[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by Moto_Hill

3rd free service
Mileage - 21800 kms
Service centre - Rudra Motors

- I asked them to check suspension mounts as there was a clunking sound coming on bad roads. It turned out that the strut mount pads are in bad condition. Unfortunately, the parts weren’t in stock and will be replaced soon under warranty. Is it normal for mount rubber to wear at just 22k?

Firstly congrats on this brilliant review & on completing 22k km with this wonderful machine. I don't think it is normal for the strut mount pad to wear out in 22k km, the only suspension part we replaced in our erstwhile Punto (run 103k km) was the Lower arm on the right side. The Punto's suspension components are generally long lasting, anyways you are getting them replaced under warranty.

- All the oils and filters were changed.
Total bill came to 10k, which includes 800 for wiper blade and 1k for cleaning and polishing.

I guess you changed engine oil, brake oil, power steering oil, transmission oil in this service. That is why the bill is around 10k, otherwise the bill would have been around 5k with only engine oil & filters being changed. I guess you are still on the 1st set of brake pads, Punto's brake pads tend to wear out within 30k kilometers. I believe that when your Punto goes for the next service, the odometer reading would be well past the 30k km mark. So, I would advice you to keep a close look at the brake pad wear after you go past the 25k km mark.

[Moto_Hill]

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

I guess you changed engine oil, brake oil, power steering oil, transmission oil in this service. That is why the bill is around 10k, otherwise the bill would have been around 5k with only engine oil & filters being changed.

Yes, this being 24 months service, all the oils and filters were changed. And without wiper blade and polishing, the cost would have been 8k, which is completely acceptable.

I guess you are still on the 1st set of brake pads, Punto's brake pads tend to wear out within 30k kilometers.

Yes, it's still on first set of brake pads. My driving style is such that I use minimum brakes, rely on throttle control and engine braking. The bite is still good but still I get them checked regularly.

[Moto_Hill]

Fuel economy update post 3rd service

Punto had given max FE of 19 km/l before last service. That too was during long highway trip of pune-delhi. The odo was around 8k km then. With the mix run of city (20%) and highway (80%) average FE hovered around 16~17 km/l with AC always on. Tank full method and MID figures both came out with almost same figures.

Post service I am getting impressive figure of 20 km/l with 30:70 city-highway drive ratio. Needless to say with AC always on. Have driven around 125 km after resetting the trip post service. Will update the figures by tank full method later.


I always fill diesel from same Essar fuel station. Have tried recently opened Shell on nagar highway once, but I feel Essar fuel suits punto more.

[Moto_Hill]

I asked them to check suspension mounts as there was a clunking sound coming on bad roads. It turned out that the strut mount pads are in bad condition. Unfortunately, the parts weren’t in stock and will be replaced soon under warranty.

I have also asked the SA to raise a warranty claim for left rear slowed down power window

Got both issues addressed last week. Strut mounts and window regulator were changed under warranty. I must add new strut mounts have made a noticeable difference. The clunking sound is gone. The wheel alignment on chargeable basis was done post mounts replacement.

[Moto_Hill]

Quick help needed from fellow Punto owners.

How much did your remote key battery last ? My remote key is not working since today morning and I am assuming that the battery is dead, in almost two years. As per my knowledge, battery should have lasted for at least four years.

I have taken the battery out and sent somebody to get a new one. Is it normal or should I get the key checked at FASS?

[--gKrish--]

Originally Posted by Moto_Hill

Quick help needed from fellow Punto owners.

How much did your remote key battery last ? My remote key is not working since today morning and I am assuming that the battery is dead, in almost two years. As per my knowledge, battery should have lasted for at least four years.

I have taken the battery out and sent somebody to get a new one. Is it normal or should I get the key checked at FASS?

The OEM battery lasted roughly 4 years in our Linea which has the same key. The replacement lasted less than 2 years. Sometimes the battery stops working if the key is dropped and the holder moves out of place. Removing the battery and putting it back made it start working again in my case.

[neoonwheels]

Originally Posted by Moto_Hill

Quick help needed from fellow Punto owners.

How much did your remote key battery last ? My remote key is not working since today morning and I am assuming that the battery is dead, in almost two years. As per my knowledge, battery should have lasted for at least four years.

I have taken the battery out and sent somebody to get a new one. Is it normal or should I get the key checked at FASS?

My Punto remote key battery was going strong even in its 7th year of ownership.

[chiranjitp]

Originally Posted by Moto_Hill

I have taken the battery out and sent somebody to get a new one. Is it normal or should I get the key checked at FASS?

Even in our case the remote key battery was replaced at around the 2-2.5 year mark, the car had done around 50k km by that time. The replacement battery was still going strong till we sold the car after 4.5 years. I did get the battery replaced at an Accessories store, the worker there kind of scratched the remote while opening it . So, if you or your accessories guy isn't sure as to how to open the key, you might want to get the remote key battery replaced at FASS.

[Moto_Hill]

So I guess the battery life ranges from 2 to 7 years depending on frequency of usage, brand, how old was it when you got it etc.

I have replaced the OEM (Panasonic) battery with the Hitachi Maxell CR2032 3V.

Originally Posted by chiranjitp

I did get the battery replaced at an Accessories store, the worker there kind of scratched the remote while opening it

Wondering how he managed to scratch it. It is a pretty simple set up. I used a credit card to replace the battery.

[Moto_Hill]

Updating the thread with a heavy heart :(

My Punto met with an accident on 26th October and is currently being repaired at FASS. The details and pictures of accident can be found in "Accidents thread" in link below.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...ml#post4488943

The ODO was 30k at the time of mishap. Now the big and tough decision of keeping the car or exchange it with another is to be made.

There's substantial impact on the body shell but there's no impact or major damage to parts that would hamper structural rigidity of the car. Both chassis members are intact and floor is also unaffected. Also Fiat supplies side body panels and roof as separate parts. All these lead to strong case of repairs (replacement of parts) rather than total loss.


Secondly, car being Fiat, it wouldn't fetch a decent wreck value. Otherwise I would have gone with "cash loss" + Wreck value option. Consulted few BHPians and their contacts also and all suggested to go ahead with repair.


Will update the thread once Mario is back on road.

[CrAzY dRiVeR]

Originally Posted by Moto_Hill

Updating the thread with a heavy heart :(

My Punto met with an accident on 26th October

Sad to see these posts. The pics and report is truly scary - glad that the occupants are safe.

If the structure remains intact, and the decision makes financial sense - I would also suggest to go ahead and repair the vehicle.

[mikeautherton]

Originally Posted by Moto_Hill

Updating the thread with a heavy heart :(

My Punto met with an accident on 26th October and is currently being repaired at FASS.
Will update the thread once Mario is back on road.

Sorry to hear that, But relieved after knowing that all occupants are safe.

Wearing seat belts and build quality of Fiat should have helped. But really feel bad for the car.

[VWAllstar]

Originally Posted by Moto_Hill

Updating the thread with a heavy heart :(

My Punto met with an accident on 26th October and is currently being repaired at FASS. The details and pictures of accident can be found in "Accidents thread" in link below.
https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/road-...ml#post4488943

The ODO was 30k at the time of mishap. Now the big and tough decision of keeping the car or exchange it with another is to be made.

There's substantial impact on the body shell but there's no impact or major damage to parts that would hamper structural rigidity of the car. Both chassis members are intact and floor is also unaffected. Also Fiat supplies side body panels and roof as separate parts. All these lead to strong case of repairs (replacement of parts) rather than total loss.


Secondly, car being Fiat, it wouldn't fetch a decent wreck value. Otherwise I would have gone with "cash loss" + Wreck value option. Consulted few BHPians and their contacts also and all suggested to go ahead with repair.


Will update the thread once Mario is back on road.

No updates since this post. Did you get Mario repaired or it is sold?

Was a good thread to read. Would have appreciated more pics as this Italian beauty deserves to be clicked more and more.

[Moto_Hill]

Originally Posted by VWAllstar

No updates since this post. Did you get Mario repaired or it is sold? Was a good thread to read. Would have appreciated more pics as this Italian beauty deserves to be clicked more and more.

Extremely sorry for not updating the thread. Honestly, every week I thought of doing that but since there’s lot to cover, it somehow got delayed. Moreover I had to make 3 visits (latest being in Aug) after first repair job to make Mario perfect again. I am happy to report that even smallest of issues have been ironed out and I actually feel glad that I did not let her go. Current odo stands at 37xxx. The claim process with HDFC went smooth and no big surprises there. I had to shell out 50% for the damaged tyre (rubber item), around 2k salvage.

I would also like to thank Sky Moto for sticking to their commitment and carrying out repairs FOC for as long as 8 months from delivery. The first and major repair was carried out by Sky Moto, Akurdi. I got the delivery in second week of Jan-19. There were following issues which I highlighted during delivery. Some were addressed same day others were left for later either due to non availability of parts or labour oriented work.

1) Burnt holes in front LH side of carpet (whole carpet was replaced later)


2) Damaged spoiler not taken in repair estimate. Apparently they took the spoiler as an accessory and hence did not order it as insurance would not cover it. On shooting an email and explaining that my car model was 90HP and that it came with factory fitted spoiler, they accepted their fault and later ordered the spoiler.


3) Hand brake cover broken (took l-o-n-g to get this part)


4) Slight misalignment of tailgate and hood (aligned later at their wagholi workshop)

Other small issues which I got addresses same day were - fuel lid opening lever wasn't working, center AC vent nob fixed, hood insulation clips replaced, parcel tray lock changed, fog lamp wiring corrected etc..

Just as I was grinning while driving Mario in the ghats of lonavala, thinking everything has been sorted out, a few droplets of water fell on my hand resting on gear lever ready to do a down shift. Nervously looked above and few more drops slowly dropped through cabin lamp. Another visit to workshop confirmed.

Another issue which cropped later while returning was that Punto was not feeling composed enough while going over bad patches in high speeds. It had me worried since Punto would otherwise glide over these patches without transferring any impact inside.

Paid a visit to their wagholi workshop. The water leaking was immediately checked by pressure wash and within seconds we could see water dropping from edges of windshield. It was rectified diligently by removing the glue, rubbing and applying fresh layer before fixing the windshield. It was kept overnight to dry and next day in afternoon a full 15 minutes pressure water test was done in my presence. Nope no water, a big sigh of relief!!!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SR2Fr9beq-k

On doing wheel alignment it was found that the left side camber was unacceptably in negative. The technician immediately gave report to service manager to change the left strut. I also got the right one replaced on paid basis. The ride and handling is back to normal.



I also got the brake pads replaced at around 35k. Though the SA told be that the outgoing ones are good for another 5k+, I decided to go ahead with change as a proactive measure. Pictures of old pads.



Mario's battery was very healthy before it went for repairs. The long idle period when car was being repaired and assuming that folks at workshop enjoyed non stop music took a toll on battery. I started getting ABD, immobilizer warnings. Checked with a multi meter and the battery volts were dropping below 9.5V on crank. Replaced with same make and model.




Some mobile pictures taken randomly post repair.











Ordered 70mai internal solar TPMS from aliexpress and installed at a tyre shop.




Now the long post is done, will keep updating the thread regularly.

[Moto_Hill]

"Once a while only I go in the mountains, but mountains have always been in me" - Moto_Hill





Mario took us to places, total around 5800 km of holidaying with her

Being a Pahadi family, we love cold climate and hence make sure that we travel to our native Uttarakhand in peak winter every year. This time was more exciting as we had decided to do the journey in Mario.

This was going to be Mario's first long run since Covid, so she needed some prepping. A service was anyways due, the clutch was nearing end (too early @45K??). Got the service done and clutch kit replaced a week before the travel date.

We took the following route with overnight stay at Udaipur. The roads were great all along except for few diversions between Vadodara and Udaipur stretch.

Day 1


Day 2


The ease at which Punto crunches miles deserves a mention, again . This is her home ground....her best ability..this is where you fall in love with her again and again...where you feel proud of bringing her home.....

• Once the engine warms up, you don't want to stop...even for bio breaks.
• Reaching and maintaining 3 digits speed is effortless, so is shedding the pace.
• Steering is never ever nervous even at 170. Yawning while high speed lane changing?? Punto hai na
• Bad or bumpy roads don't make you go slow.
• Stability?? You won't be able to sense high speed if not for wind and engine noise.

Started from Kharadi, Pune at around 4:30 hrs. Starting odo


Reached Udaipur at 17:30 hrs. Total distance


Avg consumption


Avg speed


to be continued...