were large puddles of water inside the car especially in the rear. Floorboard used to be soaking wet. Took some time for me to understand that it from the A/C and not because of rain water seeping inside. Could not use A/c after this issue during the trip. Got this corrected today. Cost me 650 rs...

What was done to rectify this? I know this is due to a design fault and this will require cleaning every 2-3 years. Last time I got it done, the entire console had to be dismantled and A/C overhauled. I paid around 5000/- for this work.

Edit:
Whats the tyre pressure you set for the car? In my GTX with 185/65 tyres, I found 30 to be a good one, while 32 is quite bouncy. The company recommends 28 though.

[TorqueyTechie]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

You managed to get a great car at a great price. This'll serve you easily for the next 5 years and still fetch a decent resale, so the effective price difference will be great. I managed to grab a well maintained GTX which had run 35K kms, yours is a much better deal.

Thanks swiftnfurious. I did get this well maintained car at a sweet deal. Touchwood there are no issues at all even though it had run very less from the time first owner had bought it. I was on the look out for a GTX or S10 but settled on this as this car was very good deal to let it go.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

What was done to rectify this? I know this is due to a design fault and this will require cleaning every 2-3 years. Last time I got it done, the entire console had to be dismantled and A/C overhauled. I paid around 5000/- for this work.

This was due to A/C outlet getting clogged and the water seeping inside. Just got the AC water collection tray cleaned and it solved the problem. Small fix but reaching to that tray is little difficult as its located at a awkward location below the windshield. I get it checked every 6 months once as it can get clogged because of the dust. What was the issue in your car? A/c overhaul is generally not required unless it was not working in the first place.

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

Edit:
Whats the tyre pressure you set for the car? In my GTX with 185/65 tyres, I found 30 to be a good one, while 32 is quite bouncy. The company recommends 28 though.

I usually set it at 30 now. Initially it was set to 32 and the ride was bouncy. Since the tires are upsized I think it should be ok to set it slightly higher than company recommended.

[swiftnfurious]

Originally Posted by TorqueyTechie

....This was due to A/C outlet getting clogged and the water seeping inside. Just got the AC water collection tray cleaned and it solved the problem. Small fix but reaching to that tray is little difficult as its located at a awkward location below the windshield. I get it checked every 6 months once as it can get clogged because of the dust. What was the issue in your car? A/c overhaul is generally not required unless it was not working in the first place...

I also wanted to check for rust issues as I was not aware of this problem. Next time, I probably will get only the tray cleaned. Between, where did you get this done - Fiat service centre?

[TorqueyTechie]

Originally Posted by swiftnfurious

I also wanted to check for rust issues as I was not aware of this problem. Next time, I probably will get only the tray cleaned. Between, where did you get this done - Fiat service centre?

No got this done at a local service station itself as FASS said I had to take an appointment.

[TorqueyTechie]

Latest update on my car. Recently was having issues with overheating in my car. It was peculiar as this used to happen only when I use the external re-circulation mode. And also the car was up for service. I saw an update from bhpian Audioholic regarding Autokraft service center. Since the place was close to my house thought of trying out this service center this time. Went there yesterday to give it for service along with getting the heating problem checked. Spoke to a senior mechanic, Sanaullah (hope I spelled his name correctly) who checked in my car.

Things I needed on my car :
1. Check the heating issue which was priority.
2. General check up and service including replacing engine oil, coolant and windshield fluid. Sanaullah also advised me to get the gear oil changed and he will check before doing it.
3. There was some irritating vibrations coming from the car. Needed to be checked and fixed.
4. Was also advised to get the interior cleaning done as the seats had got some stains.

Things done on the car :
1. Heating issue resolved. Radiator was removed and cleaned of dust and also the pipe was removed and cleaned and sprayed. Not sure what is the name of the pipe.
2. Service done. Engine oil, coolant and windshield fluid replaced. Brake caliper kit for the rear was replaced and the brake fluid replaced. Gear oil was not changed.
3. Rear speakers and the brake lights had become loose which was fixed. Now no more squeaks and squeals from the car.
4. Interior cleaning done . All the mats was washed and interiors vacuumed.

Things I didn't like :
1. When I was driving back, I saw lot of fumes coming from the engine bay. Was very scared for a moment and parked to the side and checked but couldn't understand why. I called back the service center and it seems Diesel was sprayed on the suspension and radiator when cleaning. Because of the heat it was burning and hence the fumes but was told to keep the car parked and started so that all the diesel gets burnt. Something which should have been told earlier instead of giving a shocker.
2. As Audioholic had mentioned in his review, card machine does not work (at least that's what they say). So have to carry cash.
3. Some of the parts was not wiped after car wash. Had to get it cleaned by specifically asking for it.
4. Interior cleaning is little pricey.

Overall I am satisfied with their service. I would rate them probably 8/10. Wanted to give 7 but the extra point is because of them being transparent about the things needed on the car and will not put anything extra or give any unnecessary suggestions.

[sdubey23]

Hi TorqueyTechie,

Congrats on your Italian beauty! I can totally understand what the experience must be like to own this machine as I also, now happen to be a lucky owner of a Palio Stile 1.6 sport!

How I got my hands on this beauty:


It all started when I was on the lookout for a pre-owned car (Budget around 1.65 lacs rupees). My usage is very limited with occasional driving around in B'lore and mostly weekend road trips. I'm also more of a motorcycle person and prefer taking my RE Himalayan for all weekend and long trips as well. Hence spending on a new car was not justifiable. The criteria was simple. 1) It had to be a hatchback (parking prob + drivability in city + sometimes driven by wife) and it had to perform well on the highways since that's where it'll spend most of its time.

Everybody advised me to go for a Maruti since I'm buying second hand. But I just felt Maruti cars were over priced just coz of the fact that they were Maruti (no offence to Maruti owners). That's also quite understandable considering the comparetively lesser cost for spares + service network for Maruti. Also, the petrol hatch options are very limited and underpowered in Maruti.

However, I was really fixated on the Fiat Palio 1.6 sport stile. I come from a Fiat fanatic family and I've had an amazing experience driving around in my brother's Palio 1.6 GTX and my dad's new Punto. Hence, I was fixated on getting either a Palio 1.6 GTX or the Palio Stile 1.6 sport. After several months of looking out and checking a few cars I ended up spotting this car on OLX. The car had run 67000kms, third owner and it looked genuine. No issues with the paint or the body work though. The third owner thing bothered me a bit but I thought I'd check it out at least.

Went over the weekend checked out the car. Test drove it and all seemed fine. However, I felt that the car needed a thorough service, new tyres and with experience in buying second-hand cars earlier, I also expected some repairs. Total restoration budget: about 40k roughly.

Owner was quoting 1.65 lacs. I agreed for 1.3 lacs (should have bargained and gotten it for lesser I feel now) considering what I spent after getting the car. Well, I was blinded by my desperation to own the Palio Stile and just succumbed to it. *Mental note to self* Never give-in to your feelings while making such critical purchases.

Straightaway visited the Hariprasad Fiat service on Shankar Mutt road as my brother maintains his Fiat there and I can take his word on their quality of workmanship. They did the following things done on the car:

1. A thorough inspection and service.
2. Clutch was hard and needed replacement.
3. Change all oils and fluids
4. Belts look fine.
5. Rear left power window was not working.
6. New wipers

Total bill at Hariprasad: 14k

New tyres: 20k

It all seemed hunky dory at the time but the joy didn't last that long. Had my share of nightmares owning a used car. Once after driving around the car for a few hundred kms, I encountered the following:

1. Overheating: Suddenly out of nowhere, the temperature guage soared all the way up to the red mark on inner ring road. Luckily my eye caught it and stopped the car immediately. Waited for about 20 mins for it to cool down and checked the radiator. There was very little water + Coolant mix left in it. I suspected a leak. As a back up I always carry some water and coolant. Topped it up and visited Hariprasad immediately. They diagnosed a broken hose clamp and replaced that. Cost was nominal around 200 Rs. But my troubles didn't end there. After a few weeks, I was on my way to Hoskote and again saw the temperature gauge rise to almost three fourths and continue to climb further. I immediately stopped the car. While I opened the bonnet to check coolant levels, my wife pointed out some 'green stuff' coming from under the car. Another leak! and this time it was just out there! I really lost it by this time. Almost regretting buying this car. Anyways, I thanked my past life's karma for this decision and decided to get it fixed anyways. Managed to limp the car back home with regular stops and visited Hariprasad again. Upon inspection found out that the water pump needed replacement. Total cost: 7k.

The car has been running fine ever since and haven't faced any heating or coolant leaks so far *touch wood*. The car takes more than a few cranks to startup though. Any idea how that can be fixed? Change spark plugs, check timing belt etc. Also,, I see that the coolant has reduced slightly (about 10%) after running the car for about 500kms (200kms in traffic + 300 kms in highway) since the last water pump replacement. Is this normal? Will check the oil today to see if it's turned milky, in which case I'll have to replace the head gasket? Didn't find any traces of engine oil in the coolant though. It looks clean and green. I suspect the radiator/ coolant overflow cap for leaking steam as well. This particular coolant system works like a pressure cooker by creating pressure and raising the boiling temp of the water. I checked online and saw that in most cases a worn out radiator cap can cause the water coolant mixture to evaporate and thus reduce the contents of the radiator tricking us into thinking there is a leakage or a blown head gasket. I'm just hoping that a new radiator cap will solve the issue of missing coolant.

So the total cost: 1.3 for the car and another 45k for getting the above things done. This brings my total to a rounded figure of 1.76 lacs. Hoping there are no major additional expenses I'll have to incur on the car for at least another year. That would be disastrous (for my marriage at least )

All said and done, the Palio is just one hell of a car to drive. Especially on the highways. The torquey 1.6 engine just lunges forward on the highway with each gear shift, begging to be driven faster. I'm not too keen on pushing the car too much though. I'm content cruising on the highways around 100 kmph for now. However, the best feature of the car is the handling and suspension. I feel, no hatch comes even close to delivering the handling and grip of a Palio. A lot of credit goes to the Michelins as well here I think.

My only concern now is despite all the issues resolved I don't feel very confident of the car especially when I have to take it out for long runs. Is there anything I can do to just get the car thoroughly checked again and replace whatever that could wear out or cause problems in the future so I can have peace of mind?

Seeking comments and inputs from experienced BHPians. Thank you

Here's some pics:

[TorqueyTechie]

Originally Posted by sdubey23

Hi TorqueyTechie,

Congrats on your Italian beauty! I can totally understand what the experience must be like to own this machine as I also, now happen to be a lucky owner of a Palio Stile 1.6 sport!

Thanks sdubey! and welcome to the club!

I come from a Fiat fanatic family and I've had an amazing experience driving around in my brother's Palio 1.6 GTX and my dad's new Punto. Hence, I was fixated on getting either a Palio 1.6 GTX or the Palio Stile 1.6 sport.

Very few cars brings out the big grin on your face when you drive it. This car does that to you! (though not as big a grin as driving a GTX).

Topped it up and visited Hariprasad immediately. They diagnosed a broken hose clamp and replaced that. Cost was nominal around 200 Rs. But my troubles didn't end there. Managed to limp the car back home with regular stops and visited Hariprasad again. Upon inspection found out that the water pump needed replacement. Total cost: 7k.

How come this was not identified during the initial service done at hariprasad! Glad that you were able to come back home safely and get it fixed.

The car takes more than a few cranks to startup though. Any idea how that can be fixed? Change spark plugs, check timing belt etc.

Check if the fuel filter is clogged. Sometimes this may be the reason. One more I can think of is the starter unit itself. Probably get it verified.

Also,, I see that the coolant has reduced slightly (about 10%) after running the car for about 500kms (200kms in traffic + 300 kms in highway) since the last water pump replacement. Is this normal?

That should be normal. It is not very high. Keep watching it for some days and monitor.

All said and done, the moment you start driving the car you will forget about the other issues. As you have mentioned the 1.6 motor is quite a beast. The car looks clean from the pics that you have posted. Keeping the car in that condition is the problem though! Happy motoring!


Update on my car. I have not been taking out my car much these days except during weekends as I ride to office more. Last weekend I noticed or rather heard that the engine note has changed. Earlier it was kind of soft growl now it has a racy/sporty growl. I am not sure why this change suddenly and actually I was thinking if there is anything wrong. But when I showed to a mechanic he said all is fine. I do like the new sound but still wonder what has caused the change!

[sreerama]

Originally Posted by TorqueyTechie

Thanks sdubey! and welcome to the club!


Very few cars brings out the big grin on your face when you drive it. This car does that to you! (though not as big a grin as driving a GTX).


How come this was not identified during the initial service done at hariprasad! Glad that you were able to come back home safely and get it fixed.


Check if the fuel filter is clogged. Sometimes this may be the reason. One more I can think of is the starter unit itself. Probably get it verified.



That should be normal. It is not very high. Keep watching it for some days and monitor.

All said and done, the moment you start driving the car you will forget about the other issues. As you have mentioned the 1.6 motor is quite a beast. The car looks clean from the pics that you have posted. Keeping the car in that condition is the problem though! Happy motoring!


Update on my car. I have not been taking out my car much these days except during weekends as I ride to office more. Last weekend I noticed or rather heard that the engine note has changed. Earlier it was kind of soft growl now it has a racy/sporty growl. I am not sure why this change suddenly and actually I was thinking if there is anything wrong. But when I showed to a mechanic he said all is fine. I do like the new sound but still wonder what has caused the change!

The growl might be due to some leak in the mufler/pipe. For me it started similar for 1.1 stile,after few weeks it became more sporty :P ... there was some leak from the pipe bend as per mechanic, got it fixed by welding job, its silent now..

[sdubey23]

Thanks TorqueyTechie,

I'll get the fuel filter and starter motor verified. The starter motor cranks perfectly fine so shouldn't be the issue. Could be the fuel filter or even the spark plugs. Will get them checked next week.

[TorqueyTechie]

Update on my car. My car was due for service and considering that I was planning to go to tirupati on tuesday thought of completing the service over the weekend. So called up Autokraft and confirmed that I can give the car on saturday. Went at 10 in the morning and dropped the car. Issues I had on the car were :

1. Noise from the silencer. (upon inspection they found that they had to replace the silencer assembly as it had completed got damaged).
2. Change from normal oil to synthetic oil.
3. Regular service. (inspection and replacing brake pads, oils and washing).

Called them up at around 4 pm and they mentioned that the service is completed but the car needs to get washed. Asked me to come by 5. Went at the said time but still the car was not yet washed owing to all people getting their vehicles washed because of the pooja on monday. I had to wait for around 40 mins there to get the car washed and ready. Took the delivery of the car and drove back home. The change in oil seems to have made the engine smoother. Earlier I used to find the engine little coarse but now it does feel better. Brake pads at the front had worn out and was replaced. Felt a bit bad seeing the washing though as they have not completed cleaned the interiors properly. Overrall would rate the service as 4/5. Total damage : 10880 rs.

Pic of the damaged silencer.


Next day I went to get nitrogen top up along with alignment and rotation done at Tyre professionals. Went at around 12 and was surprised to see the crowd. There was already some 4-5 cars waiting for alignment and the person in charge said it will take 2 hours for my turn to come up. As I had the trip to tirupati in mind I resolved to wait and get it done and leave. So waited patiently for my turn interacting with other customers. All of them had only good words to say about the service at tyre professionals.

After waiting for close to 1.5 hours, my car was picked up for rotation. During this time found that there was 3 nails in 2 tires but only one tire had punctures because of them. Was glad to have waited for getting this completed. Completed the rotation and got the punctures fixed as well. Later had the alignment completed as well. Total damage : 1100 rs.

Did a tirupati trip on tuesday and the car as usual was perfect during the whole journey. Took the whitefield->chittoor->tirupati route. Roads are wonderful all the way with few good twisties thrown around. Mileage during this whole trip with 90% A/C was around 14 kmpl.

[prashkul]

Originally Posted by TorqueyTechie

Update on my car. My car was due for service and considering that I was planning to go to tirupati on tuesday thought of completing the service over the weekend. So called up Autokraft and confirmed that I can give the car on saturday. Went at 10 in the morning and dropped the car.

Great to read your ownership review. I have a Palio Stile 1.1SLX, 2007 model with about 45K kms on the odo. I've always been getting the car serviced at Prerana and then Vecto Motors Hosur road. However, the last couple of service visits have been less than satisfactory. I even got a big dent on the hatch door as compliment on the last service visit. So, I would like to explore a better service center. Would you suggest Autokraft based on your experience thus far? Any particular mechanic I should be seeking? Finally, please share address and contact info. Thanks.

[TorqueyTechie]

Originally Posted by prashkul

Great to read your ownership review. I have a Palio Stile 1.1SLX, 2007 model with about 45K kms on the odo. I've always been getting the car serviced at Prerana and then Vecto Motors Hosur road. However, the last couple of service visits have been less than satisfactory. I even got a big dent on the hatch door as compliment on the last service visit. So, I would like to explore a better service center. Would you suggest Autokraft based on your experience thus far? Any particular mechanic I should be seeking? Finally, please share address and contact info. Thanks.

Thanks Prashkul for your compliments. I am more than happy to recommend Autokraft. They are a multibrand service shop located at TR mills chamrajpet. I have been going there for the past two services and have been happy with their work. Sanaullah is the senior mechanic there and he is good. But he does not work on the car but suggests work needed on the car.

Address and contact details have been already shared by bhpian, Audioholic in a seperate thread.

Link : Autokraft

[Williams_f1]

Hello,

I too was fortunate/unfortunate to own a second hand Palio 1.6 Stile.

I bought the car sight unseen, one of the biggest mistakes of my life, the car looked really good in pictures and the owner too felt genuine, I flew down to check out the car once we took over the ownership, I step out of the airport and I can't describe how disappointed I was with it, a 40 min drive is all it took when I realized that this "junk" of a car either has to resold or a lot of effort put in to get right, a 10 year wait shattered.
Determined, I got the car fixed, among many issues was the perennial problem of over heating, which a very wise palio owner said: "Once a palio develops a over heating problem, it never goes!" I didn't believe it at the time, but it ran true.

I used to joke with my friends that this car has 2 owners, me and the Fiat Service station, as it used to spend equal time between the 2 of us. The amount of breakdowns I faced, I can just laugh at it now.

After 2 years of struggle and an impending marriage coming up, I managed to sell it.

The brilliant engine, power available on tap, thats why one buys this car, but for me the negatives were too many in the end. not only did it destroy my love for the Palio1.6 but it also ended my belief that pre-owned cars can be a viable option.

I believe the only way to look at it is that I came away wiser from this whole experience.

Thanks for reading.

[TorqueyTechie]

Originally Posted by Williams_f1

I bought the car sight unseen, one of the biggest mistakes of my life, the car looked really good in pictures

Hello Williams_f1, thanks for sharing your experience. As you have rightly mentioned, you should not have bought the car without seeing it by yourself. When I was planning to buy the car, I saw 3 stile's. It took me to different corners of Bangalore with the owners promising that the car is well kept with records upto date. But once I saw or test drove them got to know the real reason why they wanted to sell them. As there is a saying, "Dont go by the looks! " .

Originally Posted by Williams_f1

The brilliant engine, power available on tap, thats why one buys this car, but for me the negatives were too many in the end. not only did it destroy my love for the Palio1.6 but it also ended my belief that pre-owned cars can be a viable option.

Good to hear that you took the right decision. At the end its better to be practical and lessen the losses!

So what car are you driving now?