Well, I have been living with my Fiat for a couple of months now and I’ve covered 4,000 miles in it, so I figured it was time for an update.
The cam belt change went well. The car was on 74,000 miles when it was done, and there are a lot of people hiding away on Fiat forums that would tell you that I’m a very lucky guy to have got away with it. They’d have you believe that Fiats will snap the belts after 30K-40K. It’s like anything, you might be unlucky and get a belt with a microscopic flaw, but you probably won’t. The official change point advised by Fiat UK is 72K, whereas in Europe it’s 75K. I had a good look at the belt that came off, and it was in pretty good shape. Probably would have done fine for another 20K miles. My specialist reckons 60,000 is a sensible interval, and he knows what he’s doing. A friend of mine has just changed the cam belt on her Focus for the first time…..148k miles!! I would never recommend risking it like that, but changing every 30k is simply overkill.
Unfortunately, the plastic shield that covers the cambelt managed to warp slightly and foul the auxillary drive belt, the end result being a totally shredded aux drive belt and an undriveable Fiat Coupe. The aux belt runs the power steering pump and the alternator, so driving a great distance wasn’t an option. I limped it to my parents home and the following day called the AA, who took the car on a truck to Lui’s in Somerton, where he diagnosed the problem and fitted a new drive belt. He clipped the plastic cover slightly at the bottom so it wouldn’t happen again, and didn’t charge me a penny. So, very pleased with his service.
I’ve since had the car serviced with new plugs, fluids and filters, and it is running sweet. The next job is the clutch, which is a little worn. It’s fine with normal driving, and even driving at speed, but if you put foot straight to floor in 3rd or higher it just slips the clutch. I’ve been quoted £435 to get it done at a specialist in Exeter, which seems reasonable to me.
The other issues I’ve noticed are that the steering rack is a little worn. This isn’t a problem that needs any immediate attention. Also, the radiator doesn’t look too healthy, so I may need to sort that out before too much longer.
I have a bit of expense with the car, but I was expecting that, and once I’ve taken care of these bits then I know it’s sound. There’s always a price to pay for peace of mind. By the time I’m finished with the car it will be immaculate.
For anyone considering buying one of these cars, I would recommend you allocate a budget to it and prepare yourself for costly maintenance. Personally, I think it’s totally worthwhile – there’s nothing else you can buy for this money with the same looks and performance.
Great read !!
marek