I noticed in another thread that there are not many updates on here so I thought I'd do just that.
Tallulah has continued to behave impeccably despite my negligence. The only problem i have encountered is the oil degradation index (flashing oil light to you and me.). It came only about 6,000 miles after the first service. I contacted the local dealer, who I have an excellent rapport with and the service manager told me to bring it in at my conveience and they would reset the index free of charge. (It's important to remember here, we are not turning off a light, we are resetting and index, which then makes the light go out. A subtle difference...)
Just to explain why this happens, I am a chauffeur and Tallulah spends an inordinant amount of time ticking over to keep me warm whilst powering the iPad so I can look at porn, as I wait for the Mayor to emerge from various functions. Thus the oil degradation index ticks over much quicker than if the car was in normal use. The Multiplas did it too. Suck it up, Panda.
Anyway, I duly failed to visit Northgate Fiat as requested, thus, all of a sudden the car went in to limp mode. I took it in to the dealer with my tail between my legs and sure enough, the failure to reset the index was indeed the culprit. As we were nearing the next service anyway, by this point, we negotiated a price and extent of service to be carried out (!) and I now have a stamp in the service book that cost much less than a second service and I'm not in limp mode.
The only other niggle is that I can't find an after market towbar for it. Fiat quoted £600! For a ------- tow bar! So the trailer sits in the garage and my garden fills up with crap. Online, it suggests on several sites that the 500L and Jeep Renegade (the same car) towbar, fits. However, on further investigation, one online specialist suggested in no uncertain terms that 'no it ****ing doesn't'. This apparently was after several hours blundering away and finding that there were subtle differences to the floorpan. Now, I can't comment on the technical side of this, so please don't bluster me with theory, or nerdish comments, or I'll tell you what he told me...... I'm just repeating what he said, ok.
Ok, in the following sentences, I have used the word 'twonk'. Please substitute the letters 'at' for 'onk'. You'll get the meaning.....
Tallulah returns between 50-60mpg on average and on a decent run, 70mpg is an obtainable average. Don't buy the big diesel unless you need to tow an Airbus or act like twonk while poisoning polar bears. And if you need to act like a twonk, buy the petrol anyway...... If you need to poison polar bears, there are probably more direct, if not chillier routes you can take, possibly involving force feeding them plastic bottles. Anyway, the exhaust on the big 1.4 petrol smells nicer and it gives you more street cred in Macdonalds car park as you indeed act like said twonk. The big diesel ain't worth the extra money in everyday use.
Just as an aside, I ain't suggesting that everyone with the big petrol is a twonk. Definitely not. In my opinion you are at the very least, connossieurs. If I wasn't such a tight git, I'd have the big petrol. However, I am a twonk, so take it as you will.
Anyroad, the 1.3 diesel is positively spritely. At least that's what I told the man at the speed awareness course.......
So in conclusion, if you need to chauffeur a civic dignitary, be kind to large, fairly aggressive, exotic wildlife, get more than reasonable MPG, not show off at your local take away, successfully negotiate with your local Fiat dealer, look at reasonable quality pornography, but not tow anything, you could do much worse than a 1.3 diesel Tipo.
Hope this helps, but I suspect it won't....
Told you I was a twonk.
Panda
Tallulah has continued to behave impeccably despite my negligence. The only problem i have encountered is the oil degradation index (flashing oil light to you and me.). It came only about 6,000 miles after the first service. I contacted the local dealer, who I have an excellent rapport with and the service manager told me to bring it in at my conveience and they would reset the index free of charge. (It's important to remember here, we are not turning off a light, we are resetting and index, which then makes the light go out. A subtle difference...)
Just to explain why this happens, I am a chauffeur and Tallulah spends an inordinant amount of time ticking over to keep me warm whilst powering the iPad so I can look at porn, as I wait for the Mayor to emerge from various functions. Thus the oil degradation index ticks over much quicker than if the car was in normal use. The Multiplas did it too. Suck it up, Panda.
Anyway, I duly failed to visit Northgate Fiat as requested, thus, all of a sudden the car went in to limp mode. I took it in to the dealer with my tail between my legs and sure enough, the failure to reset the index was indeed the culprit. As we were nearing the next service anyway, by this point, we negotiated a price and extent of service to be carried out (!) and I now have a stamp in the service book that cost much less than a second service and I'm not in limp mode.
The only other niggle is that I can't find an after market towbar for it. Fiat quoted £600! For a ------- tow bar! So the trailer sits in the garage and my garden fills up with crap. Online, it suggests on several sites that the 500L and Jeep Renegade (the same car) towbar, fits. However, on further investigation, one online specialist suggested in no uncertain terms that 'no it ****ing doesn't'. This apparently was after several hours blundering away and finding that there were subtle differences to the floorpan. Now, I can't comment on the technical side of this, so please don't bluster me with theory, or nerdish comments, or I'll tell you what he told me...... I'm just repeating what he said, ok.
Ok, in the following sentences, I have used the word 'twonk'. Please substitute the letters 'at' for 'onk'. You'll get the meaning.....
Tallulah returns between 50-60mpg on average and on a decent run, 70mpg is an obtainable average. Don't buy the big diesel unless you need to tow an Airbus or act like twonk while poisoning polar bears. And if you need to act like a twonk, buy the petrol anyway...... If you need to poison polar bears, there are probably more direct, if not chillier routes you can take, possibly involving force feeding them plastic bottles. Anyway, the exhaust on the big 1.4 petrol smells nicer and it gives you more street cred in Macdonalds car park as you indeed act like said twonk. The big diesel ain't worth the extra money in everyday use.
Just as an aside, I ain't suggesting that everyone with the big petrol is a twonk. Definitely not. In my opinion you are at the very least, connossieurs. If I wasn't such a tight git, I'd have the big petrol. However, I am a twonk, so take it as you will.
Anyroad, the 1.3 diesel is positively spritely. At least that's what I told the man at the speed awareness course.......
So in conclusion, if you need to chauffeur a civic dignitary, be kind to large, fairly aggressive, exotic wildlife, get more than reasonable MPG, not show off at your local take away, successfully negotiate with your local Fiat dealer, look at reasonable quality pornography, but not tow anything, you could do much worse than a 1.3 diesel Tipo.
Hope this helps, but I suspect it won't....
Told you I was a twonk.
Panda
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