[yveivy]

Just replaced the battery tonight with a 650 cold cranking amp battery; the original Fiat battery was 500 cranking amp. Still no shifting issues but the check engine light went off after the battery replacement. If the check engine light comes back on in the next few days, then we’ll know we are looking at the regulator or alternator.

 

[yveivy]

Not sure if anyone is still following this or cares but I finally had a conversation with the manager at my local service center. Very enlightening and not in a good way.

He guaranteed me that I will have to replace the transmission. That transmission was only used in 2014 because Fiat knows it is Shite. They have replaced countless transmissions in that year and model so not if but when and mine has gone longer than normal for the original transmission.
Why is this acceptable? If Fiat made a crappy product then there should be a recall for that transmission.
Tedolph asked me how they knew it was the transmission that needed to be replaced and it was only because of the code. So I asked the service manager if they had looked at the transmission to see what was wrong and he said that Fiat does not allow them to get into the transmission at all and they are only allowed to replace the transmission. So no real mechanic work going on.
But in brighter news, I 100% believe that it is not the transmission issue it is running perfectly with no error codes after replacing the GSM and the battery with an American made.

 

[DeSoulo]

Thanks Yveivy! Yes still interested and still following along. The L starts to act up when the battery starts to die. I had an Airbag light come on. Two trips to the dealer before they figured it was a dying battery. It lasted 4 years and replaced under warranty.

I had a leaking valve body pressure sensor go out (12K miles). They could not replace just the sensor, so they replaced the whole valve body. It took about 2 days if I recall correctly. I have 49K on my L. I did purchase the Mopar MaxCare warranty.

 

[Rob C]

Hello yveivy,

Still all good with the battery replacement?
-Rob

 

[yveivy]

Hi Rob, everything working perfectly. No engine lights and shifting great. Still no word on my refund from Chrysler.

 

[Tedolph]

Hi Rob, everything working perfectly. No engine lights and shifting great. Still no word on my refund from Chrysler.

Refund for what?

A new battery?

tEdolph

 

[Mr. Fusion]

I just traded-in my 2014 500L Trekking, so I will no longer be visiting the forum regularly. My trade-in was not because of any mechanical issue, but simply because we needed a bigger vehicle. I purchased my 2014 as a new car in March of 2015, and between then and now, I only ever had ONE problem with it: The battery died after about 2 years. (Replaced it with a Duralast Gold.)

IIRC, there were two major TSBs for the 500L right off the bat in 2014, one was the DDCT reprogramming, and one was a battery drain issue that stemmed from the TCM (or something) still drawing power even when the ignition was fully off. All TSBs had been applied by the time I bought my particular car, and as I said, I never had any issues with the drivetrain.

My 500L had low miles due to my short commute, but I loved driving it, and it remains my favorite car that I have ever owned. But I'm not gonna lie, I would have definitely started to worry as the miles racked up. I would recommend this car to anybody, but it would need to be a 2015 or later model with the Aisin, for sure. I loved how the DDCT drove, but at this point it just seems to be way too big of a risk to own.

 

[minibrings]

I could not wait to get rid of my 2014 L. My 2017 L is night and day.. completely trouble free at 20,00 miles driving in all weather conditions from Maine to Florida. This one is a keeper. Wish i had waited for a 2018 though.. the newer seats seem more comfy.

I just traded-in my 2014 500L Trekking, so I will no longer be visiting the forum regularly. My trade-in was not because of any mechanical issue, but simply because we needed a bigger vehicle. I purchased my 2014 as a new car in March of 2015, and between then and now, I only ever had ONE problem with it: The battery died after about 2 years. (Replaced it with a Duralast Gold.)

IIRC, there were two major TSBs for the 500L right off the bat in 2014, one was the DDCT reprogramming, and one was a battery drain issue that stemmed from the TCM (or something) still drawing power even when the ignition was fully off. All TSBs had been applied by the time I bought my particular car, and as I said, I never had any issues with the drivetrain.

My 500L had low miles due to my short commute, but I loved driving it, and it remains my favorite car that I have ever owned. But I'm not gonna lie, I would have definitely started to worry as the miles racked up. I would recommend this car to anybody, but it would need to be a 2015 or later model with the Aisin, for sure. I loved how the DDCT drove, but at this point it just seems to be way too big of a risk to own.

 

[J.B.]

Do you know when Fiat discontinued L with manual transmission? Just curious.

 

[yveivy]

Well I just wrote a novel of a post but it got lost so here is my update with way less detail. My Fiat L is driving great with no more shifting issues or check engine lights. It was parked for 8 days at the airport and still started up no problem and shifted like expected.

Fiat Chrysler mailed me an almost $700 check to refund me for what I spent replacing the GSM that in my opinion should have been done initially at no cost as part of the P06 recall. My Service Center refused to do it and that’s why I paid for it in cash with the intent of getting a refund if it fixed the “transmission issues”. It did. Car works great. Got my money back.

 

[ronbo10]

I also had all the re-flashes done on our 2014 500L Trekking with DDCT. It was my Studio that actually called me preemptively to do the GSM swap out per the recall. I think if everyone's Studio (and supporting Chrysler franchise) were as responsive and eager to keep their customers happy as mine has been, many of the issues that have given the Fiat marque in the US a bad rep could have been avoided.

Among the re-flashes was one that concerned the "Body Control Module" that Mr. Fusion referenced above. No more slow battery drain after that, and the car has been working flawlessly- 52,000 miles or so and no issues whatsoever once the flashes were done and the GSM replaced back in 2014. Really happy with the car.

I do believe the DDCT continues to be sold in other markets, both in Europe and Australia (perhaps elsewhere) where as far as I know it continues to give good service. I really don't feel like I'm hanging it out there just because ours has the DDCT. That said, I really like the behavior of the latest iteration of the Aisin (same transmission, actually but programmed a bit differently) in the 2018 500L. I'm left wondering if they will adapt that transmission for use with the new 1.3 liter turbo that's about to debut in the 2019 500X stateside (which will be paired with the ZF 9 Speed already in use in 2018 and earlier 500X's).

Yveivy, I'm glad to hear that Fiat has finally been responsive to your situation. Hopefully you'll continue to get good service out of your Elle.

 

[yveivy]

Thanks for the reply. Really do love my Fiat. This is my second one. Just a shame that some of the Service Centers are so terrible. Unfortunately it seems they have picked up the Chrysler mentality. Hoping to enjoy this car for years to come and passing down to my daughter one day as her first car.

Thanks for mentioning the BCM flash. I am going to look through my records to make sure this has been done. I’ve on my 4th battery with this car. And the dying battery always wreaks all kinds of havoc.

 

[L Rose Nye]

Thank you all for such a long thread.
I have a 2014 500l. I love it and have been having some problems lately. Each time the shop can't reproduce, leaving me looking crazy.
My fob is in need of repair. The weather has been colder. I have had weird warning lights. The car has warned me it thinks I am stealing it. The worst thing is the car being completely dead and not letting me have the key back.
I have listed all of these things to complain, I want people to know they are not alone.
Since my car is currently a big red paperweight, I was searching this forum for answers. Your thread is very helpful and has given me some good ideas. I am going to exchange the battery tomorrow. I will also have the shop check the keys. Thank you.

 

[14500l]

Tedolph it is the same issue we have had since we bought the car. Sometimes you turn it on and it doesn't shift out of park. It says shift to neutral and then park or reverse in the instrument panel but switching back doesn't do anything. We usually have to turn it off and try it again. once it did this to my husband in traffic and we had to have it towed to the service center. Never once have they been able to duplicate this issue or get an error code for this the transmission. Not until this week now that it is out of warranty are they certain that it needs a new transmission. I'm irritated because I believe, like you do Tedolph, that it is not the transmission but a recall, P06 to be exact that was done initially on my car back in 2014.

• Here is the specifics on the recall:
  
  
  
  
  
  · Recall Number
  14V103000
  Recall Date
  03/04/2014
  Component
  POWER TRAIN:AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
  Summary
  Chrysler Group LLC (Chrysler) is recalling certain model year 2014 Fiat 500L vehicles manufactured April 5, 2013, through January 22, 2014. In certain temperatures, moving the transmission shift lever may have a delayed effect or no effect on selecting a transmission gear.
  Consequence
  If there is no effect, the vehicle might not shift out of the Park position. If there is a delayed effect, the vehicle may move in an unintended or unexpected direction, increasing the risk of a crash.
  What Owners Should Do
  Chrysler will notify owners, and dealers will replace the shifter module or update the shifter software, as necessary, free of charge. The recall began on March 31, 2014. Owners may contact Chrysler at 1-800-853-1403. Chrysler's number associated with this recall is P06.
  
  I want them to replace the shifter module obviously but the service center is being adamant that everything is working fine with it and it is the transmission that needs replaced.
  
  
  J.B. this service center is in Austin Texas. Nyle Maxwell Fiat.
  

I have the intermittent shift issue like 1 time per month its in drive but says neutral. Or in manual mode I'm in first but say neutral. Or in reverse. But goes nowhere. Now I get a flashing engine light even before starting. Then I start no engine light drive for.like 1 minute then it flashes again and goes into limp mode. No codes showing up. Have to keep restarting. I replaced coils plugs oil change oil separator and o ring checked compression. Everything within spec. Today got a turbo boost code P2262. First time ever. In the morning was foggy had to use defroster well that button locks my doors now. Some weird stuff with Fiat.

 

[Philpop]

I'd check with some transmission shops and speak to someone who fully understands the Fiat DCT automatic and has experience repairing.

Often the dct gets slow or stops working because a weak battery.... The dct has a "delay" between park,. reverse, drive.... The Dct will ocerheat if driven in stop and go traffic. You will notice being able to rev the engine at very slow speeds and it feels the transmission is slipping. It is the clutch that is slipping so don't do that or it overheats and wears prematurely.

The dct must be driven "like" a manual ie. Delay between forward and reverse, must come to absolute complete stop while shifting between p d r etc. And cannot rev engine at very slow speeds as that is the same as riding the clutch.

Understand this first and if dealer can't replicate. Maybe too late. Fiat doesn't say exactly how this particular dct transmission needs be operated as people who buy automatics don't want more thinking and effort than a manual.

The dcts were only available in 2014 and is a robust sustem if driven properly but destroyed quicky if not. 2015+ auto are torque converter and not nearly as fun to dirve nor efficient.

 

[Philpop]

Thank you all for such a long thread.
I have a 2014 500l. I love it and have been having some problems lately. Each time the shop can't reproduce, leaving me looking crazy.
My fob is in need of repair. The weather has been colder. I have had weird warning lights. The car has warned me it thinks I am stealing it. The worst thing is the car being completely dead and not letting me have the key back.
I have listed all of these things to complain, I want people to know they are not alone.
Since my car is currently a big red paperweight, I was searching this forum for answers. Your thread is very helpful and has given me some good ideas. I am going to exchange the battery tomorrow. I will also have the shop check the keys. Thank you.

How old is battery? Alternator? 500L dont like weak batteries

 

[Philpop]

Ps. I've spoken to Fiat service advisors, managers, and mechanics and NONE of them knew how their Dct transmission worked...they just replaced them if problem. a lot not all dealer personel want only to replace parts not fix. That's just the way it is mainly bec profitability. There is no profit for them worrying or fiquiring out why that takes more time and pays less than just replacing.

 

[smark]

The issue with the 2014 500L, it doesn’t like the dual clutch transmissions. Plain junk. Been there, done that route. That why Fiat dropped, it on the 2015 model, with a conventional automatic transmission.

No automobile service department services transmissions. They are replace with either remanufactured, or brand new units. It been that way for decades.

Thats why we got rid our 500L.

 

[smark]

How old is battery? Alternator? 500L dont like weak batteries

Has nothing to do with a weak battery. Our 500L was brand new.

 

[Philpop]

Often the batteries were bad because they sat on lot and were charged up the night before or driven around block a few times to charge up before delivery because they sat on lot for so long... Most 500l dct driven like conventional automatic. Most Fiat staff including technicians clueless about ddct