General Travelling long distance with a 35,000 miles Fiat 500 L

[Marcuslavaggi]

Hi all,

Just a few questions as I haven't driven on a motorway before, let alone my Fiat 500 for over an hour in a single journey.

Firstly, my Fiat 500 L has done just under 35,000 miles and I use it daily to travel to work. A trip each way can put 26 miles onto the clock. This makes me concerned about wear and tear on the engine whenever I do a long journey.

In April I will be travelling from Westfield, a village near Hastings in the UK, to Quedgley near Gloucester. This will take me about three hours and thirty mins, then we will be off to the Teddy Rocks Festival in Dorest in which we will be taking my friends car. Then after the festival three days later, I will be doing the journey from Quedgley to Westfield. A total of seven hours worth of driving on the car.

I will then in August be doing the same trip, going to Quedgley from Westfield, then taking the train to Devon for the Gone Wild Festival, then taking the train back up to Gloucester. After that I will then be driving to Cheshire for an hour and a half going to a festival there and then back the sams night being two hours and 20 mins more in total across the two trips, then from Gloucester to Quedgley the next day for another three hours and 30 mins trip.

With all this said, will my car by any chance withstand all this?. A Fiat 500 L only has a small engine on it, not a massive tank-like thing, so is the car durable for all this in the timeframes mentioned?. Has anyone on these foruks used their Fiat 500 L on such long trips regularly?.

I appreciate I need good oil levels, tire pressures to the required level, radiator antifreeze topped up and know the petrol stations on my route.

Many apologies for the long post and seemingly stupid questions, but this is a new thing I would really like to do and cannot trust the trains anymore.

Many thanks in advance and I look forward to engaging on the forums and asking any questions you may have.

 

[Marcuslavaggi]

Also, the trip to Quedgley is just under 200 miles. This is the main trip I'm concerned about.

 

[varesecrazy]

Also, the trip to Quedgley is just under 200 miles. This is the main trip I'm concerned about.

Hi
Is this a classic 500l from the 1960's..?
as you have posted in the 2007+ section

 

[Marcuslavaggi]

Hi
Is this a classic 500l from the 1960's..?
as you have posted in the 2007+ section

Hi, it's a 500 Lounge with a first reg of 2016

Looks like these

https://www.motors.co.uk/fiat/500/colour/black/used-cars/

 

[rmjbn1]

Hi and welcome

Yes the car can do it, no problem. Cars prefer long journeys to short journeys.

It's great that you're thinking about levels and tyre pressures I always check mine before a long journey, and also every couple of weeks.

All fluid level checks should be in your owners' manual; it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with them.

If you're nervous about venturing onto the motorway in your car, it might be an idea to arrange for a motorway driving lesson so that you're with someone experienced until you get used to it. Once you get the hang of it, you'll realise it's an easy, relaxed way to travel.

 

[Marcuslavaggi]

Hi and welcome

Yes the car can do it, no problem. Cars prefer long journeys to short journeys.

It's great that you're thinking about levels and tyre pressures I always check mine before a long journey, and also every couple of weeks.

All fluid level checks should be in your owners' manual; it's a good idea to familiarise yourself with them.

If you're nervous about venturing onto the motorway in your car, it might be an idea to arrange for a motorway driving lesson so that you're with someone experienced until you get used to it. Once you get the hang of it, you'll realise it's an easy, relaxed way to travel.

Thanks very much for your quick reply!.

I have been traveling (well once), with a friend from Cheltenham to Newport, and she gave me plenty of pointers on motorway driving.

I guess the rule is to stay left lane, use the middle for overtaking if need be, go back to the left safely and always use mirrors when moving around like lane switching and leaving/entering junctions.

My same friend also recommended me to use ASDA for breakdown cover, not the cover the insurance company offer.

My Fiat 500 Lounge was second hand and bought in 2019 being three years old at the time. I sold my old flat in Eastbourne after the managing agent of the leasehold began being bullies, by money bribing us and not even offering section 20 works on finance plans. This caused me to move back to my parents, suddenly start taking the train or driving to work again, then stay with them for longer than planned thanks to lockdown. As a result many miles were piled into the car as I still came into the office three or two times a week.

Early last year I had a brief fall out with them as they wouldn't cut the coattails with me, as well as the fact dad booked a family cruise to Norway and paid without letting me know first, so had a row with my manager about annual leave, and to always get that first before I book a holiday, when it was dad who booked it (which she didn't understand), so I moved down the road away from them, a five minute walk away, but still had to drive the car to work if the trains didn't work and thanks to Mickey Lunch, I now use it all the time and haven't got a train to work since December.

To cut a long story short, I now no longer talk to them and live in the aforementioned Westfield with a friend who put me up, after I told her while in the pub near the train station, how horribly my parents took the news when mum slipped to dad that I am gay. The journey to work is now half hour instead of 45, so at least that is some miles knocked off.

All irrelevant information, but some of it in there should give you insight into my car usage and it's condition for motorway use.

Also, the last owner misled the manual and said I can go onto Google and search a PDF of it to download.

 

[A3jeroen]

I take my 500 Abarth (and my previous Panda 100HP) to Croatia (Dalmatia) with my boat. 1700 Km single trip. Car loves it and feels more free afterwards.

gr J

 

[rmjbn1]

The handbook for the 2010 500 is available to download here: https://www.fiatforum.com/downloads/500-handbook-10-09.38/

The relevant information is under 'car maintenance' from page 135 (I've attached the most important bit - is yours the 1.2 petrol?).

Our right hand drive cars have a separate clutch fluid reservoir which isn't shown in the handbook - I've highlighted it in the second image.

The annual MOT checks your car's roadworthiness - they'd let you know if there was anything making it unsafe to drive.

Just make sure you get it serviced every year - regular oil changes are very important.

I like to fill up with fuel locally before a long journey to avoid worrying about having to stop - and paying for expensive motorway petrol.

A 200 mile journey would use a bit more than half a tank of fuel.

 

[pugliese66]

Hi all,

Just a few questions as I haven't driven on a motorway before, let alone my Fiat 500 for over an hour in a single journey.

Firstly, my Fiat 500 L has done just under 35,000 miles and I use it daily to travel to work. A trip each way can put 26 miles onto the clock. This makes me concerned about wear and tear on the engine whenever I do a long journey.

In April I will be travelling from Westfield, a village near Hastings in the UK, to Quedgley near Gloucester. This will take me about three hours and thirty mins, then we will be off to the Teddy Rocks Festival in Dorest in which we will be taking my friends car. Then after the festival three days later, I will be doing the journey from Quedgley to Westfield. A total of seven hours worth of driving on the car.

I will then in August be doing the same trip, going to Quedgley from Westfield, then taking the train to Devon for the Gone Wild Festival, then taking the train back up to Gloucester. After that I will then be driving to Cheshire for an hour and a half going to a festival there and then back the sams night being two hours and 20 mins more in total across the two trips, then from Gloucester to Quedgley the next day for another three hours and 30 mins trip.

With all this said, will my car by any chance withstand all this?. A Fiat 500 L only has a small engine on it, not a massive tank-like thing, so is the car durable for all this in the timeframes mentioned?. Has anyone on these foruks used their Fiat 500 L on such long trips regularly?.

I appreciate I need good oil levels, tire pressures to the required level, radiator antifreeze topped up and know the petrol stations on my route.

Many apologies for the long post and seemingly stupid questions, but this is a new thing I would really like to do and cannot trust the trains anymore.

Many thanks in advance and I look forward to engaging on the forums and asking any questions you may have.

I've got a 2013 500l 1.6 multijet. I've driven down and back to southern Puglia in Italy twice along with 3 visits to the alps. That's what these cars are for!!!

 

[Marcuslavaggi]

The handbook for the 2010 500 is available to download here: https://www.fiatforum.com/downloads/500-handbook-10-09.38/

The relevant information is under 'car maintenance' from page 135 (I've attached the most important bit - is yours the 1.2 petrol?).

Our right hand drive cars have a separate clutch fluid reservoir which isn't shown in the handbook - I've highlighted it in the second image.

The annual MOT checks your car's roadworthiness - they'd let you know if there was anything making it unsafe to drive.

Just make sure you get it serviced every year - regular oil changes are very important.

I like to fill up with fuel locally before a long journey to avoid worrying about having to stop - and paying for expensive motorway petrol.

A 200 mile journey would use a bit more than half a tank of fuel.

This is a 1.2 indeed . Thanks so much for all the information and especially about the clutch fluid reservoir!.

Will definitely give this a good read tonight!

 

[Marcuslavaggi]

The handbook for the 2010 500 is available to download here: https://www.fiatforum.com/downloads/500-handbook-10-09.38/

The relevant information is under 'car maintenance' from page 135 (I've attached the most important bit - is yours the 1.2 petrol?).

Our right hand drive cars have a separate clutch fluid reservoir which isn't shown in the handbook - I've highlighted it in the second image.

The annual MOT checks your car's roadworthiness - they'd let you know if there was anything making it unsafe to drive.

Just make sure you get it serviced every year - regular oil changes are very important.

I like to fill up with fuel locally before a long journey to avoid worrying about having to stop - and paying for expensive motorway petrol.

A 200 mile journey would use a bit more than half a tank of fuel.

Hi!,

I'm having problems finding a link for this, even on the desktop version of the site.

Many thanks in advance .

EDIT: Found it! .

 

[chris3234]

Hi all,

Just a few questions as I haven't driven on a motorway before, let alone my Fiat 500 for over an hour in a single journey.

Firstly, my Fiat 500 L has done just under 35,000 miles and I use it daily to travel to work. A trip each way can put 26 miles onto the clock. This makes me concerned about wear and tear on the engine whenever I do a long journey.

In April I will be travelling from Westfield, a village near Hastings in the UK, to Quedgley near Gloucester. This will take me about three hours and thirty mins, then we will be off to the Teddy Rocks Festival in Dorest in which we will be taking my friends car. Then after the festival three days later, I will be doing the journey from Quedgley to Westfield. A total of seven hours worth of driving on the car.

I will then in August be doing the same trip, going to Quedgley from Westfield, then taking the train to Devon for the Gone Wild Festival, then taking the train back up to Gloucester. After that I will then be driving to Cheshire for an hour and a half going to a festival there and then back the sams night being two hours and 20 mins more in total across the two trips, then from Gloucester to Quedgley the next day for another three hours and 30 mins trip.

With all this said, will my car by any chance withstand all this?. A Fiat 500 L only has a small engine on it, not a massive tank-like thing, so is the car durable for all this in the timeframes mentioned?. Has anyone on these foruks used their Fiat 500 L on such long trips regularly?.

I appreciate I need good oil levels, tire pressures to the required level, radiator antifreeze topped up and know the petrol stations on my route.

Many apologies for the long post and seemingly stupid questions, but this is a new thing I would really like to do and cannot trust the trains anymore.

Many thanks in advance and I look forward to engaging on the forums and asking any questions you may have.

Most hatchbacks these days have 1l 3 cylinder engine and last for 100k plus Miles so don't worry about it

 

[rmjbn1]

I guess the rule is to stay left lane, use the middle for overtaking if need be, go back to the left safely and always use mirrors when moving around like lane switching and leaving/entering junctions.

Heh - I wish more drivers would follow your excellent example

I recently helped my other half to learn to drive (or tried to) - the two motorway disciplines she found tricky were:

• Getting up to speed to match traffic when joining the motorway - it's easy to hesitate if you're uncertain and end up going too slowly.
• Using the mirrors almost constantly - you need to know what's behind you at all times, especially if it's busy.

 

[Marcuslavaggi]

Heh - I wish more drivers would follow your excellent example

I recently helped my other half to learn to drive (or tried to) - the two motorway disciplines she found tricky were:

• Getting up to speed to match traffic when joining the motorway - it's easy to hesitate if you're uncertain and end up going too slowly.
• Using the mirrors almost constantly - you need to know what's behind you at all times, especially if it's busy.

Really good points there!. My ex boyfriend wasn't the best driver and was always freaked out about motorways, don't want to get like that!.

So, how would one join a motorway?, is it like a junction?.

 

[rmjbn1]

The Highway Code probably puts it better than I could:

The Highway Code - Motorways (253 to 274) - Guidance - GOV.UK

Rules for motorways, including rules for signals, joining the motorway, driving on the motorway, lane discipline, overtaking, stopping and leaving the motorway. A number of the rules for motorways also apply to other high-speed roads.

www.gov.uk

Again, if you're not feeling confident, most driving instructors would offer a motorway driving lesson for people who've passed their test.

Motorways are by far the safest roads, so it's a matter of relaxing and getting used to it. They're a bit boring, really

 

[The Panda Nut]

Your car will be fine if its serviced and given a checkover before hand. Fiats like to be driven, and the engines improve for spells at higher speed. Its just good for getting rid of soot and stuff from all the orrifces of the engine and exhaust, Full flow through the fuels system also cleans things out and you will notice the car runs better for a while after a long run. I wouldnt hesitate to drive any of our 3 Pandas from here to the tip of Italy at any time. If your car has a VVTI 69hp engine it needs to be revved to activate the engine systems and access the proper power of the engine. Doing so is really a good thing providing common sense is applied.

If your unfamiliar with long runs you are right to be cautious. Plan your route and check on the Highways Authority website for roadworks etc. This can save big time. Take breaks at no more than 2 hours. This really helps and its better to be refreshed and take a little longer. Make sure you have a bottle of top up water and oil. Fill your washers and check your tyre pressures before setting off this builds confidence. If you take a wrong turn, dont panic drive on until safe to stop and replan. No unplanned U turns this is when things go wrong. CHeck your tyre inflator is in place and your spare if you have one is fit and properly inflated. Always plan a back up route. Make sure your breakdown cover is in place and that you have the numbers to call if needed if anything goes wrong.

Im still hoping to drive to Bellagio in may in my 875cc Panda and apart from servicing the car beforehand dont anticipate any issues. I will do 70mph on motorways and just get along briskly elsewhere. The car will be fully loaded too.

Enjoy a longer run in the 500!

 

[John202020]

We have a 16 year old Mazda with 120,000 miles on, If I need to I'm totally confident that I could jump in and travel the 200 miles to my brothers if I needed to without issue, usual pre travel checks obviously ( as it likes to drink oil )

 

[varesecrazy]

Have you driven on a 'dual carriageway'?

Motorways are basically like most Dual carriageways.. sliproads on and off

Hard shoulder might be a novelty..

Agreed they can get pretty boring

To Gloucester I would use a dual carriageway from Newbury..or Swindon

I actually like the A40

 

[Marcuslavaggi]

The handbook for the 2010 500 is available to download here: https://www.fiatforum.com/downloads/500-handbook-10-09.38/

The relevant information is under 'car maintenance' from page 135 (I've attached the most important bit - is yours the 1.2 petrol?).

Our right hand drive cars have a separate clutch fluid reservoir which isn't shown in the handbook - I've highlighted it in the second image.

The annual MOT checks your car's roadworthiness - they'd let you know if there was anything making it unsafe to drive.

Just make sure you get it serviced every year - regular oil changes are very important.

I like to fill up with fuel locally before a long journey to avoid worrying about having to stop - and paying for expensive motorway petrol.

A 200 mile journey would use a bit more than half a tank of fuel.

My Fiat seems to lose a notch on the fuel gauge once every day. I drive for 40-45 mins a day Monday to Friday to get to work and then about the same to get back home. As a bare minimum that is 80 mins or one hour and 20 mins driving a day for about 50 miles all together. By the time I am home on Friday, there is one notch left and then the two small ones at the bottom for a weekly total of 250 miles of driving.

So yep, just over half a tank really.

 

[Marcuslavaggi]

My Fiat seems to lose a notch on the fuel gauge once every day. I drive for 40-45 mins a day Monday to Friday to get to work and then about the same to get back home. As a bare minimum that is 80 mins or one hour and 20 mins driving a day for about 50 miles all together. By the time I am home on Friday, there is one notch left and then the two small ones at the bottom for a weekly total of 250 miles of driving.

So yep, just over half a tank really.

30 mins in good traffic, 40 to 45 if there are loads of cars going to work the same time as me. It depends what time I leave for work and it's pot luck with the trip home, but the distance and speeds I drive are always the same