General How many miles have you done?

[pearce_jj]

Great photos!

I wouldn't stress over checking the oil other than when you first get a car. Personally I just check it when I fill the washer bottle. That said I'm a derv user with DPF, so mine tends to go up rather than down.

 

[arorat]

Here's a picture of yours truly checking the oil on his car back in Australia.

Oh and yes the bonnet, wings and front panel are green and the rest of the car is beige, so what?

did that car have an engine

 

[306maxi]

did that car have an engine

It's there yes, I've got a better photo but you can kind of see my face so it's a no no for posting on here

 

[grimwau]

2.9 litres.

(sorry grimwau, you got there first!)

Quiet day at work, lol.

 

[ahmett]

Hello guys at around 28,000 km/1.6 = miles so you figure that out (my math isnt so good ).
Car registered 1 september 2010 so almost one year.


1.4 Duallogic.
Absolutely no problems to report. Used about 1.8 liters of oil so far ( i drive it hard at times). That is the only cost of the car until now so 40 Euros in 28,000 km for maintenance is fine by me!
About to take it to its first service, I am worried about getting ripped off so I will try my best and let you guys know how my first fiat service experience will be!

 

[jnoiles]

I picked mine up in March 2008 (I think it was March, maybe April) making her just almost three and half years old. As of tonight I've done 67,800 miles.

The hydraulic seals went on the clutch on day 2. Aside from that she's been the most reliable car I've ever owned.

 

[loveshandbags]

I picked mine up in March 2008 (I think it was March, maybe April) making her just almost three and half years old. As of tonight I've done 67,800 miles.

The hydraulic seals went on the clutch on day 2. Aside from that she's been the most reliable car I've ever owned.

That's a great testimony to the 500 1.4 given the number of pads that you've gone through.

 

[Kernow]

We bought our 1.2 Lounge brand new in December 2008 and sold it last week.

It had covered 27,200 miles and in that time had required a new headlamp (bracket was broken on delivery) and a washer jet and that's it, no other faults, squeaks rattles or anything.

We paid £11,400 and got £6,175 (plus about £250 in extra graphics (plus fitting charge cost whatever that was) thrown in on the replacement car) and then an additional £120 off further additions. So probably around £6,600 in value for P/X'ing it.

We averaged about 37MPG in total!

Stef

 

[ahmett]

I picked mine up in March 2008 (I think it was March, maybe April) making her just almost three and half years old. As of tonight I've done 67,800 miles.

The hydraulic seals went on the clutch on day 2. Aside from that she's been the most reliable car I've ever owned.

I am definiately thinking the Fiat 500 is a very reliable car, especially the 1.4! I have no idea what a breather pipe or tappets are. Wouldn't it be wiser to get the 1.4 and not worry about some servicing costs with the 1.2? The fuel consumption is not THAT bad for the 1.4. Of course we have to see how reliable the twinair turns out to be.

 

[jrkitching]

Wouldn't it be wiser to get the 1.4 and not worry about some servicing costs with the 1.2? The fuel consumption is not THAT bad for the 1.4.

Sorry, but not a chance of it. The additional running costs of a 1.4 over the car's lifetime will be far, far greater than any small additional cost of servicing a 1.2. And if you are unlucky enough to break a cambelt (and they do break sometimes, even when replaced at the recommended interval), then you're comparing an engine rebuild with a belt replacement.

Of the engine options produced thus far, the 1.2 petrol will always be your wallet's choice.

 

[ahmett]

Fair point. I have a dilemma, when to change the timing belt? Shall I wait until when fiat tell me to do it or when the stealer tries to convince me to change it and rip me off because they do cost a bit!

 

[306maxi]

Fair point. I have a dilemma, when to change the timing belt? Shall I wait until when fiat tell me to do it or when the stealer tries to convince me to change it and rip me off because they do cost a bit!

When the manual tells you to, or slightly before/

 

[loveshandbags]

Sorry, but not a chance of it. The additional running costs of a 1.4 over the car's lifetime will be far, far greater than any small additional cost of servicing a 1.2. And if you are unlucky enough to break a cambelt (and they do break sometimes, even when replaced at the recommended interval), then you're comparing an engine rebuild with a belt replacement.

Of the engine options produced thus far, the 1.2 petrol will always be your wallet's choice.

Belts on a 1.2 still need to be changed as they do on a 1.4. In the case of the 500 1.2 an Alfa website recommend that they be done at 3 years - differs from the manual at 4 years (a lot of idling) or 5 years / 120,000 Km.
http://www.alfacare.co.uk/Servicing/timing_belts.php
The price of changing camshalf belts on a 1.4 are cheap compared to say a Marea - €200 compared to €500 but you often end having to change other belts and possibly the water pump.
With the hydraulic tappets on the 1.4 the car is always 'performing' whilst on the 1.2 the tappets going out of adjustment it affects the timing and is not running at its optimium.
In relation to the 1.2 being cheap on the wallet, the 1.4 in comparison to other models out there is still a cheap 'performance' car given its power to weight ratio.
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/143950-fiat-1-4-engine.html
Good summary from the the Panda wikipedia...
Introduced into the range in 2006 was the 1368 cc FIRE engine has four cylinders in-line with sixteen valves actuated by belt driven double overhead camshafts.

 

[306maxi]

Belts on a 1.2 still need to be changed as they do on a 1.4. In the case of the 500 1.2 an Alfa website recommend that they be done at 3 years - differs from the manual at 4 years (a lot of idling) or 5 years / 120,000 Km.
http://www.alfacare.co.uk/Servicing/timing_belts.php
The price of changing camshalf belts on a 1.4 are cheap compared to say a Marea - €200 compared to €500 but you often end having to change other belts and possibly the water pump.
With the hydraulic tappets on the 1.4 the car is always 'performing' whilst on the 1.2 the tappets going out of adjustment it affects the timing and is not running at its optimium.
In relation to the 1.2 being cheap on the wallet, the 1.4 in comparison to other models out there is still a cheap 'performance' car given its power to weight ratio.
https://www.fiatforum.com/500/143950-fiat-1-4-engine.html
Good summary from the the Panda wikipedia...
Introduced into the range in 2006 was the 1368 cc FIRE engine has four cylinders in-line with sixteen valves actuated by belt driven double overhead camshafts.

Why would an Alfa website be talking about a 1.2 FIRE which has never been in any Alfa?

 

[loveshandbags]

Why would an Alfa website be talking about a 1.2 FIRE which has never been in any Alfa?

I quoted Alfa because my wife had a Alfa 147 and the camshaft belt broke before it was due to be changed as per the Owners manual. The car ended up going to the scrappie. They had issued an 'amendment' to the schedule but we never got it. So Alfa know a thing or two about belts breaking prematurely. It's highly unlikely that a 1.2 would need to have its belts changed at 3 years (after 3 years you are outside the Fiat warranty period) but that site gives some idea of costs which was what ahmett was looking for. Luckily for Multi-jet owners don't need to know about cambelts because they have a chain.

 

[FragglePete]

Had ours since November 2008, just clocked up 30,000 miles the other day.

Only issues I've had was one of the ignition coils failed on the 2nd day, washer jet replacment and DRL bulbs blowing. Engine seems to have loosed up nicely over time, doing at least 50mpg. It's going to need new set of boots in the near future but it's been a great car to have.

I am thinking of selling it though; it's been fun and still enjoy driving it but would like to change it before loosing too much money on it.

Pete

 

[smart examiner]

I quoted Alfa because my wife had a Alfa 147 and the camshaft belt broke before it was due to be changed as per the Owners manual. The car ended up going to the scrappie. They had issued an 'amendment' to the schedule but we never got it. So Alfa know a thing or two about belts breaking prematurely. It's highly unlikely that a 1.2 would need to have its belts changed at 3 years (after 3 years you are outside the Fiat warranty period) but that site gives some idea of costs which was what ahmett was looking for. Luckily for Multi-jet owners don't need to know about cambelts because they have a chain.

When i had my Cinq Sporting,i kept it for 8 years and never changed the cambelt.I guess i was lucky,but it had only done 30 000 miles. It only needed 2 new tyres,a new battery,and a new back box exhaust in the 8 years.
I only kept my Panda 100HP for 2 years,so it did not need anything doing to it.
I did not know the TA MJs have Chain drive.That is good.My Smart also has Chain drive,as does the Toyota IQ.

 

[306maxi]

I quoted Alfa because my wife had a Alfa 147 and the camshaft belt broke before it was due to be changed as per the Owners manual. The car ended up going to the scrappie. They had issued an 'amendment' to the schedule but we never got it. So Alfa know a thing or two about belts breaking prematurely. It's highly unlikely that a 1.2 would need to have its belts changed at 3 years (after 3 years you are outside the Fiat warranty period) but that site gives some idea of costs which was what ahmett was looking for. Luckily for Multi-jet owners don't need to know about cambelts because they have a chain.

The 1.2 is a safe (ie non-interferance engine anyway. If the belt goes then no damage will be done. I'll be changing the 500's timing belts around the time they need to be changed and no earlier.

 

[pearce_jj]

Out of interest, how do you know that!? (I'm not disputing it or that you do, I just wondered how ). The only cam belt I've ever experienced breaking was in a '79 Cortina 1.6 - unfortunately it didn't cause catastrophic engine damage

 

[306maxi]

Out of interest, how do you know that!? (I'm not disputing it or that you do, I just wondered how ). The only cam belt I've ever experienced breaking was in a '79 Cortina 1.6 - unfortunately it didn't cause catastrophic engine damage

Well it's forum knowledge.

https://www.fiatforum.com/punto/23213-punto-1-2-8v-high-interference-if-cam-belt-snaps.html