Good Morning.

After many years of motoring (and motorcycling), during which the newest car I have ever owned is a 17-year old Peugeot 205, I have regretfully concluded that I am never going to have a Ferrari. I have also decided that a new Fiat 500 1.4 Sport is a pretty fair substitute, so I have ordered one of those instead. This little car, according to the splendid ring-bound 500 brochure (more like a book, really), has all sorts of clever things, many of which it does not explain at all. Can anyone here perhaps help out, and tell me what the following things are/do?

• ABS and EBD
• Fire Prevention System (FPS)
• Hazard Activation (4 arrows) in panic braking
• ESP + ASR/MSR
• HBA and Hill Holder

Many thanks

John

ABS... its to do with braking, if you brake hard it helps prevent wheel lock up automatically.
EBD... electronic brake distribution, I think it works with the ABS? Bit like the old compensators on older cars.
FPS... Fiat have had this for years, cuts of fuel supply in event of a colision.
Hazard activation... If you panic brake the hazards flash 4 times to warn other motorists.
ESP,ASR,MSR... Dont know much about these... its like a traction control I think.
HBA hill holder... for people that cant use handbrakes basically holds brakes on for a second or two when you release them at a stand.

Good choice of car and hello

ABS
Anti-lock brakes. So you can turn whilst braking. Can be dangerous in snow and icy conditions.

EBD
This can automatically brake individual wheels to control understeer or oversteer. In short, it tries to stop you from spinning so you can regain control of the car. I.E. car control.

Fire Prevention System (FPS)
The fuel pump cuts out in an accident, plus a few other similar features. These often activate when you go over a bump, so you need to turn off the engine and start again.

Hazard Activation (4 arrows) in panic braking
A daft thing that means if you're having a fun drive and braking hard for corners, the hazards keep coming on.

ESP + ASR/MSR
Prevents wheelspin by cutting the engine power and/or braking a spinning wheel. I.E. throttle control.

HBA and Hill Holder
This effectively lets you do a hill start without you having to learn how to do a hill start. I.E. you don't need to use the handbrake - it does the brakes for you.

In short - they are mostly idiot devices - so it goes without saying that they can save lives.

Gordini said:

In short - they are mostly idiot devices - so it goes without saying that they can save lives.

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Not at all.... all perfectly useful standard kit IMO? And I love my Hill Holder, very convenient and I CAN use my Handbrake thankyou!

But the ESP and hill holder isnt std. the rest is though. Only once experienced ABS, on a roundabout I was gunning it a bit and some clown pulled out at the last second. The ABS did stop me from skidding, was very impressed Didnt specify the other stuff, if its that important then they should make it std and not charge us for it I think the hill holder would wind me up tbh.

Good grief.

Well, I suppose it's all very clever. Not too sure about the car broadcasting my panic braking to all and sundry, though. Thanks for your rapid replies.

How about the Sport Button? When I drove the demo car, siwtching this in and out seemed not just to affect the steering (which did weight up a bit), but the engine, too. Or was I just imagining things?

John

Ffoxy said:

And I love my Hill Holder, very convenient

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I bet you have parking sensors as well, havent you?

Ffoxy said:

and I CAN use my Handbrake thankyou!

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Then you don't need the wussy hill holder.

Gordini said:

I bet you have parking sensors as well, havent you?


Then you don't need the wussy hill holder.

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With respect.... Cobblers! :devil:

And my car is a re-mapped GPS 1.9 MJet not a wussy 500!

Sport button makes the accelerator more responsive. Its a bit like when I put my Auto CVT Panda into Low, it lowers the gear ratios and the throttle position and responce is more percise.

With the 500 being manual instead of auto, it will obviously just change the throttle responsivness. and steering as you said. Will also use more fuel!

Ffoxy said:

With respect.... Cobblers! :devil:
And my car is a re-mapped GPS 1.9 MJet not a wussy 500!

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LOL!

A couple of other cars I drive are 410 are 462bhp. No ESP or hill holding in either of those. :yum:

Gordini said:

LOL!

A couple of other cars I drive are 410 are 462bhp. No ESP or hill holding in either of those. :yum:

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Shame the manufacturers didnt have the sense or capability to include them unless they are early Classics! Take a look at most quality modern performance cars and they bristle with driver aids to help those with more cash than skill stay alive!

Ffoxy said:

Shame the manufacturers didnt have the sense or capability to include them unless they are early Classics! Take a look at most quality modern performance cars and they bristle with driver aids to help those with more cash than skill stay alive!

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Not all. Lotus don't have many!

Most Easterly Panda's said:

Not all. Lotus don't have many!

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Ididnt SAY all, read the post, I said "most"...

Ffoxy said:

Ididnt SAY all, read the post, I said "most"...

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Someone's on the defensive! Reminds me of myself lol.

Most Easterly Panda's said:

Someone's on the defensive! Reminds me of myself lol.

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Defensive... never thought I was being attacked lmao!

Ffoxy said:

Defensive... never thought I was being attacked lmao!

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:spin:

Performance cars need driver aids as many of the people driving them don't necessarily have advanced driving skills.

It is perfectly possible to drive a car safely without any of these driver aids. Caterhams have nothing, not even ABS. What they do offer is a pure driving experience, your brain is the computer and your feet are the traction control and ABS. You have an engine, 4 wheels, big brakes and a steering wheel.

When things go wrong at the limits you rely on skill to bring it all safely under control, and very few (including myself) have the necessary skill required to do so.

They are essential safety items for the majority of cars and drivers but for those of us who like to have some fun it's always nice to be able to switch them off.

nuovapanda said:

But the ESP and hill holder isnt std

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It is on the 1.4

Suasexed said:

It is on the 1.4

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And on a 1.9 GPS!.... OK off topic, I'll close the door behind me

Simon Bell said:

They are essential safety items for the majority of cars and drivers but for those of us who like to have some fun it's always nice to be able to switch them off.

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Is it possible to switch any of them off on the Fiat 500?

John