500 Hello Fiat Forum

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500 Hello Fiat Forum

masonmjs

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Hello all, I am here to seek information to enable me to help my daughter maintain her 2016 Fiat 500 1.2 Pop, which has never been officially serviced (I have changed oil, filter, brake pads etc, but it has never been near a Fiat dealership from new).

So, the latest problem is a slight roughness running at lowish rpm (e.g. it pulls smoothly enough with some rpm but at anything lower than 2000 rpm it feels a little lumpy. I have checked the plugs for colour and any signs of ignition problems, nothing seen, it seems to be running ever so slightly lean to my way of thinking (plugs are light brown rather than chocolate brown) but that's it really.

Air filter looks reasonable

What is the easiest and cheapest way to determine if the throttle body is working properly ? (I have a basic OBDII reader and no codes are stored presently) or otherwise diagnose this fault.
 
Hello all, I am here to seek information to enable me to help my daughter maintain her 2016 Fiat 500 1.2 Pop, which has never been officially serviced (I have changed oil, filter, brake pads etc, but it has never been near a Fiat dealership from new).

So, the latest problem is a slight roughness running at lowish rpm (e.g. it pulls smoothly enough with some rpm but at anything lower than 2000 rpm it feels a little lumpy. I have checked the plugs for colour and any signs of ignition problems, nothing seen, it seems to be running ever so slightly lean to my way of thinking (plugs are light brown rather than chocolate brown) but that's it really.
Air filter looks reasonable

What is the easiest and cheapest way to determine if the throttle body is working properly ? (I have a basic OBDII reader and no codes are stored presently) or otherwise diagnose this fault.

Welcome,
How many miles covered?
Jack
 
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Hello and welcome to the forum.

First thing to try is fitting a decent set of iridium plugs - the OEM ones are rubbish and rarely stay in good condition for more than about 5,000 miles or so.

NGK DCPR7EIX are what you need. They'll easily last 60,000 miles.
 
Welcome,
How many miles covered?
Jack

Hello Jack, thanks for getting back, it's covered around 61,000 miles, my daughter was a care worker and ran the miles up pretty quickly. It had a recent head gasket change apparently (not by myself) when the car overheated due to a coolant leak and has been running 'funny' since then.

I have only driven the car for a few minutes but it certainly seemed a bit 'off' when I drove it, almost like a running jet on a carburettor was out of adjustment but I know it's injected so I'm thinking throttle body.

The plugs are Bosch, normal type but I don't think this is ignition, it does not misfire it just seems a little weak on power if anything, although OK during acceleration.
 
Hello Jack, thanks for getting back, it's covered around 61,000 miles, my daughter was a care worker and ran the miles up pretty quickly. It had a recent head gasket change apparently (not by myself) when the car overheated due to a coolant leak and has been running 'funny' since then.

I have only driven the car for a few minutes but it certainly seemed a bit 'off' when I drove it, almost like a running jet on a carburettor was out of adjustment but I know it's injected so I'm thinking throttle body.

The plugs are Bosch, normal type but I don't think this is ignition, it does not misfire it just seems a little weak on power if anything, although OK during acceleration.
Eeek are they the original spark plugs?

Standard plugs should be changed at an absolute maximum of 20,000miles.


The symptoms you describe could easily be spark plugs or air filter.

If air filter hard to tell if it's blocked by looking at it.

Chocolate brown spark plugs would be a worry .

Very unlikely to be throttle.

Stick to the basics at first.

Cheers

Jack
 
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Eeek are they the original spark plugs?

Standard plugs should be changed at an absolute maximum of 20,000miles.


The symptoms you describe could easily be spark plugs or air filter.

If air filter hard to tell if it's blocked by looking at it.

Chocolate brown spark plugs would be a worry .

Very unlikely to be throttle.

Stick to the basics at first.

Cheers

Jack

Thanks again Jack, no idea about how old the plugs are, my daughter is not great at remembering stuff like that and I have three cars of my own to look after already so no chance I would know hers.

I am going from memory here and from the older Haynes manuals which did have a spark plug colour guide, I found one online which is more or less consistent with my thinking but am not allowed to post up URL's yet. The way I read it her plugs are running hot and lean. (try googling 'spark plug normal colour' and look for a chart with 30 plugs indicated, from 'Motorized Bicycle Builder', her plugs look like the 'Hot or Lean' ones, I was looking for 'Best'.

Anyway, we can change the plugs easily enough. I would think the air filter could be changed too, as it has probably done around 30000 miles (but looks pretty clean).

Good to know it's not likely to be fuel injection then.
 
Thanks again Jack, no idea about how old the plugs are, my daughter is not great at remembering stuff like that and I have three cars of my own to look after already so no chance I would know hers.

I am going from memory here and from the older Haynes manuals which did have a spark plug colour guide, I found one online which is more or less consistent with my thinking but am not allowed to post up URL's yet. The way I read it her plugs are running hot and lean. (try googling 'spark plug normal colour' and look for a chart with 30 plugs indicated, from 'Motorized Bicycle Builder', her plugs look like the 'Hot or Lean' ones, I was looking for 'Best'.

Anyway, we can change the plugs easily enough. I would think the air filter could be changed too, as it has probably done around 30000 miles (but looks pretty clean).

Good to know it's not likely to be fuel injection then.
Picture I took of 2 plugs from a perfectly running engine after 10,000 miles.

If new plugs not fitted recently, when new head gasket was fitted , fit new plugs.
I like ngk spark plugs rather than Bosch. Personally never had a problem with standard ngk plugs but lots of people like the iridium ngk type.

1592932528723.jpeg
 
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