Test drive Fiat Brava 1995 - 2001 hatchback

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People's car in Italian
A lot of Russians are considered inexpensive and economical fiat by a model of a folk car. And the Family Lada -Men's Family Family features in modern models make the Lada's ancestor sigh soup woefully: and we could .... The most common fiates in Russia - Punto, Marea, Bravo and Brava - were repeatedly represented on the pages of the magazine. Today we’ll talk about how they behave on our roads, what costs await the owners. For help, we turned to connoisseurs in the dealer technical center Ital Motors.
There are no heart disease
Fiat engines - 1.1 liters with monovxing and 1.2 liters with distributed injection on Punto, 1.6 and 1.8 liters with distributed injection on bravo/brava and Marea - it seems to survive their cars. Even after 150 thousand km, the wear of the cylinder-piston group is minimal. But not knowing the secrets of longevity, it is easy to restore the motor, which still live and live ... Early cliffs of the timing belt are found in many foreign cars. Either his teeth shakes the launch of a frozen engine, or what a feature of Russian operation. One way or another, fiat is no exception: 120 thousand km laid down according to the instructions. Even original belts rarely nurse. And with a cliff on all cars, except for Punto, valves are found with pistons. Resuscitation will cost $ 420-500, and add at least the same amount for new details. Therefore, you need to change the belt every 50-60 thousand km. At the same time, replace his video - worn, he will quickly ruin a new belt.
Another Russian disease is poor gasoline. Sometimes the light of the spark plugs is covered with conductive deposits after 5-7 thousand km. Original candles on Punto will cost $ 32 per four pieces, on brava and Marea - $ 76. However, the neoriginal works no worse (where!). In any case, candles should be changed every 15 thousand km - during the next maintenance. Many owners, without suspecting it, reduce their service life, refueling
95th gasoline, while all motors digest AI-92 without problems. The fact is that in high -octane fuel, as a rule, there are more additives that cause the breakdown of the insulator. The care of the owners turns into double expenses: on candles and on an expensive gasoline.
In engines 1.6 liters, it is advisable every 50 thousand km to rinse the nozzles on the ultrasound stand. Washing without removal, maybe it will work, only it will not be possible to check how the nozzle was cleaned. Therefore, ultrasound is preferable.
It may be necessary to flush the step electric motor of the idle regulator - on any of the listed models. A sign of a malfunction - an idle passage swims or disappears.
On Punto until 1998 of the model year, the filling of the engine control unit may be oxidized. Symptoms: the car stops accelerating, double, the engine malfunction indicator lights up. Blocks are of two types: one has to be changed ($ 665), the other can be restored by Iltal Motors - $ 180 with installation and a guarantee. In any case, once by eliminating the defect, you can forget about it forever. However, this malfunction is relatively rare.
Dear neutralizers and lambda zonds, even in Russia, have been working without complaints for many years.
Once a year after the season of poplar fluff, we recommend cleaning the gap between the radiators of the engine cooling system and air conditioning. And at the same time, check the state of contacts in the wires of the fan - after several winters they can burn.
View from below
If we operate the fiats for their intended purpose - do not storm the arable land, do not load the full body of potatoes and not let it in the skid on the lane, the suspension will not deliver large troubles. But do not wait for special durability: should a cheap car in some ways to give in an expensive one?
The silent blocks of the front levers of Bravo and Marea on average enough for 40-50 thousand km. The levers will cost $ 84. The rear levers on the Punto serve about 50 thousand km, after which play appears in their supporting bearings. Of course, you can ride so - they will not fall off, but still the car is not a cart. Machines with a back beam do not have such problems. The racks of the reptile stabilizer (bones) are enough for 30 thousand km.
The main malfunction of the front suspension racks is to blame the support bearing due to salt and dirt. It is felt when turning the hanged wheels with the hands. The rubber element of the support is very durable. By the way, keep in mind that on the Punto support can be installed in two positions, turning to 180. In this case, the angle of longitudinal inclination of the turn of rotation (caster) changes. On machines with a steering hydraulic power steering, the rack tilt is made more, and less on the rest.
The steering tips serve at least 30 thousand km (sometimes up to 100 thousand), the rail (especially without hydraulic power) is almost reliable. With a gur, it is possible to flow fluid through the cuffs. To extend the service life, change the darkened liquid is a rail and a pump is more expensive. The stand -up bearings are nursing 80-100 thousand km without problems. Circules are very durable. But when ordering a new one, be careful: on various modifications, the shafts are slightly different. The difference is almost not visible by eye, but it will come out on the car over time: you have to change the hinge or sort through the gearbox.
The anti -lock system has established itself very well. Sensors fail only with severe blows. But the fitting of the rear brake cylinder can acidify - just like on the Lada. When servicing the suspension, be sure to pay attention to whether the rubber plug of the rear brake shield has been lost, otherwise dirt will get through the hole into the mechanism. Then it is possible that with a run of 50-60 thousand km, along with the front brake discs, the rear drums will have to be replaced. Of course, you can save on them, but the resource of new pads in a worn drum will be significantly less.
The air dryer filter, very successfully located on the left near the bumper, does not live for a long time in the salt water of Moscow streets. Its aluminum alloy case is fixed on a steel bracket. In full accordance with the laws of chemistry at the place of their contact in the housing, a through hole appears.
But the galvanized body resists corrosion steadily. Even if the paint is damaged to metal, there is no rust. This is usually evident on the bottom of the wheel arches. Therefore, do not neglect the installation of mudguards, otherwise the syringe of stones and dirt will quickly clean the edges of the arches and thresholds to the metal.
Electrics and electronics
Almost all electrical connectors are sealed, so there are practically no failures. Perhaps the only exception is the power contacts of the fan of the cooling system, which have already been mentioned. The high -voltage part of the engine control system also works without complaints. As usual, the computer does not like poor mass, so you need to follow these chains.
A completely incomprehensible malfunction is the destruction of the generator body. Now reinforced generators are installed ($ 177), there are no failures. The fuel level sensor does not withstand our gasoline. The stripping of the resistor helps for a short while, you have to change. A new part will cost about $ 48, and the replacement work is from $ 22 (on Punto) to $ 29 (on Bravo and Marea).
The central castle, electric windows, immobilizer work flawlessly. By the way, protection against theft here is on top. If the owner has lost a code key and a card, even specialists will not lead a car without painstaking and expensive replacing electronic blocks.
Fiat can boast of the lack of false pillows of airbags. But if the Eirbeg malfunction light suddenly caught fire, the contact of the steering wheel, packed by the spring, was most likely to have contacted the hub of the steering wheel. Its replacement or restoration is a minute business. The bulb can burn after the battery is turned off. In this case, it is necessary to reset the error code at the service station, otherwise the pillow will not work.
Little things are annoying and pleasant
If in the car they began to fog the glass for no reason, perhaps cracks appeared in the radiator of the heater. This usually happens in the third year of the car of the car. It is not easy to determine the places of leak, but if the entire radiator is slightly wet, it will have to be replaced ($ 100).
Unprotected larvae of the back door locks on all models can be oxidized, especially if they are rarely used. But there are no problems - the castle has a cable drive from the cabin.
But the sour axis of the rear wiper can lead to a breakdown of the entire mechanism. Do not start the process: at the first signs of sealing, clean and lubricate the details. The front wipers are rampant for many years.
The silumin lining of the side mirror is black over the black color over a few winters around - corrosion takes its own. On new fiates, this detail is from plastic. But the plastic air intake under the hood is just right to make of metal: it is painfully easily broken out of it nuts if threads are acidified. Unscrewing the fasteners, you need to act with affection and lubricant (for example, WD-40). But the plastic bumper is what is needed. Chatter or even split into pieces of the bumper can be boiled, glued and painted without any complex technologies.
Result
Fiat is certainly worth its money. In good condition, used cars are sold at the price of New Samara. And the costs of their maintenance at the company station are approximately comparable. Of course, large expenses cannot be avoided, but before being upset, remember how many thousands of kilometers you drove, taking out the wallet only on a gas station.
 

 

Source: The magazine "Driving"