FIAT Automotive Repair Manuals - Automotive Repair Manuals

Interesting Facts About Fiat You Probably Don’t Know – Common Problems – and PDF Manuals for Download…

The story of FIAT begins with Giovanni Agnelli, an entrepreneur who was born in mid-1866 in a small town in Italy.

Coming from a well-to-do family, Giovanni achieved the highest level of education before joining the Italian army in 1893.

He succeeded his father as the Mayor of Villar Perosa in 1895, a seat he held for 50 years until his death in 1945.

At the end of the 1890s, horseless carriages were the rave and as such Giovanni chose this opportunity to engage his entrepreneurial and engineering skills in the business.

Together with his companions, Giovanni founded the ‘Fabbrica Italiana di Automobili Torino (FIAT) società per azioni (S.p.A.)’ in 1899 to design, manufacture and sell automobiles.

The first FIAT automobile was produced in 1900. By 1906 the brand had become so popular that the company was publicly listed in the Milan stock exchange.

Giovanni was a shrewd businessman and he accrued as many shares in the company as he could.

In the same year, FIAT went international, opening its first car dealership in Manhattan, USA.

Over the next 14 years, Giovanni moved through the various ranks in the company until finally becoming chairman in 1920.

At the end of the Second World War, Giovanni Agnelli died having acquired most of the publicly traded shares of FIAT and leaving the company with more than 80% market share in the automotive industry.

Promptly upon the founder’s death, an accomplished industrialist by the name Vittorio Valletta took over the company’s presidency until his retirement in 1966.

At this point, Giovanni ‘Gianni’ Agnelli, the founder’s grandson and chosen heir of the family assets and FIAT shareholding, had come of age.

He took over as company president in 1966. During his tenure as president, Gianni grew the company tremendously making it the leading vehicle manufacturers in Italy and one of the biggest and most popular brands in Europe.

During his tenure, Gianni made several acquisitions including Autobianchi (1967), Lancia (1968), Ferrari (1969), Alfa Romeo (1986) and Maserati (1993).

However, as the petrol crisis of 1973 ravaged many businesses including FIAT, Gianni decided to sell part of the company to a Libyan-owned oil business known as Lafico to keep business afloat.

He later bought back the shares in 1986. Due to health reasons, Gianni stepped down as company president in 1996. He died 7 years later in 2003 from prostate cancer.

Fiat S.p.A has had a long life in the manufacturing industry falling under different managerial professionals and still emerging top in the world of automotive engineering.

The company has seen some key personnel play crucial roles in reviving its business when it was most crucial.

Today, Fiat is among the top ten vehicle manufacturing companies in the world producing over 12 brands under its portfolio including Alfa Romeo, Dodge, Ferrari, Jeep, Maserati and Ram Trucks.

After acquiring the Chrysler Group in 2014, the company changed its name to ‘Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV (FCA LLC)’.

Common Fiat Problems

The journey of Fiat has come a long way and the company has not failed in realising and maintaining its founder’s dream for the brand.

Owning any of the many brands under the Fiat label is an admirable feat owing to the brand’s popularity and status in the market.

It is important for owners of Fiat vehicles to know their brands well so that, in the event of mechanical repair, they understand the ‘dos and don’ts’ of their vehicles. Below we look at some of the problems associated with Fiat motor vehicles.

Front Brakes

The front brakes of Fiat motor vehicles, tend to wear out causing a squealing sound when applied. This could be a problem associated with lubrication of the braking system. If unchecked, this may cause permanent damage to vehicle brakes.

Vehicle owners are advised to carry out periodic maintenance and inspect braking system to ensure it is in good condition. If found to be faulty, the braking system should be replaced and reprogrammed.

Faulty Shock Absorbers and Suspensions

Shock absorbers and suspensions provide stability and protection for the car when travelling on rough terrain.

When the shock absorbers are faulty the vehicle might lose control, become difficult to navigate or cause damage to the undercarriage.

Some Fiat brands have been noted to have faulty shock absorbers and suspensions that do not provide enough protection.

Vehicle owners are advised to carry out periodic maintenance on the parts and replace or repair whenever found to be faulty.

Faulty Odometer

Although uncommon, some vehicles have been noted to have a faulty odometer that flashes, does not give the correct reading or totally fails to give a reading. This could be the result of an electrical fault or computer problem and as such should be rectified immediately.

A faulty odometer does not have serious consequences to the user with regards to safety but it may be a concern for individuals or organizations who keep track of their fleet’s mileage.

A visit to a dealer or service repair professional for a system diagnostic and reboot should clear up the problem.

Interior Fittings

There is nothing more disturbing than getting a lot of rattling and squeaking sounds from the car interior every time it is being driven. Fiat users across different messaging boards have raised issue with the low quality interior finishing of the cars.

From squeaking passenger seats, faulty cd players, rickety dashboards to poor fitting window seals, the Fiat interior might leave some car lovers wanting for more.

Although most of the fittings can be sufficiently replaced or repaired for free by the dealer, if the vehicle is still under warranty, this might be one of the most annoying problems with Fiat vehicles.

Ensure to check the interior for any loose fittings or malfunctioning installations. It is advisable to fix any problems as soon as they are noticed.

Conclusion

Having a service and repair manual on hand is necessary if one intends to own one of the renowned Fiat models.

A service and repair manual will provide guidance to both the vehicle owner and maintenance professional on how to fix unexpected problems.

Purpose of this is to catalog and include one of most comprehensive, useful and accessible “automotive repair PDF manual” database on the web for all FIAT models.

It’s your go-to source for learning all about FIAT – when you can’t find it elsewhere.

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