Technical New 500 TwinAir

[FireballXL5man]

Just did a drive from London to the south coast. Got out of London and I was averaging 34mpg, got down here and I was at 48mpg. Not bad but it really is a case of mpg being pretty terrible stop-start. I thought urban was meant to be 50+.

Again, will wait and see how it improves.

If urban mpg in a twin air is meant to be 50+, I don't believe this is achievable with normal driving. These quoted figures are not "real life". My 1.2 8v is used quite a bit in town and is showing figures like average speed 19mph, mpg around 44. I'm happy with that. If you could drive all the miles in town (urban) in a twin air and get 50+ mpg, I'd be amaized.

 

[TrevC]

High 40s or even 50 is possible around town, but you have to be in Eco mode, accelerate gently and change up at 2000 rpm. I tried this on my 23 mile journey to work last week, which is about 70% out of town, and got 58. Excruciatingly slow though, I'd have driven faster if I'd been holding anyone up. Driving more normally I get low 50s.

 

[Soong]

Got 42mpg on the way back from work today which I'm happier with.

Oil is low already though, after 800 miles? Anyone else had similar issue?

 

[306maxi]

Got 42mpg on the way back from work today which I'm happier with.

Oil is low already though, after 800 miles? Anyone else had similar issue?

The oil consumption which is to be expected is stipulated in the manual. The oil type which is needed is also stipulated in the manual.

 

[grimwau]

Got 42mpg on the way back from work today which I'm happier with.

Oil is low already though, after 800 miles? Anyone else had similar issue?

The oil consumption which is to be expected is stipulated in the manual. The oil type which is needed is also stipulated in the manual.

All my oil disappeared after 10 miles, lol. Make sure you get the right one to top up as it is crucial to the correct functioning of the MA solenoids also any warranty problems with the engine are only dealt with after a sample of the oil has been analysed (so I have been informed.)

 

[Soong]

Hmm well I just had a call from Fiat who had my car all day and they said the noise (which is like a buzzing dentist noise that I didn't hear during a test drive) is normal. I said that it only happens when the aircon is on and he said yep that's normal.

Anyone else get it?

 

[RobinPJ]

Hmm well I just had a call from Fiat who had my car all day and they said the noise (which is like a buzzing dentist noise that I didn't hear during a test drive) is normal. I said that it only happens when the aircon is on and he said yep that's normal.

Anyone else get it?

"They all do that, Sir" is a classic dealer get out of jail free card. Don't accept it unless you are sure - try a couple of other 500's and see if they do it too.

 

[loveshandbags]

Congratulations Soong on the new TA and welcome to the Forum.

A question to the Forum - and it would be of relevance to the OP.

If you send you car in for a 'check up' is this recorded on a database and is it accessible by other dealers ?

I had an issue with my car last March and it involved asking a dealer 'down the country' to send me hard copies of the service history for a warranty claim - so I got the impression that it wasn't a central database.

For the OP - if he was unhappy with the 'feedback' from his current dealer what's to stop him going somewhere else ?

 

[jrkitching]

"They all do that, Sir" is a classic dealer get out of jail free card. Don't accept it unless you are sure - try a couple of other 500's and see if they do it too.

Good advice. The classic dealer test when a customer reports an unusual noise is to check the car's service documentation. Then, if the car is in warranty, you will be told the noise is 'normal'. If out of warranty, you will be told the noise is 'abnormal' and you will be invited to pay a fee for further diagnostic work & rectification.

 

[loveshandbags]

Good advice. The classic dealer test when a customer reports an unusual noise is to check the car's service documentation. Then, if the car is in warranty, you will be told the noise is 'normal'. If out of warranty, you will be told the noise is 'abnormal' and you will be invited to pay a fee for further diagnostic work & rectification.

In my case I got fobbed of on a 'check up' nearing the end of a 2 year Fiat warranty and having 'stepped into' the 3rd year Dealer warranty 'bit' they said that they would have to go through Fiat since it was no longer their decision. I'll have to throw some money their way on the next service to improve the amenability of the 'situation'.

 

[Soong]

So I got to the dealer to pick it up and one of the engineers there wanted to go out with me to hear the noise. I mentioned the noise every time I heard it but he couldn't hear it.

He then said he hoped it wasn't out of his hearing range (I said it was quite high-pitched from the start) as he was quite old. He then said he had burst one of his ear-drums (?)...

I think I'll take it to another garage.

 

[RobinPJ]

So I got to the dealer to pick it up and one of the engineers there wanted to go out with me to hear the noise. I mentioned the noise every time I heard it but he couldn't hear it.

He then said he hoped it wasn't out of his hearing range (I said it was quite high-pitched from the start) as he was quite old. He then said he had burst one of his ear-drums (?)...

I think I'll take it to another garage.

Excellent. Send a deaf engineer to listen for a noise. Remind me to get my blind car valet guy round this weekend...

 

[arorat]

So I got to the dealer to pick it up and one of the engineers there wanted to go out with me to hear the noise. I mentioned the noise every time I heard it but he couldn't hear it.

He then said he hoped it wasn't out of his hearing range (I said it was quite high-pitched from the start) as he was quite old. He then said he had burst one of his ear-drums (?)...

I think I'll take it to another garage.

on a TA dualogic testdrive we (wife & I) heard a high pitched noise, the sales guy could not hear it, btw its not present on our TA manual. The AC makes some noise but its not bad in anyway.

 

[TwinAir Newbie]

Hmm well I just had a call from Fiat who had my car all day and they said the noise (which is like a buzzing dentist noise that I didn't hear during a test drive) is normal. I said that it only happens when the aircon is on and he said yep that's normal.

Anyone else get it?

I half inched the TA this week and had the aircon on, and did get that noise you have been describing.

I got it accelerating out of a 30mph zone.

 

[paul fletcher]

Got a good result from the hospital on Tuesday, Wednesday ordered a Lounge twinair in Bossa Nova White after a test drive, picked it up Monday! had it a week now and done 483 miles, mpg average so far is 48.5, some of that in ECO mode, some not. I'm trying a full week in ECO mode now to see what difference it makes. Isn't that parcel shelf cute!!!

 

[Soong]

Noticed any dentist drill (ish) sound at around 3krpm?

It annoys me when I hear it but so does the thought of having to go to the garage.

I'm on 52mpg on my current tank although it's been 95% motorway. Still, should be more!

 

[grimwau]

Noticed any dentist drill (ish) sound at around 3krpm?

It annoys me when I hear it but so does the thought of having to go to the garage.

I'm on 52mpg on my current tank although it's been 95% motorway. Still, should be more!

Others have commented on this and the feeling is that this is caused by the turbo, although nothing has been proven yet.

I wonder if this has any relevance on the turbo recall that a few members have had done but.

 

[kamikaze5262]

Hello,

It's been two months since i bought my 500 twin air and i've noticed some things that i didn't like..
1) It requires enaugh gas 1500 to 2000 rpm and really slow let out the clutch from first gear..otherwise it strugles
2) When starting in the morning it has a very loud sound(like a diesel) and revving up to 1500-2000 rpm.
3)My clutch is a little bit hard to push on the floor

So,

I want to ask you, Do i have to press the clutch to the floor wlile switching gears? And did yo have a similar issue with the clutch? Do you know about recalls for twin air 500?

 

[TrevC]

Hi Kamikaze

I've had my TA since March, and one of the first things I noticed was the clutch bite point is close to the floor. I've now got used to pushing it fully down, and getting the revs on before lifting my foot. The resistance in the clutch pedal seems to increase slightly as it gets close to the floor, but I haven't found it a problem.

Mine also sounds quite clattery when its cold. I haven't noticed it idling at 1500-2000rpm, though.

 

[kamikaze5262]

TrevC

I haven't noticed that the bite point is toclose to the floor,i'look for it.So yeah it has more restistance when close to the floor,so it's not a problem.When cold it goes 1.300-1.400 rpm not 1.500-2000,i said to much. Good luck with the car i hope you enjoy it and thanks for the reply...