[arup.misra]

The engine probably sucked water through the intake and is hydro-locked. You will have water in the fuel tank which will have to be drained and fuel lines flushed out petrol to be sure the only thing the engine is getting is petrol. The cylinder too might be full of water and gaskets would be changed.

Obviously warranty & insurance won't come to your rescue but I find it strange why they should ask for money upfront?

[blueblooded]

After missing multiple deadlines ,SRM motors did finally call and asked us to collect our baby ,almost after a one month wait.
They have charged sixty eight thousand for the engine overhaul job.
I am yet to get the details and cost break up ,as my kid bro collected the car.I am really shocked when told about the total cost of the engine overhaul ,but found myself hapless as its next to impossible to verify the reported jobs done.We had to succumb to their stupid reasoning and unreasonable arguments.
regards
praveen singh

[Rufus_M]

Hi blublooded:
Sad to hear about your troubles with the Punto. Please keep us updated regarding the work done. Your thread was helpful for my purchase of Punto 90HP.
Hope you enjoy troublefree & blissful miles ahead.

[blueblooded]

Car is doing great post the engine overhaul .No complaints so far.The car also needs minor body work and paint work.Its being planned .I would love to post pictures but car is with my younger brother ,so it has to wait .
regards
praveen singh

[sdp1975]

Sorry to hear of the unfortunate accident, but good to hear that the car is doing good after the engine overhaul.

I start getting worried even when my car goes to TASS for a general service, given my experiences with them so far. Next year onwards I'll certainly start visiting private garages and source parts from outside when my EW expires.

[blueblooded]

After a long time I am reporting the status of my car .The reason was partly my disappointment owing to bad taste left after the engine seizure incident which left me shell shocked and poorer by almost 80 thousand rupees .One wrong step could cost one thousands of rupees ,so please be wary of water logged street and double check before venturing into UNCHARTED waters.
Now post the engine job at 67000 km i have clocked another 10 thousand kms and meantime i went for regular servicing at 71k kms ,a tad earlier to account for the engine overhaul .
As usual i have bear with the unprofessional outlook of the tata dealership at varanasi and lucknow .
I forgot to mention that car was under scalpel as there was some dents all across the body of the car so it desperately needed denting and concomitant painting .This time around to cut the cost i got the job done outside the tata workshop and got the painting and dent work done at garage of my acquaintance .
The cost break up is as follows Rs 3000. for denting and another Rs 5000 for painting .
Moreover i had source a quarter glass of the driver side from the tata workhop.
Lastly,the needed a couple of new foot wear ,this time around I went upsizing the tyres and bought a set of MRF Z.Lo. 175/60/R14 .The obvious choice was Bridgestone Turanza but finally the cheaper MRF prevailed .The tyre replacement left me poorer by Rs 8200.
Post the upsizing there has been appreciable reduction in the fuel economy .Prior to it i was comfortably getting 20 kmpl without A.C. but now its sticking to 17kmpl or with ac it hovers around 16kmpl.On road behaviour seems to have improved but it needs some more spirited driving to comment .
I will soon be posting the pictures .
Incisive comments are welcome
regards
praveen singh

[blueblooded]

Dear friends,sharing ones troubles with fellow human beings lessens the pain and multiplies the joy.Now the bad news is that ,car is gone awry.I was like stranded at my native village with my car refusing to start despite what it seemed millions of engine cranking .A little fast forward ,the car needed tow truck or better flat bed tow truck to be transported from my village to nearest tata-fiat service centre (Varanasi)some 100kms from it .
I called the fiat helpline and they came to my rescue after charging half the transportation cost to me ,that left me poorer by Rs5625/- .
The car reached service station yesterday and that being sunday all further action was reserved for Monday.
Monday means today ,I went to service station to know the details of the damage and would be losses to my purse.
Bang -I was told that injectors have busted as THE their examiner was showing CRDI Failure .
I was like devastated ,as I had been through complete engine overhaul owing water ingress in the engine compartment .
I am at my wits end ,as the service adviser was non-committal as to extended warranty coverage as it entails hell lot of paper pushing and double checks .Its like they would verify the service history of the car and then would say anything .
Moreover God forbade if pump has also busted ,I know not how much poorer i would be post this freaky incident
regards
praveen singh

[blueblooded]

Yesterday I went to Tata-fiat service center to inquire about the status of my baby.
News which came was that both the cam shafts and broken along with the cam box (which has cracked).Now I know not what could be reason and whether they are going to bear it under the extended warranty which came with the car.
I have to keep my fingers crossed at least for a couple of days wherein they would give the go ahead or no go for the said warranty.Meanwhile I am quite dejected and disappointed.
Please provide your valuable inputs
regards
Praveen singh

[Rufus_M]

I'm yet to see a Punto Multijet having regular engine problems as yours. The T.A.S.S might have messed up the earlier repair job when your car was kept for repair during the fuel pump issue. Please make a detailed note of the work done, attach all the bills & post it to Mr.Mangesh or some other higher-ups at Fiat. Though it sounds tedious, might be well worth it.

[blueblooded]

I went to TAAS yesterday and was relieved to know that things are moving in right direction the service adviser has promised that all the work would be done under warranty and they are processing the warranty claim .Moreover he told that company assessor/surveyor would be visiting to verify the warranty and ditto the whole process .
Till then best I can do it to keep patience and pray god
regards
praveen singh

[sandeepmohan]

I suggest that you get the car fixed, sell it and buy a new Punto or something else. After reading all your posts, it appears the car has been through a lot of abuse and at this rate, you are going to be dealing with problem after problem.

You can't be driving a car through water. Cars are not designed to do this. This is common sense. Apart from various engine component failures, there are several other components, electrical parts that would have suffered damage as well and may one day eventually give up when you are out on the road. It is not worth going through the pains of a breakdown.

[blueblooded]

Originally Posted by sandeepmohan

I suggest that you get the car fixed, sell it and buy a new Punto or something else. After reading all your posts, it appears the car has been through a lot of abuse and at this rate, you are going to be dealing with problem after problem.

You can't be driving a car through water. Cars are not designed to do this. This is common sense. Apart from various engine component failures, there are several other components, electrical parts that would have suffered damage as well and may one day eventually give up when you are out on the road. It is not worth going through the pains of a breakdown.

Dear Sandeep Mohan ,though your advice is good its not plausible in my case as buying a new car would entail coughing up extra 3lakhs of cash provided my car is sold at 3.5 lakhs .Moreover even if i have to spend around one lakh on the car that would be far cheaper as compared to buying a new car.
Car got into water accidently and as mentioned earlier water was not more than one feet high then GOD knows what transpired on that fateful day which made engine gulp water.
Moreover , had i been in the steering wheels ,i would never ventured into water at all ,it was my kid brother who did the miscalculation .Secondly ,I am quite hopeful that the electronics of the car to be in good shape as it has stood alright for last six months or so.
So, as of now I am no way parting ways with my punto,lets see how it behaves post its sweet sojourn at the TASS.
regards
praveen singh

[blueblooded]

Its been two months since the car left the service centre and has stood well all along .Now coming to cost part ,it did not cost much to me as all the jobs were done under warranty,thank god ! I was still in extended warranty and thanks a ton FIAT for the free extended warranty given at the time of purchase or else I would have to cough up another 30 thousand for the repair works.
Now things replaced were
1.Both the cam shafts ,as both had broken
2.Cam box-as it had developed cracks
Now cost breakup -
Cam box was around 11 thousand rupees and each cam shafts was around 9 thousand .
Moreover I have preponed the regular service and made it coincide with the repairs.
Also ,ac was dysfunctional and needed gas charging which was indeed paid job and money spent on it 2 thousand .
Last but not the least ,I came across one strange fact that TATA spares pricing is almost 50 percent over and above the pricing of fiat spares for the same spare parts.
The cost of cam box was quoted to me was 18 thousand while the same cam box (as tata shares the mjd with fiat)was of Rs 11000/- .Had my car been a tata manja or for that matter tata indica vista quadrajet the same component would have been exorbitantly costlier as compared to fiat parts .
This corollary can be safely extended to all parts tata sources from fiat .
Now my car needs suspension overhaul as its producing minor thuds when negotiating the potholes .Secondly both the headlamps needs replacement as years of weather and abuse have made them road unworthy.
I will keep posted as when i go for the suspension work.
One thing I might be procuring the headlamps from the KAVA automobiles as the current tata fiat dealer is unable to provide the same.One thing more I have recently procured a head lamp for half the price for my friends palio at Rs 4600/- inclusive of courier charges ,the tata-fiat dealer had quoted Rs 11000 for the same
regards
praveen singh

[blueblooded]

Today ,I ordered a pair of headlamps for my fiat punto from the Kava automobiles after failing to get the same from existing TASS.I am looking forward to upcoming FIAT dealership in Varanasi.I am told that its coming up in mid july.I am keeping my fingers crossed till then as the current fiat dealership is in LUCKNOW a couple of hundred kilometers from my city.
regards
P.S.- I had to pay Rs 5000(4200+800 as courier charges) for the headlamps .
Praveen singh

[julupani]

Originally Posted by blueblooded

Today ,I ordered a pair of headlamps for my fiat punto from the Kava automobiles after failing to get the same from existing TASS.I am looking forward to upcoming FIAT dealership in Varanasi.I am told that its coming up in mid july.I am keeping my fingers crossed till then as the current fiat dealership is in LUCKNOW a couple of hundred kilometers from my city.
regards
P.S.- I had to pay Rs 5000(4200+800 as courier charges) for the headlamps .
Praveen singh

Looks to me like prices have increased. In October, I had to replace the right headlamp of the Punto. Fortunately the part was readily available. The charge was only 1900 inclusive of taxes, which included a 250rs labour charge. Looks like the headlamp prices have been jacked up by about 500rs!!