General New to Fiat, new to forum and a few questions

[LX1004]

Hi everyone,

Thought i'd introduce myself as new to the forum and new to Fiat too.

Last weekend my wife bagged herself a 13 plate Fiat 500 TwinAir Lounge Dualogic in Chillout Purple. I spent ages deliberating between what would be the better engine for her, the 1.2 or TA. So glad she went for the TA! Such a nice raucous sound under acceleration and currently returning 50+mpg though that might change when I get in it

We live in West Yorkshire and picked up the 500 from just outside of London. It has 3900 miles on the clock, which were advertised as 6000 miles but turned out the odometer was set in km and not miles... oops. It's got a few extras on too which swayed us: parking sensors, electric sunroof, Interscope sound system and auto climate control.

She loves her 500 and is pleased she went for one over a Citroen C1. It's such a step up in terms of economy and style from her previous car, a 1.6 Peugeot 1007 Sport '2-tronic'.

Now for the questions

1) Is the paint code located on the 500 somewhere?

2) It likes beeping when it's left in neutral for a prolonged period of time; anything to be worried about?

3) Have read conflicting things online: will our 500 have ESP as standard or was it always an optional extra?

Since the missus got her 1007, I learnt how to do servicing, changing brake discs/pads and other straight forward repairs on the suspension. From what I've looked at so far, the forum looks fab so looks like I'll be learning new knowledge for when our 500 is out of its warranty period and may need work doing on it

Cheers.

Adam

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

1) Is the paint code located on the 500 somewhere?

2) It likes beeping when it's left in neutral for a prolonged period of time; anything to be worried about?

3) Have read conflicting things online: will our 500 have ESP as standard or was it always an optional extra?

Hi and welcome;

My car's paintcode was on a sticker on the boot lid (500C).

The partner's DL is always beeping at me for one reason or another - generally because I failed to press the brake pedal when changing or because the lever wasn't returned to N when the car was switched off. I daresay it's just reminding you - does it do it with the handbrake applied? Is there a message displayed?

ESP's certainly standard here but it might be different in your market.

 

[LX1004]

I'll check the boot lid, thanks. I have booked a mobile scratch repair guy to come next week and sort out some scuffs on the paintwork.

I'm probably used to the 2-tronic in the Peugeot, whereby you can start the car in gear and it'll automatically reset to neutral just before it cranks over.

I read that in the UK, ESP was optional but was made standard in 2011. I'm not sure how accurate this is.

 

[Noxide]

Paintcode is on the bootlid on the left side. Although in my older Fiat, it's actually on the door panel on the drivers side!



Enjoy the 500!

 

[jazzster500]

I'll check the boot lid, thanks. I have booked a mobile scratch repair guy to come next week and sort out some scuffs on the paintwork.

I'm probably used to the 2-tronic in the Peugeot, whereby you can start the car in gear and it'll automatically reset to neutral just before it cranks over.

I read that in the UK, ESP was optional but was made standard in 2011. I'm not sure how accurate this is.

I leave mine in Gear when i turn it off, when i restart it goes in neutral when its starts, If you take your foot off the brake it beeps to say its in neutral, but if you push the lever to + it puts it in gear ready to pull off, when you turn it off in neutral it beeps because it should be left in gear when parked.
It beeps if you try to change up to early or if you try to drop a gear at a speed to high for a lower gear so refuses unsafe changes.
Then changing from 1st to reverse or reverse to 1st it beeps if you dont press the brake long enough.
I think thats all of them.
Mine came with ESP standard but its 14 plate. my girlfreinds has ESP on a 10 plate but dont know if it was a option, hers has leather, interscope, climate, fog lights, opening sunroof and auto dip mirror as options, so someone added lots to hers so maybe ESP was added

 

[Seagull]

If you have esp there will be a switch to turn it off on the zircon panel...

 

[zanes]

. I spent ages deliberating between what would be the better engine for her, the 1.2 or TA.

I've never really understood (or particularly liked, for that matter) people deciding on other people's behalf what is better for them. Did you consider letting her make up her own mind as to what she liked/wanted/preferred?

 

[LX1004]

I've never really understood (or particularly liked, for that matter) people deciding on other people's behalf what is better for them. Did you consider letting her make up her own mind as to what she liked/wanted/preferred?

No as I'm a dominating husband, where we don't communicate in our marriage and if she doesn't like it, tough...

Sarcasm aside, the only knowledge we had on the 500 prior to buying one was what we'd seen about the 1.2 on BBC Watchdog. She had that stuck in her mind and, as by her own admission, not at all knowledgeable with car engines etc asked me if I'd mind looking into it and I obliged.

Toiled the internet, mostly reading experiences from owners and gave her the pros and cons of each. Besides the engine aspect, she also stated she wanted an automatic, didn't want a 500 in white, red or with a cream interior. She decided what she wanted and that's what we went with.

I probably should've made my original post clearer... :doh:

 

[LX1004]

If you have esp there will be a switch to turn it off on the zircon panel...

There's only a start/stop off button, not for ESP so guess it isn't fitted.

Cheers.

 

[zanes]

No as I'm a dominating husband, where we don't communicate in our marriage and if she doesn't like it, tough...

Sarcasm aside, the only knowledge we had on the 500 prior to buying one was what we'd seen about the 1.2 on BBC Watchdog. She had that stuck in her mind and, as by her own admission, not at all knowledgeable with car engines etc asked me if I'd mind looking into it and I obliged.

Toiled the internet, mostly reading experiences from owners and gave her the pros and cons of each. Besides the engine aspect, she also stated she wanted an automatic, didn't want a 500 in white, red or with a cream interior. She decided what she wanted and that's what we went with.

I probably should've made my original post clearer... :doh:

In fairness, I wasn't in the best of moods yesterday and reading my post back it comes across rather ****tish. Apologies.

 

[LX1004]

In fairness, I wasn't in the best of moods yesterday and reading my post back it comes across rather ****tish. Apologies.

Apology accepted

 

[Piccolo Nero e Bella]

There's only a start/stop off button, not for ESP so guess it isn't fitted.

Cheers.

There is no switch for the ESP system, it can't be turned off. However there may be a switch on the A/C panel to disconnect the ASR system (above the S/S switch on that little 'band-aid' shaped panel) - this is Anti Slip Regulation to control wheelspin on take-off (for instance). According to my manual, ASR is integral to ESP so if the ASR switch is there ESP is present.

 

[44sunsets]

2) It likes beeping when it's left in neutral for a prolonged period of time; anything to be worried about?

That's normal, nothing to worry about. Yeah I'm not sure why they made it beep for this. But you generally don't need to leave a Dualogic in neutral for long periods of time anyway.

The only time I do it is if I need to briefly get out of my car to open my letterbox or something like that, that's when I pull up the handbrake and put it in neutral. If I recall correctly, if you open the door while in gear, the Dualogic automatically switches to neutral as well.

jazzster500 covered all the rest of the beeping details nicely

I always leave it in gear when turning the engine off. And then after starting the engine I push the gear select lever to + (plus) before releasing the brake pedal.

 

[LX1004]

The only time the 2-tronic on the Pug beeped was if there was a problem so I guess it's something to get used to.

Good list of beeps from Jazzster500

There's no ASR off button so suspect there is no ESP fitted.

Another quirk I've noticed is the start and stop function comes into action even before the car has come to a complete stop.