Tom Orrow L
Member
- Messages
- 2,819
- Location
- Shropshire, UK
So last week I bought myself a little 54 plate Fiat Punto from some chap up in Bilston. I got it for a steal and was pretty happy with it for my first car of my own.. Drove lovely, good gearbox, new brakes & tires the lot.
So yesterday I was driving about doing a few things when I started hearing a little bit of a "crunch" when turning corners and taking off. I thought ah well I'll pop it to the garage once I'm done here and see what they've got to say. Carried on driving, turned a corner and all of a sudden my steering went so heavy I thought I was driving a tank.
Not good.. Pulled over on the side of road. Give me mum a ring and she had a good laugh saying that it was probably the power steering and us youngens don't know what its like to drive a car with no power steering.
Managed to drive it down to the garage around 4~ miles away using every muscle I had to maneuver my way through the mass amounts of traffic around at the time. I pulled onto the lot and chatted with the boss man there; got me a quote for parts + labour of £986 inc VAT
My jaw dropped and I was not a happy chappy, I drove home and kicked off royally.
Once I'd calmed down a bit I decided I'd do a bit of research into the problem and found out its pretty common that the electric power steering go on Fiat Punto's from around this age but I managed to find that if I found the right part number I could get the part online and get my local garage to fit it.
Called the good guys over at ACS Power Steering and they asked me a couple of questions about the car, found the matching part I needed and gave me a brilliant price of £150 inc VAT & delivery. YES!!
Went to a different garage that my mum uses and she had recommended to me and chatted with the lass that owned the place and she said she could fit it in a couple of hours for £80.
So all in all parts and labour is going to cost me around £230. Saving myself a nice £756.
Just love how shopping about and doing a bit of research can save you so much money!
Also whilst I was in the garage that's going to fit the part I noticed a little Portamig 160 in the corner (one of the older, better ones) so I got chatting to her about it. She said she didn't do any welding any more and that it hasn't been used in ages so I was cheeky and asked her if she wanted to get rid of it.
She said she'd ask her mate if he wanted it back as she borrowed it from him years ago and hes never wanted it back but if not I could take if off her hands for free
Bad day turned into a half decent one there!
So yesterday I was driving about doing a few things when I started hearing a little bit of a "crunch" when turning corners and taking off. I thought ah well I'll pop it to the garage once I'm done here and see what they've got to say. Carried on driving, turned a corner and all of a sudden my steering went so heavy I thought I was driving a tank.
Not good.. Pulled over on the side of road. Give me mum a ring and she had a good laugh saying that it was probably the power steering and us youngens don't know what its like to drive a car with no power steering.
Managed to drive it down to the garage around 4~ miles away using every muscle I had to maneuver my way through the mass amounts of traffic around at the time. I pulled onto the lot and chatted with the boss man there; got me a quote for parts + labour of £986 inc VAT
My jaw dropped and I was not a happy chappy, I drove home and kicked off royally.
Once I'd calmed down a bit I decided I'd do a bit of research into the problem and found out its pretty common that the electric power steering go on Fiat Punto's from around this age but I managed to find that if I found the right part number I could get the part online and get my local garage to fit it.
Called the good guys over at ACS Power Steering and they asked me a couple of questions about the car, found the matching part I needed and gave me a brilliant price of £150 inc VAT & delivery. YES!!
Went to a different garage that my mum uses and she had recommended to me and chatted with the lass that owned the place and she said she could fit it in a couple of hours for £80.
So all in all parts and labour is going to cost me around £230. Saving myself a nice £756.
Just love how shopping about and doing a bit of research can save you so much money!
Also whilst I was in the garage that's going to fit the part I noticed a little Portamig 160 in the corner (one of the older, better ones) so I got chatting to her about it. She said she didn't do any welding any more and that it hasn't been used in ages so I was cheeky and asked her if she wanted to get rid of it.
She said she'd ask her mate if he wanted it back as she borrowed it from him years ago and hes never wanted it back but if not I could take if off her hands for free
Bad day turned into a half decent one there!
