A couple of weeks ago I posted a query about my wife's Punto. She found that when she was toodling down the M5 at about 60 or 70 mph the car would occasionally drift to left or right for no apparant reason. A bit like being blown off course in a strong wind but it happens on windless days.
A couple of you kindly suggested possible reasons for this and indicated a trip to the dealer. Well, the car was back at the Fiat dealer yesterday and they could find nothing wrong with it. Mind you, they did fix the juddery wipers which is mentioned on HJs car by car breakdown. They claim that the car is not affected by the other recalls that HJ notes, even though one is related to sterring. I bet the main dealers hate sites like this since they tend to empower the consumer. More of it!
I am now at a loss about what to do next. My wife is not happy about driving her car, especially with our baby in the back. Any idea what I can do next. I have tried phoning Fiat UK but the number on their web site is dead.
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If she has the electric power steering set to 'City' mode I'm not surprised she can't control the car. This ultra light mode should only ever be used for parking. It isn't safe to drive the car on the City setting.
HJ
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Does the city mode not cut out above a certain speed?
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Despite what i might sometimes think, my wife ain't so dim as to drive with the City button pressed. Is it however possible for this feature to switch in/out by itself and not light the warning light? That is, some sort of electrical fault ?
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Robin:
I don't wish to suggest your wife is stupid.
You mention in your original post that the problem occurs when "toddling along at 60-70" on the M5. Presuming your wife follows correct lane discipline, she will be, for at least some of the time, in the nearside lane, which is prone to ruts from HGV's. Do you think the drifting she is experiencing is simply the car tending to tramline as she crosses the ruts in the tarmac? I have not driven a new Punto, but I have noticed that some cars seem more prone than others to disturbing directional changes from these ruts.
HTH
Andy
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Andy
Aha - that may well be the problem. She only uses the car to go to work from Gloucester to Stroud and the car does not go anywhere else really. I think we'll have to take it on a trip elsewhere.
Thanks for the input.
Robin
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Andy S,
I have no experience of the road in question but that would have been my thought.
The efect of the rutting is very odd in that you have to apply steering correction you don't really notice...then when the wheels pop out of the rut it feels as if you're being swept to one side.
I've heard this argued between couples using the same car on the same road with only the wife complaining. Turn out "he" presses on in the outside lane unaffected and "she" carefully drives along the inner lane being pulled all ways.
Parts of the A14 are/were lethal with these ruts.
David
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Up until a few years ago it was rare to encounter a road with serious rutting.
Nowdays you come across it on every journey. Some of them hold over an inch of water in rain, a serious aquaplaning risk.
IMHO, if the authorities are not going to maintain roads then they should go for concrete construction rather than tarmac.
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