General Locating Service History

[Bimboveloce]

Evening,
Purchased a 2016 Lounge 1.2 for my daughter and the service book has been lost. I believe the car was a rental car at some point. I am looking to find the service history of the car and have had not luck. Rang Fiat customer service who told me to contact the original purchase, who had sold it after 6 months and I suspect has had 3-4 previous owners. Any ideas where I may be able to find the service history of the car?

Thanks in advance Tony

 

[John202020]

The car is now 8 years old, the service history is unlikely to be an issue even if you sold it tomorrow?
Give the car a good check over, do a complete service, include things like brake fluid change, engine service complete brake check, replace coolant,recharge the ac even if it works and remember never turn it off, new cabin filter, check the tyres suspension etc, if unsure have FIAT do the cam belt and water pump and you should be all good for maybe the next 5 years, door handles and rear tailgate wiring may rear their heads, also replace the engine earth strap and check the gearbox to exhaust bracket still there!

 

[The Panda Nut]

I agree with john202020 at 8 years old its going to be difficult to trace. It may well have been serviced by independent garages or by the owners so Fiat will not know. Start afresh and give the whole car a good once over.

 

[Bimboveloce]

The car is now 8 years old, the service history is unlikely to be an issue even if you sold it tomorrow?
Give the car a good check over, do a complete service, include things like brake fluid change, engine service complete brake check, replace coolant,recharge the ac even if it works and remember never turn it off, new cabin filter, check the tyres suspension etc, if unsure have FIAT do the cam belt and water pump and you should be all good for maybe the next 5 years, door handles and rear tailgate wiring may rear their heads, also replace the engine earth strap and check the gearbox to exhaust bracket still there!

Thanks John, so to recap,
1 I should get a complete service,
2 What should I not turn off the AC, is this everyday, if so why?
2 cam belt,
3 replace engine earth strap, why is this?
4 check gearbox to exhaust bracket is in place, why is this?

Sorry for all the questions, I am new to the Fiat 500 scene and just want the best for my daughters car. Appreciate your knowledge and experience.

Regards
Tony

 

[A3jeroen]

AC does contain oil to lubricate the pump and Vitron rings. Not using AC may cause leaks.
Ground cable is prone to rust and looses conductivity resulting in various problems.

gr J

 

[jrkitching]

I should get a complete service,

In the absence of any known recent service history, this makes sense

What should I not turn off the AC, is this everyday, if so why

If it's not run for an extended period of time, the seals can deteriorate, leading to leaks and eventual failure. Running it for 30 minutes or so once a week is sufficient to prevent this happening. You can leave it on all the time if you want; in damp weather this helps to keep the interior dry, since it also acts as a dehumidifier. Turning it off is OK and saves a little fuel; just don't leave it off for weeks at a time.

cam belt,

If there's no record of this having been done, this makes sense too - but you need to be absolutely certain you take it somewhere that's completely familiar with the procedure for this specific engine. I'd strongly recommend going to a franchised dealer for this service item only. There have been countless posts on this forum from folks who've had this done by independent garages and then had running issues that weren't there before the belt change.

replace engine earth strap, why is this?

They are prone to corrosion, reducing electrical conductivity, which in turn leads to all kinds of glitches and malfunctions, which often then get incorrectly diagnosed, leading to unnecessary and sometimes expensive repairs. A new strap is only a few pounds.

check gearbox to exhaust bracket is in place, why is this?

It's well known for rusting away to the point it just crumbles into dust. It supports the whole weight of the front of the exhaust; if it fails this then hangs on the exhaust manifold, breaking it (or its mounting studs); another expensive and awkward repair. A new bracket is cheap and can be replaced without disturbing the exhaust.