Fiat Linea 1.4 FIRE Emotion Pack

Update:

• Went to Battery guy on Friday night. He checked battery voltages - at idling (alternator charging), with AC & Headlight ON, with engine off. All OK. Asked him to check specific gravity and all. Meanwhile my driver pointed out that the battery indicator is not green and is white means the charge is almost gone. He said he told that to SA also and SA said its ok. Battery guiy said the battery needs to be charged overnight.
  
• He did not have a good working battery as a spare in the same specs. Though he had a weak one and said it requires push-start. I said fine, you fit it in my car and you put my battery for charging overnight.
  
• The question still remains as to how my 1 year old battery suddenly lose all its charge. There has to be a leakage somewhere draining it. We'll come to that later.
  
• On Saturday, used my car with that weak spare battery. Every time it needed a gentle push to start.
  
• Went to battery guy on Saturday afternoon, he guaranteed that my battery is alright and the car WILL start with it. Fitted my battery in the car at around 3.00 pm
  
• Tried cranking at 7 pm. Car started. Again tried cranking at 11.30 pm. Again the car started.
  
• Tried cranking today morning at 9 am. Car started.
  
• Went to battery guy at 12.30 pm and asked him to again check battery voltages - at idling (alternator charging), with AC & Headlight ON, with engine off. Found all OK within specified limits.
  
• So now, will have to see tomorrow morning if the car starts without trouble. It should.
  

The only explanation of battery draining completely is AC Relay Fuse. And that was the 1st thing I asked Wasan SA and Works Manager to check but still . And they confirmed that it was checked and found ok

In next 2-3 days I shall go to Opera House and buy a Multimeter (to check voltages) and Jump Start Cables. This will be now standard accessories in the boot along with Air Pump and Tow rope.

PS: If starting problem is solved tomorrow, the car will be sent to TCRS on 26th for Suspension noise issue. I'm not going to spend on replacement of Link Rods, Lower Arms, C Mounting as asked by Wasan Motors (Estimate - about Rs. 15,000 with Brake Pads/ Discs)

 

Car started today. So, the 1st hurdle seems to be removed now.

Now, it's time for the 2nd hurdle - noise. Sending car to TCRS on 26th Dec'12 for that.

I so wished & was determined to improve average no. days between TASS visits. Tried hard but these latest visits would bring it back to about 40-45 days

PS: Once the noise issue is also solved, I'll gift my Linea a fresh round of 3M surface refinement on coming Sunday. Would like to see her in shining new clothes again.

 

Ironically, AC relay fuse issue happened exactly a year earlier in Dec'11.

Details are here http://www.teamfiat.co.in/linea-1-4-fire/25-fiat-linea-1-4-fire-emotion-pack-47.html

The samethings got repeated. That time I ended up in changing battery and then also new battery died due to AC relay draining the battery. This time, inspite of knwoing and gussing the issue to perfection, I got hassled due to ASC carelessness.

 

No No Kapil & Nishant.

My current driver is with me since only 3 months. Before that there was another driver. And in betweeen there was no driver.

The fact is they are incompetant as well as completely careless. This time I was personoally involved and asked the Works Manager to first check the AC relay fuse. Once they cleared the work, my first question was "did you check AC relay fuse?". Works Manager said yes. Repeatedly I asked "you are not able to find any leakage anywhere, electricals connections, sensors etc?" They repeeatedly said no issues anywhere are found except for cleaning carbon on starter bush.

Today, the car is sent to TCRS for noise issue to check whether actually the parts mentioned by Wasan needed to be changed.

 

Getting the car back today from TCRS ! Shall share details soon !

 

UPDATE - 1 :

Got the car back from TCRS on Friday afternoon.

The khad khad type noise from somewhere in front (suspension?) is resolved.

Parts which Wasan Motors mentioned needs to be changed were - Lower Arms, C Mountings, Link Rods, Braks Pads/ Discs

Parts actually changed by TCRS which needed to be changed are - The dreaded Elastic Pads , C Mounting & Steering Rack (Steering Rack ball joint went bad)

As per TCRS, Link Rods & Lower Arms are alright

Fiat & Tata helped a lot and TCRS did the work superbly ::T

The car is as silent as ever. My Linea never had any rattles, squeaks and noise. So, kept the record intact now.

UPDATE - 2:

When we met 14 days before Factory visit for doing a recce for the route, someone commented that there are markings on my Alloys like - FL (Front Left), FR, RL, RR. I said it's done by Fortune during 60K kms as I strictly asked not to do any tyre rotation. Then Sandeep commented that Fortune ka English thik karna padega as Front Left (FL) was written on tyre which is on Front Right and FR was written on tyre which was on Front Left. From that moment Alrm bells started ringing in my ears. Because this was alright after 60K kms and someone at TASS changed it only after that.

The only possibility was GC Upgrade I got done at Wasan Motors in May'12 during which alignment was charged. That time they would have swapped Front Left to Front Right and Front Right to Front Left. Stupid.

I've Bridgestone Potenza GIII and there is an Arrow marked on the tyre which has to be facing forward. Because of this unsolicited swap, it was pointing/ facing backward in both front tyres.

I was discussing with gurjinder and Italia_Linea on tyre rotation today. Only after that I remembered this Arrow thingy that tyre guy told me when I purchased.

This resulted in following:

Car has run with correct confirguration of tyre position for initial about 8K kms after tyre change.

Car has run for about 12K kms after this incorrect front tyre swapped position.

In the process, Rear tyres are not changed at all for about 20K kms till now. That means tyre rotation is badly needed. I had this in mind last week but in larger scheme of things (starting issue & noise issue), I forgot to ask TCRS to do it.

So, today evening I went to the tyre guy and got the Front tyres in Rear & Rear to Front. Reverted back to the original Front left and Right. That means the Rear Left went to Front Left and Rear right went to Front Right. And the tyre in current position of Front Left (Originally Front Right) went to Rear Right & the tyre in current position of Front Right (originally Front Left) went to Rear Left.

Confused? :mrgreen: Let's try a tabular representation.





Had to also do balancing as it was needed. I asked the Tyre guy any adverse effect due to this swap, he says nothing adverse till now is visible on the tyres

Jai Ho !!

And now I again want to start countdown for no. of days my Linea does not need to go to TASC. Hope it'll be in next financial year i.e. after Apr'13 and the next ASC it goes should be Fiat ASC !

Wish me Luck !