Posted By: AnnieMac
Fiat Grande Punto 1.4 t jet - 10/10/2019 14:48
Hi everyone, I used to have a Scottie non-turbo and then a red vis (which went to Liverpool).
I now have a Grande Punto t-jet 1.4 turbo. Same engine as the Alfa Romeo Mito I think. The garage I bought it from turned out to be a shower of shite, not to put too fine a point on it!
The car has several annoying problemos (sorry about the Pidgin Italian there!). The original garage I bought it from was supposed to fix these under guarantee but they didn't. They charged £180 just for fitting a new catch on the glove compartment, and I had supplied the part! They kept the car for 3 weeks and the courtesy car they gave me was a nightmare to drive.
The most annoying problem with the Punto is a loud bing bong bing bong all up the road because it thinks my seat belt is not plugged in.
Basically I wrecked the electrics in the driver's seat trying to make it less uncomfortable. I cut some kind of heated seat wiring beneath the driver's seat and wrapped insulation tape around the bare wires.
Oddly, it started to run better after this. But the airbag light is on, and the seat belt alarm constantly bings and bongs for about two minutes after setting off on a journey. Before you ask, yes, I have tried turning up the stereo, but it has to be so loud that it's distorted and quite deafening. Consequently I am driving around my hometown with David Bowie blaring at max volume. It's either that or listen to the bings and bongs, which drive you mental.
After a couple of near misses on the road the police suggested I get a dashcam. I can't tell you how unhelpful my local branch of HALFORDS has been over this, charging me £80 TWICE and the job still not done. The local branch manager actually banned me for swearing at him. Then he decided he would fit my new number plate, but not very securely. They also broke the driver's window on the Punto and kept it for over a week, a few days later the under tray fell off at speed and I almost died on the A4 - I have photographs of the Punto with the under tray hanging off. Same thing happened in my red VIS too, a month previously.
Funny old life, eh?
Any road up, I would love to know how to temporarily fix the seat belt alarm just to silence it, and, has anybody got a couple of front seats which would fit a Grande Punto? Preferably going cheap (cheep!) but not bing! bong! bing! bong!
All the best
Anne
I now have a Grande Punto t-jet 1.4 turbo. Same engine as the Alfa Romeo Mito I think. The garage I bought it from turned out to be a shower of shite, not to put too fine a point on it!
The car has several annoying problemos (sorry about the Pidgin Italian there!). The original garage I bought it from was supposed to fix these under guarantee but they didn't. They charged £180 just for fitting a new catch on the glove compartment, and I had supplied the part! They kept the car for 3 weeks and the courtesy car they gave me was a nightmare to drive.
The most annoying problem with the Punto is a loud bing bong bing bong all up the road because it thinks my seat belt is not plugged in.
Basically I wrecked the electrics in the driver's seat trying to make it less uncomfortable. I cut some kind of heated seat wiring beneath the driver's seat and wrapped insulation tape around the bare wires.
Oddly, it started to run better after this. But the airbag light is on, and the seat belt alarm constantly bings and bongs for about two minutes after setting off on a journey. Before you ask, yes, I have tried turning up the stereo, but it has to be so loud that it's distorted and quite deafening. Consequently I am driving around my hometown with David Bowie blaring at max volume. It's either that or listen to the bings and bongs, which drive you mental.
After a couple of near misses on the road the police suggested I get a dashcam. I can't tell you how unhelpful my local branch of HALFORDS has been over this, charging me £80 TWICE and the job still not done. The local branch manager actually banned me for swearing at him. Then he decided he would fit my new number plate, but not very securely. They also broke the driver's window on the Punto and kept it for over a week, a few days later the under tray fell off at speed and I almost died on the A4 - I have photographs of the Punto with the under tray hanging off. Same thing happened in my red VIS too, a month previously.
Funny old life, eh?
Any road up, I would love to know how to temporarily fix the seat belt alarm just to silence it, and, has anybody got a couple of front seats which would fit a Grande Punto? Preferably going cheap (cheep!) but not bing! bong! bing! bong!
All the best
Anne