50K km on my Fiat Abarth Punto in 4 years: Maintenance, service & mods

I have installed a bigger intercooler and also went ahead with an ECU remap.

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50,000 km completed

The car clocked past 50,000 km in September 2022. The 50K km milestone came up in 4 years and 4 months. That's an average of about 32 km per day. The car was averaging 45 km/day in the first two years. So running has reduced.

Engine mounts replacement

In September 2021 (about 40K on odo), I noticed a jerk on sudden acceleration and during gear changes. Also, I could feel vibrations on the steering wheel while idling. An inspection indicated a busted c-mount and a weakened GB mount. I decided to replace all three engine mounts. The cost for the three mounts was Rs. 14,465 with the C-mount being the most expensive at Rs. 8636.

Replaced all three engine mounts in one go.

4th-year service

• Done at 47K km in August 2022
• At KHT Pride, Mahadevpura Bangalore
• All fluids and filter change - engine oil, gearbox oil, brake fluid, coolant, oil filter, fuel filter, AC filter. This time I have used Motul 8100 X-Cess 5W-40 which I bought from Amazon. The experience is as good as, if not better than the stock Selenia K oil.
• Replacement of front brake pads
• Service cost - Rs. 20,146 all-inclusive
• A word of appreciation for Mr. Nagarjun at KHT Pride - did a good job and delivered the car on the same day as promised.

Upgrades

In 2021, I tried my hand at my first-ever mods - a larger intercooler and an ECU remap. Both jobs were done at Engineering Exponent at Whitefield, Bangalore.

Intercooler upgrade

The stock intercooler is surprisingly small for a car of its nature. Intake air temperatures are known to climb rapidly and affect power delivery. I opted for an 18” x 6” x 3” intercooler manufactured by Stellar Turbochargers with a Garret core. This is a bolt-on upgrade which requires no other modification for fitting it in the available space. The air deflector shrouds could also be fitted back in place.

Notice how puny the stock IC is!

Wolf Remap

The switchable Wolf remap makes a perceptible difference and ups the fun quotient. The three maps - 1 - stock, 2- optimized for 95 octane petrol and 3 - optimized for 100 octane petrol can be switched between easily using the gas pedal. The 2nd map delivers more power even with regular 91 octane petrol.

The whole job took about 4 hours. Jayant of Engineering Exponent is a knowledgeable and passionate guy and his team is efficient.

Tyre upgrade

The stock Apollo Alnac 4Gs had run out of tread by 40K km. I have replaced them with Conti UC6 at one size up i.e. 205/55/16 (stock being 195/55/16). They cost Rs. 9250 a piece. Happy with them. They have better grip and are less noisy compared to the Alnacs.

The slightly wider Conti UC6s have been a good upgrade

Cosmetic changes

The decals of the car had begun fading and particularly the ones on the bonnet have started turning yellowish. I have removed the bonnet, rooftop and hatch stickers, leaving behind the go-faster stripes on the sides. To me, the car looks neater now. I however plan to buy a replacement set and keep them in storage for a possible later day revival of the signature look.

The car continues to be a joy to drive. Only regret is that opportunities for long drives have come down due to work pressures. The car is driven more often by our driver for chauffeuring my wife!

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