General Hating my 500

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General Hating my 500

and accept that the steaming up is a quirk of the model.

Jake, misting up on the 500 isn't any more of a problem than on any other model, it's all to do with ventilation. Ask for a 500 as a hire car so that you can hopefully determine if you have a problem or not. Also, check in the spare wheel well to ensure that the vent is clear and the rubber flap is not stuck.

Good luck and from what I understand, if the roving tech guy from Fiat does end up being involved then (they seem to have a remarkable success rate) hopefully you will be sorted. (y)
 
misting up in my car only happens when I forget that I set the ventilation switch to recirculation, because it is recycling the air you breath, so it's like breathing on your own window!!!

only other time is when I put my teacup on the dash when trying to work out B&M :D
 
i have really come to hate my lil car

its had wiper problems juddering across the screen from day one
its had a milege fault with it flashing
its got a strange fuel filling problem
had a squeak on the steering which lead to be a clock spring
then after fitting said clock spring the car locked up coming of a roundabout and i had to use force to move the steering wheel to stop me driving into a brick wall

and to top it off even though two of the items are very safety related i cant reject the horrible thing, it gets better i work for the dealer to and im not allowed to contact customer relations got to sort it in house, all i want to do is say how very dissapointed i am in the car

My car has developed the squeaking steering wheel problem as well.Was it something difficult to fix aj?
 
I hate mine too and will get rid of it when the finance comes to an end. The interior windscreen ices up in winter, I have what looks like rust spots around the glass roof inside the car, the top mounts have gone rusty and are constantly full of water because the car isnt water tight and it judders in low gear! It did for ages say "check power steering" all of the time but that problem has gone now.
 
I hate mine too and will get rid of it when the finance comes to an end. The interior windscreen ices up in winter, I have what looks like rust spots around the glass roof inside the car, the top mounts have gone rusty and are constantly full of water because the car isnt water tight and it judders in low gear! It did for ages say "check power steering" all of the time but that problem has gone now.

you dont need to wait till finance has completed to sell a car

sounds like you have a wet interior

rusty top mounts are a non-issue, purely cosmetic

juddering in low gear is probably the driver

did you get the power steering checked? warning messages arent there to annoy you, they are there to get you to do something!
 
did you get the power steering checked? warning messages arent there to annoy you, they are there to get you to do something!

These issues probably only ever come up when the weather is cold and the battery is a little weak on startup. Mine does this once or twice every winter, drive up the road after starting, turn the engine off and then on again and the message is gone :)
 
My wipers on my Smart Fortwo started acting up and catching each other. It was really annoying. I swapped the blades at a gas station and it fixed the problem right away. I guess they were just worn. I hope your problem turns out to be an easy fix.
 
My wipers on my Smart Fortwo started acting up and catching each other. It was really annoying. I swapped the blades at a gas station and it fixed the problem right away. I guess they were just worn. I hope your problem turns out to be an easy fix.
If it were me I'd have traded the car in rather than spending a few pounds on fixing the problem.
 
If it were me I'd have traded the car in rather than spending a few pounds on fixing the problem.

I am trading in my Smart for a 500 now. Hopefully picking it up tomorrow.. Or at least some time this week. My enthusiasm for the 500 made my dad very keen on a 500 too. He is picking up his Abarth this week.
 
juddering in low gear is probably the driver

Juddering in low gear could be a sign that the spark plugs need changing. With the amount of ethanol in present-day petrol, the standard fit plugs will likely be well shagged by the recommended 18,000 mile replacement interval.

I've just swapped the plugs in the Panda for a new set of NGK Iridiums & the difference in low speed tractablity is remarkable - since fitting them, it's now essentially impossible to get the car to judder, however much you lug the engine, & it will now pull away cleanly from 1100rpm in 5th. I really wouldn't have believed this could make such a big difference if I hadn't experienced it first hand - it feels like a different car. LadyKitching noticed without prompting that it felt "much smoother than it did before" :).

Another set is on order for the 500 (which after 13000 miles can be a bit lumpy below 1500rpm) & I'm waiting with some anticipation to see if they produce a similar benefit in the 169A4000 engine.

Preventing the top mounts from rusting is trivial if you have a pair of scissors & an old plastic bottle, though why FIAT failed to fit protective caps is beyond me.
 
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Juddering in low gear could be a sign that the spark plugs need changing. With the amount of ethanol in present-day petrol, the standard fit plugs will likely be well shagged by the recommended 18,000 mile replacement interval.

I've just swapped the plugs in the Panda for a new set of NGK Iridiums & the difference in low speed tractablity is remarkable - since fitting them, it's now essentially impossible to get the car to judder, however much you lug the engine, & it will now pull away cleanly from 1100rpm in 5th. I really wouldn't have believed this could make such a big difference if I hadn't experienced it first hand - it feels like a different car. LadyKitching noticed without prompting that it felt "much smmother than it did before" :).

Another set is on order for the 500 (which after 13000 miles can be a bit lumpy below 1500rpm) & I'm waiting with some anticipation to see if they produce a similar benefit in the 169A4000 engine.

Preventing the top mounts from rusting is trivial if you have a pair of scissors & an old plastic bottle, though why FIAT failed to fit protective caps is beyond me.

yep i always use iridium plugs in all my cars, so much better (y)
 
Juddering in low gear could be a sign that the spark plugs need changing. With the amount of ethanol in present-day petrol, the standard fit plugs will likely be well shagged by the recommended 18,000 mile replacement interval.

I've just swapped the plugs in the Panda for a new set of NGK Iridiums & the difference in low speed tractablity is remarkable - since fitting them, it's now essentially impossible to get the car to judder, however much you lug the engine, & it will now pull away cleanly from 1100rpm in 5th. I really wouldn't have believed this could make such a big difference if I hadn't experienced it first hand - it feels like a different car. LadyKitching noticed without prompting that it felt "much smoother than it did before" :).

Another set is on order for the 500 (which after 13000 miles can be a bit lumpy below 1500rpm) & I'm waiting with some anticipation to see if they produce a similar benefit in the 169A4000 engine.

Preventing the top mounts from rusting is trivial if you have a pair of scissors & an old plastic bottle, though why FIAT failed to fit protective caps is beyond me.

Plugs definitely make a difference. My first set was changed at about 16k and then the others were changed at about 10k and 10k again. Car runs noticeably better now after its recent service. If I'd wanted to be cheap about running the car I'd have had one less service but I think the car runs much better for that extra service.

Will be interesting to see what you make of the iridium plugs. I will probably stick with the standard NGK's as they're cheap and you can just change them each service without the cost being a bother.
 
Having to keep replacing the rusty top mounts isnt a cosmetic thing as they are there for a reason. You cant just let them and the bolt just rust completely. Having to replace them every other year is going to be expensive. Can you cover them up with what you say a plastic bottle or do they get hot and would the cover melt?

I have also noticed now that the seal between the windscreen and the glass roof is coming away - my car is only 2 years old. Rusty top mounts, rust marks on the interior roof and now the seal coming away - rubbish car. I think they made the Fiat 500 far too quickly and badly just to satisfy the demand.
 
Of course I got the power steering checked. The garage said there was nothing wrong with it and to ignore the message. A year later the garage said there was a software problem with the computer and they updated it and now the message after 2 years has finally gone.

The juddering is nothing to do with the driver. I have owned 6 cars and it has never happened before!! Also it happens when my partner drives it. Cheeky people you are!
 
Having to keep replacing the rusty top mounts isnt a cosmetic thing as they are there for a reason. You cant just let them and the bolt just rust completely. Having to replace them every other year is going to be expensive.

What do you think the rust will do? Why do you think you will have to replace them due to surface rust?

Do they get hot and would the cover melt?

Only if your car is on fire.

I have also noticed now that the seal between the windscreen and the glass roof is coming away - my car is only 2 years old.

Your dealer should repair it under warranty then.

The juddering is nothing to do with the driver. I have owned 6 cars and it has never happened before!! Also it happens when my partner drives it.

Different cars need driving differently.

Cheeky people you are!

Or maybe we are just helpful, friendly and fond of a little banter. Life's too short not to have fun, even when talking about rusty top mounts. Just to prove it, here is a picture of a Rusty top mount. Well, that's what it looks like is happening judging by the look on Rusty's face anyway.....

rusty-lee.jpg
 
Of course I got the power steering checked. The garage said there was nothing wrong with it and to ignore the message. A year later the garage said there was a software problem with the computer and they updated it and now the message after 2 years has finally gone.

The juddering is nothing to do with the driver. I have owned 6 cars and it has never happened before!! Also it happens when my partner drives it. Cheeky people you are!

Sounds like you are a Toyota Prius kind of guy. Maybe you should part exchange your Fiat with one of those!
 
There isn't a single car made, at any price, that doesn't have problems.

I'm all for acknowledging them, in the hope that manufacturers might pick up on the complaints and learn from them - some hope!

But to condemn a car totally for a few minor things that don't cause breakdown or any serious inconveninece is a bit unnecesary IMHO.

I'm not perfect myself (okay, I am :D) and I have friends who sometimes annoy me, naturally, but they are still my friends...

...same with cars.
 
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