General Keyless entry "range" on the 500e fob

[field500]

Hi

My Panda was in for its service today, and i was given a brand new 500e as my loan car - which was simply brilliant. I have to be honest and i was very sceptical about "milk floats" - Well one day of driving has reassured me that motoring is still going to be fun, different, but fun - and boy, do you have to watch the speed - no engine noise/gear change to go by!

My question is about the keyless entry system though - i assume the car locks itself if you walk away? Or do you need to press the lock button on the fob? I am a bit old school, and have a habit of going back to my car to check i have locked it - even when i have blipped the fob and can hear it lock (fobs with a key). Problem with the 500e, as soon as you get to the car to check, it has unlocked itself!

So what's the range of the fob - i am trying to work out the practicality of having the fob in the house, with the car outside - but will it remain unlocked?

Not got the manual to have a read, so not sure if you can disable the function or change settings etc.

Car was great though.

Thanks

 

[Maybemaybenot]

It doesn't lock as you move away. You need to press the button in the drivers door handle. It doesn't unlock as you approach either. If the key is on you and you operate a door or boot handle it will open but you have to operate the handle for it to unlock. The remote fob range as a remote (not as a keyless device) is the same as any other, as a passive key it needs to be very close to the car to work.
Great cars, really great. Just need an electric Panda for my next one

 

[field500]

It doesn't lock as you move away. You need to press the button in the drivers door handle. It doesn't unlock as you approach either. If the key is on you and you operate a door or boot handle it will open but you have to operate the handle for it to unlock. The remote fob range as a remote (not as a keyless device) is the same as any other, as a passive key it needs to be very close to the car to work.
Great cars, really great. Just need an electric Panda for my next one

Hey, that's good to hear. I assumed it locked/unlocked as you were near car, but what you say makes sense. Will have to wait for next service on one of our cars to get my hands on a 500e again. And yes, I am on my third Panda (all twinair) but are keen to see and try the next version. Maybe late this year or early next? Cheers

 

[Maybemaybenot]

Is there any news on an electric Panda? Hope so. My last two were Panda 4x4, fabulous cars.

 

[field500]

Is there any news on an electric Panda? Hope so. My last two were Panda 4x4, fabulous cars.

Last I read was in Auto Express a few weeks back - think there was talk of an electric only version, and ICE versions - albeit they may not make it to the UK. If the electric Panda is as good as the 500e, but without the price premium, could be interesting - i think if a main stream maker like FIAT (well Stellantis) can crack a 20k Electric Car with 200+ miles range and 120bhp+ (equivalent) they will have a winner. My current Panda is a 4x4. Got it 2 years ago as they phased out the Twin Air. But my local dealer as 2 or 3 brand new ones for sale - 23 plate with the larger screen in the cabin too. 20k though.............

 

[chris3234]

Last I read was in Auto Express a few weeks back - think there was talk of an electric only version, and ICE versions - albeit they may not make it to the UK. If the electric Panda is as good as the 500e, but without the price premium, could be interesting - i think if a main stream maker like FIAT (well Stellantis) can crack a 20k Electric Car with 200+ miles range and 120bhp+ (equivalent) they will have a winner. My current Panda is a 4x4. Got it 2 years ago as they phased out the Twin Air. But my local dealer as 2 or 3 brand new ones for sale - 23 plate with the larger screen in the cabin too. 20k though.............

Trouble is I don't think there is such thing as a none premium electric car at least price wise to what we are use to

 

[OrGazM]

With the "new" 500e (which we have just bought), if you press the lock on the fob and walk around 5 metres away, it IS locked.
But if you return before that distance, it senses the fob and opens again!
IF you wait about 30 seconds and walk back, it WILL be locked even if you have the fob.
Without the fob, no-one else can open the car once you have locked it.

Strange thing happened here....
It used to be just the lights flash when locking, but now ours has started to beep the horn at the same time.?!?!?!?
No problem outdoors, but my wife parks overnight in a hospital underground car park, and it's friggin' loud!

 

[Maybemaybenot]

With the "new" 500e (which we have just bought), if you press the lock on the fob and walk around 5 metres away, it IS locked.
But if you return before that distance, it senses the fob and opens again!
IF you wait about 30 seconds and walk back, it WILL be locked even if you have the fob.
Without the fob, no-one else can open the car once you have locked it.

Strange thing happened here....
It used to be just the lights flash when locking, but now ours has started to beep the horn at the same time.?!?!?!?
No problem outdoors, but my wife parks overnight in a hospital underground car park, and it's friggin' loud!

It doesn’t unlock with no action. It unlocks as you hold the handle as long as you have the fob or pebble. Walk up with hands in your pockets touching nothing and you’ll see the red light in the centre of the dash continues flashing indicating locked.
There’s a setting in the central screen to turn the horn off or on when lock/unlock. Some cars have a habit of resetting settings by themselves. Others don’t.

 

[OrGazM]

Maybe UK is different to German settings (where ours was imported from by our dealer).
The "Locked" light NEVER flashed on the dash before?!!??!
The horn never beeped.

It was after about 3 weeks that the horn beeped when my wife locked it at work.
She "thought" (yeah, women do!) that she must have left the door open.
Of course, she went back and all doors were open.
Tried again, same result.
Went OUT of range to phone me, went back, and it WAS locked......but then the light on the dash started to flash.
Before that...no "honk", no dash light on.....it just started one night, and has done it ever since.
It's OK outdoors, but in a parking garage it's damned noisy (especially in a hospital one!)

 

[gazz_bee]

The answer is above. Some cars randomly reset themselves and horn on lock is one of those settings altered, as is changing to metric units (you won't notice this) and reducing charger throughput. Mine used to have this issue and weekly reset itself but a dealer software patch has fundamentally resolved the problem. Recently built cars should be patched but the Fiat campaign for this fix is update 6475. I understand that the update, amongst other things, updates battery management of the 12v system. Your local dealer should be able to advise if this is relevant for your car.

 

[olca]

The answer is above. Some cars randomly reset themselves and horn on lock is one of those settings altered, as is changing to metric units (you won't notice this) and reducing charger throughput. Mine used to have this issue and weekly reset itself but a dealer software patch has fundamentally resolved the problem. Recently built cars should be patched but the Fiat campaign for this fix is update 6475. I understand that the update, amongst other things, updates battery management of the 12v system. Your local dealer should be able to advise if this is relevant for your car.

Hi,
There are settings in the control menu of the car whether there should be a beep or not when locking/unlocking the car. It can be set to quiet, beep on first press, beep on second press on the key.