Something Different

[Soeley]

For those that complain about Toyota quality. Just be thankful you don't have a Fiat. My wife's car is a 2009 Grande Punto 1.4. I have just had to replace the engine breather hose and vacuum hose as they had perished and split in a magnificent fashion.

Cylinder head to air box hose.

Vacuum hose from air box to throttle body.

Considering the car was 4 years old last September, I think this is quite shocking, needless to say there was a fair amount off oil mist spray around as well.

[Guest]

This is terrible! What a shame for your wife's car, as I guess it's going to get sold when fixed? So she can have an iQ of her own? Or will she nick your car? Seriously though, very poor quality goods there, I mean, back in the seventies when I got my first car, a Ford Mk1 Capri, J reg as it was then, I was quite happy to replace things that packed in, but never had anything like this on it. I had to wait until the mid to late eighties when I bought a Rover 2600 SDI to get something this bad.

[Soeley]

Hmm, Bob where do I start ??

It is a shame for a car of that age, yes. No it is not being sold, this was the first new car we bought since getting married in 1991, but it is not looked after :( In reality i think an iQ would be too good :o She has driven mine twice, the last time was when my new alloys were two weeks old and she managed to curb two of them. Needless to say she has not driven it since then ;)

Just to give you a picture, my two sons also drive the Punto, it has a black box fitted so insurance isn't too bad for four driver (two of them under 20). But it is going in to the body shop soon as between the three of them they have managed to get a scratch or dent in every panel, so I think a full re-spray will be the best option.

No, my iQ is mine all mine :)

[craggle]

That looks like the wrong material was used. I have seen similar things on various Kit cars and Land Rovers where people have used standard rubber water hose for breather and turbo pipes. The oil vapours in the air passing through them destroys the rubber and they fail very quickly.

I used a piece of water pipe once to replace a split low pressure line on a bus power steering system just to get it back to the depot and even after a few hours with steering fluid in it the pipe was soft and weeping through the material.

Land Rover once did a recall on Range Rovers when the coolant hoses became porous allowing coolant to weep through the pipe, evaporate and then turn into Glycol vapour which apparently is flamable, Not a great combination under the bonnet.

I assume Fiat weren't interested in replacing the pipes for you?

Craig.

[Soeley]

Craig, to be honest I didn't even bother getting in touch with Fiat. The replacement hoses were something like £12 & £15, genuine parts of eBay. The breather hose did say it was a modified item conspired to the original item fitted, so perhaps Fiat have realised there error?

[tarquin]

I have big problems with young people not having any respect. They turn everything into a tip in a very very short time. Essentially, they are very lazy people. Would rather spend time trying to fit plates with left overs on under their bed than take them downstairs where they were going anyway. I particularly take exception to the lack of care to electrical items like headphones and remote controls. I know a girl that has had 7 pairs of headphones in 4 months through ripping the cables out, standing on them, shewing them. Remote controls have either Battery covers missing or broken through keep on opening and closing them whilst viewing. Also broken power sockets on laptops and keys having been picked off, leaving 2 sheets of toilet paper on a roll because its too hard to walk 3 paces to get another one and drop it on a storage pole. This is my experience from children/adults 14-22

Sorry for being a bit of topic but just had to coment

David

[Soeley]

LOL, I know just what you mean David. It really does annoy me that no one in my house (wife and two sons) have any respect or take any pride in the car. Sticky toffee wrappers left in side, sweets that have melted and evolved into an alien life form in the bottom of door bins. Fast food bags and drinks. I now refuse to drive the Punto unless I really need to. At least it is ideal for taking rubbish to the tip, as you couldn't make it any dirtier. When I got my iQ I put a food and drink ban inside, no need for then on short trips.

You've got me going now

[surfcitylocal]

Hmm, Bob where do I start ??

It is a shame for a car of that age, yes. No it is not being sold, this was the first new car we bought since getting married in 1991, but it is not looked after :( In reality i think an iQ would be too good :o She has driven mine twice, the last time was when my new alloys were two weeks old and she managed to curb two of them. Needless to say she has not driven it since then ;)

Just to give you a picture, my two sons also drive the Punto, it has a black box fitted so insurance isn't too bad for four driver (two of them under 20). But it is going in to the body shop soon as between the three of them they have managed to get a scratch or dent in every panel, so I think a full re-spray will be the best option.

No, my iQ is mine all mine :)

Sorry to threadjack...can I ask about the black box, what does it do and how does it lower your insurance premium?

[sweet-dentist]

LOL

[FROSTYBALLS]

As regards black boxes, see:

http://www.theguardian.com/money/2011/apr/23/car-insurance-smartbox-young-drivers

The above article is two years old, and black box insurance is offered by several companies now - some also offer black box insurance to drivers outside the typical young driver age range.

[Soeley]

Yes as Frosty has posted above. Ours is with the Co-op mentioned in that article. I think the first year of adding our eldest son as a new driver aged 18, the premium went up bt £800 to what my wife was paying and me as a named driver. Which I don't think is bad at all when you here about people having to pay two to three thousand pounds. He also get to build up his no claim bonus as well. When my younest son was added to the policy last year it went up by about £400, he also gets his own NCB.

It gives parent piece of mind as well as we can log on to an online dashboard and view the scoring and it will tell you if the car has been speeding or not. The box can also be used as a tracker should the car be stolen.

[surfcitylocal]

Thank you for the explanation. We can get the on board camera recorders here but it has no impact on our insurance premiums. Maybe someday...