went and ordered a new front section for my exhaust ,flexi is blowing ,can't be bothered welding it up...anyway ordered it tuesday ,told would be in thursday ,am happy with that ...goes in today to be informed it has to come from italy ,hopefully tuesday..so my question is...why italy ,don't you keep them at the warehouse ???  with it being a wear and tear item i'd thought you'd have them readily available ...

phil 

Sorry Phil... maybe they had run out?

Kind regards
FM

hello long time no hear  lol...was amazed at how much of the exhaust i had to change  ..as after the cat ,it's one huge section all the way to the rear axle ,then obviously the back box ,,,but the exhaust is soo well made ,really it is solid ....it had at least another 4 years in it ,but the flexi is the weak link ,obviously  as it flexis ,it fails ,..socouldn't fiat look at doing a shorter section  from where the pipe joins the cat  to 2 foot after the flexi....???

phil

Phil I know better than to get into a technical conversation with you... has the problem been fixed now?

FM

lo aww thanks ...my car doesn't have problems ...ferrari owners have problems lol ... though nothing a few rivets will sort.... hope they have enough 500 courtesy cars  lol...

i was just amazed that a smaller repair section wasn't available ...

could you please .(am begging here and save my sanitylol )...have an icon just for blue and me ,just an idea due to the amount of does my fone work etc questions ..would be easier for those if they could just click an icon and everything is there ,common faults and remedies .latest updates ...

phil

phil

I would not waste money on genuine fiat exhaust parts any more . exhaust rotted away on my fiat doblo after 4 and a half years so I splashed out £200 on genuine fiat parts  and fitted it myself ,could not belive the new one had rotted through in only 18 months, went to a fast fit outfit and got the lot fitted free for less than £90 and with a 3 year warranty.

I have never been a fan of cheap pattern parts and the center box on my 1990 Fiat Tipo lasted 10 years before I needed to replace it, seems like quality has taken a turn for the worst.

Anyway how come you get to get a pesonal reply from fiat marketing ? I wouldnt mind a  private chat with them ,my grande punto has had more faults in the last 12 months than my 1990 Tipo has in 20 years, Tipo has never failed an MOT either in all those years, Grande failed both its first and second.

to be honest it was the flexi that failed ,which on any car will be the weak point ,the exhaust itself would have lasted another 4 years easy as it was solid ...personally i don't have a problem with using genuine parts ,nowdays most parts are on a par with aftermarket ,some are dearer some cheaper ,some last longer some don't ....being in the trade i do all my own repairs and servicing at work ...i then know job is done correct ,not rushed /bodged..and it's only my time ...

 lots of people get replys ...i have done lots of posts ,they have got to know a few on here i try to be honest and fair on here with my opinion ,as i have given fiat a fair bit of stick as well as soom praise ...check the thread for the  foam for punctures ..i don't always get replys ...i dare say fiat can't actually pay someone to actually sit on the forum all day ,yes they will monitor it

along with other people the dealer sold me the incorrect roadspring (they are colour coded ) marketing got me the correct part number ,as they have with others ...with the B&M ..it's mainly fone compatability ,and there is a list .so i think unless there is a new release of software then there isn't much else they can do ,so they may not reply to many B&M questions ..don't blame them

what's you car failed both MOTs on ???

Hi .Phil.

Bit of a delay in reply as I dont get much spare time these days, my Gp failed first  MOT on front tyre tread depth and failes second mot on corroded ,broken end of coil front road spring, total millage is only18,000 now.This is the car my wife uses .

For the record I have a fiat doblo van and a 1990 Fiat tipo 1.4DGT. in 20 years Tipo has never failled an MOT despite been redlined upto and beyond the limit,done a few mods got top speed up to 108 mph , best car I have ever had, kept in carpeted garage ! its true what people say , they just dont make things like they use to , been a Fiat fanatic I will never drive any other make of car and I can sympathise with the many disgruntled owners on this forum, new cars , and just fiats are are just a load of crap.

hi

you obviously know your way around a car ,though have to say have to say me thinks the first MOT  fail is really down to you and not fiat lol  worn tyres  tut tut ...driver check ...on the 2nd one with a broken road spring ..i'd blame vauxhall ,grande and corsa wa a joint development ,vauxhall probably supplied the springs lol...seriously though ...broken springs is a very very common occurrance nowdays...is it our super smooth roads ,i don't know ....i work in a truck dealership and we get a fair amount of broken springs...and believe me ,would rather change a grandes anyday  lol

 phil

Hi .

Phil.

I do have a pretty good knowlege of cars , if anything my specialist car subject is rust proofing, I only mess about with cars as a hobby, my first car was a Fiat 128 and its like your first love you never forget it, I may give Fiat some stick from time to time but I would never drive anything else.

As for the failed first MOT the car had only done some 12,000 miles and there looked a good 1.6 mm on the tyres but I can say 100% because I never checked them on a depth gauge, however there is a little twist to the tale I did not mention, the only reason I went back to the main dealer for the MOT is because the car had some faults that should have been fixed under warranty and to maintain the warranty the car has to be serviced at a main dealer, I was told the MOT would be £54. which seemed a bit steep as  VOSA sets the cost at £40.anyway I agreed to this so I could have the car serviced and get the warranty work done for free.

After a while a guy came out and said the car had failed its MOT and needed 2 new front tyres at a cost or £180, also very steep but again I had to agree as the dealer was 25 miles from where I lived and it would mean going back the next week if I got the tyres from my mate at selecta tyres.

When the guy emerged ages later he presented me with a bill of £234. which seemed cheap so I paid and went, when I got home and examined the bill I found the car still had the same fault which should have been repaired in warranty, the car had not been serviced and all I had was two new front tyres and an MOT pass, and to cap it all off the main dealer does not do MOT s they took the car to another garage down the road who charged them £30 and the main dealer put £24 on for taking the car down to the MOT test station, hence the £54 charge for the MOT .All in all a comlete shambles from a very big main fiat dealer and one I will never be going to again .

So I had to service the car myself, paid £24 more for the mot than it should have been and twice the price for two front tyres that I could have got them for locally. Is it any wonder people give main dealers such bad press.