Fiat Linea 1.4 FIRE Emotion Pack

5th February, 2010

Crossed 15,000 kms 2-3 days back.

Thanks Fiat for Reminding me on 15K kms service !! Smart little thing. That Spanner sign on MIS is still displaying. When it displayed First time, I thought something is wrong with the car & was going to stop by to check. Then I remembered it could be service reminder. Is it?
Service Appointment was for tomorrow. Had to cancel it & scheduled it on next Friday. By then the ODO will be over-16,500 kms. Why? Shall share later...

[attachment=0:1m3730qa]2010-01-24-005.jpg[/attachment:1m3730qa]

Yes. Its Goa trip planned suddenly :-D . Shall update about it later in a separate travelouge in Travel Experiences section.

Since coolant level was decreasing, I had to go to TASS day-before. Guess what? They don't sell this Linea's ParaFlu or any other item Over the counter. Job card needs to be made. When I first asked to add coolant, the guy came with a huge Can of some generic coolant which they use to top up in Indica/go. I asked for Orangish ParaFlu 1 ltr bottle & said balance remaining will be retained by me (just in case its needed during the journey)

12th February, 2010

16,599 kms & it was time to head for TASS for 2nd service. Left my car at TASS today for 2nd service. Prior to going there, listed down following items to be done:

• 2nd Free service - Engine Oil change, Air Filter, Fuel Filter, Oil Filter Change, Pollen Filter change etc
• Central Fascia/ AC Grill change Under Warranty - 2 vertical clips in Central left side grill seem to have broken screws/ clips inside - not moving with other clips. Also, Hazard light button panel was slightly misaligned.
• Cowl (entire plastic panel on bonnet where Wipers are housed) to change - Left side corner was not fixed properly as inside clip seems to have bent - it needed fixing by a push regularly & finally that corner is broken. No risk because of it - its a small corner. But does not like the look so wanted to change it under warranty.
• Coolant leakage to be checked & fixed.
• Small scratches on door opening edges need to be touched up as paint is scratched & metal is visible. Very small small dots due to door opening hitting walls or other outer surfaces.
• Front door on the car body side, there is a rubber bushing/ "dutti" which is missing since beginning.
• Brakes jaddering sometimes on uneven surfaces/ potholes as if ABS is kicking in.
• Fuse Lid - Alignment was messed up last time at TASS when they checked the wiring. Inside small round shape hole was partially seen & was looking like something broken inside.
• Wiper Blade change under warranty - leaving thin water lines while cleaning
• Tyre rotation

And this time as planned I went to Fortune Cars, Powai (where entire team of Anuroop, earlier Fiat dealer, has shifted) instead of Wasan Motors, Kandivali.

 

13th February, 2010

Got 30 minutes late & could reach Fortune cars only by 10.30 am. Dedicated Fiat SA was busy with a customer with 1 more customer to be attended to before me. Spent 45 minutes checking 2010 Linea & with 3M guy for details on exterior treatments.

SA came, prepared the Job card, understood the list I had given & said may be car can be given back next day because of long list. I insisted as most of the items were small. He relented & said by evening he'll call me.

Called SA at 5 pm. He said everything is done, just 1-2 small items & washing are being carried out & I can collect the car by 6.15 pm . Reached there at 6.15 pm, had to wait as paperwork of 2-3 customers were going on. Meanwhile overlooked my car. Following are update on work done:

• 2nd Free service done - Engine Oil changed, Oil filter changed, AC Pollen filter changed, Air & Fuel filter cleaned.
• Coolant leakage - Solved. Thermostat (cost Rs. 1,184/-) was not working. Changed under warranty. Coolant topped up under warranty because of that.
• Central Fascia - Found that its not changed. Asked Technician. He said they did not understand what was to be done. I said I explained & even shown it to SA. He said he'll change it right away. He went inside but could come back only with a brown color fascia instead of E-pack silver color one. Silver color one was not available. Then he also revealed that there are 2 small metal screws which attaches hazard button panel with the fascia from inside. These screws are hardly available & usually the other TASS use bigger screws. Hence sometimes the button panel tend to misalign over a period of time which has happened in my car. He got the silver fascia & 2 small screws ordered from Fiat & shall call me once arrive - Pending
• Cowl (entire plastic panel on bonnet where Wipers are housed) to change - Not changed. Not covered under warranty. Have to try further.
• Paint touch up - not done as paint booth is located separately at Vikhroli - Pending
• Rubber bushing on the driver side car body where front door closes - not available. He clicked pictuire & said he'll order it - Pending
• Brakes jaddering sometimes on potholes - He said its not a problem & its ABS kicking in. I said ABS kicking in tolerance level seems to have reduced as earlier it seldom used to kick in & not on such circumstances. He said it happens with the running of the vehicle & brake pad wear over a period of time.
• Fuse Lid alignment - Done. Perfect now
• Wiper Blade change - not done. He said he has cleaned it & sorted out. Forgot to check it but later found that slight lines are still being left while cleaning. Shall get it changed next visit. No hurry as monsoon is far away.
• Tyre Roatation - done

Additionally, they've again changed Clutch Slave Cylinder. I said, I already got it changed last month at Wasan Motors. He said it was not updated in the system & system was still showing its pending to be changed. Car has become super smooth which it was not when CSC was changed earlier. The gear now slots in much more smoother than earlier.

Overall, a very good job done though a few items are still pending (small items & am ok to do it later).

This anuroop team is professional & it can be seen in the job done & also technical knowledge while one interacts with them.

The sweetest part of the entire 2nd Service was the BILL. How much? Only Rs. 2674/- total including taxes & VAT

So, my maintenance expense on my Linea till now in 10 months & 16,600 kms is Rs. 2,749/- (Rs. 75/- in 1st service) except for accidental insurance expenses. Sweet. Really Sweet.

[attachment=0:1av4g7dk]2010-02-11-000.jpg[/attachment:1av4g7dk]
[attachment=1:1av4g7dk]2010-02-11-002.jpg[/attachment:1av4g7dk]

SA asked me to get brakes checked at around 20-21K kms.

2 items I missed to write earlier:

• Wheel Alignment : While preparing the Job card, SA said Wheel Aligmnet & Balancing are chargeable. I argued that Alignment is part of 2nd free service & balancing could be understood to be charged as not mentioned in service schedule. He insisted that Alignment is also chargeable & asked them to skip it. I then realised that what SA is saying might be true as its mentioned only in the schedule exactly like engine oil change, oil / pollen filter change are mentioned & could be chargeable similarly. I insisted & said do it only if its non-chargeable. He agreed & did it.

• Headlight adjusment : I felt both low & high beams to be on lower side & asked them to adjust it to slightly upper side from inside screws. They did it. CAUTION: However, he mentioned that changing it manually would put some stress on the motor which adjusts the headlight from inside buttons on the panel beneath steerring on right hand side. However, he said he'll do it to a point where it does not stress the motor & did it. The beams are comfortable now

I must give it to Fortune Cars Fiat (originally Anuroop) service team. My Linea is now super smooth, comparison as below:

After 1st service, the difference in driveability/ smoothness was only a bit
When I changed Engine Oil & Oil Filter & cleaned Air Filter at 7700 kms, again the change was onyl a bit

When I replced Clutch Slave Cylinder with new one, the gear shift was initially smoother, but I felt considerable loss of power somehow. I felt I needed to downshift more as compared to earlier. The speed with which I earlier used to run 4th or 5th gear now I had to downshift to 3rd or 2nd gear. Considerable difference. After sometimes, the smoothness increased but still power loss was there as compared to earlier.

After 2nd service & CSC changed again (may be properly now?), now the car flies as smooth as butter. It runs peppily & just a tap on the pedal on 5th gear surges the car ahead. e.g. today morning while coming to the office thro the same route, I was able to run the car in 5th gear 80% of the time which originally was 30-40% & got reduced to 15-20% after 1st time CSC change. I also could run the car in 5th gear at 25-30 kmph speed today without any lugging or considerable loss of power.

Excellent worksmanship by Fortune team & I would recommend it to Mumbai Linea/Punto owners anyday.

2 things:

1. SA told me about the brake juddering that Brake pads may need to be changed at around 20-21,000 kms. I asked why so soon, he says mine are still good else its to be changed at 16-17,000 kms. I did not paid attention as I did not believe in it so do not remember whether he said brake pad or something related to brake. However, after coming back I checked on the web. COuple of guys got their Linea's brake pads changed at around 19-20,000 kms. Isn't it so soon? I don't think my Linea's brakes pad would need a change at 20K kms looking at the current braking efficiency. What say guys ?

2. Yday while coming back home from office, the roads were free of traffic hence came at higher speeds at around 60-70 kmph. At few points of time I felt body roll for the 1st time in my Linea. This is so unlike Linea that I stopped & checked for puncture. THis could be due to the tyre rotation which I got done in 2nd service. But then they said they did the wheel alignment? May be I might need to do balancing. In any case, I prefer Wheel Alignment & Balancing to be done outside from TASS at specific alignment centres. Am going to observe it for a week. What say, guys?

Actually, roll would not be the right word. What I experienced is even on straight road, the car was straying i.e. not going straight & was felling that it was straying left, right, left, right etc kind of zigzag pattern. This happened at high speeds. At low speed absolutely no effect. Today morning I did not experience it but then the speed was much much lower as there was heavy traffic.
Imdtly after leaving TASS, I got air checked & filled in all tyres. 36 psi in front & 34 psi in rear. THis is slightly lower than what I've been filling since last at a petrol pump 1 month - 36 psi in all 4 tyres. Could the guage of the bunk be not calibrated accurately? Shall have to check if the effect sustains.

13th February, 2010

Did 2 Highway Drives in my Linea in last 15 days . Everytime I took her on Highways, its superb Ride & Handling, Accurate responding steering, Surefootedness, Stability, Excellent & precise brakes amazes me.

On 30th Jan' 10, went on a Lonavala Dinner drive with a certain group of like-minded friends :-D (amit, punter, Grandeur, Chaos) which actually later turned out to saw the seeds of TeamFiat.co.in. Left Mumbai at 6.30 pm, had dinner at Sunny da dhaba & came back reached home at around 1 am. It was a sight on the ExpressWay - 1 Red Linea & 3 Red Punto's going in a line :-D . These 4 cars & the 5 th Blue Punto (punter from Pune) parked side-by-side at Sunny-da-dhaba also invoked curious glances from onlookers. On our return journey, Chaos Punto needed to get refuled, took break & got delayed by 30 minutes. So, we decided to go a bit fast. It was after 11 pm & we both zigzaged between traffic on ExpressWay at around 140-150 kmph. Amazing stability & Ride/ Handling.

The 2nd trip was Bombay to Goa last week. posting here car-related stuff first. The details & Goa pics later in a separate thread in Travel Experiences section !!!

The route taken was Mumbai-Pune-Kolhapur-Nipani-Ajra-Amboli-Sawantwadi-Mapusa-Baga beach.

Total Kms one way - 605 kms
FE with 100% AC ON - 14.5 kmpl (on MID)

While coming back, took the scenic old NH-17 route. Though I had a vague idea, Called a forum friend to confirm the exact route. Its Baga-Mapusa-Sawantwadi-kudal-kankavali-rajapur-sangameshwar-chiplun-khed-poladpur-mahad-mangaon-kolad-vadkhal naka-pen-panvel. What a route !! Marvelous ! Beautiful ! The entire route is full of ghats & Scenic beauty (Konkan belt). It was extreme pleasure of manuevering Linea on such hairpin bends with precise & fast but surefooted drive. Mind-blowing. :clapping

Total kms covered return journey - 580 kms
FE with 100% AC ON - 14.4 kmpl (on MID)
Entire trip was covered in - 1380 kms (186 kms in Goa city)
FE (incl within city) - 13.5 kmpl (on MID)

Beauty On the Beach-Bombay to Goa in Linea-Part 2-Feb'10 is here--->> Beauty on the Beach - Bombay to Goa - Fiat Linea - PART 2-Feb'10

 

25th February 2010

Fiat is responding with lightening fast speed on some issues I raised with TASS delaying solution of pending items from 2nd service which I got done a few days back !! Shall post details later.
Just got the Blue & Me software updated to 5.04.11 version. The source link is -> http://www.fiat.co.uk/blueandme/

• Downloaded the software update Zip file (5_5_01 Blue&Me MAP Update Package Signed.zip) on PC Harddisk
• Extracted the Zip file in a separate folder e.g. D:\Blue&Me
• There are 6 files extracted – install.inf, 82up, C82E.cab, C82S_v11.cab, COU.pku, DEU.pku
• Took a blank USB stick formatted in FAT32 format
• Copied all 6 files onto USB stick on the root i.e. without any folder
• Deleted paired device Blue&Me from my cell phone Nokia CDMA 6265
• Went to car. Inserted key & turned it to MAR position but did not start the engine.
• Pressed steering button on right with phone symbol, went to settings -> Users data & deleted ALL users data. Deleted ALL Users from the same path
• Moved key back to the default STOP position.
• Inserted USB stick (containing those 6 files) to USB drive inside the glovebox
• Started the radio to clear the MID
• Turned the key to MAR position.
• Blue & Me lady (Lina !!) said “Update started” with message showing on MID
• After a few minutes wait, MID shon “re starting” & radio started playing again.
• Waited for almost 5 minutes. Nothing happened. Was almost tempted to turn off the key & pull out the USB stick but since there was no voice message (& also on MID) saying Update Completed, I decided to wait a few minutes.
• Voila !! MID shown “re starting” again, shown “installing”. It went on repeatedly for some time.
• Finally, Lina said Update Completed. The same message is also displayed on MID.
• Turn the key back to STOP position & took out the USB stick.
• Paired my mobile again.

Have not checked for any changes yet. There was an item “DEVICE UPDATE” in the Settings or Menu which should be now removed. Shall check & update later.

There is a log.txt file generated on USB stick with following contents. If you want to use the same USB stick again to update on any other car, you’ll have to remove this log.txt file:

Device ID: 0x0014 0913 4871
Detected:
Build = 8140
Hw = C1
P_Img = 0
8140_PT
SMS_r update step 1 done...
Updated to: BuildNumber = 9096
SMS_r update step 2 done...

 

27th February 2010

Bravo Fiat !!!

I got my Linea's 2nd Free service done on 12th Feb'10 at Fortune Motors, Powai. They did fantastic work & though there were quite a few pending issues which they did not resolved, I was quite pleased with their workmanship.

However, TASS did not do anything for a week for the pending items & the unavailable part. Next week when I followed up I got a feeling that they are taking it very casually and are not doing anything substantial to get the part which is a common part. After 3-4 days of same story, I got very irritated & shot a mail to TASS. No response. After 2-3 days I shot another mail to TASS but this time cc to Fiat's staff- Mangesh Kodalkar & also Corporate Quality Officer who has always helped.

Next day Mangesh called me. Thereafter, another Fiat officer called followed by 3-4 calls from TASS. TASS also responded to my mails. Next day I was informed that they have acquired the part & I can take my car. I went there today & got everything resolved.

Details as under:

List of pending items were:
• Central Fascia - to order & to fix
• Coolant leakage was mentioned as a major issue in 2nd service. TASS diagnosed that the reason for leakage is Thermostat failure & changed it. Result ? - Coolant leakage was still there when I checked after a week.
• Wiper Blades were cleaned only - not changed
• After 2nd service, AC Fan speed has reduced drastically - Though later I felt that the reason could be that the cooling has increased due to pollen filter change & hence the fan speed could have reduced accordingly
• After 2nd service, body roll (or may be wobbling) has increased tremendously & stability / grip seems to be compromised. This is so unlike Linea which is king of Ride & Handling. As soon as the speed goes above 60 - 70 kmph or even as soon as car hits uneven road at lower speed, the car feels like wobbling a bit - not much but I could feel its not the same Linea which I used to drive at 160 kmph .
• During 2nd service, I requested for paint touch up on smallest 1 mm like spots on the door edges. This was not done as paint booth is not located at their Powai workshop but at Vikhroli. I shall have to get this done at another TASS during Fiat First Service camp on 13th/ 14th March'10
After a couple of days tele followup, I wrote a mail to GM of TASS one week after 2nd service & asked that I want to get everything done on 27th Feb'10. No response came. I continued tele-followup. Then 3 days after 1st mail, I shot another mail & this time marking cc to Mangesh & also the Corporate Quality Officer who has helped a lot always since beginning. I insisted that come what may I want to get everything done on 27th Feb as I can not come any alternate days & I want the car to be in best of health when I meet Fiat officials in Fiat first service camp

Mangesh himself called immediately after a couple of hours of my sending mail. Unfortunately, I was having Lunch & could not talk to him much but he reassured that he has completely understood the situation & is in control of it & shall ensure that all issues get resolved. It was followed by another call from a member of his team followed by 3-4 calls from TASS confirming finally that they've managed to acquire the part & I can take my car there on 27th Feb.
Meanwhile, during my several discussions with that Corporate Quality officer of Fiat, I mentioned about broken corner of the Cowl & told him that TASS said its not covered under warranty & I'm fine with it, however, it does not look good. He promised that he'll get it changed as well. I said its not my right but only if it can be done as an exception, as a favor.

And he did it. The Cowl also got changed today as an exception. The pic of broken corner of the Cowl is posted below.

[attachment=0:1x39pnik]2010-02-14-000.jpg[/attachment:1x39pnik]

Went to TASS today around 12 noon. Works manager & mechanic took the car for a TD alongwith me to understand wobbling. !st I drove & then the mechanic drove & confirmed that there is a wobbling. He suggested tyre change from GoodYear :confused . I said 17,000 kms is too early for tyre change. Works Manager said they'll solve it. I suggested different pattern of Tyre rotation. During 2nd service tyre rotation was done in X pattern. I suggested what if they do not do it in X pattern & if front right tyre is placed in rear right & likewise on left without changing side. He said it could solve the issue.

Following is the status of the items done:
• Central Fascia changed (with 2 small metal screws )
• Cowl changed
• Coolant Hose pipes changed. Coolant topped up.
• Wheel rotation & alignment done. Could not check it as could not drive at high speeds coming back. Though it looks to be restored to earlier excellent ride & handling qualities. Shall have to observe.
• Total Bill - Rs. 30/- for some hose clips :-D
• Central Fascia (Rs. 1234/-), Hose pipe assembly (Rs. 569/-), Coolant top up (Rs. 213/-) done under warranty/ FoC

What I observed is tie-up with Tata is the best thing FIat has done under the circumstances & is working well. In this case & several such cases, Fiat is able to exert pressure on TASS indicating that they have some kind of mechanism/ process by which they' re in control of such service situations. On the other hand, Tata is also gaining enormously from tie-up in terms of technology transfers. Its Manza is hailed as a big leap towards technology advancement. Tata is also now using Fiat's both Petrol (FIRE) & Diesel (MultiJet) engines in its cars. It seems Win-win situation & when its Win-Win, the tie-up goes stronger & stronger.

 

11 March, 2010

I was all along wondering how Fiat is inviting ALL Linea/ Punto customers for their Free Service camps. I did not have any communication, 15-20 days back I put in my contact details on their webpage service camp page & also asked how am I missing all their similar communications. Promptly a mail came inviting me for free service camp. However, there is no phone call.

Finally, yday a lady called from Tata Repair Shop, Worli inviting me for service camp on 13th/ 14th Mar'10. This is not the workshop I usually go. Still I confirmed. Why? Because the Corporate QUality Officer who has repeatedly helped me for any issues with my Linea is deputed to this workshop & my visit to service camp is only to meet him & show my gratitude to him. Atleast, I must do it.

Coolant leakage seems to have stopped, though yday when I checked the level, it looked 0.5-1 cm lower than what it was 20 days back. not much of a difference & it could be due to the level of the surface where car is parked. shall observe it.

Wobbling feel has almost gone after tyres are re-rotated with changing only front tyres with rear ones keeping the sides same. I mentioned "almost" as I feel its 90% of what it was. Though have yet not gone on highways taking her to 80-100 kmph speeds

AC cooling is alright. I always felt that the issue of low fan speed I observed after 2nd service could be due to improved cooling effficiency which automatically reduces the fan speed to maintain specified temp on ACC. When I went for followup TASS visit after 2nd service, the fan speed was alright, it was 12 noon with quite sunny hot day. So, though I mentioned the issue, I also mentioned my above assessment & didn't push further. THis turned out to be true as I can now feel higher/ better cooling at lower fan speed due to increased efficiency because of Pollen filter change.

13th March, 2010

I went to Tata Worli workshop today for the free service camp. Usually I go to Wasan Kandivali or Fortune Powai workshop and avoid Tata Worli Workshop. However, I wanted to meet Fiat's Corporate Quality Officer who has always helped me in any issues faced with service or anything. He was deputed to Tata Worli Workshop for the service camp. Wanted to convey him sincere thanks.

Reached at around 2 pm & promptly attended by 2 girls. Was given a token & my car is driven inside. One of the girl prepared documentation & SA handed over the checklist with some 44 points to me.

Then I spent some time with Fiat officer. There was no problem/ issue to report as such for I got 2nd service done last month. Only minute paint touchups were needed on door edges, Got it done. Bumper alignment was not proper, got it done as well.

He was shocked to see missing Fiat emblems on front & rear (replaced by a Fiat custom-made sticker) & took pics of it & said they are trying to redesign the same with some kind of nuts/ bolts/ screws which can be removed only after opening the bonnet/ boot.

Most time was taken in washing & getting the car out after it. There was a long Que. Though there was no rush being afternoon. I also met Chaos & his friend who has got Linea 3 weeks back. Surprised to see that in 3 weeks he has driven only 135 kms. There was a letter "H" displayed on his MID which is a proof that the ODO was not reset by dealer before delivery. It was reset in front of us. It can be reseted only ONCE & before 250 kms only.

They made seat cover dirty & did not bother to clean. Got hold of SA & he asked someone to clean it but it was made to look as a favour. So I asked what do they do in interior cleaning. He said just vaccum clean & dashboard / seat cover/ other interior cleaning is extra. Though he got it done as it was made dirty by them & because of such attitude, I asked the guy to clean all seats (though SA shown some resistance). I made it a point to tell him that Wasan Motors & cleans everything - including Dashboard, seat covers, interiors with respective cleaning solutions. I mentioned Fortune Cars also do it to which he said no & I remember that during 2nd service, Fortune cars did not do it. Wasan Motors does it everytime as a process even if I just go there only to get mudflap fitted.

While I was leaving, nobody bothered to handover complementary Fiat Tissue box, a few boxes of which were lying on the table in front of us. Because of Fiat branded, I wanted it & just mentioned it & picked it. The attitude of the workshop & culture sucks !!! Good I do not go there.

Finally left at 4.30 pm. The sole objective to meet that wonderful person - Fiat Officer fulfilled. Otherwise there was not much to do even top-ups as 2nd service was done just a month back.

2nd April, 2010

Next visit is planned for this month:

1. To get front & rear FIat logo fixed
2. 3M Paint Protection Treatment
3. Anti-rust treatment
4. Changing Door beading on rear right door. There are metal clips inside the beading. Clips in some beading are prone to rusting. Rear left one is perfectly fine while rear right beading has rusing inside which is spilling over to body. Body has not caught the rust, only the rust of clips are stuck to body surface beneath the beading. Spoke to Fiat. Beading will be replaced under warranty & door surface will be cleaned with Door stain remover.

 

8th April, 2010

Yesterday my daughter went for birthday celebration of a Kid in our Society. The kid's young aunt asked her several questions:

Kid's aunt: That Red car is your father's, right?
My Daughter: Yes
Kid's aunt: Which car is it?
My Daughter: Linea
Kid's Aunt: Awsome car......XX###XX
My Daughter: Thanks (with a big smile :-D )

2 things I derive out of this & similar instances:

1. Admiration Guaranteed !! Linea surely turns heads even if you do not know anything about the car. Its an ageless timeless design which I think will never look dated even after 5 years
2. People still do not know that this gorgeous car is called Linea & its from Fiat's stable. Nope, Fiat has still not reached to the mass in turms of mind-share

9th April, 2010

A Legend was born exactly a year back on this day i.e. 9th April, 2009 & the SAGA began.

Yes !! Its my Linea's 1st Birthday today.

Happy Birthday, Darling !!

You gave so much pleasure in the year. Never ever disappointed me.

You came with elegance personified with gorgeous drop-dead looks, Admiration Guaranteed.

You've also not demanded much upkeep - only Rs. 2850/- in 1 year for 19,000-odd kms - though I would have been happy to spend more

You've also not demanded any make-ups like Paint Protection & Anti-rust treatments, Sun films etc & yet look beautiful. I'm surely going to return favour by doing just this now.

You've taken me to Goa twice, Lonavala 3-4 times, Shirdi, Gujarat (Junagadh / Rajkot/ Surat) & each drive was as pleasurable as it can get.

Thank you. I Love You, my Linea !!

 

13th April, 2010

Just dispatched Fiat Roadside Assistance Form duly filled & attached with a Rs. 3,000/- cheque for enrolling in Fiat's Roadside Assistance for 50 months

Its from the experience of some Linea-owners that earlier I also assumed my car automatically covered under RSA. However, in certain discussions forums, I found it otherwise. So I explored it. What seemed to have happened is Fiat provided one-off RSA services to all for free - there are reports that Palio-owners also got RSA services in interior-Kerala for keys locked inside the car.

I vaguely remembered see some brochure of 24X7 service alongwith my Linea Manual kit received at time of delivery. Went back to it & checked. Yes, its 24X7 services but from TATA. Little check on the web revealed that Tata offers free 24X7 services (tied up with MyTVS) to every owner of Tata & Fiat vehicle. But its free only for 1st year & chargeable subsequent years - some 550 or 750/- per year. However, this service is stripped down very basic version & I'm not sure it covers as comprehensively as Fiat RSA.

Then I enquired & came to know you can avail Fiat RSA on call-basis also without becoming a member. I called Fiat RSA toll-free no. They confirmed my Car is not covered under RSA. I asked about call-basis charges, she said yes its available & charges are not fixed & varies depending upon distance/ availability of RSA vehicle etc etc. I was clear that if its Rs. 250-300/- per call, I would not enroll. But I had a hunch it could be over Rs. 750/- & then also the service is not guarenteed on call-basis (depends on availability of RSA vehicle) & won't get priority.

Then I heard someone whose Clutch Slave Cylinder got broken in Punto (he did not replace it earlier) on a highway trip some 100-150 kms away from Mumbai. He found it hard way that he is not covered under RSA though RSA offered services with towing but the charges were very high. Its such an unforeseen situation that I took a decision to enroll, even 1 such event will compensate for entire moeny for the convenience RSA offers.

21st April, 2010

Got my RSA kit today.

It was very fast & got it in less than a week of sending them the cheque. Continuous follow up did the trick.
Cheque got realised after 2-3 days of dispatch & there was no activity for 2-3 days even after realisation of cheque. I called & the next day the kit was at my doorstep

PS: RSA Start date is not from delivery date but from the date the cheque is realised

 

25th April, 2010

1 Year old baby - 20,000 kms

[attachment=5:218s6g6x]2010-04-10-003.jpg[/attachment:218s6g6x]

1 year old & still looking like a new born ? Check this out some teasers. Can we see any swirl marks ? :mrgreen:

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Some moron had done many scratches (white scratches) on both driver side doors. Check below pic. Are any scratches visible?

[attachment=2:218s6g6x]2010-04-10-011.jpg[/attachment:218s6g6x]
[attachment=1:218s6g6x]2010-04-10-006.jpg[/attachment:218s6g6x]
[attachment=0:218s6g6x]2010-04-10-009-r.JPG[/attachment:218s6g6x]


Welcome to the world of 3M !!!

 

25th April, 2010

Finally, after a long time my Linea got het "Tika" or "Mangalsutra" LOL ! How can she rise so fast from a new born?

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Since I was going to fix both logo's, somehow my eyes were focussing on other cars' logo's or the abscence of it. Was shocked to see that In the vicinity of my residence, 90% of cars' Logo's were missing/ stolen. This was the reason, I was delaying fixing it fearing it being stolen in a day.

Done some Desi Jugaad idea on the rear logoto prevent theft. Lets see tomorrow if its still there. Shall post on "how to prevent Logo getting stolen" !!! :-D

After the pics, let the story unfold. I was looking forward to the TASS visit.

1. To get front & rear FIat logo fixed
2. 3M Paint Protection Treatment
3. Anti-rust treatment
4. Changing Door beading on rear right door.
5. Wiper Change under warranty. Nothing majot. Driver side Wiper was leaving 2 faint lines while wiping water. In 2nd service they changed passenger side one but this got left & I never bothered as its very faint (not even much visible after drying) & monsoon is still far. Which other Manufacturer changes Wiper blades under warranty? The best part of Fiat in much abused A.S.S. is they never making fuss on warranty. try claiming something under warranty with Maruti or Honda.

It started with Anti-climax. I was excited but as soon as I reached TASS-Fortune Powai, my excitement died. They've shifted to another place & I was thinking this will be a new better place. What I found was a temporary arrangement in their Tata Commercial Vehicle dealership/ A.S.S. as the new place which is right next to it will get ready in 1-2 months.

You can imagine being CV A.S.S. how will it be? No space to drive the car inside, trucks coming in frequently & the cars inside have to be taken out & rearranged repeatedly. The entire car staff was also so frustrated. My advice to all Mumbaikars - Do not go to Fortune Powai for next 2 months.

Reached at around 11 am & Job card got prepared in 10 minutes. My father also came to Mumbai & came with me. Discussed the work to be done with SA, his team and also met 3M guy, Milind Kadam (what a fantastic job he has done) & discussed with him Paint Protection treatment, Surface refinement treatment & anti-rust treatments. My plan was to send my father home in cab & stay back there till evening as I wanted to see 3M treatments thoroughly. We sat in the reception lounge & then rose to see off my father. Stopped a cab & following discussion happened while entering cab'

Father: what will you do for lunch?

Me: I'll have lunch after coming back (read late evening after 6 pm)

Father: You should have taken tiffin along :confused

Me: Ha ha ha. Pls do not worry, I'll find some restaurant here

Father: This is Industrial Estate. Where will you find restaurant here?

Me: ummm mmmm :confused

Father: They will do their job. Why are you so much concerned? You looked after Ford Ikon so much & when you sold you got only Rs. 1 Lac. So what is the big deal? 1 year has gone by & you're going to keep this car only for 4 years total. Come on along & come back in evening to pick up the car, we do everything to live & to have food twice a day. Why to meddle with it.

Old Wisdom...I can't flaunt it when someone emphasize it (though on my own, many a times I do flaunt it albeit with a guily feel- I've a great respect for old wisdom & can't just undermine it). So I also hopped in the cab. The day was so hot & Fortune Powai is some 15-16 kms away from my residence. Wifey prepared "Aamras" of Kesar mangoes.

Had lunch & with a full stomach had an afternoon nap in cool confines of A.C

While coming back, I was thinking what a lousy experience it was & was in grim mood with very low expectation from TASS this time.

Got up at 4.30 p.m. & left home at 4.45 pm & reached there at 5.30 pm.

Saw my car with 3M wax buffed (but yet to be cleaned) moving out as a truck inside was coming out. The car came out went on the left side of the road for 100 meters came back taking a U turn & waited on the road. Truck is not coming out. Traffic pressure & the car had to go further ahead, take another U turn from opposit side now & again waited. Finally came inside. I made initial inspection & WHOA all scratches have gone, almost all - 99% of them gone. I went to this TASS this time only because of this 3M guy as amongst all TASS I make it a point to visit 3M desk to discuss & observe their work and during my earlier visits I found this guy to be the most competant. My decision to stick to him also turned out to be the right one. I complemented him. He said even the Works Manager (who is very difficult to please) also was very pleased & made a comment that he took extra care & made my Linea as good as a New one. Earlier while evaluating 3M vs WAXOYL & later to decide between Paint Protection & Surface Refinement I had spoken to Mumbai Manager of 3M several times in last 1 year which I told this 3M guy Milind in the morning. Also after coming back home, I kept on calling him. All these seem to have made some difference. He said he himself did a few jobs on my car which he generally do not do being a supervisor.

All door beadings replaced, Driver Side Wiper replaced & both the Logo's Fixed. All the jobs were already done which I did not expect. The poor SA took me & shown me the earlier 4 beadings & wiper. I said no need, I do not go to such a length to verify. My morning heated exchange with a technician on repeated visits for small unattended things in earlier visits may have made the impact. No questions asked, everything was replaced under warranty & before the time I expected.

The bill:
Rs. 4,500/- for 3M Paint protection (incl Engine dressing, tyre dressing etc etc) with 1+ 2 coats at 6 months interval. Next free coat is scheduled in Oct & the 2nd free coat is in Apr'11

Underbody Treatment - Rs, 2250/-. Wanted to do actually The full body antirust - covers underbody, door panels, boot, bonnet, engine bay body metal etc etc. THe charges are Rs. 4,500/-. But then he said he needs to remove Door Panel to which I'm very sensitive about. My Linea is rattle-free & wants to keep her that way. Don't want anyone meddling with door panels. Thats the reason I did not even do the door trims while getting the seat covers done & also have not got sunfilm done yet. So, got only the underbody treatment done.

Came out very happy & while driving back noticed a subconcious level effect. As soon as Linea became "like new" my driving became conservative & extra careful :wink: else last 2 months I've been driving her really roughly.
Shall share Jugaad on Logo & more pics next.

I would recommend 3M Paint Protection after 1 year after the car develops a plenty of inevitable scratches , swirl marks etc etc. As it is I was about to spend a plenty on Waxes, scratch removers, Polymer Sealants etc - all foreign brands thro' ebay.com I usually do waxing every 4-5 weeks burning so many calories which I do not have in surplus !!! I'm now thinking of doing it only after 3rd month. Then on 6th month, again a free coat of 3M. Again I would do waxing on 9th month. Then on 12th month the 2nd coat of 3M. So, for next 12 months, I think instead of having to do waxing 10 times, I might end up doing it only 2 times.

And above all the feeling of seeing your car in LIke-new, showroom delivery wet gloss finish. Awsome !! That feeling itself is kinda Paisa vasool. Yes, engine dressing is not much, 3M guy himself told me. It comes free / included in the package.

3M is costlier in Mumbai. A Forum friend gets it done at Chennai at Rs. 3000/- for 1+2 coats. Its even available in Chennai on single application/coat basis. He got the 4th such application done at Rs. 1000/- for the single application instead of 1+2 package.

Now on the logo's. 1st the pics.

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I asked TASS to fix the logo's not with the normal glue it comes with. There were 2 options - using Glass Sealnt OR using Araldite. I finally decided on Araldite. They fixed it with Araldite fine.

The way the thieves remove logo is to insert a screwdriver edge in the groove or small opening surround the edges/ periphery of the logo & just flick it. I decided to "fill" the peripheral opening with Araldite - kind of cementing it. Initially I was careful that those white Araldite patches should not be visible. But then gave it a damn & filled it completely. The white araldite is not visible from a distance of 5 feet & more, only the close look reveal it. I shall paint it with Red OHP pen temorarily & when I go to TASS next time, shall run a small brush on it with Flamenco Red Linea color !! Lets see how many days the Logo remains on the car.

 

26th April, 2010

OK. Ran the Red permanent marker pen on the White araldite patches on periphery of Logo. The effect has reduced. When I'll go to TASS next time, it will be properly brushed with Flamenco Red Linea Color. This is better than looking at the boot without Logo !!

Below pic is after running Red pen. If you compare this with pic in previous post, it can be seen that the effect of white araldite has reduced.

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27th April, 2010

4th Day & Both the Logo's are still there on the car !!!
I fill regular petrol in my Linea. Today I got IOC XtraPremium Petrol filled after some 6-7 months. Earlier I used to get it filled after every 1-2 months with a logic that the additives will cleanse the related area inside though never did I fill it regularly. Technically I'm not sure how true this logic could be.

Resting in Peace !!!

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Pulled out the Linea OEM car body cover back to use. Was not using it since quite sometime as was afraid of scratches it caused by putting it on a dusty car at night after coming back from office. 1.5 Hrs B2B traffic drive back home does not allow to clean the car carefully before putting on the cover. However, since last 1 month, there were stray scratches (& deep ones at that) were caused) plus protection for logo's made me rethink & started using car cover again. Small scratches/ swirls caused by car cover can be taken care by 3M in its application every 6th month. Am going to order Jopasu car duster to quickly clean the dust before putting on cover.

28th April, 2010

Ordered Jopasu Car Duster & 2 Microfibres from ebay
Car Duster = Rs. 475/-
2 Microfibre clothes (16" X 16") = Rs. 200/-
Total = Rs. 675 + Rs. 90/- shipping

29th April, 2010

That was quick by ebay & Jopasu. Ordered yday & delivered today from Pune !! Here are the pics of Jopasu Car Duster & Magic Wipe Microfibre. Haven't used yet.

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