[Mr Lucky]

Hello all.

I'm here because my girlfriend is a huge Puma fan. Here first 1.7 was a silver banana shaped one (big write-off) that was basically a rolling deathtrap. She always wanted a Puma so when her punto died she just went straight out and bought the first Puma she saw.

We very quickly got rid of it to a garage who furnished her with the Puma she has now, a 1.7 metallic green one.

She loves it.

Personally I think it is like driving a letterbox, zero visability for me (I'm 6ft 3 and my head scrapes the roof lining) and it handles like a roller skate on speed. No matter how hard you try to drive slow that 1.7 seems to persuade you to get your right foot down. I am used to a more, shall we say, sedate form of travel courtesy of my SAAB 9-5. But the car definately has character and charm and has proved reliable (up until now).

Anyway, I am here to do a little problem solving so I will beetle off to the relevant forum and ask the relevant questions. I found this place on Google and it seems to be the place to be for any Puma fan.

Nice to be here...

[tom192]

Personally I think it is like driving a letterbox, zero visability for me

The puma was designed to give the feeling of wearing a crash helmet to make you feel more involved.

"Clements wanted to make the driving experience feel a bit like wearing a crash helmet. The letterbox rear window already provided the right level of lighting.."

Ford Motor company, 2002. Puma, the inside story. Buttler & Tanner.

This post has been edited by tom192: 08 May 2008 - 10:12 AM

[Guy Incognito]

I am used to a more, shall we say, sedate form of travel courtesy of my SAAB 9-5.

Would you be a dentist then?

Welcome to the site!

What is the problem then with the new Puma?

[Mr Lucky]

Thanks for the welcome everyone. I must say I am stunned by the different types of Puma. I thought there was just a 1.4 and a 1.7!

The crash helmet thing I can see. we often both joked about how the car was like putting on a crash helmet. As bikers our selves (she with a GSXR600 and me with a recently sold Hayabusa and still with a DRZ 400) we always thought it felt like a big Arai!

The car has got the abs light coming on intermitently and there is a loud buzzing noise from the passenger side of the bulkhead which i put down to a confused abs module. the brake pedal bumps up and down beneath my foot. I reckon a dodgy sensor somewhere.

Despite my reservations about driving the little Puma I am in it as we speak as my SAAB is having some serious engine work/mods done. The Puma is a happy little thing but the one pet hate i have about my girlfriend's pet is that when i am driving it men pull alongside on dualcarriageways and motorways and look in to see what the woman who is driving it looks like. I know they do this because when I drive my SAAB and pass Pumas do it! When I am at the wheel of 'Bippy' men check me out and whedn they see me driving i can almost hear their thoughts. "Urrgh! Its a bloke! he must be gay".

Really bugs me...

[happy-kat]

welcome
one to check the paper work for, has the cam belt been changed?

[Sw33t]

That clip never gets old

[pumapilot]

it handles like a roller skate on speed.

Welcome to Pumapeople - now you know why were also called the big grin club

As for other drivers looking at you, they're jealous because they wont keep up with you on the twisties - whatever they drive.

[Pearson]

That clip never gets old

.... and I was thinking the exact opposite!

Jon

[Midnight Blue]

Its a bloke! he must be gay".

There are a lot of gay Puma drivers then!!

Welcome to PP.

[angelbabes34]

welcome to pp

The grins go on for miles

[Mr Lucky]

I havent even given a thought to the cam belt. maybe i should get it changed for her. Are there any other faults we need to be aware of?apart from the parcel shelf continuously falling off that is. and her remote keyfob broke...

[happy-kat]

cam belt for the 1.7 is 5 years or 80k miles, which ever occurs first (well late is not changed). other bits should be changed too at the same time, approx £275 or so depending on who you use.
bushes if they are the orginal as they may be tired now
good set of quality tyres
need two keys that open and start the car to program a further new key yourself
parcel shelf can be fixed, a quick method is wrap a rubber band around each grommit shaft

[tom192]

GIVE THE CAMBELT A THOUGHT!!!!!

we had one snap last week and a new engine is serious money!

Other puma quirks:
Your knob will be rather hot if its sunny again tomorrow

Boot fills with water if you open it too fast when its been raining and the cars still wet

Car may not start after the engines been run for a very short period of time. (Hot start in owners manual) - Press the accelerator when you start and it will fire first time.

[happy-kat]

Ford revised the interval, cut it in half

[happy-kat]

ooh forgot the most important thing

check the oil level regularily

(the 1.7 engine bites hard if left to run too low, it's a low pressure warning light not low oil)