It seems from around the start of or early 2014, the 1.2 in the Panda's and 500's altered and quite a few owners have complained about a flat spot when pulling away.
It got as far as a BBC Watchdog report and Fiat commenting there's no fault, it's the way it's being driven.
After several Fiat's with FIRE's including our March 14 Lounge 1.2, a couple of 500 loaners (pre and post 14) and there still being a couple of pre 14 Pandas in the family, the later ones do seem to pull away differently.
It's believed to be due to the electronic engine management system.
It now seems it's linked to the clutch pedal, so when lifting the clutch the PCM will increase fueling to prevent a stall, it also smooths out gear changes as it blips the rpm when the clutch is about half way down.
I gather the trouble is two fold.
First, owners don't expect it and some just don't want it to do this as many are returning customers complaining their old one didn't do it!
Second is the way it works, the fuel and air on lifting the clutch is being controlled by the PCM, so lifting the clutch with no throttle input will see the rpms rise enough to pull the car away with out stalling.
It's so good at doing this it's possible on the flat to really motor along, changing up before the rpms are released or just sit in it going no where with the clutch half down and the motor pulling 1300 rpm at idle!
Now trouble with it flat spotting on hills I'm certain is due to driver input of the throttle while the PCM is controlling the fuel and air at the point of pulling away, so the PCM is controlling fuel yet the throttle body's air control is still effected by the drivers right foot!
With the drivers foot down the throttle body is open/opening, yet the PCM is still trying to contol matters, as soon as it passes control back, it bogs down due to lots of air, not enough fuel.
I can make our 1.2 bog for a few seconds as described above, then jerk to redline with a bit of whiplash as everything suddenly catches up.
I also get a big of "run on" when changing down under braking (something else they don't teach, see below), as when the clutch pops up, it's adding a dab of fuel/rpm and tends to make the car lurch a little.
I can also drive around it, just lifting the clutch fully up with no throttle pedal, feel the car move off and then start applying the throttle makes the whole problem smooth away.
This isn't a new thing, nearly all new cars tend to drive this way, even a couple of older ones do it, particularly diesels, but I think most now are "fly by wire" and do not have a physical link to the thottle body's "butterfly" valve, and as such can't be operated until control is released.
Recently, I've been made to feel like a bit of an old dinosaur.
My lad has been having driving lessons (obviously these lessons were in the intructors new car) and we bought him a little run around for practice, a rather rotten C2 (his choice).
The instructors car pulls away like new cars do, but the C2 won't, so there's been lots of stalling, huffing and rows!
I chatted with the instructor, explaining what's happening and he laughed, they just don't have to teach all the setting the rpms, feeling the clutch bite, releasing the handbrake stuff anymore, virtually all car's do if for them these days!
I'm now left trying to teach a stroppy teenager a skill he thinks is a complete waste of time and thinks he shouldn't have to do anyway!
I know it might've sounded like I was singing Fiats praises the other day, I really wasn't (as I've been there with them, or Alfa, but its essentially the same), I was just trying to look at some of the positives.
