how to replace a tail light bulb
DESCRIPTION
Fiat grande puntoTRANSCRIPT
Published by colin79666 24-11-2008
How to replace a tail light bulb
The process can be broken down into a few simple steps - each of which I will expand on.
· Notice the bulb is out and obtain correct replacement (see manual)
· Remove covers
· Replace bulb
· Replace covers and refit to car
Step 1 - Notice the bulb is out and obtain correct replacement (see manual) Personally I recommend checking the manual as it has a simple table for determining the correct replacement bulb type. This guide is based around the middle of the 3 - the tail light. A quick check of the manual and the Halfords in-store guide suggests a bayonet 5W bulb (Halfords 207S). Step 2 - Remove covers Open the tail gate and you will see 2 screws at the top and bottom of the lens cover (A in the manual).
Undo these screws and keep them safe. Now comes the but I got stuck at! You need to give the cover a strong tug to loosen it. Don't pull too hard though as you only want to remove it enough to reach round and undo the connector. Undo the connector (press the plastic tab and pull gently). The whole light unit should now be separated from the car.
Now remove the two screws located on the back of the light unit (E in the manual) and keep them safe.
I found it was best to take the unit inside to be sure nothing gets lost or wet. You can then pull out the part which holds the bulbs.
Step 3 - Replace bulb This really is just a smaller version of the bulbs in your house. Push down slightly and turn anti clockwise to remove the bulb. If the bulb filament is not broken then you may find the problem is elsewhere - such as a fuse. Double check your replacement bulb is of the same type and put it in the holder. Push in and turn clockwise to secure. Step 4 - Replace covers This is just the reverse of what you have done so far. Remember to reconnect the wired connector before putting the whole light unit in place! Position the unit in place so the plastic clips slot into the wholes in the unit (the look like pawn chess pieces - thanks LeePunto1.9
). Put the last 2 screws in place and test. All being well your lights will be operational again
Front caliper strip and clean
Mute your squeeky front brakes Published by Andy Monty 20-09-2009
User Rated:
Front caliper strip and clean
Right i am not a mechanic so this is intended as a guide only showing how i clean my callipers , Obviously brakes are rather important items on your car so if in any doubt seek professional advice from a qualified mechanic BEFORE attempting any work on the braking system if your not 100% happy...... get someone who knows what they are doing to do it! if your still not happy dont bother reading any further on.... Right thats the disclaimer out of the way Kit needed
jack & axle stand, wheel chocks, Wheel brace, *(locking wheel nut key if you have alloys)* brake cleaner fluid, 13mm ring spanner S hook made from a welding rod rags, slotted screwdriver, Torque wrench (for refitting wheel) gloves if you have sensitive skin Brake grease ( i use Cera tec) first park the car on firm level ground engage handbrake firmly and leave in gear or select park.., slacken the wheel nuts chock the opposite wheels, jack the car and support on an axle stand... now remove the wheel and place under teh sill as a fail safe should the jack and stand fail... Now you have exposed the caliper and disc first hang your S hook from the front coil spring... unplug the Pad worn indicator cable (left hand side inner pad only) by lifting the black plastic clip on the plug and pulling to remove the cars link wire. next pull the pad cables socket upwards to disengage from its mounting post.. with the cable now free unclip from its little cable clip towards the front of the calliper get your 13mm ring spanner and remove the 2 calliper carrier retaining bolts completely (take care not to damage the brake hose a socket will not fit past it)
slide the calliper off the carrier and feed the cable through and hang the calliper on the S-hook taking care not to damage the hose
(DO NOT JUST LET THE CALLIPER HANG BY THE HOSE) Now its out of the way the 2 brake pads simply un clip from the carrier (take care not to loose the spring retaining clips they are specific to each side so do not mix them up if you remove them) clean the caliper, pads, disc and piston with brake cleaner and the rags use a screw driver with a rag over the tip to carefully remove any stubborn bits. now all is clean grease teh back of the pads ((it should be obvious where the pads come in contact with the calliper) But it goes without saying do not get any grease on the friction material or disc....
clip the pads back in and put a blob of grease behind them where they clip in now un hook the calliper from its S hook and lower into position feeding the P-W-I cable back through it replace the 13 mm bolts and snug down then re attach the PWI cable to its cable and socket clip and plug the cars cable into it (a blob of grease on this should keep water at bay) check the hose isn't kinked check the cable is clear of the disc and double check the 13mm bolts are tight refit the wheel loosely lower the car and retorque the wheel nuts then start the car pump the brake pedal several times then carry out several low speed stops to ensure everything is working correctly its as simple as this:
Front disc change
User Rated:
Front disc change
This is intended as a guide only if your in any doubt over you ability to do this consult a qualified mechanic as your brakes are rather important bit of an add on to this guide as im not going over the intimate details of pad removal again for the sake of it http://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punt...rip-clean.html So car parked safely wheels chocked hand brake applied car jacked and axle standed and front wheel off remove the caliper piston body using a 13mm spanner as in the above guide and the pads (if your new pads come with clips look how the old pad spring clips fit as they only fit on one way)
clean the piston clean then remove the brake fluid cap off the header tank
((DO NOT SPILL ANY FLUID ON YOUR PAINTWORK OR IT WILL REMOVE IT)) next reset the piston ensuring you do not damage the rubber piston seal boot
i used a g clamp but you can get a special tool to do this from most motor factors
do this slowly to give the fluid chance to move back without putting any undue pressure on the seals now i have dropped a bo bo here and not got a photo of this step but i will try and get one when i get chance you need to undo the caliper carrier using a 19mm socket and remove the 2x bolts so this bit comes off
now you can get the disc off using a T30 Torx bit undo the 2 torx aligning bolts these are commonly seized in so a bit of release oil might help and in my case a hammer and impact driver
once both are removed either the disc will drop off with a slight pull or need braying round the edge with a hammer to crack any corrosion clean the stub axle up and coat with copper grease (makes changing them next time easier)
now get your new disc and clean it well with brake cleaner (they come coated in light oil to prevent rusting in storage) and refit apply copper grease to the threads of the torx bolts to make removal easier next time refit the caliper carrier putting a drop of threadlock on the bolt threads for added security then fit the new sping retainer clips and new pads greasing the back of them lightly (on the piston side the other side bonds in place with a sticky pad so degrease the caliper where the pad will stick
ultimately you will be left with this
19mm caliper across flat carrier bolts Torque 9.9 ÷ 11.0 (daNm) 13mm across flats caliper bolts torque to 2.7 ÷ 3.3 (daNm) T30 torx bolts torque 0.9 ÷ 1.4 (daNm) now refit the wheel and do the other side check fluid doesnt over flow as you reset the piston once the other side is done pump the brake pedal slowly with the cap off to reset the pistons then refit the cap now start the car and pump the brakes and check they feel ok now do several low speed stops in a quiet area to check all is working as it should
Strut Top Bearing removal + Service / replacement & Front Spring replacement
User Rated:
Strut Top Bearing removal + Service / replacement & Front Spring replacement
First off this is a fairly complex task with the added hazard of having to remove the coil spring which is under a fair amount of tension so care should be taken..... Tools needed
2 jacks (ideally if not some blocks of wood will do in place of one jack) Axle stand and wheel chocks Small 3 leg puller Release oil Grease Socket set (18mm 17mm 16mm and 6mm hex alan socket) 18mm deep recess Ring spanner Pozi 2 screw driver flat screwdriver hammer/ mallet Decent spring compressors set of spanners Side cutters Breaker bar/s a selection of spanners (a 17mm is going to be needed for the drop links) a 10mm to suit the safety clamps on my compressors So park the car in a safe place on level firm solid ground set the handbrake set the car in gear at some point before jacking loosen wheel nuts on the wheel your working on and open the bonnet..... first job is to remove the wiper arms... unpick the plastic nut covers with the flat screw driver undo the 13mm nut
now a dirty windscreen is handy note where the wipers sit on the screen fit puller and wind both arms off with the puller taking Great care not to hit the windscreen on the bottom edge or apply any pressure to it...
Now remove the 3 screws that hold the scuttle panel down followed by the rubber seal
and remove the plastic scuttle trim taking note how it sits with the little bits of trim at each bottom corner of the windscreen ... now you can get at the turret nut soak it well in release oil and leave to soak for a bit......
now take a 18mm ring spanner and a 6mm alan socket and wrench and loosen the nut off but do not remove completely just yet...
(If your having trouble removing it or you round the 6mm hex off the only option is going to be an air impact wrench to remove/ loosen which is what i did in the end as they were very tight) Now chock the wheels and safely jack the car up and remove the wheel fully and axle stand the car.....
now remove the wheel...... as soon as your in spray the 1x top drop link bolt with penitrating oil along with the 2 hub to strut bolts and clean them up with a wire brush and soak again...
whilst that does its job remove the cables from the strut clips ABS sensor (and pad wear indicator on the LHS wheel)
next remove the brake hose carefully having removed the metal clip ((which will probably snap)) i refitted mine and retained it in place with a cable tie which is what the fiat dealer did to mine when they did the other side under warranty
now remove the top drop link nut using a 17mm open ended spanner and a 16mm socket and pull clear to one side...
now loosen the 18 mm nuts off the 2 hub/strut bolts and remove the nuts.. Tap with a hammer to begin to remove them...
at this point chock up the wish bone so it can't drop and pull the drive shaft out i used another jack but you can use a pile of bricks or wood....
now fully remove the 2 hub/ strut bolts... at this point the strut should be swinging free in the arch a spare pair of hands can come in handy now to fully remove the top nut and guide the strut out of the arch taking care not to snag it on any cables or hit the body work and your just about half way there now for a hazardous bit before going any further read the instructions that came with your spring compressors keep any helpers at a safe distance and TAKE YOUR TIME its imperative that you compress the spring evenly and slowly be gentle and personally i would not use the cheaper spring compressors i have seen some been used where the threaded shaft have been bending badly were they to fail they could cause serious injury and possibly death should the spring suffer a sudden release of tension or the compressor fails.. If your not happy take your strut to a garage and smile sweetly and offer beer tokens for the next bit as most will have a hydraulic strut press which is much safer and faster than compressors if not continue by fitting all three compressors evenly to the spring ensuring the safety retainers are tightened
that they are equally spaced
and are far enough apart to compress the spring
before tightening look how the spring sits in the cup at its stop
slowly tighten them a bit at a time until the spring feels loose between its bottom seat on the cup and the bearing on top then remove the top nut the same as you removed the other using the ring spanner and 6mm alan key
now remove the bearing assembly taking great care not to roughly handle or drop the compressed spring this is the bit you have been trying to get at
At this point you can drop a new upper bearing assembly on and put it all back together Or if you have noticed it starting to stick early there is a chance it is salvageable as long as the balls are not rusty and the race is in good condition you can take it apart and clean and re grease it just take care not to loose the ball bearings out of the race first remove the top rubber
then split the race with a screw driver slowly working round it (do this over a tub as if all the grease has gone the balls will fall out and roll under any thing heavy and unmoveable in the garage
pull the metal bearing race open and degrease and clean the bearing area and the balls themselves
next use grease to stick the balls back in the carrier and put more over the top then reassemble
How to replace a tail light bulb
The process can be broken down into a few simple steps - each of which I will expand on.
· Notice the bulb is out and obtain correct replacement (see manual)
· Remove covers
· Replace bulb
· Replace covers and refit to car
Step 1 - Notice the bulb is out and obtain correct replacement (see manual) Personally I recommend checking the manual as it has a simple table for determining the correct replacement bulb type. This guide is based around the middle of the 3 - the tail light. A quick check of the manual and the Halfords in-store guide suggests a bayonet 5W bulb (Halfords 207S). Step 2 - Remove covers Open the tail gate and you will see 2 screws at the top and bottom of the lens cover (A in the manual).
Undo these screws and keep them safe. Now comes the but I got stuck at! You need to give the cover a strong tug to loosen it. Don't pull too hard though as you only want to remove it enough to reach round and undo the connector. Undo the connector (press the plastic tab and pull gently). The whole light unit should now be separated from the car.
Now remove the two screws located on the back of the light unit (E in the manual) and keep them safe.
I found it was best to take the unit inside to be sure nothing gets lost or wet. You can then pull out the part which holds the bulbs.
Step 3 - Replace bulb This really is just a smaller version of the bulbs in your house. Push down slightly and turn anti clockwise to remove the bulb. If the bulb filament is not broken then you may find the problem is elsewhere - such as a fuse. Double check your replacement bulb is of the same type and put it in the holder. Push in and turn clockwise to secure. Step 4 - Replace covers This is just the reverse of what you have done so far. Remember to reconnect the wired connector before putting the whole light unit in place! Position the unit in place so the plastic clips slot into the wholes in the unit (the look like pawn chess pieces - thanks LeePunto1.9
). Put the last 2 screws in place and test. All being well your lights will be operational again
Front caliper strip and clean
Mute your squeeky front brakes Published by Andy Monty 20-09-2009
User Rated:
Front caliper strip and clean
Right i am not a mechanic so this is intended as a guide only showing how i clean my callipers , Obviously brakes are rather important items on your car so if in any doubt seek professional advice from a qualified mechanic BEFORE attempting any work on the braking system if your not 100% happy...... get someone who knows what they are doing to do it! if your still not happy dont bother reading any further on.... Right thats the disclaimer out of the way Kit needed
jack & axle stand, wheel chocks, Wheel brace, *(locking wheel nut key if you have alloys)* brake cleaner fluid, 13mm ring spanner S hook made from a welding rod rags, slotted screwdriver, Torque wrench (for refitting wheel) gloves if you have sensitive skin Brake grease ( i use Cera tec) first park the car on firm level ground engage handbrake firmly and leave in gear or select park.., slacken the wheel nuts chock the opposite wheels, jack the car and support on an axle stand... now remove the wheel and place under teh sill as a fail safe should the jack and stand fail... Now you have exposed the caliper and disc first hang your S hook from the front coil spring... unplug the Pad worn indicator cable (left hand side inner pad only) by lifting the black plastic clip on the plug and pulling to remove the cars link wire. next pull the pad cables socket upwards to disengage from its mounting post.. with the cable now free unclip from its little cable clip towards the front of the calliper get your 13mm ring spanner and remove the 2 calliper carrier retaining bolts completely (take care not to damage the brake hose a socket will not fit past it)
slide the calliper off the carrier and feed the cable through and hang the calliper on the S-hook taking care not to damage the hose
(DO NOT JUST LET THE CALLIPER HANG BY THE HOSE) Now its out of the way the 2 brake pads simply un clip from the carrier (take care not to loose the spring retaining clips they are specific to each side so do not mix them up if you remove them) clean the caliper, pads, disc and piston with brake cleaner and the rags use a screw driver with a rag over the tip to carefully remove any stubborn bits. now all is clean grease teh back of the pads ((it should be obvious where the pads come in contact with the calliper) But it goes without saying do not get any grease on the friction material or disc....
clip the pads back in and put a blob of grease behind them where they clip in now un hook the calliper from its S hook and lower into position feeding the P-W-I cable back through it replace the 13 mm bolts and snug down then re attach the PWI cable to its cable and socket clip and plug the cars cable into it (a blob of grease on this should keep water at bay) check the hose isn't kinked check the cable is clear of the disc and double check the 13mm bolts are tight refit the wheel loosely lower the car and retorque the wheel nuts then start the car pump the brake pedal several times then carry out several low speed stops to ensure everything is working correctly its as simple as this:
Front disc change
User Rated:
Front disc change
This is intended as a guide only if your in any doubt over you ability to do this consult a qualified mechanic as your brakes are rather important bit of an add on to this guide as im not going over the intimate details of pad removal again for the sake of it http://www.fiatforum.com/grande-punt...rip-clean.html So car parked safely wheels chocked hand brake applied car jacked and axle standed and front wheel off remove the caliper piston body using a 13mm spanner as in the above guide and the pads (if your new pads come with clips look how the old pad spring clips fit as they only fit on one way)
clean the piston clean then remove the brake fluid cap off the header tank
((DO NOT SPILL ANY FLUID ON YOUR PAINTWORK OR IT WILL REMOVE IT)) next reset the piston ensuring you do not damage the rubber piston seal boot
i used a g clamp but you can get a special tool to do this from most motor factors
do this slowly to give the fluid chance to move back without putting any undue pressure on the seals now i have dropped a bo bo here and not got a photo of this step but i will try and get one when i get chance you need to undo the caliper carrier using a 19mm socket and remove the 2x bolts so this bit comes off
now you can get the disc off using a T30 Torx bit undo the 2 torx aligning bolts these are commonly seized in so a bit of release oil might help and in my case a hammer and impact driver
once both are removed either the disc will drop off with a slight pull or need braying round the edge with a hammer to crack any corrosion clean the stub axle up and coat with copper grease (makes changing them next time easier)
now get your new disc and clean it well with brake cleaner (they come coated in light oil to prevent rusting in storage) and refit apply copper grease to the threads of the torx bolts to make removal easier next time refit the caliper carrier putting a drop of threadlock on the bolt threads for added security then fit the new sping retainer clips and new pads greasing the back of them lightly (on the piston side the other side bonds in place with a sticky pad so degrease the caliper where the pad will stick
ultimately you will be left with this
19mm caliper across flat carrier bolts Torque 9.9 ÷ 11.0 (daNm) 13mm across flats caliper bolts torque to 2.7 ÷ 3.3 (daNm) T30 torx bolts torque 0.9 ÷ 1.4 (daNm) now refit the wheel and do the other side check fluid doesnt over flow as you reset the piston once the other side is done pump the brake pedal slowly with the cap off to reset the pistons then refit the cap now start the car and pump the brakes and check they feel ok now do several low speed stops in a quiet area to check all is working as it should
Strut Top Bearing removal + Service / replacement & Front Spring replacement
User Rated:
Strut Top Bearing removal + Service / replacement & Front Spring replacement
First off this is a fairly complex task with the added hazard of having to remove the coil spring which is under a fair amount of tension so care should be taken..... Tools needed
2 jacks (ideally if not some blocks of wood will do in place of one jack) Axle stand and wheel chocks Small 3 leg puller Release oil Grease Socket set (18mm 17mm 16mm and 6mm hex alan socket) 18mm deep recess Ring spanner Pozi 2 screw driver flat screwdriver hammer/ mallet Decent spring compressors set of spanners Side cutters Breaker bar/s a selection of spanners (a 17mm is going to be needed for the drop links) a 10mm to suit the safety clamps on my compressors So park the car in a safe place on level firm solid ground set the handbrake set the car in gear at some point before jacking loosen wheel nuts on the wheel your working on and open the bonnet..... first job is to remove the wiper arms... unpick the plastic nut covers with the flat screw driver undo the 13mm nut
now a dirty windscreen is handy note where the wipers sit on the screen fit puller and wind both arms off with the puller taking Great care not to hit the windscreen on the bottom edge or apply any pressure to it...
Now remove the 3 screws that hold the scuttle panel down followed by the rubber seal
and remove the plastic scuttle trim taking note how it sits with the little bits of trim at each bottom corner of the windscreen ... now you can get at the turret nut soak it well in release oil and leave to soak for a bit......
now take a 18mm ring spanner and a 6mm alan socket and wrench and loosen the nut off but do not remove completely just yet...
(If your having trouble removing it or you round the 6mm hex off the only option is going to be an air impact wrench to remove/ loosen which is what i did in the end as they were very tight) Now chock the wheels and safely jack the car up and remove the wheel fully and axle stand the car.....
now remove the wheel...... as soon as your in spray the 1x top drop link bolt with penitrating oil along with the 2 hub to strut bolts and clean them up with a wire brush and soak again...
whilst that does its job remove the cables from the strut clips ABS sensor (and pad wear indicator on the LHS wheel)
next remove the brake hose carefully having removed the metal clip ((which will probably snap)) i refitted mine and retained it in place with a cable tie which is what the fiat dealer did to mine when they did the other side under warranty
now remove the top drop link nut using a 17mm open ended spanner and a 16mm socket and pull clear to one side...
now loosen the 18 mm nuts off the 2 hub/strut bolts and remove the nuts.. Tap with a hammer to begin to remove them...
at this point chock up the wish bone so it can't drop and pull the drive shaft out i used another jack but you can use a pile of bricks or wood....
now fully remove the 2 hub/ strut bolts... at this point the strut should be swinging free in the arch a spare pair of hands can come in handy now to fully remove the top nut and guide the strut out of the arch taking care not to snag it on any cables or hit the body work and your just about half way there now for a hazardous bit before going any further read the instructions that came with your spring compressors keep any helpers at a safe distance and TAKE YOUR TIME its imperative that you compress the spring evenly and slowly be gentle and personally i would not use the cheaper spring compressors i have seen some been used where the threaded shaft have been bending badly were they to fail they could cause serious injury and possibly death should the spring suffer a sudden release of tension or the compressor fails.. If your not happy take your strut to a garage and smile sweetly and offer beer tokens for the next bit as most will have a hydraulic strut press which is much safer and faster than compressors if not continue by fitting all three compressors evenly to the spring ensuring the safety retainers are tightened
that they are equally spaced
and are far enough apart to compress the spring
before tightening look how the spring sits in the cup at its stop
slowly tighten them a bit at a time until the spring feels loose between its bottom seat on the cup and the bearing on top then remove the top nut the same as you removed the other using the ring spanner and 6mm alan key
now remove the bearing assembly taking great care not to roughly handle or drop the compressed spring this is the bit you have been trying to get at
At this point you can drop a new upper bearing assembly on and put it all back together Or if you have noticed it starting to stick early there is a chance it is salvageable as long as the balls are not rusty and the race is in good condition you can take it apart and clean and re grease it just take care not to loose the ball bearings out of the race first remove the top rubber
then split the race with a screw driver slowly working round it (do this over a tub as if all the grease has gone the balls will fall out and roll under any thing heavy and unmoveable in the garage
pull the metal bearing race open and degrease and clean the bearing area and the balls themselves
next use grease to stick the balls back in the carrier and put more over the top then reassemble