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Panda Our Panda 6 months on.

Introduction

Now had it about 6 months and 1100 miles, 22150 miles on the clock,
2006 Panda Multijet , it's suffered a bit from not being used, been garaged from new one owner no real rust just a little light rust on the rear spring cups rest of the axel still as paint, now covered with Waxiol.

I noticed a staggered row of plastic bungs down the length of both sills are these normal or as it had anti rust?

Needed a new battery due to not being used two rear tyres due to age cracking being 16 years old.

It also started to leak Diesel from the High pressure pump but just as I was going to do the seals it stopped and as not leaked a drop since, odd.

It also had a habit of resetting the clock and trips on start-up cured by giving the switch part of the ignition lock a good squirt of switch and contact cleaner.

You can replace just the switch bit for about £15 but not sure
which one I need as mine only as 5 wires going to it.

It could also at times be hard to start when hot, the last time it did it I decided to check the tank and could not get the fuel filler off due to vacuum, freed the anti vacuum valve in the cap and it's been fine since, it would also almost stall as you came to a stop now and then, switch cleaner and a check of the connections to the clutch switch seems to have fixed that,

It did have a lot of tyre noise but the two new tyres on the back sorted that and once up to speed you honestly cant hear the engine it's smooth and it catches me out as I tend to let the revs drop to low if not careful,

I can just hear a little turbo whine when accelerating at low speed, it's suffering form lazy car syndrome but getting better with added miles.

It replaced a 139,000 mile Clio that was noisier not as smooth but faster they seem about the same on fuel 60/70mpg non burn oil Panda has a better steering lock and seats, the Clio more storage and a rear parcel shelf that lets it's self down after it's been up I have had to get out to shove it down in the Panda many times, and the Clio had a bigger boot, Panda lights are better, and the clutch and accelerator much lighter.

It passed it's MOT with no advisory s

Will see how the next 6 months go.
They are better than I expected, no problems with ours since the new ign switch,
One thing I wonder about is why the rear axel rusts so much, I wonder if it's
due to the rest of the body being galvanised and a sacrificial anode like those
fitted to boats would help, mines ok but it's had a charmed life.
 
Same blue as mine by the looks - very nice too.
Better miles than mine mind you.
Mine is automatic and a few years older.
Just about to lay mine up for the winter so I am heeding the comment on the battery.
 

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They are better than I expected, no problems with ours since the new ign switch,
One thing I wonder about is why the rear axel rusts so much, I wonder if it's
due to the rest of the body being galvanised and a sacrificial anode like those
fitted to boats would help, mines ok but it's had a charmed life.
Unlikely as there's no metal to metal contact between the shell and the rear axle

The springs have a rubber Pas at the top and the mounting points of the axle all have rubber bushes isolating the shell from the axle
 
They are better than I expected, no problems with ours since the new ign switch,
One thing I wonder about is why the rear axel rusts so much, I wonder if it's
due to the rest of the body being galvanised and a sacrificial anode like those
fitted to boats would help, mines ok but it's had a charmed life.


Maybe..
A 1990 tipo was my 1st galvanised car.. the steel wheels were so rusty I was always having soft tyres :(
 
Maybe..
A 1990 tipo was my 1st galvanised car.. the steel wheels were so rusty I was always having soft tyres :(

I have had two unloved Pandas, Not washed, No rust prevention on the axle.

Both solid.

my present car has a bent axle through jacking but not much rust

Strange how some rot and others dont. Doesn't appear to be year dependent as in a bad batch. I dont see any obvious reason.

overload fractures, salt, block drain, mud build up, I dont think we see enough actual failures to get enough data to track the cause. City, coast, year and so on.
 
Better quality steel corrodes faster.

Cars today have zinc plated bodywork. Everything else is a waft of black direct over the bare steel and welding mill scale. The rear axle spring pans corrode and crack about 25mm inboard of the weld to the swing arm. I believe it's stress corrosion. Keep it protected with an oily solution that can soak into the metal surface.

The coil springs have a rubber seat at the top but metal to metal at the bottom. Another rubber rubber seat between spring and axle helps to keep things nice though the ride height goes up a few millimetres.
 
Being a Fiat forum, naturally we take notice of rear beam failures on Pandas and 500s, but it's not really any worse on these than on some (probably many) others.
I know from experience that some Peugeot and Nissan models have similar problems.
The cynic in me suspects the "design life" engineering requirement from the manufacturer does not take account of enthusiasts operating their products beyond their programmed life span.
The good news (for the enthusiasts) is that the vast majority of a Panda 169 is still perfectly fine at 15 years old, and a replacement beam axle is available, fairly cheap, and easy to fit. And that people want to keep using them so wearing parts are generally cheap and available.
Same is not true of some other cars of a similar (or newer) era.
The morality of planned obsolescence is a different argument...
 
Being a Fiat forum, naturally we take notice of rear beam failures on Pandas and 500s, but it's not really any worse on these than on some (probably many) others.
I know from experience that some Peugeot and Nissan models have similar problems.
The cynic in me suspects the "design life" engineering requirement from the manufacturer does not take account of enthusiasts operating their products beyond their programmed life span.
The good news (for the enthusiasts) is that the vast majority of a Panda 169 is still perfectly fine at 15 years old, and a replacement beam axle is available, fairly cheap, and easy to fit. And that people want to keep using them so wearing parts are generally cheap and available.
Same is not true of some other cars of a similar (or newer) era.
The morality of planned obsolescence is a different argument...

The other day I was behind a smart looking 2017 Ford Focus. It's back axle was red rusty and flaking. Probable MoT fail. Our Panda axle was better than that at 10 years old.
 
Being a Fiat forum, naturally we take notice of rear beam failures on Pandas and 500s, but it's not really any worse on these than on some (probably many) others.
I know from experience that some Peugeot and Nissan models have similar problems.
The cynic in me suspects the "design life" engineering requirement from the manufacturer does not take account of enthusiasts operating their products beyond their programmed life span.
The good news (for the enthusiasts) is that the vast majority of a Panda 169 is still perfectly fine at 15 years old, and a replacement beam axle is available, fairly cheap, and easy to fit. And that people want to keep using them so wearing parts are generally cheap and available.
Same is not true of some other cars of a similar (or newer) era.
The morality of planned obsolescence is a different argument...

Correct

I have worked on loads of makes of cars. Fiat or no worse or better.
 
wouldn't explain why some last fine for 15 years, 200K miles and not looked after

some of the spring pans dont look the same left to right. I did wonder if jacking / pot holes damages the weld

Presumably how much care owners ydkw care for them plays a part such as regularly washing down the reax axle with a hose pipe
 
Presumably how much care owners ydkw care for them plays a part such as regularly washing down the reax axle with a hose pipe

The axle rust issue is not caused by lack of washing. After all, how many people wash the body underfloor which never rusts.

The issue is about the factory paint on the axle along with sharp cut metal edges being left unfinished. The paint gets the car though the warranty period, though as said earlier I've seen worse on a Ford.

The most cost effective solution is hot zinc metal spray. It's overkill but mine cost £80 so daft not to do it.
 
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The axle rust issue is not caused by lack of washing. After all, how many people wash the body underfloor which never rusts.

The issue is about the factory paint on the axle along with sharp cut metal edges being left unfinished. The paint gets the car though the warranty period, though as said earlier I've seen worse on a Ford.

The most cost effective solution is hot zinc metal spray. It's overkill but mine cost £80 so daft not to do it.

My.post was on about how some rust much more then others not why they rust at all
 
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