Vroooooom!!!!

[dollywobbler]

What he's saying is that oil, especially old thicker oil, is so gloopy when cold that you need the engine to have part-throttle so it doesn't stall. Doesn't affect modern cars so much as their oil is like water anyway!

[M'coli]

I'll just get me coat!

[dollywobbler]

Was I right? I don't do technical! I'm sure the throttle is to overcome the oil but the richening of the mixture is to overcome the stickiness of petrol to cold manifold sides. Probably.

[whitevanman]

Now I remember reading something about why the engine runs at fast idle on the choke regarding oil film shear strength, but it could also be related to having enough gas speed to prevent petrol falling out of the airstream and pooling in the manifold.

I'm sorry, what language are you speaking?

techanese

[M'coli]

Was I right? I don't do technical! I'm sure the throttle is to overcome the oil but the richening of the mixture is to overcome the stickiness of petrol to cold manifold sides. Probably.

I don't even know if I'm right! I like WVM's "Tecanese"!

[504GL]

Was I right? I don't do technical! I'm sure the throttle is to overcome the oil but the richening of the mixture is to overcome the stickiness of petrol to cold manifold sides. Probably.

I would have thought that if the mixture was too rich then you'd get more borewash, fuel condensing on bits etc etc. I speak a dangerous dialect of tecanese, I have a little bit of knowledge, just enough for me to sound like I know what I'm talking about but not enough to know what I'm actually talking about

[504GL]

Personally I don't take my 405 above 2000rpm until the thermostat has opened. Agreed on the running-in thing, it feels odd - my (only) company car (a Saab, funnily enough) didn't have an oil change until 19,000 miles after it was delivered. Bet what came out of the sump looked nice!

My 500 is meant to do 18k miles between services, it's only done 7.5k since new and TBH I'm considering just doing a change myself as I really don't think it can be a good idea for the car to run with the same oil for the first 12 months/18k miles.

[saabhappy]

18k oil changes sound great in theory, but being old, old-fashioned and cautious I don't fancy having the same oil in my pottering-about car after 3 years. Before I get mullered for being totally out of touch with modern engineering, yes, I know, but it still doesn't feel right and that's what matters.

[504GL]

18k oil changes sound great in theory, but being old, old-fashioned and cautious I don't fancy having the same oil in my pottering-about car after 3 years. Before I get mullered for being totally out of touch with modern engineering, yes, I know, but it still doesn't feel right and that's what matters.

To be fair Fiat says 2 years or 18k miles but like you I still don't feel right about that! I'm not just keeping my car till just before the first MOT, I want to keep it till it rusts away so spending a bit extra on oil now will save me on needing a rebuild in the future.

[dollywobbler]

We took a Fiesta to a main dealer for a 12,000 mile service. They checked the oil level but didn't replace it! Standard procedure apparently. Wonder what they charge for that level of service...

[504GL]

We took a Fiesta to a main dealer for a 12,000 mile service. They checked the oil level but didn't replace it! Standard procedure apparently. Wonder what they charge for that level of service...

Well I'm not taking mine to a main dealer. I'm buying myself a load of genuine parts online and then I'll just take it to a local VAT registered garage with oil, filters and plugs in the boot and at least I know they'll do a proper job and actually change bits.

[saabhappy]

We took a Fiesta to a main dealer for a 12,000 mile service. They checked the oil level but didn't replace it! Standard procedure apparently. Wonder what they charge for that level of service...

Well I'm not taking mine to a main dealer. I'm buying myself a load of genuine parts online and then I'll just take it to a local VAT registered garage with oil, filters and plugs in the boot and at least I know they'll do a proper job and actually change bits.

AND you'll have the choice of what oil and brand of parts are going into your car.

[504GL]

We took a Fiesta to a main dealer for a 12,000 mile service. They checked the oil level but didn't replace it! Standard procedure apparently. Wonder what they charge for that level of service...

Well I'm not taking mine to a main dealer. I'm buying myself a load of genuine parts online and then I'll just take it to a local VAT registered garage with oil, filters and plugs in the boot and at least I know they'll do a proper job and actually change bits.

AND you'll have the choice of what oil and brand of parts are going into your car.

TBH for oil and filters I'm just going to buy genuine filters and Selenia oil so Fiat have no reason to weasel out of any warranty claim. I don't fidure on having any engine problems in the first 3 years but sods law says I will and if I've used some perfectly good oil from another manufacturer then Fiat are going to tell me to get bent. As for pads, discs etc i'll just buy whatever I want and not pay extortionate rates Though to be fair you can buy a pair of genuine front disc for the 500 for less than £20 which isn't too bad I guess.

[r.welfare]

My understanding of EU Block Exemption (which stops manufacturers from forcing you to use their agents to honour warranty claims) is that genuine parts must be used, and the official servicing/maintenance schedule must be adhered to.The former should be straightforward, as you say, but I wonder how you prove the latter - where are your independent going to get the official service schedule from? Will Autodata suffice, or will they be forced to buy official Fiat software? Or a £2 bootleg CD-ROM from eBay?Independent question like, I'm not poo-pooing the idea at all (it makes more sense to use a trusted independent if you want things done properly in my opinion!), just wondering how Fiat might still weasel out of a potential warranty claim given that servicing is pretty much the most profitable revenue stream for main agents these days.

[504GL]

My understanding of EU Block Exemption (which stops manufacturers from forcing you to use their agents to honour warranty claims) is that genuine parts must be used, and the official servicing/maintenance schedule must be adhered to.

 

The former should be straightforward, as you say, but I wonder how you prove the latter - where are your independent going to get the official service schedule from? Will Autodata suffice, or will they be forced to buy official Fiat software? Or a £2 bootleg CD-ROM from eBay?

 

Independent question like, I'm not poo-pooing the idea at all (it makes more sense to use a trusted independent if you want things done properly in my opinion!), just wondering how Fiat might still weasel out of a potential warranty claim given that servicing is pretty much the most profitable revenue stream for main agents these days.

Fiat are kind enough to supply the warranty schedule in the service booklet. I suspect it's an EU requirement to supply this of course. I may still call the local Fiat garage and see what they're willing to offer when pushed on price, but going off the service plan they offered me it won't be cheap and I'll be going to an independent.

 

 

I was pretty gobsmacked when I got that I must say!

[Mr Lobster]

Fuggin 'ell. £877 for three services to 30k miles

[504GL]

Fuggin 'ell. £877 for three services to 30k miles

Yeah! I did think about sending a letter back saying how unreasonable it was and all. The silly thing is I quite like the dealer and the sales and service people have always been quite good to me. They repaired a problem with the poxy washer jets while I waited. So I really would like the car to go there and get worked on my someone who knows the car and any little idiosyncrasisies it may have, tis also nice to have dealer stamps too. But it isn't worth nearly £900 for 3 services!No doubt some people still take them up on the offer of course but not me.

[garbaldy]

Fuggin 'ell. £877 for three services to 30k miles

that sounds fair price after all it will take 12 spark plugs 3 filters and 14 odd litres off good quality engine oil

[trigger]

I got shafted by a main dealer service once, the one and only time i ever used a sealer as well.It was my old Focus TDCi, It had full Ford history so i stupidly thought it will help it's resell value by going dealer again for the 60k/3 year service, It cost me £180 and for that they changed my oil and filter! and they wanted to charge me a extra £30 to change my brake fluid.On the plus side i got a free tin of imperial mint.

[504GL]

Fuggin 'ell. £877 for three services to 30k miles

that sounds fair price after all it will take 12 spark plugs 3 filters and 14 odd litres off good quality engine oil

For the 500 3 services would be 12 plugs3 air filters3 oil filters3 pollen filters9 litres of oilSome brake fluidAdjustment of the tappets every 18k miles that's assuming it does 18k miles each year as well, if it does less you can leave it longerI can order it all online for £250.54 and I can get a 10% discount on that too. So £225 for the parts for a full 3 years of servicing by the book isn't too bad IMHO for 54k of motoring. What is that? Half a penny per mile in service parts or something silly? My dealer can sod off if they think I'm going to pay £600 just for labour on 3 services!!!!!!!!

[woolleyiain]

I am main dealer service, (Mazda / Subaru), a major service with us would run you about 250 quid (plugs / coolant replaced / tranny fluid service / battery service / LOF / diffs done / transfer case service / wiper blades / tcm / ecm reprom / air filter / pollen filter / brake fluid flushed / fuel filter / a good wash.

 

Subaru recommend that lot every 30k in the US, and an oil change every 3,750 miles. Yet in the UK it's 20k / 12 months for an oil change - but the engines are the same. I don't get it....