For my fairly extensive pre-purchase checklist, click here.

 

Thank you. I did try and find the AlphaOBD Demo App but couldn’t find it. Not sure if I’m doing something wrong.

 

The single biggest problem I am having in making this purchase is knowing if the battery is still good or not. I have tried to educated myself on this but seem to be getting no where.

Battery condition is proving to be a non-issue. We're on track to get over 200,000 city miles before the range drops to 80%. If a 500e charges & drives, the battery is nearly always fine.

The only exception is when it dies from a dead starter battery (just like a gas car) or a computer glitch, or in very rare instances from an actual component failure, the battery can be damaged by sitting too long awaiting repair, which is why you should likely do the weak cell test on the pre-purchase list.

However, even with damaged cells you'll still likely get at least 60 miles range. The worst report I can recall was one that dropped from 100% to 50% in about 50 miles, & then dropped to nearly 0% in about 10 miles.

 

You should find it if you go to AlfaOBD.com

It only works with Android or Windows, so avoid the bogus fake Apple app that's not the same at all.

 

Are you buying the blue or the black one lol. I’m in Cleveland and saw a few nice ones down there, almost went down for them but found one in Detroit. It is a fun. 🤬. Car. And I recommend you take the time to talk to the resident expert above to do your evaluation. Mr. TireShredder guided me last month into my 2017 500e and I’m so grateful. And the car puts a smile on my face every time I get in. Certainly open to further discussion review but as I said before the expert is in the thread and just listen to him.

 

Looking at the Black one. Please don’t buy it yet.😂

 

Sorry: I haven't got around to rewording my OBD recommendations. They're based on a couple of owners needing it while away from home, but that hasn't happened in years so it seems quite rare, meaning there's little to no need to have it always on hand in the car.

In other words, you're likely to only need the free app for a few minutes while checking out a car to buy, & then maybe 5 minutes every decade, so a laptop is fine, or a friend with a laptop or Android phone or tablet who can loan one, or if it's their personal phone: meet you there or ride with you.

 

Nearly all of the "need while away" is eliminated by the 3 other "Avoid Being Stranded" tricks (click here):

• Leave the extremely problematic humidity sensor unplugged.
• Use a $30 Bluetooth 12V monitor. THAT app works on iPhone (or Android).
• Put a $9 wingnut on the 12V negative, just in case.

 

JBAB I guess the other thing I’ll add here is make sure you get/it comes with the actual FIAT charger. Again from recommendation from tire shredder I bought a “good” ($7) 110v socket and a $40 surge protector and just charge mine in my garage. By the time I wake up in the morning it’s good to go. My furthest trips in mine so far are about 40-50mi and that is enough to be completely charged overnight for when I wake up to go to work in the morning.

I can’t speak for winter (yet) but I am definitely replacing the Firestone Firehawks that it comes with OEM before winter because they’re terrible on dry pavement and I’m assuming even worse in snow and ice. The thing weighs as much as my previous car (Kia Forte) and is 2’ shorter - a heavier “footprint” so to speak for snow and ice.

 

make sure you get/it comes with the actual FIAT charger.

Sorry. To clarify just stick with the OEM charger first before you dump $$$ into installing a 240v in your garage. It works well for me, that’s what I was trying to say.

 

LMAO if nothing else JBAB you can now see that there’s online support for these things. That was certainly something I kept in my head when researching.

 

Yeah, this is great! Thank you very much for all the advice. I have to dive into Tire Shredders papers and get this thing figured out. I will let you know how it goes.

I do know that the original charger was in the hatchback but it looked like the plug was a little worn. So I can replace that. I own a small construction business and my electrician is a personal friend so fixing any of that wont be a problem. I’m looking to just plug it in using a heavy duty extension cord like you said.

 

Just make SURE to use a good surge protector. Today we got what I think is about the 20th actual component failure while home charging without surge protection.

As for a "dive into" my papers, that's really not needed for purchase: If you just check the link in post #2 above you'll almost certainly be fine.

 

What surge protector would you recommend?

 

I like that it's UL listed, but 2100 Joules seems pretty low, especially considering the car seems a bit sensitive: Nobody is reporting other items fried in the house, when their car goes out, although maybe they have protection on all the other sensitive items.

I've been using this 4500 Joule one (click here) for nearly a year & a half now.

 

Well alrighty then, TIL hahah

I guess at the same time though, it seems weird that just the car gets fried and nothing else. I mean I don’t know how other people live but my TV and desktop computer are the only other things on surge protectors in my house, if something surges that high wouldn’t that also mean that other things go as well? Or is it just specifically the circuit the plug is on? This is outside of my realm of knowledge, I haven’t done physics since high school 🙃

edit #3 the surge protector I linked and am currently using has a limited lifetime warranty that covers $200k of equipment if the surge protector fails. That makes me feel good. Now where the 🤬🤬 did the receipt go…

 

Fortunately no physics is needed: Your TV & computer are likely your most delicate items. If everything else is slightly more robust than the 500e, then a moderate surge could fry only the car.

For example, if...:

• The surge protectors on your TV & computer can handle a "level 9" surge.
• Everything else in your home can handle a "level 6" surge even without any protection at all.
• A 500e can handle level 4, but fries in a level 5.

Then a level 5 surge will fry only the Fiat. It would have fried the TV & computer, but they were protected.

 

Why are you considering a 500e? Outside of the electric factor- which I do like personally, it's not a great car otherwise and is missing a slew of basic safety features present in today's most basic entry-level cars sold on the market- such as lane keep, adaptive cruise control, accident avoidance, over-the-air updates, and the list goes on. The 2016 model, which I used to own, and is basically the same as the first year 2013 release, is also missing the reverse camera, which nowadays is mandatory safety equipment by law. A lot of competing manufacturers put them in to their cars prior to 2016 but Fiat waited until 2017 when it was required- unimaginable for an electric car. They also never improved the car year-after-year like other competing manufacturers, so you're getting the same technology as the 2013 initial release when you buy it today in 2024. So this is over a decade obsolete electric car.

These are prior lease vehicles, driven hard, probably pedal to the floor. People raced them in traffic when it was never a racing vehicle to begin with. The battery suffers when it's raced like this.

For reference I've done 40 mile, mostly highway, round trips in a 2016 500e (approx 30K miles odometer), and that drained the battery down to 40% remaining in cold weather, and 55-60% in warm weather. In cold weather I usually refrained from using the heater, to avoid more battery drain. Now if you drain below half battery then that means you can't turn around mid-trip and you're ability to do detours is compromised. You're really not supposed to excessively drain the battery on an electric vehicle because doing so damages it.

The car has long-standing issues and technical glitches never addressed by the manufacturer:

• warning lights coming on unexpectantly and taking the cruise-control off line. It seems to happen across the board to everyone at some point. Why it does it and why it hasn't been fixed by Fiat is unexplained.
• weird regen braking issues with sudden jolts between the transition from regen to physical braking at low speeds. Tends to happen when you start driving then goes away later. Also never addressed. You would think a problem with brakes would be addressed. Tesla, Ford, Honda, Toyota, etc. would address any issue with their brakes; Fiat seems to think otherwise.
• "optional" U69 recall that if not addressed by prior or current owners will eventually brick the car when the 12V battery dies. Why it's not a mandatory recall eludes me.
• The overall lack of updates in general, especially regarding the software glitches, and weird braking, is unacceptable and the reason I won't be buying a 2nd gen 500e or any other Fiat related brand for that matter.

Going back to my original point- if you want a cheap Fiat just buy as gas 500 and call it a day. It is safer by 2024 safety standards, incorporating may more safety equipment than the 1st gen 500e ever did, and is at least several times better range (in the hundreds of miles) and faster to refuel.

 

Thanks, genuinely. Shredder and I are in here quaffing the kool aid obviously. Yes it has issues, yes, my car makes me question what the bleep the previous owner did to her - random things that needed fixed/tightened/replaced with 14k on the clock. But honestly, I’ve driven boring Asian cars my whole life and this little thing fits my commute and needs. I was originally perusing Abarths when I fell down this hole. But at the end of the day it’s my own slice of Doug Demuro “quirks and features”. It may not be the best, but it’ll definitely be one you won’t forget.

 

It is by far my favorite daily car of all time, & that list includes an MR2 Spyder, a 5-speed V8 240Z with a Torsen diff, & a little V8 Jeep Wrangler stickshift, among other lesser vehicles.

I don't know how many other cars require SO little maintenance, cost SO little to run, AND have 99% of failures fixed with a few taps on a $49 phone app connected with a $45 cable.

 

I've seen no evidence of battery "suffering" from my own lead foot or others', nor from draining it low: I drove one that got fully charged & drained every weekday, with 95,000 miles, & it got the same miles per charge as mine. It had been lowered, which does improve range, but my takeaway on that was if I ever need more range I just have to lower it .

If the brakes grab a bit on the transition, you can reprogram it with that same app & cable mentioned above.

A $30 BM2 prevents nearly all the glitches, as well as the U69 issue, which doesn't even make any difference if you drive it frequently.

Nearly all other glitches are prevented by just leaving the humidity sensor unplugged. Its sole purpose is to avoid the need to tap the 1-touch defrost button yourself .

The extreme few remaining glitches are fixed by just turning it off & back on, or with a few taps on a phone app, as noted above, &/or a pair of pliers to disconnect the battry for 5 minutes.

 

I have a 2014 with 99,000 miles on it. I get an honest 100-80 "around town" miles on it depending on the outdoor temperature and my driving style. Should be fine for what you describe. Haggle on that price tho.

 

I would recommend at least a 2017. 2016 does not have Bluetooth audio & odd TomTom device, as 2017 Bluetooth for audio/music system was added & flat panel display in dash... MUCH BETTER! 2016 to hear music you have to use USB hardwire to smartphone to hear music from smartphone.

 

Ok, but for 2013-15 you can add an aftermarket screen with Bluetooth music from your phone, & then charging the car still works fine.

For 2016-19 when the screen fails or if you upgrade it, then sometimes the car won't charge because you can't deactivate the car's charge-preventing timer without also adding the My500e.com app & annual service.