Had ours coming up 2 months and it has covered almost 500 miles....at this rate it will be a few years before it is run in!!
Looks like I will have to use it on more work journeys.
Looks like I will have to use it on more work journeys.
General The 500 has nearly done 500!
- Thread starter Stupidmia
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General The 500 has nearly done 500!
As of this morning, the Wife has covered 3302 miles since 22 August last year, total mileage so far, 4123, averaging 47mpg, something our old MX5 could never ever achieve! 
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2500 in 5 weeks.
Blimey, that's pretty low mileage! We've (well, the Parents) have had their TwinAir nearly 7 weeks and it's on 1350. Was doing well on fuel (late 40s to early 50s) but this last tank only got 300 miles from full to the light coming on, which doesn't seem so good.
Pretty sure Dad's not been hooning it round country lanes THAT much, so gonna keep an eye on it, not that Mum or Dad are bothered - she (Rosa) can't put a foot (or wheel) wrong, unlike muggins who recommended the Fiat
ahmett
Prominent member
28250 in 20 months = ) jnoiles thats a lot of mileage!
OP
OP
Well the missus uses it when she does night shift at the hospital...about half a mile away! Or if she pops to her mothers which is about 3 miles away!!! I try to use it for popping ito town, as its easier to fit into small parking places and also for the economy. I am using it now on my work commute at least once or twice a week (20 min drive away).
To be honest...I really prefer the power and comfort of my own car and had been finding the 500 a bit strange...but I am getting a bit more used to it.
I dont feel particularly cool in it either....but it is def the coolest car for a woman (my wife loves it to bits).
The Stop/start winds me up a bit....only kicks in on the very odd occasion...Perhaps it is down to the level of battery charge? But after a 10 mile return journey from work in reasonably warm temps (12 degs) and the engine at full temp before I get off site...it rarely works?!?!? Not sure if I should be getting it looked at?
To be honest...I really prefer the power and comfort of my own car and had been finding the 500 a bit strange...but I am getting a bit more used to it.
I dont feel particularly cool in it either....but it is def the coolest car for a woman (my wife loves it to bits).
The Stop/start winds me up a bit....only kicks in on the very odd occasion...Perhaps it is down to the level of battery charge? But after a 10 mile return journey from work in reasonably warm temps (12 degs) and the engine at full temp before I get off site...it rarely works?!?!? Not sure if I should be getting it looked at?
Aah i see, yeah not alot of opportunity for piling on the miles. Still, a low mileage 1 owner 500 should attract quite a crowd if you were to sell in a few years.
I enjoy driving my Parents 500, the engine is great & it's generally just a fun car to be in, but i do feel like abit of a donkey. The only ones that a guy can get away with driving are the Abarth or the TwinAir/TwinAir+ models in Midnight Indigo Blue, Black or dark Grey. In my Mums Red Lounge with the ivory bits i don't feel 100% comfortable, but it's very cool for a 50-something lady and my mates (male) think it's great, so maybe i'm over-analysing.
Our Stop/Start is usually switched off as Mum & Dad don't trust themselves to get the hang of it, but i've left it switched on & it does usually cut out when i come to a stop at traffic lights etc. It is extremely sensitive though - even if the heater fan is on more than a quarter of its power, the stop/start doesn't kick in and when it does, if i've sat stationary for more than a couple of mins it's beeped and said 'Start & Stop Unavailable' on the display. Ive then had to switch off the ignition & re-start the engine, so it's not a perfect system but i just think it's how it is - it was designed to make stupid MEP's in Brussels who know jack-all about cars think 'ooh yes that's good for Climate Change', but as for real-life impact, it's questionnable.
I'd just switch it off or try and ignore it if i were you. Fiat UK & the Dealers are generally knowhere near sharp enough to be able to fathom whether it's working right or not & you'll end up going back and forth getting contradictory advice & still be none the wiser! It's taken Fiat UK a month to get back to me about a quibble i emailed them with regarding the TomTom port not being an option on the Lounge configurator & then not being fitted to our TwinAir Lounge. One member of staff thought it wasn't available on the Lounge even though there's Lounges all over the place with it fitted & it's then gone into this back & forth performance with various departments trying to establish whether it should've been fitted or not, which i just find unbelieveable. So yeah, just stay away from them. They've been alright for me in the past but from this experience & other recent ones i've read on here, brain & dangerous springs to mind.
JTD_Liam from what I can gather the tomtom port is a free option on all lounge models. It just needs your dealer the tick the box.
My dealer ticks the box in all his cars as why not? It's free.
The same happens with the VW transporter.
A full size spare wheel is actually a no cost option. If you don't tick the box you will get a can of tyre repair. I'd personally prefer a spare wheel and my dealer orders all their stock vans with them. Some dozy dealers just don't tick the box.
Getting your dealer to admit this sounds like an uphill battle.
My dealer ticks the box in all his cars as why not? It's free.
The same happens with the VW transporter.
A full size spare wheel is actually a no cost option. If you don't tick the box you will get a can of tyre repair. I'd personally prefer a spare wheel and my dealer orders all their stock vans with them. Some dozy dealers just don't tick the box.
Getting your dealer to admit this sounds like an uphill battle.
As of this morning, the Wife has covered 3302 miles since 22 August last year, total mileage so far, 4123, averaging 47mpg, something our old MX5 could never ever achieve!
Hmmpff, I noticed yesterday when me and the Missus went out, she had hit 5033 miles, so my figures quoted above are wrong. Clearly, I can't interpret Fuelly properly! So after she had filled up, Fuelly had tracked 4123 miles, add the 821 that were on the clock when we started = 4944. Makes no odds to the mpg though.
I just can't believe that in less than four months time, we will have had our POP for a year. Where does the time go
Yeah the dealer just didn't tick the box it seems, annoyingly. I was gonna double check-it with them but forgot & then the car arrived sooner than we thought so that was that.
Spoke to Fiat UK again on Friday & they admit it should be on the configurator as a no-cost option for Lounge's like it is for Twinair/Twinair+ trims. He's gonna alert the website people & agreed to £50 vouchers to make amends, which is fair enough.
Ive only taken it up with Fiat UK rather than dealers as i feel that if the configurator had been correct we'd have known/been reminded to specify with our paid-for options. Bit annoying the dealer didn't tick the box but if they didn't know & we didn't ask i guess i can't blame them. Not life or death given the rest of the experience has been good but just means the Parents will be getting a regular TomTom or Garmin rather than the fancy Fiat one
You can buy the port on eBay. I'm sure I've seen it for something like £25 ?
Fitting it and wiring it in may be another matter though.
To be honest though, I've used the fiat blue&me tomtom 2 over a period of days and I would not buy one. I found it moved and wobbled whilst underway.
It adds trip computer functions in one screen, but nothing you can't see by scrolling through the dash display.
The Eco screen is a waste of time, it's like a vacuum gauge of old. The more you put your foot down, the more it goes from green to red.
The music player could be handy, but for me I use my iPhone and control tracks from there.
The main problem for me would be the constant installing and removal of the thing for daily use. Some scrote is going to smash your window if you don't take it away. You may as well just buy a cheap navi and use it on the rare days you need to because I don't know about others but on 99.8765 of my journeys I know where I'm going.
Fitting it and wiring it in may be another matter though.
To be honest though, I've used the fiat blue&me tomtom 2 over a period of days and I would not buy one. I found it moved and wobbled whilst underway.
It adds trip computer functions in one screen, but nothing you can't see by scrolling through the dash display.
The Eco screen is a waste of time, it's like a vacuum gauge of old. The more you put your foot down, the more it goes from green to red.
The music player could be handy, but for me I use my iPhone and control tracks from there.
The main problem for me would be the constant installing and removal of the thing for daily use. Some scrote is going to smash your window if you don't take it away. You may as well just buy a cheap navi and use it on the rare days you need to because I don't know about others but on 99.8765 of my journeys I know where I'm going.
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To be honest though, I've used the fiat blue&me tomtom 2 over a period of days and I would not buy one. I found it moved and wobbled whilst underway.
It adds trip computer functions in one screen, but nothing you can't see by scrolling through the dash display.
The Eco screen is a waste of time, it's like a vacuum gauge of old. The more you put your foot down, the more it goes from green to red.
The music player could be handy, but for me I use my iPhone and control tracks from there.
The main problem for me would be the constant installing and removal of the thing for daily use. Some scrote is going to smash your window if you don't take it away. You may as well just buy a cheap navi and use it on the rare days you need to because I don't know about others but on 99.8765 of my journeys I know where I'm going.
I would agree that the Blue&Me Tom tom is expensive, it's a bit clunky and has to 'man-handled' to get it off the dash. On the wobby bit - I've tightened mine up and don't really notice any shimmering but I would admit that it is there.
There are some new 'thin' Garmins that can be used with a dongle from the diagostics connection to give information abput what's going on with your engine and you can turn your sat nav into a series of gauges if you know if you don't need to know where you're going. Covered it later on.
I haven't got the B&Me functionality working on the MiTo because 'the jury is still out' if a replacement B&Me ECU will do the job but there's still a remote possibility that it might still work.
The media center feature is possibly a key selling advantage of the unit. On the MiTo there's no ECO USB download feature (not that it's up to much anyway) so the Tom Tom can improvise on this. The vacuum gauge thing I've seen wouldn't 'float my boat'.
The B&Me Tom Tom is based on the GO LIVE 1000 model. This should be the exact same carcass and can be got much cheaper that the B&Me Tom Tom unit (seen it for £100). Cradle can be bought independently for around £45. There was a woman on here before who bought the cheaper set and broke a 'tooth' on the unit. I incorrectly assumed at the time that it wouldn't fit but I reckon it works. The genuine B&Me Tom Tom unit can be got for £250 now on ebay which is still a bit expensive if P&P has to be added on top. But IMHO if you can get it for £250 'all in' it is still worth the money. If you opted for the GO LIVE model it supposedly has the full Tom Tom feature set e.g. POIs which was cut down on the B&Me Tom Tom so you not really getting 'less'.
I've been using the B&Me Tom Tom since late Jan and so has the OH. Recently changed to an Italian voice - no idea what he was saying but I liked the sound of 'Arrivee'.
Haven't got a word of Italian but I might learn a few basic words. The UK default female voice is very nice. Traffic updates are supposedly the BEST and gives it the substantial edge over the Garmin. Tom Tom has a 'department' somewhere in Europe which are dedicated to real time traffic updates. The more Tom Tom units installed and working the more accurate the information. I have arrived on time for some appointments despite 'hold ups' using some of the re-directions that it suggested. I've had to fine tune the speed alerts because it was beeping all the time turning off 1 or 2 of the 'alert' settings. Graphics particularly on laneway guidance is brilliant and this wasn't on the old Garmin. The touch screen is very responsive and on par with an iphone.Recently started to use Map Share so that the speed limits are right and also correcting 'dead ends' where the roads have gone 'one way'. Still working on the routes where it has not 'coped on' that there's no legal right turn.
With 2 mobiles I have the 'standard' mobile hooked up to the B&Me in the car and the other mobile linked with the B&Me Tom Tom unit. Sound from the Sat Nav for the phone would be very average and not in the same league as the built-in handsfree.
My car is parked in a Garage so generally I only take the Tom Tom Live 2 out of its bracket but if I'm parked on the street I put the unit into a little pouch. If I'm in a dodgy area the bracket is removed sticking it into the glovebox (I have one
). I also have an alarm installed so it should make it that bit more secure.I'm now debating if I should get for a Tom Tom GO LIVE 1000 since only one of our Mitos will ever have the Blue & Me functionality or to go for a Garmin with the geeky gadgets.
I was looking for a 'virtual' boost gauge which unfortunately is not available with the Garmin setup & would have to go with something else. Some great promises on the bluetooth ECO route dongle with check lights and the ability to reset them. Don't know if the claims are justified but for £79 it might be worth the cost.Real world example after the PR clip above
Don't believe all that it can say it can do but the iphone equivalents seem to be currently more expensive...
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Garmin-ECO-Route-HD-Nuvi-3790T-3760T-2460LT-2360LT-/260844943666
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The 68R option port is purely a charging port. All the 'fancy bits' the B&Me Tom Tom is doing is done through Bluetooth.
If you are buying a Blue & Me Tom tom it clearly states it will ONLY work with vehicles fitted with the 68R option port.
I've read that cars fitted with the AUX beside the USB has the 'newer' B&Me ECU and it should work without the port. You will just have to test it before you buy since you will have no comeback.
So if the above works I can't see any reason why retrofitting the £25 port may not work.
Yeah the dealer just didn't tick the box it seems, annoyingly. I was gonna double check-it with them but forgot & then the car arrived sooner than we thought so that was that.
Spoke to Fiat UK again on Friday & they admit it should be on the configurator as a no-cost option for Lounge's like it is for Twinair/Twinair+ trims. He's gonna alert the website people & agreed to £50 vouchers to make amends, which is fair enough.
Ive only taken it up with Fiat UK rather than dealers as i feel that if the configurator had been correct we'd have known/been reminded to specify with our paid-for options. Bit annoying the dealer didn't tick the box but if they didn't know & we didn't ask i guess i can't blame them. Not life or death given the rest of the experience has been good but just means the Parents will be getting a regular TomTom or Garmin rather than the fancy Fiat one
This 68R option port is a £75 cost option on the MiTo but free on the 500. It is only of use if you plan to buy a B&Me Tom Tom.
If you did buy the B&Me Tom Tom without fitting the 68R option port it can be charged with the laptop cable using a 12V USB adapter. All that you would need then is the holder for the windscreen.
I reckon if you could turn the clock back you wouldn't have given your dealer a 'free plug'.
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Yeah i'd imagine retrofitting the port would be a nightmare job if it's even possible. We won't go down that route now. It doesn't sound like we're missing much over the regular TomTom units anyway, it was just the lack of wires that appealed, especially considering how low down the 12v socket is from the dash-top.
The 68R option port is purely a charging port. All the 'fancy bits' the B&Me Tom Tom is doing is done through Bluetooth.
If you are buying a Blue & Me Tom tom it clearly states it will ONLY work with vehicles fitted with the 68R option port.
I've read that cars fitted with the AUX beside the USB has the 'newer' B&Me ECU and it should work without the port. You will just have to test it before you buy since you will have no comeback.
So if the above works I can't see any reason why retrofitting the £25 port may not work.
This 68R option port is a £75 cost option on the MiTo but free on the 500. It is only of use if you plan to buy a B&Me Tom Tom.
If you did buy the B&Me Tom Tom without fitting the 68R option port it can be charged with the laptop cable using a 12V USB adapter. All that you would need then is the holder for the windscreen.
I reckon if you could turn the clock back you wouldn't have given your dealer a 'free plug'.
That's interesting about the new Blue&Me socket with Aux possibly having updated workings that'll support the unit without the 68R Port. I suppose it's worth a try when the Parents get round to buying a sat nav.
Nah the dealers were fine overall, it's just this TomTom Port that was abit disappointing, but i'm of the opinion that if the website had been correct at the point of order, we'd have been totally sure it needed speccing as an option.
They could've been slightly more flexible regarding collection, given that we paid list price AND took it on finance, but if we buy another i'll be expecting a considerable deal for our repeat custom. I'm leniant to a point but i'm no mug, even if i appear laid-back!
I used to have a standard TomTom, but I sold it and have been very happy using TomTom software on my iPhone 3GS/4 for some years now. Originally I had something called the TomTom iPhone Carkit, but that was a waste of time really - handsfree quality was poor and the additional GPS provided by the carkit was no better than the one built into the iPhone itself (particularly the iPhone 4). So these days, I use a plain Belkin windscreen holder with the flexible gooseneck removed - clip screwed directly to the suction cup holder - makes a nice stable mounting.
I happen to know that if you have a 2010-onwards 500 with the later Blue&Me, plugging in the iPhone 4 with a USB cable will play music off the iPhone, charge it, and provide the audio for the TomTom directions too - which helped me drive around London last year. That doesn't apply to my 500 in NZ because it was made in May 2009 Therefore I use the lighter socket to power the iPhone, it is paired to Blue&Me for phone calls, and I play music off a USB key instead. I only have to put the iPhone in its windscreen holder when I want to use the TomTom software.
I don't have the TomTom voice directions through the stereo, but to be honest I don't want that anyway. The only real problem I have is that I think I have a duff microphone - I say "Folders" and it says "Call Lewis now?" Today I tried "Call Pieter" and it said "Call Ann Shaffer?" :bang: The handsfree quality for phone calls seems poor. I wonder if a replacement microphone suits both new and old systems - perhaps that is a question for somewhere else.
-Alex
I happen to know that if you have a 2010-onwards 500 with the later Blue&Me, plugging in the iPhone 4 with a USB cable will play music off the iPhone, charge it, and provide the audio for the TomTom directions too - which helped me drive around London last year. That doesn't apply to my 500 in NZ because it was made in May 2009
Therefore I use the lighter socket to power the iPhone, it is paired to Blue&Me for phone calls, and I play music off a USB key instead. I only have to put the iPhone in its windscreen holder when I want to use the TomTom software.I don't have the TomTom voice directions through the stereo, but to be honest I don't want that anyway.
The only real problem I have is that I think I have a duff microphone - I say "Folders" and it says "Call Lewis now?" Today I tried "Call Pieter" and it said "Call Ann Shaffer?" :bang: The handsfree quality for phone calls seems poor. I wonder if a replacement microphone suits both new and old systems - perhaps that is a question for somewhere else.-Alex
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The question of the "Silly B&Me woman" has been raised frequently over the last several years. She does not understand anything! Must be lost in translation... Some say that the mics might be faulty, I personally have given up trying talking to the woman and use wheel buttons. Somebody else might have better experience though...
Some say that the mics might be faulty, I personally have given up trying talking to the woman and use wheel buttons. Somebody else might have better experience though...
OP
OP
Well...progress so far....about 880 miles done since 1st March!
Robnw67
New member
I think I might have an even lower mileage rate - 2 weeks 110 miles . Mostly due to the fact that i use my motorcycle for 60% of the time :yum:
. Mostly due to the fact that i use my motorcycle for 60% of the time :yum:
