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95k mile old dampers would have been shagged though, even if they didn't leak.
General Servicing and spare/service parts thread
- Thread starter 306maxi
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General Servicing and spare/service parts thread
OP
OP
not necessarily. Some manufacturers use well made parts when making their cars. Peugeot dampers (manufactured by Peugeot!) for instance have a very good reputation.
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They will have dropped to 50% or less of their original damping performance though - I can almost guarantee. Modern gas filled dampers are great when new, but the nitrogen will suffuse through the rubber seals, even if the sealing surfaces are perfect.
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A quick warning, learned from Experience be careful when buying other surpliers rear shockers they may be too long by an inch which causes the rear springs to bounce on the spring pans. But at least unlike the fiat ones they are available to buy and not on back order with no eta (maybe the 18000 miles I got out of a set is fairly normal after all)
I have my car booked in for a check over this Wednesday. With only 5K on the clock - it's a '09 I have the same rattle as I had on the rear shocks that were replaced on a 38k miles '08 model. This is the last month before the 2 year warranty runs out.
alfatastic
New member
The damage on the fiat 500 dampers is not the movement of the damper its self but the rubber bushes, specifically on the top bolt, the rubber has come away from metal insert. Interestingly the originals are Brasilian whilst the repros are Italian. The 14 year old dampers on the 155 where probably past their best from a handling point of view, but at least they didn't drive me mad with the rattles, and of course the 155 was heavier, with a longer wheel base anyway. Might get my friendly Alfa specialist to check out the Koni's on the Junior on next service
OP
OP
A common issue with Panda's.
OP
OP
Just thought I'd bring this thread up again.
There are a lot of people paying a lot of money for services!
Yes I know it's convenient to just call the dealer up and book it in for a service, but is it really so hard to spend 10-15 minutes calling around and also ordering some parts to save £80 or so on a service? Surely in these days of credit crunch we should be watching our pennies
I can't find the prices for filters for twinairs, but I would be very surprised if they're any different to the prices for filters for a 1.2 or other 500 models.
Firstly, call well in advance of your service being due, if you have to get the car serviced tomorrow to maintain the warranty then you've got very little bargaining power.
Secondly, shop around with your local independent garages and find out what they charge per hour for labour. Consult your service manual to find out how many hours labour are needed and go on from there. As a ballpark figure, the place that takes care of our Subaru charged £40 +VAT per hour. You may find independents in your area are more expensive or a lot cheaper.
Best thing to do in terms of parts is to order parts in bulk. If you're going to own the car for 3 years and in that time it needs 3 services then buy 3 loads of filters and 3 times as much oil as you need as well as a litre or two extra for topups especially if you like to do a lot of quick driving on private roads
I'm not going to plead poverty or anything, but if I ever stop wanting to save 70 or 80 quid on a service then someone should shoot me. That's a nice 3 course meal out for two and I would much rather have that than the supposed convenience of just rocking up to the dealer and bending over and giving them whatever they ask for.
There are a lot of people paying a lot of money for services!
Yes I know it's convenient to just call the dealer up and book it in for a service, but is it really so hard to spend 10-15 minutes calling around and also ordering some parts to save £80 or so on a service? Surely in these days of credit crunch we should be watching our pennies
I can't find the prices for filters for twinairs, but I would be very surprised if they're any different to the prices for filters for a 1.2 or other 500 models.
Firstly, call well in advance of your service being due, if you have to get the car serviced tomorrow to maintain the warranty then you've got very little bargaining power.
Secondly, shop around with your local independent garages and find out what they charge per hour for labour. Consult your service manual to find out how many hours labour are needed and go on from there. As a ballpark figure, the place that takes care of our Subaru charged £40 +VAT per hour. You may find independents in your area are more expensive or a lot cheaper.
Best thing to do in terms of parts is to order parts in bulk. If you're going to own the car for 3 years and in that time it needs 3 services then buy 3 loads of filters and 3 times as much oil as you need as well as a litre or two extra for topups especially if you like to do a lot of quick driving on private roads
I'm not going to plead poverty or anything, but if I ever stop wanting to save 70 or 80 quid on a service then someone should shoot me. That's a nice 3 course meal out for two and I would much rather have that than the supposed convenience of just rocking up to the dealer and bending over and giving them whatever they ask for.
Maxi, well said. I couldn't agree more with your post.
Far too many people, whether out of sheer convenience for themselves or because they literally have too much money or just plain can't be bothered, will often fork out far more than is necessary.
I personally absolutely refuse to pay top whack for something which I know can be bought far cheaper. I'm counting on ownership of our own little POP being pretty low and manageable.
As for filters for Twinair, found this oil filter, genuine part:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-500-TWIN-AIR-OIL-FILTER-GENUINE-FIAT-55224598-/180847427970?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3AFiat|Model%3A500|Cars+Type%3ATwinair&hash=item2a1b58c182
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AIR-OIL-F...del:500|Cars+Type:Twinair&hash=item43af9afe06
Not sure how that compares to buying it elsewhere?
Far too many people, whether out of sheer convenience for themselves or because they literally have too much money or just plain can't be bothered, will often fork out far more than is necessary.
I personally absolutely refuse to pay top whack for something which I know can be bought far cheaper. I'm counting on ownership of our own little POP being pretty low and manageable.
As for filters for Twinair, found this oil filter, genuine part:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/FIAT-500-TWIN-AIR-OIL-FILTER-GENUINE-FIAT-55224598-/180847427970?pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&fits=Car+Make%3AFiat|Model%3A500|Cars+Type%3ATwinair&hash=item2a1b58c182
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/AIR-OIL-F...del:500|Cars+Type:Twinair&hash=item43af9afe06
Not sure how that compares to buying it elsewhere?
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OP
OP
Ditto.
I could understand not being bothered if it were only £10 difference, but we're talking £70-80 in some cases????? It's not like I'm taking my car to an independent who's never seen a 500, it's going to a dealer who sees 500's every day and has done a good job in regards to repairs and servicing on the car previously
My dealer are quite on the ball too, last time it went in for repair work in August they flagged up that the discs and pads needed doing roundabout the next service so he mentioned it to me when I was booking it in. I explained that I'd done the pads and discs myself and all was good So i get the best of both worlds, full fiat service history and at the price of taking it to an independent.
ahmett
Prominent member
Ditto.
I could understand not being bothered if it were only £10 difference, but we're talking £70-80 in some cases????? It's not like I'm taking my car to an independent who's never seen a 500, it's going to a dealer who sees 500's every day and has done a good job in regards to repairs and servicing on the car previously
So i get the best of both worlds, full fiat service history and at the price of taking it to an independent.
Are you guys putting a k and n air filter when the car is out of warranty and then never needing to replace it again?
I may well do. I've just been looking at a K&N for our 1.2. The K&N can be bought for £32.73 inc of delivery from the auction site, whereas if someone were to change their paper air filter like for like each year, the cost could work out considerably more. Depends on whether you opt for Fiat/Ford orginals or aftermarket filters.
Again, it's a personal choice but I wouldn't do it until our warranty has expired.
ahmett
Prominent member
My warranty finishes end of this year so when i service it i think i will K and n it!
If you do, just remember to buy a service kit as mentioned in my post in this thread:
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/300431-500-1-2-air-filter.html
Maxi306 and Frupi,
I totally understand your point of view, BUT the 'saving tactic' might not be for everyone. I, for one, have to get childcare (and I mean proper 'pay for, as in expensive' childcare, not granny-care) if I want to go anywhere further away than the local dealer and that will cost more than any 'savings' I might make. Other people might just not literally bother for the sake of even larger savings (say 100 quid) just because they can. Not everyone is in the same boat...
I totally understand your point of view, BUT the 'saving tactic' might not be for everyone. I, for one, have to get childcare (and I mean proper 'pay for, as in expensive' childcare, not granny-care) if I want to go anywhere further away than the local dealer and that will cost more than any 'savings' I might make. Other people might just not literally bother for the sake of even larger savings (say 100 quid) just because they can. Not everyone is in the same boat...
OP
OP
But why not ask the local stealer to pricematch then?Maxi306 and Frupi,
I totally understand your point of view, BUT the 'saving tactic' might not be for everyone. I, for one, have to get childcare (and I mean proper 'pay for, as in expensive' childcare, not granny-care) if I want to go anywhere further away than the local dealer and that will cost more than any 'savings' I might make. Other people might just not literally bother for the sake of even larger savings (say 100 quid) just because they can. Not everyone is in the same boat...
i think there are some good comments made regarding independents on servicing (i'm far from anti them and on the VWs use a select few), but for me I keep an eye on the long term game when i sell it
the routine bits between the services will either be done by an independent or me but i always like a Main Dealer Stamp when its comes to servicing, why you ask? it is because I have sold my last two cars privately and every enquiry on these one of the first questions to be asked was 'has it got a full main dealer service history'
yes its a perception thing but its a buyers like it as it gives the impression no expense has been spared and in a market and when there are BN 500 Lounges by the bucket load i want to make sure it sells and for a reasonable price
i only intend to keep the 500 2-2.5 years so who knows if the £80-£200 extra i will have spent on main dealer servicing warrants that premium on the residual value, however, its one less reason for a potential buyer to walk away and in fairness i probably walk away too
the routine bits between the services will either be done by an independent or me but i always like a Main Dealer Stamp when its comes to servicing, why you ask? it is because I have sold my last two cars privately and every enquiry on these one of the first questions to be asked was 'has it got a full main dealer service history'
yes its a perception thing but its a buyers like it as it gives the impression no expense has been spared and in a market and when there are BN 500 Lounges by the bucket load i want to make sure it sells and for a reasonable price
i only intend to keep the 500 2-2.5 years so who knows if the £80-£200 extra i will have spent on main dealer servicing warrants that premium on the residual value, however, its one less reason for a potential buyer to walk away and in fairness i probably walk away too
Paying extra for a main dealer service history is a medium term game. It might add enough of a premium to a 3-5 yr old car to justify the extra cost. In the long term, though, once the car's 10 years old, the extra you'll have paid will likely be more than it's worth.
Personally, I'd say anyone doing this is essentially taking a punt on the fact that the person who buys it actually knows very little about what constitutes value in a secondhand car - but that probably applies to most of the prospective purchasers out there.
IMO anyone who actually believes main dealer servicing adds real value to a car needs therapy.
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OP
OP
thing is that dealer servicing doesn't need to be expensive. That's the point I'm trying to make.
My long term view refers 2 to 2.5 years (my period of ownership) as i have absolutely no intention of keeping it for longer than 3 years, if i did yes it would be going independent given the relative low residual value of car compared to maintenance costs etc
agreed having seen prices of £200-£390 for a TA first service
OP
OP
Keeping all my parts stuff in here.....
I ordered a couple of strut top mounts from www.123parts.co.uk only to get an email back saying they were cancelling the order due to not having stock. They're part of the same company as mytyres so they just dropship and obviously their supplier had no stock. Emailed micksgarage to see if they had any stock and they claim to have them in and I should have them by Thursday. So I've placed an order and then as laughable as it sounds they've put the price up by 5 quid after I placed my order. Anyway they're Lemforder strut top mounts so should hopefully be far better quality then the standard ones which Jason has said were made out of really soft rubber.
Will see how they go and report back. Obviously it won't be till well in the future that I'll know whether they're any better or not, but they're under half the price that Jason paid for his.......
I ordered a couple of strut top mounts from www.123parts.co.uk only to get an email back saying they were cancelling the order due to not having stock. They're part of the same company as mytyres so they just dropship and obviously their supplier had no stock. Emailed micksgarage to see if they had any stock and they claim to have them in and I should have them by Thursday. So I've placed an order and then as laughable as it sounds they've put the price up by 5 quid after I placed my order. Anyway they're Lemforder strut top mounts so should hopefully be far better quality then the standard ones which Jason has said were made out of really soft rubber.
Will see how they go and report back. Obviously it won't be till well in the future that I'll know whether they're any better or not, but they're under half the price that Jason paid for his.......
