Fiat Grande Punto: Another snapped coil spring.
Discussion
I have a late 2006 Grande Punto 90bhp 1.2 Multijet which I've owned from November 2007. It was an Ex Demo car with 8.5K. .
A few years back whilst under warranty, I kept hearing noises from the passenger side front suspension area. The dealer had a look but didn't find anything wrong. On the way home, I heard a grating noise from the drivers side front suspension. I turned back and told the dealer of the noise. I got a call the next day saying the spring had snapped which was replaced. The car ONLY had 25K on the clock. Today (35K on the clock), I heard a metallic clunking noise whilst driving. I called a mate who's a Fiat mechanic and fortunately for me, he was working. He had a look and noticed the passenger side front spring has snapped.
Are these springs made of Tagliatelle? It's been a fantastic motor even with the awful 80's type turbo lag and a couple of tiny faults over the years but the spring situation is taking the proverbial. I avoid potholes when I can and never drive fast over speed bumps so what's the problem? I'm not paying £80+ for one spring so I've ordered a set of Eibach -30mm springs for £180. Called my insurance company today and told them why I'm getting the uprated parts and luckily I only need to pay £15 admin fee. No rise in insurance. Didn't expect that.
Still bloody wound up though.
A few years back whilst under warranty, I kept hearing noises from the passenger side front suspension area. The dealer had a look but didn't find anything wrong. On the way home, I heard a grating noise from the drivers side front suspension. I turned back and told the dealer of the noise. I got a call the next day saying the spring had snapped which was replaced. The car ONLY had 25K on the clock. Today (35K on the clock), I heard a metallic clunking noise whilst driving. I called a mate who's a Fiat mechanic and fortunately for me, he was working. He had a look and noticed the passenger side front spring has snapped.
Are these springs made of Tagliatelle? It's been a fantastic motor even with the awful 80's type turbo lag and a couple of tiny faults over the years but the spring situation is taking the proverbial. I avoid potholes when I can and never drive fast over speed bumps so what's the problem? I'm not paying £80+ for one spring so I've ordered a set of Eibach -30mm springs for £180. Called my insurance company today and told them why I'm getting the uprated parts and luckily I only need to pay £15 admin fee. No rise in insurance. Didn't expect that.
Still bloody wound up though.
The OSF spring failing would have put more pressure on the NS spring, and you're usually advised to replace springs as a pair; if the repair was done under warranty this likely won't have been done.
Lots of vehicles suffer broken coil springs, and it's not that uncommon; all it may take is a stone flicking up, chipping a spring, rust sets in, weakening the spring, and it is then liable to break. Basically, having two different springs fail on a seven year old car isn't hugely surprising.
Your mileage confuses me a little as well; the vehicle was purchased in Nov 2007 on 8.5k, yes? The first spring went "a few years ago" and the car was on 25k. You've only covered ten thousand miles since the first spring failed, despite covering seventeen thousand miles between purchase and the end of the warranty period, around the latter part of 2009, which suggests a change in how the vehicle is being used, perhaps a change of circumstance, such as house move?
Lots of vehicles suffer broken coil springs, and it's not that uncommon; all it may take is a stone flicking up, chipping a spring, rust sets in, weakening the spring, and it is then liable to break. Basically, having two different springs fail on a seven year old car isn't hugely surprising.
Your mileage confuses me a little as well; the vehicle was purchased in Nov 2007 on 8.5k, yes? The first spring went "a few years ago" and the car was on 25k. You've only covered ten thousand miles since the first spring failed, despite covering seventeen thousand miles between purchase and the end of the warranty period, around the latter part of 2009, which suggests a change in how the vehicle is being used, perhaps a change of circumstance, such as house move?
SimianWonder said:
The OSF spring failing would have put more pressure on the NS spring, and you're usually advised to replace springs as a pair; if the repair was done under warranty this likely won't have been done.
Lots of vehicles suffer broken coil springs, and it's not that uncommon; all it may take is a stone flicking up, chipping a spring, rust sets in, weakening the spring, and it is then liable to break. Basically, having two different springs fail on a seven year old car isn't hugely surprising.
Your mileage confuses me a little as well; the vehicle was purchased in Nov 2007 on 8.5k, yes? The first spring went "a few years ago" and the car was on 25k. You've only covered ten thousand miles since the first spring failed, despite covering seventeen thousand miles between purchase and the end of the warranty period, around the latter part of 2009, which suggests a change in how the vehicle is being used, perhaps a change of circumstance, such as house move?
Apologies. I meant 15K. The first spring went literally two months before the warranty expired. My mileage is mostly driving to Banbury, Darlington and mainly A roads and Motorways. I live in north London. Lots of vehicles suffer broken coil springs, and it's not that uncommon; all it may take is a stone flicking up, chipping a spring, rust sets in, weakening the spring, and it is then liable to break. Basically, having two different springs fail on a seven year old car isn't hugely surprising.
Your mileage confuses me a little as well; the vehicle was purchased in Nov 2007 on 8.5k, yes? The first spring went "a few years ago" and the car was on 25k. You've only covered ten thousand miles since the first spring failed, despite covering seventeen thousand miles between purchase and the end of the warranty period, around the latter part of 2009, which suggests a change in how the vehicle is being used, perhaps a change of circumstance, such as house move?
Ahh, that makes a little more sense. Sadly though, doesn't really change the fact that having a spring fail after seven years isn't that uncommon anymore. Whether that's down to manufacturers user lower quality parts, or just a further indictment on the awful quality of our roads is up for debate, but something to ponder; in the last twelve months I've purchased five tyres, despite only having travelled around four thousand miles. Why? Two because they were down to just over 2mm, but three of them were changed because they were misshapen, suffering from bulges or the like, I suspect caused by the growing number of pot holes on the local roads here in Norfolk.
SimianWonder said:
Ahh, that makes a little more sense. Sadly though, doesn't really change the fact that having a spring fail after seven years isn't that uncommon anymore. Whether that's down to manufacturers user lower quality parts, or just a further indictment on the awful quality of our roads is up for debate, but something to ponder; in the last twelve months I've purchased five tyres, despite only having travelled around four thousand miles. Why? Two because they were down to just over 2mm, but three of them were changed because they were misshapen, suffering from bulges or the like, I suspect caused by the growing number of pot holes on the local roads here in Norfolk.
You're correct regarding the state of our roads. After the snow a few years back, the council resurfaced half of my road and to this day the other half has had the potholes filled in.......badly. Five tyres! That's crazy. I did take note regarding what you said earlier about how springs can be damaged in certain ways which does make a lot of sense. Didn't really think of it like that to be honest. And you were 100% correct that they only changed one spring as it was under warranty. Must admit, I'm looking forward to seeing what the Eibachs will be like.
Happened to me on a few cars
See the following thread
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
PS upgrade to Eibach springs for a better ride in the Fiat and funny enough , have never had one of those break
See the following thread
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
PS upgrade to Eibach springs for a better ride in the Fiat and funny enough , have never had one of those break
arguti said:
Happened to me on a few cars
See the following thread
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
PS upgrade to Eibach springs for a better ride in the Fiat and funny enough , have never had one of those break
Thanks for the link. So, it seems to be a lot of the newer Fiats. When I worked at Fiat during the days of the Coupe, MK 2 Punto and Bravo/a, they didn't have any problems regarding the suspension (none that I can recall anyway.)See the following thread
http://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&a...
PS upgrade to Eibach springs for a better ride in the Fiat and funny enough , have never had one of those break
I'm awaiting the Eibachs to turn up and hopefully soon as I'm going to the States for a week then after that I need the car for a lengthy drive.
So, the Eibachs have been delivered and fitted and I must say, what a difference.
The handling is much better, as is the ride on a lot of rubbish roads and the 30mm drop looks the part. Even the speed humps on my road feel better but there's more interior rattle and squeaks now
It couldn't have happened at a better time as the rear one was on the way out.
The handling is much better, as is the ride on a lot of rubbish roads and the 30mm drop looks the part. Even the speed humps on my road feel better but there's more interior rattle and squeaks now
It couldn't have happened at a better time as the rear one was on the way out. Gassing Station | Alfa Romeo, Fiat & Lancia | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff