500 in snow?

[mainefiat]

Hi there,

I have been coveting the fiat for a while and hopefully will-be-owning (if everything goes through with Chrysler here in the US as expected) in about a year... x <<< crossing fingers

I would like to get some feedback from drivers who drive in cold, winter, conditions. Do you have studded tires? How's the handling? Heater? I live in the US northeast, and our winters are long and white (snowing as I speak). I currently drive a very old mazda hatchback, and switch to studded tires in the winter.

Thanks for any info. I want to quiet all the naysayers around me...

[.Lefteris.]

:welcomeon500:

Check this thread ;)
http://www.500fans.com/showthread.php?t=964

Regards

[wreckmaster]

Hi Mainefiat and :welcomeon500: :icon_thumleft:

I live in Norway and I guess we might have the same kind of weather as you have got over there:) I use non studded wintertyres on 15" alloys, and I think the car is pretty good. Offcourse you can feel it is a small car with short axle distance, so it sometimes feels like it kind of floats abit on the snow with the rear end. But other than that it is great. Most snowy, slippery hills is no problem and all the electronic gadgets kicks very rarely inn. And when they do, they work perfectly:icon_thumleft: I live on the countryside about 15km`s from the nearest town so I get to drive on those early morning roads which are hardly driven on after snow fall and my little 500 gets through places other more expensive cars dontlol The biggest drawback in my opinion is the heater which I dont think is great:( It is OK down to about -6C but when it gets much colder it dosent get warm enough inside the car I think. We had a couple of weeks now with tempratures around -20C and after driving to work, which takes about 40minutes it is warm but not hot inside. An example is: If my collegues and I start our cars to defrost before leaving work and we wait lets say 15 minutes, my collegues cars will be icefree on most of the windows. While my 500 is just starting to melt a small part on the windshield. But not much of a problem before about -6C! It is all in all the absolutely best and most fun car I`ve ever had:icon_thumleft: I love it to bits:) And no problems at all in the summer at all, as the ac is very good:icon_thumleft:
My advice to you: Buy one as soon as they are availeblelollol You wont regret it:icon_thumright:

[VilleV]

This is the second winter of owning my 500. First winter went without any problems, but it only got around -9 at the coldest. This winter it has been -20 or more on several occasions and I have to admit I´ve had some problems.

Firts the car wouldnt start properly, it took 3 or 4 attempts to get it running and after that the idle was very rough. The starting issue was taken care of with an ecu update and has been fine since, but the idling is still little rough all the time. Dont know what´s causing that, and the dealer said "all modern cars idle like that".

Also the car has now this odd rattling sound coming from the engine bay that only starts when the engine gets warm. Could be something resonating, but not so sure about that.

Other than these niggles I find the 500 to be a quite decent winter car. I´ve had no problems with getting the warm inside, but then again I use interrior heater before most starts, plus the windows are already ice free.

Handlingwise it´s really fun on snow! Corners well and you can steer it with the throttle. Tho you cant take the esp off, so that spoils some of the fun for me, but at least its safe! I have 15" studded tyres with alloys and the only problem is very loud road noice on asfalt. If it´s snowy and icey they quiet down a lot tho.

[mainefiat]

This is great. Thank you for the replies and if others are reading, keep them coming!

Our winters can get cold, and below -6 is not unheard of in winter, although thank god sustained -20 is rare. My little 88 mazda 323 (which I STILL) drive doesn't heat up very well either, when it gets below -4... I wonder if this is due to engine size? I wonder how Abarth drivers do in cold temps?

Also, VilleV... I've never heard of an interior heater - I've done a couple of quick google searches now. Is this something you plug into the cigarette lighter? Maybe this is the trick for my current car and something to think of down the line. (BTW - beautiful photos on flikr. The Fiat in the carpark is amazing! Fiat should pay you for that one!)

I will be one of the first buying one. I started writing to Fiat a little over a year year ago, begging them to bring their car here... next thing I knew, they were buying up Chrysler! I like to think, very humbly, that I single-handedly saved Chrysler from extinction... All that to say that I can't wait. The Chrysler dealer in town probably thinks I'm nuts. I called a few months ago, just for the hell of it. The manager called me back the next day: "--Can we interest you in another car? --NO! Fiat or nothing!"

One more year of patience, in my old mazda...

[wreckmaster]

This is great. Thank you for the replies and if others are reading, keep them coming!

Our winters can get cold, and below -6 is not unheard of in winter, although thank god sustained -20 is rare. My little 88 mazda 323 (which I STILL) drive doesn't heat up very well either, when it gets below -4... I wonder if this is due to engine size? I wonder how Abarth drivers do in cold temps?

Also, VilleV... I've never heard of an interior heater - I've done a couple of quick google searches now. Is this something you plug into the cigarette lighter? Maybe this is the trick for my current car and something to think of down the line. (BTW - beautiful photos on flikr. The Fiat in the carpark is amazing! Fiat should pay you for that one!)

I will be one of the first buying one. I started writing to Fiat a little over a year year ago, begging them to bring their car here... next thing I knew, they were buying up Chrysler! I like to think, very humbly, that I single-handedly saved Chrysler from extinction... All that to say that I can't wait. The Chrysler dealer in town probably thinks I'm nuts. I called a few months ago, just for the hell of it. The manager called me back the next day: "--Can we interest you in another car? --NO! Fiat or nothing!"

One more year of patience, in my old mazda...



I think Ville did mean something like this, usually combined with an engine block or coolant heater.

http://wup.defa.com/en/wup_products_interiorheaters.html

You will love the little 500:icon_thumleft: It will be worth the wait for sure:icon_thumright: I think it is so cool that we finally have a potential 500 owner from america in here which also consider a non Abarth 500:)

I belive you where a part of saving Chryslerlol

[VilleV]

I think Ville did mean something like this, usually combined with an engine block or coolant heater.

http://wup.defa.com/en/wup_products_interiorheaters.html



This is exactly what I meant. In 1.2 the engine heater is for coolant. And then there is an extencion cord to cabin and you can blug the defa heater in. Most private parking lots here have electricity plugs for every parking space, so getting electricity to the car is not a problem.

Thank You Mainefiat for your kind words about my photos!:p

[.Lefteris.]

We had 9C today and took almost 10 minutes to heat the interior, my 1975 Golf was faster then this! :D

9C is real cold for me! :D

[wreckmaster]

We had 9C today and took almost 10 minutes to heat the interior, my 1975 Golf was faster then this! :D

9C is real cold for me! :D

And 9C is not even coldlol

[VilleV]

No, that´s like april weather!:D

[.Lefteris.]

No, that´s like april weather!:D

In April we have 25+C here :rolleyes: biggrin2

[VilleV]

We too...:whistle:

[wreckmaster]

We too...:whistle:

lol lol lol

[Cadbury]

Due to the UK's unusually long spell of snow... I decided to look at getting wheel chains. However the manual says these cannot be fitted to 15" alloys. Hey ho... if we get another bad winter I will have to consider getting winter tyres but then our main roads usually clear after a few days

[Peter O]

Winter tyres are ok. You can always be sure not to get stucked in the snow. Winter tyres don't feel that worse on the road. The costs aren't so high: You only drive the rubber from one set of tyres while the other set gets saved. Winter wheels don't look worse than summer wheels.
Here is my 500 with summer wheels (top) and winter wheels:

http://i49.tinypic.com/1zxlcph.jpg

http://i48.tinypic.com/2h3yfe9.jpg

[wreckmaster]

Looking great with both sets:icon_thumleft:

[VilleV]

Friction tires are actually more comfortable than normal summer tires since they have softer rubber. Handling is not as precise tho. But most people here use studded tires and they do make the road noise horrible and at first you feel the car is all over the place when driving on plain asfalt. But when the roads get icy and slippery studded tires are definitely the safest way to go!

[Peter O]

Studded tyres are not allowed in Germany for many years. Most parts of Germany have a rather dense popularity, we don't have that lots of snow, and when there is some, they push it away and spread tons and tons of salt.
I remember studded tyres and the noise they made when cars braked.

[pittiplatsch]

I think the 500 works well on snow even with summer tyres... lol lol lol

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7590/500snow.jpg

[VilleV]

lol That´s one dirty car!!!

[Peter O]

The Fiat 500 1,4 is a great winter car. Never had any trouble with it, even when it was colder than -10c. I turned the key, and the motor started immediately. The traction was always good, and so was the ABS. After a relatively short time it got warm inside, and I kept the windows free fom ice. What more could I want! :icon_thumleft:

http://i47.tinypic.com/b50ftl.jpg

[wreckmaster]

I think the 500 works well on snow even with summer tyres... lol lol lol

http://img638.imageshack.us/img638/7590/500snow.jpg

Dont you have self wash stations in Florence?lollol Letting a 500 get that dirty, shame on youlollol

[pittiplatsch]

What you see is frozen dirty snow, that I collected when I got back from Berlin to Tuscany after christmas. There was/is quite a lot of snow in Berlin and it was snowing also for the whole journey. Only in Austria it stopped. This picture was taken near the Brenner pass in the Alps with -14°C. The sun was shining, but there was no chance to get rid of the frozen snow.

When I entered Italy it got slowly warmer. Near Garda lake all of the frozen snow was melted away. Rain between Verona and Bologna did the rest. The car was completely washed and so it wasn't necessary to do it by myself for now.

But I think in the beginning of february I will wash it. Last time it has seen a car wash has been in september... :icon_rolleyes: Every time I see the clean car coming out of the car wash I swear to wash it more often... :icon_rolleyes:

I'm so sorry... :icon_rolleyes:

lol

[wreckmaster]

September to february :eeeeek::infuriato::yelling: How is that possible???lol
I try to wash my car at least once a week, no mather how coldlollol But then again I am a bit wash crazylollol

[VilleV]

^
BIT grazy? Where did that "bit" come from?




:roflmfao:

[wreckmaster]

OK totally crazy :) lol

[VilleV]

It´s only a good thing that one does things proberly! No point in doing them otherwise!:icon_thumright:

[loadswine]

It was pretty icy here in the UK for a while there.
http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f313/2000silver2/Fiat%20500/P1030210.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f313/2000silver2/Fiat%20500/P1030211.jpg
Don't often get icicles on my car!
It didn't handle too badly, but the short wheelbase did make the rear end slide out once or twice.
Just so I don't get stuck, I now have a pair of Autosocks , but typically, as soon as they arrived, the snow melted!lol

[wreckmaster]

Nice looking wheels :) 16"? And welcome to this great forum ;)

[loadswine]

Thank you. Yes they are 16".:)

[Kertallica]

That's what my car looked like when it snowed here, however forgot to take a photo of it as it had icicles AND many inches of snow on top (so cute) lol I did take a photo of a huuuuuge icicle that appeared on my telephone line outside. I'll post it up when I get a chance :p

[calie]

In the snow my merc never moved the little 500 was brill i have no probs with it not even the starting problem:icon_thumright: