[sai_ace]

Originally Posted by kedar3223

How's the availability of spares for a 2014 tjet? Is it advisable to pick one up now? What would be a good price for car with less than 40k km?

Go by the car valuation given by sites like orange book etc. Their figure is a good benchmark. I used the same approach when i bought my pre owned Tjet. I paid 10K more than the price benchmark.

[Fred The Head]

Folks! Finally realized the dream of owing a Linea and I was blessed enough to find a well-maintained pre-owned T-Jet.

I was not very keen on owning a car and for a long time managed without it. I am more inclined towards bikes so I brought myself an RE INT650 and spent quite bit on mods and riding gear. But when I was expecting a 2nd kid, I knew I cannot run away from owning a car anymore and decided to take the plunge.

One thing I was very clear about : I am going to buy a used car and not a new one!

My options were

Skoda Rapid
VW Jetta/Vento
Fiat Linea/Punto

But my heart was screaming for a Linea and the other stuff were just to convince people around me that I am not unilaterally hunting for used car but keeping a wide range of options. I could not imagine myself driving anything but a sedan and from a very young age, have been attracted to the Linea. You know sometimes, as you are growing up, you tend have a car that you wish to own one day? That was the Linea for me. Maybe it was the design, maybe it's rarity on the road, maybe a million other reasons. The heart wants what the heart wants and sometimes there is no telling as to why it wants!

Fast forward to April 2020 - when I decided to buy a car and started hunting in online portals. I was quite surprised at how undervalued Fiat's were, compared to other brands like Hyundai, Honda and Maruti. I mean, I could not spot a 5 year old Alto, with more than 40,000kms for less than 2 Lacs. That's crazy! Then when I discussed with my friends who has been owning cars for more than 10 years on what could be a best buy - none of them suggested a Fiat. Also, went further to suggest that getting spare parts could be a nightmare. I was not convinced. I wanted a Linea. The heart wants what the heart wants.

First car was a Multijet and the asking price was just 1.9L. I asked my friend who also owns a garage to go check out the car as the seller was closer to his place. It was a messed up car. The Interiors were pathetic and there was a lot of mechanical issues as well. So skipped it.

I was not specifically looking for a T-Jet as it is quite rare to find one in the used car market and I could not find one during the time I was looking!

Then after a few days - I came across a T-Jet listed for sale. It was 2011, Top-End version with just 23,000 kms on the odo. At first, I was skeptical. How can a 9 year old car have only 23K on the Odo? Apparently, the owner had a Swift and a T-Jet. He was selling both. Swift with 34,000 Kms on the odo and T-Jet with 23,200 Kms on the odo. I took my friend along (who also owns a garage) and we did a detailed check on the car externally and then scanned the car. Voila! It was perfect. My friend who accompanied me had brought a car from the same dealer about 6 months back which gave us a upper hand in bargaining. Finally, we closed the deal at 2.75 L which is a steal.

Here comes the best part - I do not know to drive and now I own a T-Jet







One of the first things I did when I got the car was painted the front grille black. I feel the black blends well with the beige.

This was followed by a general service & front brake pad replacement.

The attached pics shows how the car was when my friend dropped it home after service. Since this was during the lockdown period, I used to take the car and go for a spin for an hour each day. I have learnt driving from a friend a few years back however I have never driven regularly. From the day, i had the T-Jet home, I was filling petrol and driving about 20 kms each day on the empty streets. It didn't take me long to get addicted to the pleasure of driving the Jet.

However, the first major expense occured when I burned the clutch. Ouch! But that's how I learnt

[Fred The Head]

The last 18 months of ownership has been a great pleasure but had my fair share of issues

BCM

The BCM was faulty even when I took delivery of the car. The dealer mentioned the rear power windows were not working and it has been diagnosed as a BCM issue. Managed to find a used one from Pudupet. It has been going strong till date and has not had any issues.

Power Window Regulator

The rear right & front left power window regulator failed in a few months. Replaced it with new ones from 99rpm. However the rear right power window failed again within 2 months. This time it was right before I could go on a trip so we sourced one locally and installed it (while the old one was given for servicing, we found a guy who said he could fix it). The new one worked well albeit being very noisy. Once we received the serviced one, re-installed that and it has been fine ever since.

Tyres

The tyres were faulty for quite sometime. The car had the original Goodyears with decent amount of tread left but it was 9 years old. I had 2 punctures in two months of ownership and I knew it's time to get a replacement. Also, my ride was feeling bit bumpy on a flat surface like as if a nail is sticking out of the tyre. I went to Lal brothers (opp Satyam Cinemas) to explore options. I was told 2 of the tyres need replacing. I am not comfortable with the idea of running new tyres in front and old ones in the rear, so I went ahead to change all 4. Based on feedback from this thread - I decided to go with Michelin Primacy 4S. Although, it set me aside by INR 31,500 for set of 4, I have no regrets with this upgrade. I have completed 10,000 kms so far and I can say it is worth the money these rubbers demanded. These are quiet and confidence inspiring on all sorts of driving conditions.



Engine Oil

2 months into my ownership I decided to replace the engine oil and all filters. Although, it was told to me that engine oil was recently changed I was not satisfied with the performance. The car was rough and I somehow felt it could be a lot smoother. I decided to go with Mobil 3000 Fully Synthetic. Till date, I am using the same engine oil with a change interval of 7500 Kms or 9 months whichever is earlier. I am so satisfied with Mobil Fully Synth that I do not want to explore any other oil.

Power Steering Oil

Changed the power steering oil. I used Liqui Moly 1800 ATF Dexron 6. (It was impossible to find a dealer or retailer selling Dexron 3 in chennai)

Headlights

This was by far the most expensive upgrade to date on the car. The stock headlamps as you all know is almost impossible for night/late night driving on highway conditions. I decided to go upgrade to Projectors inside the existing housing. After a lot of research settled in with Motofocuz for the upgrade. I decided to go for HID Projectors for Low beam, LED for High Beam and add a sequential DRL.

Very glad I made this upgrade as I no longer need to think twice for night rides. I call the High Beam as "Bully Mode" as I bully my way through traffic by just flashing my High Beams and using the T-Jet Punch to move through cars in highways.







In-Cabin Entertainment

I really was against making any mods to the interior as I loved the car as it was and wanted to retain the original looks of the car. But, the stereo without Bluetooth or Aux was a big inconvenience. So I went ahead and upgraded to a Pioneer. This was one upgrade that I am not very happy with (and I knew i won't be even before doing it) but living with it purely for the functional needs it satisfies.



99 RPM

I have been sourcing parts only from 99RPM. I think you place an order, make payment and forget about it, it will reach your hands. When and How is a different discussion altogether. I have tried emailing them and have gotten no response at all. But since this is one easy way to source OE parts, I gamble till today and place all my orders with 99RPM.

Service

I have been servicing from Road Runner Checkpoint. They had 2 branches - Koyambedu and Tiruvottiyur but now the Koyambedu branch is closed. I did try approaching the JEEP Showroom in Porur once however was not satisfied with their response. I did ask them to sort the left pulling issue (although I was living with it, after a wheel rotation/alignment it increased a bit) and they asked me to leave the car with them for 2 days. I was okay with this but asked them to explain the procedure they would do to correct the steering issue. He was willing to give a quote but was unable to explain the procedure. I left and never returned.

To me -

1. I expect to be explained in detail what repairs the car needs and why it needs it.
2. I would like to watch the car being worked on and interact with the mechanics working on the car (if possible work along with them)

This is something that is possible in an FNG. The experience has been excellent so far and I plan to continue for as long as I am based in this city.

There are other maintenance related work to be carried out in the car next month and I will make a separate post for it.

Attaching a few pics of the elegant Jet taken over the last few months.

Originally Posted by keroo1099

For some reason the low GC setup on the facelifted Linea is still higher than the setup that came on the first lot of cars but I'm past getting OCD on this, and am just going to enjoy what I have.

So for those who want to move to a low GC setup, please try and locate a set of Low GC rear coils before you invest in the struts.

I am actually trying to achieve a High GC setup on my 2011 T-jet. I managed to achieve the same height in the rear (28 Inches) but took a different approach.

Attachment 2212788

Attachment 2212789

This has helped increase the height in the rear. Although, I am not a huge fan of the increased GC but this seems really practical when you are mostly travelling with 4 adults and a full boot. Also, like you mentioned, the wobbling like body roll you experience in slow speeds has drastically reduced.

My question is -

Attachment 2212790

Will using this Front Strut on the 2011 T-Jet with the existing springs help increase the height on the front to match the rear ride height?

[keroo1099]

Originally Posted by Fred The Head

My question is -

Attachment 2212790

Will using this Front Strut on the 2011 T-Jet with the existing springs help increase the height on the front to match the rear ride height?

Wrong attachment, but if you go to 99rpm to the front suspension page for the Tjet you will clearly see different part numbers for high GC and low GC cars.

[Fred The Head]

Originally Posted by keroo1099

Wrong attachment, but if you go to 99rpm to the front suspension page for the Tjet you will clearly see different part numbers for high GC and low GC cars.

I can see this! (hope I've got it right this time)

So does that mean the Struts for vehicles with increased GC can be used on a 2011 T-Jet as well?

Originally Posted by keroo1099

Wrong attachment, but if you go to 99rpm to the front suspension page for the Tjet you will clearly see different part numbers for high GC and low GC cars.

And this is how I have increased the height for the rear. The ride is stiffer but the damping is adequate and does not feel too hard with 4 adults in the car. Not sure how long this will last, yet to find out.

[gopikb]

Congratulations Fred for the Fiat Linea Tjet purchase and welcome to the Fiat family. You got the car for a steal considering what the machine is capable of. Also, I appreciate that you followed your heart and took the plunge.
The 2011 Tjets were from the initial batch manufactured by Fiat when Tjet was introduced and has an imported engine manufactured at Belgium if I remember right. My 2011 Tjet is 92K kms old and the engine has been butter smooth all along. I am sure your Tjet will bring you and your family many more smiles in the coming years.

[keroo1099]

Originally Posted by Fred The Head

Attachment 2212836

I can see this! (hope I've got it right this time)

So does that mean the Struts for vehicles with increased GC can be used on a 2011 T-Jet as well?

Yes, the parts are interchangeable.

[Fred The Head]

I am ordering Coolant from 99rpm (Paraflu UP) and the label says - do not mix water

On the other hand, the manual recommends a 40:60 ratio.

I'm a bit confused here and I can't find a clear answer on any of the threads. Does any of you have an idea of how this works? Should we dilute with water or not?

[MBond007]

Do not mix water with Paraflu UP. Simply pour the content in the coolant reservoir.

[drsnt]

Planning to sell my Jh registered Linea T Jet, 44k+ km, serviced at 42K, white, emotion top. It's 2013 Dec made and registered. Almost new Michelin XM2. I bought it last year from my Uncle and was enjoying the car but due to my sudden preoccupation in my hometown at Haryana car is lying idle (only drove 1500 km in last one year) and I have realized that the service center at Ranchi is worst I have encountered in my lifetime. It's better that the car gets a new owner than being wasted in parking. If anyone is interested please DM me

[ZBlue]

Mid-life upgrades for the Jet

It is a car which is difficult to upgrade from, and the non-existent resale value makes things worse (or better I guess !). The car has done slightly more than 60k KM's since purchase in 2011. Decided to giver her some TLC and keep her after TD'ing a few potential replacements. Wrap, alloys and seat covers.

Here's to many more miles !

[Fred The Head]

Originally Posted by ZBlue

Mid-life upgrades for the Jet

It is a car which is difficult to upgrade from, and the non-existent resale value makes things worse (or better I guess !). The car has done slightly more than 60k KM's since purchase in 2011. Decided to giver her some TLC and keep her after TD'ing a few potential replacements. Wrap, alloys and seat covers.

Here's to many more miles !

Attachment 2217493

How much did the alloys cost? Also, did you use Hub Centric rings while fitting these alloys?

[ZBlue]

Originally Posted by Fred The Head

How much did the alloys cost? Also, did you use Hub Centric rings while fitting these alloys?

Alloys were around 44K. Did not require rings as these are 98PCD.

[theredliner]

Originally Posted by ZBlue

Mid-life upgrades for the Jet

Lovely! Are those Momo Massimo?
More details about the width, offset and the tyre size you are using please. Asking as I could see them being available only in 7.5J.

[saurabh_k]

Hi guys, I am happy owner of a 2016 T-jet. I purchased this car as an upgrade over my 2010 Wangon-R and have been grinning during all the drives since then.

Would be grateful if someone can help me with the following questions/doubts-

1. Have been getting the car serviced at RS motors, Kandivali since the purchase and haven't faced any issues so far. But RS motors is now an independent garage after a change in ownership during Covid. The new owner is ex-Jeep service manger and hence allegedly experienced with Fiat cars but has not applied for authorization to best of my knowledge. The place is flooded with non-FCA cars these days and it seems they have also taken go-mechanic franchaise too (though I am not sure about this bit). The whole team (apart from some of the guys) is new. I had some concerns with billing and quality of jobs done during the last service and now I am seriously looking for a change. Only option available(if I wish to go by ASS route) is landmark Andheri. My question - is anyone aware of a trusted FNG experienced in Fiat cars in western suburbs??
If landmark is preferred over other places, any SA in particular that I can get in touch with for my T-jet.

2. The car has just completed 43k km. I notice some harshness over potholes. There are lot of thuds over the road undulations. Could this be due to worm out tyres or suspension (or both). Is there a way I can try to do some preliminary checks myself before going to service centre/FNG

3. The tyres are 6 years 43k old and will be due for replacement in near future. The thread depth is good enough for 5k kms. Though I may change it earlier due to age factor and if it improves the ride quality materially. Based on search on this forum I feel that there is a general consensus that Michelin 4ST are good tyres for this car. These tyres are selling at around 8k online.
How is availablity of these tyres? Are there any other options worth considering?
Are offline prices materially different?
Any reputed dealer in western suburbs that bhpians recommend?
The spare tyre hasn't been used even once hence thread depth is not an issue, but it's a 6 year old rubber. Do you guys get it changed regularly? How do I assess whether the tyre had become hard enough to warrant a change. (There are no cracks that can be seen as of now)

Attaching some pics.

While taking delivery



Aug 2019



After DIY detailing session (oct 2020)





Random pic (Dec 2021)