Coil springs MOT advisory

Ectophile

I had my 4-year old Fiat Panda serviced and MOT'd yesterday.

It came back with an MOT advisory "Rear coil springs corroded". They also gave me a "visual health check" form with the rear springs listed under the section "Red Items: These items require your urgent attention".

I've owned much older cars over the years, and have never had any mention of the state of the coil springs. I was therefore rather surprised to be told that I needed two springs replacing on a car that's only 4 years old.

Does this sound reasonable to you all? I have never thought of springs as a consumable part, and would expect them to last a lot longer.

Joe_Horner

It's becoming far more common.

Cars are getting heavier and springs are getting lighter (and using more exotic alloys), to the point that if you look at them wrong they snap. So what would have once been surface rust not worth mentioning now potentially weakens them significantly.

Some makers have even resorted to fitting "spring catchers" to prevent the inevitable sudden breakages from going through tyres.

http://www.theaa.com/motoring_advice/car-servicing-repair/coil-springs-breaking.html

OddballJamie

With all the speed bumps and pot holes about I recommend you get them sorted asap, it's a relatively cheap fix. I had one go on a KA and luckily we were only going a couple of miles an hour, came over the cup and nearly through the tyre.

Regarding the 4 years, that's only when the car was registered, it will be older then that, some cars sit in fields for months before being registered. Add last years winter, salt on the roads and unknown miles you've done, it's no surprise they've corroded.

Crabman

When sourcing replacements, are there any particular brands/specs that are made properly?

londonTiger

aftermarket coilovers? or original?

Just buy original factory springs to ensure a good healthy balance/

surprised they spotted rusting because i would have thought theyd be caked in grime and it would not be visible unless someone was looking to find a problem and removed the dirt.

Weird_Nev

I'd get a second opinion to be honest.
Funny that only the rears are corroded - when they're the ones that can be swapped out in minutes. The fronts are over the strut and much more involved.

I'd say it's an easy profit for the garage for fast fit, high mark up parts.

The old brake pads 50% worn trick, dampers needing urgent swapping. All scary safety critical parts that require 2 bolts maximum to be taken off, and can be swapped out in minutes.

Head to the fiat Panda forums and see if there's some endemic problem, or get under there yourself and have a look. It's usual for springs to be grimy, take a wire brush or even just some WD40 and cloth rag to the springs and it should be obvious if they're corroded or not.

chrisw

I think it's a fiat thing. My daughter had an old punto and rusty rear springs was an advisory every year for 6 years but never actually failed. She now has a newer punto and sure enough it has an advisory for rusted rear springs.

Hintza

Well at least it's a change from the usual corroded brake pipes, which when you change the old ones 9/10 they were fine.

Moto2

I'd just give them a good wire brushing and a coat of spray copper grease or ACF-50
Then take it somewhere else next year and see what happens

OddballJamie

Moto2 wrote: »

I'd just give them a good wire brushing and a coat of spray copper grease or ACF-50
Then take it somewhere else next year and see what happens

Or Hammerite them after a good brush.

colino

While modern springs are certainly more commonly replaced, unless there is a crack in them, the corrosion is just inevitable in our climate and has nothing to do with imminent failure.