Hi all, I've had my 500 for a year now, 2012 semi automatic with a little over 50k on the clock. I've been having issues with driving in automatic for a little while. Trouble selecting gear when starting, stalling at junctions and and if I have to stop on a hill. Juddering when pulling away at junctions. I have it booked in end of April at my local Fiat dealership (no other garage would touch it) But wondering if there's anything I can do myself to maybe resolve the problem
Technical Fiat 500 Semi Gearbox Issues?
- Thread starter SharonL
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Technical Fiat 500 Semi Gearbox Issues?
Derbyfella
Established member
Eek, there’s a whole thread on here somewhere…..
If your lucky this might not be too bad, but it’s certainly of an age and mileage I’d be wanting to move that car on quickly.
Derbyfella
Established member
The one and only Dualogic failure thread | FIAT 500 (2007+)
Moderators Note: I've started this thread to put all the currently active dualogic failure posts into one place. The story begins here... Hi All Newbie here!.... I purchased my Fiat 500 dualogic new in 2010.....roll forward nearly 5 yrs & apart from a couple of minor niggles I find myself...
www.fiatforum.com
It's not worth spending a fortune to repair a 12yr old 500.
It's may just need a new clutch and a software relearn, but without examining the car, it's impossible to say.
Unless you can find a competent local independent Fiat/Alfa specialist, selling it now might be the best idea. If you do nothing and keep using it, then in all probability it'll get gradually worse, until it finally leaves you stranded somewhere.
If you take it to a franchised dealer, chances are they'll just charge you a few hundred pounds to tell you it's not worth repairing, and then try to sell you another car. Franchised dealers aren't in the business of economically repairing older cars.
Most general purpose independent garages won't have a clue. At least yours are honest enough not to take your money to look at something they don't properly understand.
There are a very small number of independent specialists in these transmissions, but so far as I'm aware, none that are anywhere near local to you.
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Thanks for your honest reply. It is a franchised dealer I'm taking it to and they are charging £150 just to look at it!
Think my best bet may be just selling it on unfortunately. I'm going to lose money either way, but I agree it's probably not a great idea to throw money at it
From what others have posted, that's cheap.
The biggest problem is that you may not get very much for your money. Some have paid more than that to have it 'just looked at', only to be told that it's faulty, and that a further, larger fee will have to be paid for the fault to be properly diagnosed.
Oh, and something I forget to say before....
A very warm welcome to the forum. I hope we'll be able to help you in some way.
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Thanks, the Fiat dealer was a last gasp attempt I'm afraid. I can totally seeing them trying to flog me something from their forecourt. It's due an MOT and service next month too, not even sure to go ahead with these now as it could be a lost cause.
A fresh MOT and full service history will certainly help you to sell the car.
Where are you based?
Stalling at junctions doesn't sound like a pure gearbox problem..
Plug in diagnostics isn't impossible from a home mechanic perspective
The Codes given will aid guide your next move, without the £150 charge
I am based near the M4
There’s a couple of forum members around central Scotland with MES
MultiECUScan Register
Do you own a copy of MES and want to help out fellow forum members? Add your details here so you can be found :)
www.fiatforum.com
ThanksThere’s a couple of forum members around central Scotland with MES
MultiECUScan Register
Do you own a copy of MES and want to help out fellow forum members? Add your details here so you can be found :)
Thanks everyone, I have managed to find someone, he's coming out next week to help.There’s a couple of forum members around central Scotland with MES
MultiECUScan Register
Do you own a copy of MES and want to help out fellow forum members? Add your details here so you can be found :)
For future reference.. 
Member @Pugglt Auld Jock
Was discussing a Fiat specialist for work on his elderly panda
Probably near Edinburgh... If that's your end of "Central Scotland"..
Member @Pugglt Auld Jock
Was discussing a Fiat specialist for work on his elderly panda
Probably near Edinburgh... If that's your end of "Central Scotland"..
Charlie, thanks for flagging this to me. I have no experience with the auto boxes and don't particularly want to get involved with one!For future reference..
Member @Pugglt Auld Jock
Was discussing a Fiat specialist for work on his elderly panda
Probably near Edinburgh... If that's your end of "Central Scotland"..
Having said that, Sharon, I'm in the Leith/Warriston area of Edinburgh - so near the docks. I do have a licenced copy of Multiecuscan although it's quite an old edition - works fine on our Panda (2010) and my boy's Punto (2012) but might have reduced coverage on newer cars.
Down here in Leith there's Harrison Motors in Leith - 74 Jane Street. Tel 0131 555 4443. https://bookmygarage.com/garage-detail/harrisonmotors/eh65hg/ They are a wee family garage with lots of FIAT experience. I think the owner worked for the local Alfa dealer some years ago before they closed down. Very helpful, I've been going there for my MOTs for some years now and they put a clutch in our Panda and one in my boy's Punto too and made a good job of it at a very reasonable price. We've have never had anything other than excellent service from them. The other independent is McLennans in Loanhead south of the city and near the bypass so maybe easier for you to find? they are at 1B Park Avenue: https://www.mclennansgarage.com/ and again, I'm pretty sure the owner is ex Fishers - The Alfa dealer. I don't know this garage from personal contact, although I've had a couple of very good quotes for clutch changes from them, but they are generally held to be another small garage which "knows" about Fiats. Both I'm sure, would be considerably cheaper than the main agent.
You'll all, forum members, no doubt, have noticed that I've just said I've got a copy of MES but you'll also know I haven't registered it on the forum register of MES holders. I feel the need to explain that that's not because I'm a miserable unhelpful old sod but rather that I'm so tied up with my own projects and looking after grandchildren to say nothing of my not to great health and now other stuff like sorting out my recently deceased brother's affairs that I don't want to disappoint by making promises I can't keep.
Hope the info is helpful Sharon? Good luck with sorting your 500. Although I have virtually no experience with these wee automatics there's a shed load of stuff about them "misbehaving" on the forum and your best plan might be to get your's moved on to someone else as soon as your circumstances allow. We've had Pandas with the manual box since my kids were learning to drive - they're all grown with families of their own now - the manuals are pretty reliable although some develop problems with the input shaft bearing at higher mileages or if abused. They're no worse than many other manufacturer's products though and cheaper than many for spare parts and cost of repairs if you can find a good wee garage like the one's I've mentioned above - unless you can do your own repairs in which case they're very cheap to keep going and spares, especially pattern made parts (but to manufacturer's original spec always) are generally as cheap as it gets.
Thanks folks, just had a friend round with a scanner and no error codes. He did notice that the engine isn't running smoothly and said it could possibly be a timing/tuning issue. Does this make sense to anyone? Could this be causing the problems?
Do you know what his scanner is? We've found some of the rather cheaper scanners aren't very good at communicating with Fiats and don't actually display all the faults. Multiecuscan does seem to be the most reliable of the "affordable" options for home use. Also cheap scanners are nearly always OBD scanners so will only display emission related engine fault codes. MES is much more comprehensive.
Is the check engine light showing on the instrument cluster? If it is then there has to be a fault code logged. However even if the light is not illuminated, it doesn't mean there's nothing wrong.
Has the car always been like this since you've owned it? As your friend says, it could be a timing problem if it's not something to do with the transmission. If a new timing belt has been fitted recently then that's always worth a look as it's relatively easy to get the timing one tooth out. By the way, if a fault code is found relating to timing/missfiring always check the timing belt is timed up correctly as the ECU tends to display a missfire related code when it detects a mistimed belt.. Always worth checking before throwing ignition parts at it trying to solve a non existent missfire.
Chances are his scanner ONLY covered the engine,,
Not the Gearbox / clutch system
How far is Edinburgh from you?
From your description of the symptoms it does actually sound like it could be the poor running engine, especially if
the idle speed is fluctuating (causes jumpy clutch take-up, stalling when trying to pull away gently and more),
problems with throttle control (causes lumpy gear changes, stalling, etc)
If it was mine, I would get the engine running as well as possible (check/replace plugs, check for air leaks around the inlet manifold, etc.).
Then see how well the gearbox works before deciding what to do next.
I ran Panda Dualogics for a few years, and noticed how much smooth engine running affected the operation of the gearbox.
Don't overlook the main earth cable, which can look OK, but can cause running problems. On the Dualogic, the gearbox end of the lead bolts to the Actuator.
the idle speed is fluctuating (causes jumpy clutch take-up, stalling when trying to pull away gently and more),
problems with throttle control (causes lumpy gear changes, stalling, etc)
If it was mine, I would get the engine running as well as possible (check/replace plugs, check for air leaks around the inlet manifold, etc.).
Then see how well the gearbox works before deciding what to do next.
I ran Panda Dualogics for a few years, and noticed how much smooth engine running affected the operation of the gearbox.
Don't overlook the main earth cable, which can look OK, but can cause running problems. On the Dualogic, the gearbox end of the lead bolts to the Actuator.
