Flavour of the month, stop-start, and here’s another to add to the list. The Fiat 500 gets Start&Stop (I’ve lost count of the different monikers) as an option on the 1.2 Lounge, using Bosch technology to beef up the system to make it reliable. The Stop/Start also gets another Fiat moniker – Blue&Me – which gives the driver EcoDrive to aid emissions and adds hands-free phone and an entertainment system.
Fiat are at pains to point out how and when the system will work. The Start&Stop can be manually switched off, and only works once the car has gone above 6mph. It won’t work if the car already has a heavy electrical load (for example if the engine is cold, or the HRW is on or other similar situations) and nor will it cut in when reversing to make sure it doesn’t interrupt parking manoeuvres.
Fiat 500 gets Start&Stop to help economy
Fiat also points out that you’ll need to start the car with the key if you’ve been stopped for more than three minutes without depressing the clutch. Which doesn’t seem long, particularly if you’re trying to edge your way along the embankment at rush hour (or through central Rome or Paris, for that matter).
As we’ve said, if you do a fair bit of town driving Stop-Start is hard to argue against. Emissions drop and fuel economy improves, in the Fiat 500’s case by around 12%. At £9,500 this isn’t the cheapest option, but if you’re after a cute, stylish run-around, and you do a lot of town driving, it’s a pretty good choice.
Beccza says
Hi
I have a 2009 Pur 02 fiat 500 and have also had problems with the start stop warning light and the general warning light (amber triangle and exclamation mark), I was also told that this was due to the way I drive, however when my partner drives it the same thing happens so I am not wholly sure that this is the reason! Please let us know if anyone has found the solution as I love my car and the warning lights are beginning to stress me out!
Many Thanks
Vibeke says
Have just bought a fiat 500 As of 2009, only driven 36000th I also have problems with stop / start. Does not work, pg now lit landen the check engine also and a yellow triangle! Practice practice, has found a solution to your problems?
Kevin O'ferrall says
What is the solution as I’ve got the same problem
sherry says
I.ve had my Fiat Qubo for a year now & the startstop has just started to play up, triangle & engine warning lights are on. it doesn’t feel any different to drive but i’ll get my local garage to have a look at it, they might tell me to take it to a dealer as i haven’t had my first service yet.
Vibeke says
Unfortunately, the same problem, just bought the 2009 model run 37000th Practice, practice …
Sharon bailey says
I have had my car for 1 year And the stop start light Has come o
Neil says
My StopStart has had nearly all of the issues noted above, it currently is either “unavailable” or it just simply kicks in and restarts the car or it cuts in as you are about to pull sways, leading to a “stall type” cutout of the engine. Which could be VERY dangerous indeed. I am going to take it in to a dealer to have them look at it. Really would prefer it to be permanently disabled!
Mark says
We have having exactly the same problem. We purchssed the car from new last June and all was fine until the winter. The car was kept in our garage for 5 days during the snow and when we came to use it the car would not start due to a flat battery. The AA came out and started it and in doing so blew the ECU. Many arguments and three months later with Fiat, they replaced the ECU under the warranty and said it was our fault for the battery going flat, despite the fact that noting had been left on. Then the BlueMe would not work and needed extra soft ware from Italy. Now that is fixed, the Stop Start is not working. It is now back at Fiat again and they said that its not working as something is draining the battery and it will only work if the battery is fully charged !! As of today, they still can’t fix it.
marian weerts says
Ook wij hebben vanaf april 2011 problemen met onze fiat 500 lounge km teller knippert,en de start stop en go is niet meer beschikbaar wij zijn nu ook al voor de 4 keer terug geweest,
morgen wordt het de 5 e keer, wij zouden de bleu en me niet goed gebruiken of de verkeerde USB stick maar wij hebben deze tot de dag van vandaag nog niet gebruikt, je krijgt dan ook nog eens de vraag gesteld van een monteur waarom koop je hem dan, ja we
zijn benieuwd wat morgen weer gaat gebeuren want het vertrouwen raakt je toch kwijt denk je’
dat je een leuke auto hebt voor zoveel geld heb je iedere week wel een ander probleem,
het wordt tijd dat ze nu eens gaan kijken wat nu werkelijk aan de hand is.
Ann Brandon says
I was told yesterday by my dealer after they had apparently spoken to Fiat (in Italy, they said!) about this problem. Fiat’s response is – there are not enough complaints yet about this problem for it to be financially viable for them to write a software solution. I logged my complaint via Fiat’s customer service no 00800 3428 0000 and again via my dealer and can I please suggest that all others experiencing this problem do the same and with luck we may get somewhere.
Ann
Mike says
Fiat really need to do something about the major problem they have with the stop start system on the 500. I picked up a new 1.2 Sport with stop start in November. So far it has been back to the garage 5 times with the warning light problem & I haven’t been able to drive it since before Xmas. Initially, the dealer had no idea why the warning lights are coming on but once he spoke to Fiat he was able to come up with “it’s the way your wife drives” as the solution! What a joke. I am now commencing legal proceedings to return the car and get my money back.
Ann Brandon says
Dear Mike, it’s a relief to read your email as I have exactly the same problem with warning light etc and same response from the dealer ‘it’s your driving style’! – I have been driving for 32 years and never had any problem with worn clutch etc. If you can spare the time I would be very interested to hear how you get on with legal proceedings as I have this morning threatened the dealer with the very same as after waiting nearly 5 months for Fiat to send a solution absolutely nothing has happened.
many thanks
Ann
Elizabeth says
I had a new car delivered. It started giving me this problem on 10 miles. The dealer said its the way I drive. But the lights came on when the engineer was driving. So it coudnt be me. They keep resetting it, and it keeps coming back on the moment I reverse the car. Its annoying. Does anyone else perceive that it the car underperforms when the engine and start stop failure light is lighted up on the dashboard?
Its very annoying.. the beep and the amber light.
Steve says
I’ve had this nonsense too. The car went back once because “It’s a switch on the gear lever. We’ll replace it free of charge.” Not only did they replace said switch they scratched my dashboard and the warning lights came back on within a week. I tried disabling the S&S function on the dashboard switch but the unaivailable light still operates on a completely random basis. The dealer says my wife’s driving is at fault which makes me smile as it does the same when I’m driving it. I just wish they’d disable the stupid system and have done with it. At least I wouldn’t have to keep seeing warning lights all the time.
Steve and Pat and “little red car”
Alison Patrick says
Have this problems too – car back in garage 3 times in first week, and was told it was my driving style. I paid nearly £17000 for my 1.4 500C Lounge with extras and feel I have not been sold a car fit for purpose. I now turn off Start and Stop every time I start the engine so as not to have warning lights come on while driving. Can anyone tell me if there is a definitive answer to this problem? Is there a software upgrade available from Fiat which will enable start and stop to be used even though clutch contol is used on hill starts or when a quick exit is required at an intersection etc???
CarsUK says
We keep hearing this, so we’ve got a 500 with stop-start from Fiat next week to see how we get on. We think the problem is simple – no-one who drives regularly puts the car in neutral and foot off clutch when they stop in traffic. And the way this – and most stop-start systems are set up on manual cars – means the system either doesn’t work or gets confused unless you go back to driving like a learner.
Watch out for our review on the Fiat 500 with Stop Start in the next couple of weeks.
Elaine says
I dont know why your Fiat 500 wont fit in your garage because it is a small 4 seater car it is good for familys with 3 in them but it is a small fiat and all the other fiats are big
malcolm frazer says
Has anyone else out there had the major problems with Fiat’s stop/start sytem that I have had on my 12th Feb registerd 500c?Stop/start and engine management warning lights come on and car goes into limp mode ( not good on the motorway in rush hour ) Dealer says my wife is holding car on the clutch for more that 10-12 seconds so it’s “our fualt” So she will never be able to make a hill start ever again.
lEX123 says
Exactly the same problem and our dealer has also told me I am driving wrong! I had the problem at a roundabout because I was using clutch control. Annoying as each time it occurs I have to go back to the dealership to have the lights turned off. apparently we are not alone, I have found at least 20 other comments on the web.