Any one else notice that

a) the car is much more squicky, rattly
b) there getting silly errors that come and go

today it got VERY cold here, down to -5

when i took the car out i was getting the handbreak warning light come on and off, as well as the abs

as soon as the car started to warm up both these went. its also much more squicky and rattely than when warm

any one else having fun with the cold weather?

The coop handbrake has a nasty habit of freezing on. When I had mine I used to leave it in gear when parked overnight at the house ,rather than use the handbrake when the weather got really cold.

I know what you mean, ive got a squeak from the left hand side of the dash that only happens when its stupidly cold, and i get a small amount of belt squel for the first few seconds, even though its only done 5.5k miles since alln the belts and all the tensioners were changed.
Though i *touchs wood* havent had any faults come up, but once it gets up to temperature...it takes a big gulp of that cold air and shoots off down the road and makes you forgive its slightly naff behaviour when cold....

luckily for me i live on the flat, i dont use the coupes handbrake nov - march !

Never a truer word. My resident pain is the rattle from the glovebox, which you can stifle by squeezing the box door to the upper surface. What is that all about??

And the plastic trim around the rear windows, of course

i have a anoying squeek/rattle from the rear left of the car. its anoying because it occurs exactly at 850rpm, which is my tick over

i get more road noise as well, but i can only put that down to the door seels being less flexible than when there warm

Not sure, but it was bloody freezing in the surf this morning at 7am!!

you were out there at 7am jonny....refreshing was it

My Coupe is being a pain in the ar*e

The last time we had a heavy freeze, I couldn't get into it, as the handles and locks were frozen, even though they've all been lubricated.

After the performance of trying to get in it last time, I went out to it the following day armed with spray grease, WD40, etc and liberally blasted the locks, catches, handles, window runners, handbrake, etc, etc.

Last night, I knew it was going to freeze, so left the handbrake off, but got to it and the fccuking handles were frozen Had to go back into work and get some water to defrost them.

Had the same trouble this morning, but at least the car is on a flat at home, so could leave it running to warm up, once I'd got into it.

I'm glad I left the handbrake off though, is it's been frozen in the off position since last night

got to say, in all my years of coupe ownership, the doors have never frozen on me

by bravo was fine this morning, the sentento was a ice cube, had to get in though the passengers side

what caused the bravo problems is re-freeze, got it warm this morning and when i came back to it, it had re-frozen

I would like to get remote start sorted for it at some point...but i dont have the brass to do unnessery things like that at current

i was very suprised, i left for work at 5 this morning and i didn't have frozen doors or frozen locks. Though i did leave the hand brake off last night just incase. Ive packed all my lock mechanisms with white grease after i had a problem where i couldnt get in it a few weeks ago and its been fine since.

Oh the joys of owning a Fiat!!

You can't

Everyone knows that you have to leave a Coupe in gear, due to dodgy/frozen handbrakes.

If you fit a remote start, the car will either roll away because you've left it in neutral with the handbrake on (or so you thought ) or drive itself down the road, as you'll have remote started it in gear

stand by your coupe.... if you re hot it ll let you in !!!

tracy xxxxx

That may explain it - 'cos in thirteen years, it's only on a couple of occasions, when we've had snow followed by a melt followed by a freeze, refused to let me in. The handle's only frozen once... and the handbrake has *never* frozen. Ever.

I never had the handbrake freeze on my 16V but on the 20VT and on the 20V na had the doors freeze on all 3

the doors froze on mine some weeks back when the frosty weather first started up here
(it might have been the central locking)
anyway purchased a cover for the coop. guess what i didn't put it on the car last night & its frosty as hell out there ....just a wee note here, when i was getting the suspension&stuff done, when the coop was up on the ramp, i sprayed lube down the brake cable parts & places that need it ..i do hope all is well with my car as i haven't been out this morning yet

I don't know much yet about vintage coupe ownership, but my garage told me last week, that the handbrake freezing issue is caused by a split/missing rubber bung at the end of the cable (rear of car) which lets water in and freezes. The fix is to replace the rubber and grease it, to ensure its water tight.
PS: Never had a problme with my original 20VT over 4 years but that was in 1997 when it was new, so rubbers probably all sound.

I could just about get the key in mine thismorning but it wouldn't turn either way! heating the key up with my lighter (probably not a good idea) did defrost it but then I had to re-connect the battery because of a slow leak I've got at the minute.
On the plus side the handbrake has never frozen on me and I never have to leave it in gear.
I've oiled my locks with 3 in 1 so I just don't understand how they still freeze?

I drove mine out of the garage!

was the weather cold in the garage

I had the locks and doors freeze.. But only as i had it washed on saturday afternoon.
Nothing that a bit of warm air didnt sort out.

hmmmm - 5am was damn cold here but she opened ok after a short tussle, so i started her up whilst i retrieved my ice spray and went round the windows. went to get back in, she locked herself shut with the engine running.....

after about 5 mins of scratching my head as to what to do, she very politely let me back in, for which i thanked her profusely and promised never to leave her uncovered again...

just like women these cars, have to get their own way...

At least the car doesn't whinge constantly about being cold and can I turn the central heating up and a frozen car can soon be sorted out by pouring warm water on it

Mine let me in OK this morning, but was then very reluctant to start, and then wouldn't let the doors latch closed

Out with the hairdryer - all OK

175 miles later and its as filthy as it was before I washed it yesterday

I'm touching wood when I type this but nothing has happened to my Coupe in any way yet but a battery problem.

Scary when you jump on here reading about these problems as I'm waiting for my turn

Knowing my luck after typing this, my car is currently dented in a wall with my car doors locked and an engine that won't start only to find when it does it's squeaking like a mouse on fire.

P.S no funny comments about the wood please

My locks don't like the cold that's for sure.

Locks are the biggest PITA, especially if the locks and alarm get out of sync and you end up setting the alarm off 3 times while trying to defrost. Not that I did that this morning, oh no!

if my alarm went off at the times i have to go out in the mornings (when i do go out)

i would be looking at the wrong end of a shot gun very quickly

get a wee squeal from the engine for a few seconds...and yup, handbrake stuck on the other night when it was f'in FREEZIN....dodnt remeber having any of these gripes last year....old age comes to us all...

Lovely sunny day here today with 30+ outside.

The Coupe always lets me in and starts OK and no handbrake problems. It is always garaged overnight to protect it from the occassional thunderstorm. At the office, always undercover and ready to go for a drive to visit clients.

Oh well, another day in the sub-tropics! The air-con works fine all year round.