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General How happy are you really with your TA 85 engine.

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General How happy are you really with your TA 85 engine.

I really love the TA. We have a 1.2 too so I can make a direct comparison. For non enthusiasts the 1.2 is a better option maybe. Smoother, quieter, cheaper to buy, more economical in some circumstances.
But for me it's the TA every time.. very punch for such a small motor.
I'm going to get mine remapped at South West In Car Tech. They have rolling road and do a before and after run. The map is developed on RR too.
I'm gradually turning mine into what I think a 'modern day' Abarth should have been - remaining faithful to the original 2cyl layout.
I'm getting new suspension soon too.
 
Most remaps raise idle to 920 rpm to get a smoother idle run, and raise the rpm limiter to 6600 rpm.
This way the engine runs better and has more usability because of the wider rpm range.
Most remaps will end up with 97/98 hp and around 175-190 Nm of torque.
 
triumph7 said:
Any recommendations much appreciated..... :)
Click to expand...

This is interesting, you plug it in and go.
You plug it out when the car need to go the dealer for service or problems. ;)

Magneti Marelli Box, 100 hp and 185 Nm for TA 85.

14xids1.jpg

10gzbyc.jpg
 
The Pretender said:
This is interesting, you plug it in and go.
You plug it out when the car need to go the dealer for service or problems. ;)

Magneti Marelli Box, 100 hp and 185 Nm for TA 85.

14xids1.jpg

10gzbyc.jpg
Click to expand...

Yes, I was looking at getting that. Not quite a plug and go solution though. You have to take the battery tray out and remove the ecu to plug it in in the first place.
Remap will also address more parameter adjustments than a box.
 
The Twins said:
Yes, I was looking at getting that. Not quite a plug and go solution though. You have to take the battery tray out and remove the ecu to plug it in in the first place.
Remap will also address more parameter adjustments than a box.
Click to expand...

Most TA's have remap protection that have to be cracked.
Or they have to open-up the ECU for de remap to booted on.
 
Don't have to open the ecu according to the guys I spoke to - OBD II plug only.
 
triumph7 said:
Happy so far, but seriously considering a remap for more bhp & torque......
Click to expand...

Well I'm finding 85 BHP quite adequate when I'm driving solo,
and the sort of passengers I carry definitely wouldn't want
the car to be any faster :(

I'll be more interested to achieve 60+ MPG consistently,
something I feel should be possible once my Trekking's
done a few thousand more miles :)



Chris
 
I've owned a 500 TA, and now a panda TA.
It's a cracking little motor. The panda is a lot smoother than the 500 was so some changes have been made with the 1 year newer motor, likely map changes.

Some people (the rare few) can't get to like the twin air, but I'm sure you've already read that the vast majority of people who do back to back test drives of the same car with 1.2 and TA motors eagerly stump up the extra cash for the TA.

Personally, I think the TA motor is the best feature of both the 500 and Panda that I've owned.
 
Just coming up to 1000 miles in my 4x4 so it's early days and still far from loosened up. My comparisons are mostly with the 1.4 in the 100HP but Mrs b_u has had a 1.2 for two and a half years so I know that well.

The engine certainly has character and in general I'm positive, though I find its response strangely inconsistent at times, there's bound to be some turbo lag but I also think the accelerator pedal is on/off rather than progressive. I have to say it can pick up its skirts and go. There's an entry onto the A30 going eastwards, just west of Okehampton; I come on there frequently as it's by my normal petrol station; accelerating pretty well flat out in the 100HP the 80 mph speed bleep went - near rev limiter in third - just as I arrived at a bridge a couple of hundred yards down the road; the 4x4 is doing 75 at the same point so, given the extra weight and (small) transmission losses, I reckon it might outperform the 100HP with the 100HP's more closely stacked gear ratios in the lighter car.

The gearing in sixth is exactly the same as the 100HP and the TA definitely sounds less busy - 80-85 is a perfectly comfortable cruising speed with a little acceleration in reserve if needed. It's very easy to arrive at the rev limiter in any of the four lower gears.

It can be very lumpy and low revs and I sometimes fear for the engine mountings but I just have to accept that it's a twin - and this characteristic is particularly reminiscent of the real Fiat 500.

I've got used to stop/start very quickly and am 95% happy with it - its drawback is when you're in traffic that inches forwards every 30 seconds.

So far it's not proving economical - average to date is about 34mpg. ECO is not an option, I tried it yesterday and will give it a longer go but it was very dull.

Do I prefer it to the 1.2? I like the 1.2, it's a great, honest little workhorse but the TA wins on all counts except consumption. It also completes my collection of engine types - low pressure turbo petrol engine was the missing link.

Do I prefer it to the 1.4? That's more difficult. I'll know much better after going to Italy in September, apart from the long journey there (and back) I'll be trying the 4x4 on some of Umbria's amazing white roads, which I couldn't attempt in the 100HP. At the moment I'd have to say that the TA is behind on every count except - surprise surprise - performance.
 
What I would like to know is after tuning the TA engine whats the fuel MPG like does it go down much also whats it like to drive at low revs ,Because at the moment I'm happy with my car both how it drives and the fuel MPG ,I bought my car on the styling because its raised and you can see in the wheel arches and I like the TA engine because its quiet ,at a stand still you can hardly hear it that's why I have to look at the rev counter to see If I have enough revs to keep the car form stalling which I tend to Do
 
babbo_umbro said:
Just coming up to 1000 miles in my 4x4 so it's early days and still far from loosened up.

So far it's not proving economical - average to date is about 34mpg. ECO is not an option, I tried it yesterday and will give it a longer go but it was very dull.
Click to expand...

An enjoyable and interesting read (y)

Don't think too much into the MPG & performance in Eco mode yet though. Our 500 TwinAir didn't feel fully loose till it got to about 8-9000 miles - it had an interim oil change at 11,000, is on 15,000 miles now & Eco behaves very similar to how normal mode did when new. It's left in Eco 90% of the time now, not because it necessarily gives better MPG but because it's actually more driveable and less 'on/off' on the power delivery, which probably in turn helps economy.

The added benefit of the 6th gear in the Panda 4x4 TwinAir is something I wish we had. And the ride comfort must be limo-like after the 100HP? ;)
 
JTD_Liam said:
An enjoyable and interesting read (y)

Don't think too much into the MPG & performance in Eco mode yet though. Our 500 TwinAir didn't feel fully loose till it got to about 8-9000 miles - it had an interim oil change at 11,000, is on 15,000 miles now & Eco behaves very similar to how normal mode did when new. It's left in Eco 90% of the time now, not because it necessarily gives better MPG but because it's actually more driveable and less 'on/off' on the power delivery, which probably in turn helps economy.

The added benefit of the 6th gear in the Panda 4x4 TwinAir is something I wish we had. And the ride comfort must be limo-like after the 100HP? ;)
Click to expand...

6th in a panda 4x4 is actually a little lower than 5th in a 500 twin air. The ratios are spot on though I think and the 500 would benefit from the closer ratios.

As for the motor, my panda is much more smoother than my 500 was. It behaves at low revs in normal mode the same way my 500 did with Eco on.
 
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