[500bpack]

Saw a used 2013 base 500e today with under 40k miles on it and only two owner. Will take it to dealer Friday to have it inspected. Don’t know if the service department can tell me what life is in the batteries presently. I would think both age and usage makes them degrade over time. Maybe a car not having a lot of miles on it is worst then a car with a lot of miles on it.

Don’t know, this purchase might be a roll of the dice even if inspection comes back ok. Will cost $6,600 so hoping that is not too high a price, body is in pretty good shape and so is the inside.

Someone wish me luck or tell me not to buy it please lol.
New post, tried to do one prior though maybe it got lost or I don’t know where it was posted.

 

[rucallingmefiat]

$6,600 is probably a little high for a 2013. Your battery warranty would expire next year after 8 years. For around $7K-$7500 you could pick up a 2016 or later. Battery degradation is not really an issue unless there's an obvious fault with the battery cells, which then would be covered under warranty of 8 years or 100K.

 

[500bpack]

Darn, that does not make me feel great right now lol. I did a search on autotrader for a 500e though only found one near by when checking my local craigslist of all places.

 

[rucallingmefiat]

Where are you located?

 

[500bpack]

Largo, fl. Which is tampaBay Area on the middle west coast of florida. Just did a search on CarGurus and got a hit for a 2017 FIAT 500e FWD - $8,700 with 11k miles on it. Still, that is another $2,000 more even though it is still under warranty and the battery would be covered longer. The 2017 though does have backup senors which is a nice touch that my does not have. Though this 2013 has the black and orange strip inside which is nice. The 2017 has black and white strip inside

 

[rucallingmefiat]

I think 2016 hits the sweet spot between price and features. See if you can find one of those.

 

[Kiesling]

All of them should have back up sensors. 2018 was the first year for a back up camera.

Personally, I would go for the 2017 with 11k miles and warranty. $8,700 seems like a pretty good price for that year and mileage - especially in FL.

 

[500bpack]

I see this one also, 2016 FIAT 500e FWD - $6,967 with 40k miles on it. Not a fan of baby blue color though and it has had three owners.

 

[500bpack]

If I want to really spend some money then there is this one with a sunroof (which I would really like I think).
2019 FIAT 500e FWD - $15,900 with 12k miles

 

[500bpack]

All of them should have back up sensors. 2018 was the first year for a back up camera.

Personally, I would go for the 2017 with 11k miles and warranty. $8,700 seems like a pretty good price for that year and mileage - especially in FL.

Hum, I might have to agree on that point. Now does anyone have a 500e with the Sunroof and if so might they feel it was a deal breaker not to have the sunroof? In Florida it is hot, hot, hot and even with my DD highlander I rarely to be honest have the sun roof open much. Just a few times now and then or to allow the heat to escape the vehicle when first started.

 

[Electric Tire Shredder]

I've read that the 500e sunroof makes it rather hot inside by increasing the greenhouse effect. White or light solid roof is better. Either way, the A/C is cold even at "idle", quickly cools the small cabin, & you can pre-cool with the stock app for 3-years before it expires, & then for $300 you can do it with the aftermarket MY500e app.

500e has been my only car for over 5 years, during which time I've followed this forum pretty closely, & based on everything I now know about the car, it seems to me pretty hard to go wrong by buying one, especially in a relatively mild climate like Florida.

That's provided you don't drive more than 2.5 times the US average, & you have at least the minimum required charging available, which for the 40mi avg daily drive is just 8 hours during sleep OR work, from a heavy-duty extension cord in a standard wall outlet. You can double that charge speed by plugging the stock cord into 240V with an adapter.

OEM warranty is only 4 years, but 8yr/100k on the drive battery. IF there's sufficient OEM warranty remaining (90 days?) & IF the mileage isn't too high (50k?) Mercury Insurance can extend the warranty for an additional 10 years (& I think 100k mi total) for a pretty reasonable fee.

As mentioned above, the battery is proving to be very robust, which is nice since the only way to measure it is pretty impractical before purchase: Drive to 0.10% on OBD in a METERED charger's parking lot, park with everything on til it hits 0.00, charge til it stops & divide the meter reading by 25kWh, to get your % of original capacity.

 

[500bpack]

Living in Florida there might be a law that prevents me from buying an out of State Extended warranty...if I recall correctly. Not 100% certain on what OBD is (maybe onscreen dash board display). Look the idea of doing a test though doubt I will have that chance before a purchase. Where exactly is this ‘meter’ reading shown that I then divide by 25kwh (which I am inferring means divide the ‘meter reading’ by 25. I don’t know EV lingo yet.
Drive to 0.10% on OBD in a METERED charger's parking lot, park with everything on til it hits 0.00, charge til it stops & divide the meter reading by 25kWh, to get your % of original capacity.

 

[500bpack]

Ok, guess it comes down to the following.

• I would prefer not to spend over $10k on a car that will be a play toy for me as it won’t be a DD and I am now retired. Plus, as good as an EV is, it could be a roll of the dice on battery when used and no warranty (though better chances then a Leaf battery it seems). Just had not considered doing an EV as a play toy car.
• I had not even consider a 500e until I saw it on Craigslist yesterday and drove one today
• One I was going to buy cost $6,600 with 36k miles. Warranty expired, Battery warranty expires 10/21. Gray outside and black with orange strip inside (I like the color orange). Needs right front tire plugged. Base model. Paint in good condition for its age.
• There is a 2016 Blue (figure baby blue), would require I give up my ‘man’ card for $7,000 with 40k miles on it. A two owner. It is about 166 miles away from me. The dealer offers the following, below, though not a clue if that would really matter for a 500e car.
  We take the manufacturers Powertrain Warranty and extend it for as long as you own your vehicle. It's good for an unlimited time and unlimited miles! Just do the factory scheduled maintenance.
• There is a 2017 Gray with Black/White strip interior (I would feel like a skunk) for $8,700 with 11k miles on it. A single owner. It is 34 miles away from me. Original warranty expires 8/8/21 and the battery warrant expires 8/9/25. It has nav option in it (the one that sits inside and has the a/c vent to the left and right of it).
• There is a 2019 Gray with black/white interior for $15,900 with 13k miles on it. One owner. It is 180 miles away from me. Not liking the orange accents on the wheel covers though and the price is past $10,000 though it does have a sunroof.

So yes, you could say I am all over the map on this 500e used car purchase Lol. The thing is, in a small car, it almost feels one must have a sun roof so you don’t feel so enclosed. Maybe just my take else the feeling of going ‘gas less’ aka no sound makes up for not having a sunroof in a strange way. Even though my current and prior hybrid have/had sunroofs it is the coolest of roll down the road with a gas engine that is so neat in my book. Especially on a street with few cars so you can experience the outside world a bit.

 

[Electric Tire Shredder]

Sorry, & thanks for letting me know I wasn't clear, so I can clarify:

SOME chargers have a meter that shows how much power it took to charge your car.

EPA ran a new 500e on a dynamometer until it died & it took 25kWh to charge.

Of course you don't want to drive until your car dies, & then push it to a charger, although coasting might be an option if the hills are in your favor. You might think you could drive around near a charger til it gets low, & then drive around the parking lot until the car's gauge shows 0%. The problem is that after a while our % gauges start reading a bit lower than the true level. For example mine reads about 8% low right now, so the capacity measurement would show about 8% less than it really is.

The only way to know for sure is to take it all the way until it shows 0.00% on OnBoard Diagnostics (OBD*), at which time the motor shuts off. This has the benefit of recalibrating the % gauge, so you'll be able to confidently use all available range, instead of stopping short just because the gauge reads low even though you still have plenty of range left.

Mercury Insurance appears to operate in Florida.

*$17 eBay ELM327 KONNWEI KW902 OBD reader & free AlfaOBD "demo" app. If you only have an iPhone/iPad, try a laptop, or ask your friends if they have an old Android, or get one for $15 on Amazon. No service needed, just download the app on WiFi.

 

[500bpack]

No apology needed. I am the one to apologize. I would be clueless how to do any of what you just explained. I do have a laptop, I do have apple phone and an android phone. The only way I could even begin to do these steps would be to have a step 1, step 2, etc road map. Not asking anyone to take the time to reply with that information but thinking that is what I would need. Have never even used a OBD device before.

 

[Electric Tire Shredder]

I just sent you a Private Message with my cell number so you can call me if you want.

I had never used OBD before either, but it's really pretty easy so I'll try to write the steps below. HOWEVER, it doesn't really matter since it's unlikely that you'll be able to do it pre-purchase AND our batteries are proving to be VERY robust.

Things you really can & should check for:

• Cracks in the orange socket inside the filler cap ($200 kit or $1500 at dealer)
• Make sure it charges on the stock cord AND a 240V charger (at the dealer/owner, or "test drive" to a public charger)
• Make sure it has 2 keys ($380 to replace, or $1500+towing if you lose your only key)

 

[500bpack]

I just sent you a Private Message with my cell number so you can call me if you want.

I had never used OBD before either, but it's really pretty easy so I'll try to write the steps below. HOWEVER, it doesn't really matter since it's unlikely that you'll be able to do it pre-purchase AND our batteries are proving to be VERY robust.

Things you really can & should check for:

• Cracks in the orange socket inside the filler cap ($200 kit or $1500 at dealer)
• Make sure it charges on the stock cord AND a 240V charger (at the dealer/owner, or "test drive" to a public charger)
• Make sure it has 2 keys ($380 to replace, or $1500+towing if you lose your only key)

Thanks ETS
Just went to my sunroom, well it is dark outside right now, and located a Nonda OBD II port thing. Never used it and now have to download instructions on it lol. What joy that will end up being...well maybe not too bad. Their site has a ZUS Vehicle Health Monitor Mini app I can download to my apple phone (unless android is the better option). Maybe this is what you are referring to. I will check for both keys, thinking the 2013 might not have two plus he has to repair a tear in the driver seat plus what looks like a little circle burn mark in center front of that seat. Dealer said I can wait to chat with him again tomorrow afternoon should I not want to buy it. I could have the car long enough to do this test though I do have a Level 2 charger just down the street and the dealer that has the 2013 would let me do it I think. No option to do that on the used 2017 car most likely, though slight chance.

Does it do any good to have a dealer inspect a 500e before buying one?

Guess I will know come the new year Friday

 

[Electric Tire Shredder]

DO NOT PLUG IN A STAND-ALONE OBD READER!!!!!!!!!

Please confirm you got this message!

 

[500bpack]

DO NOT PLUG IN A STAND-ALONE OBD READER!!!!!!!!!

Please confirm you got this message!

I will not proceed until we chat maybe tomorrow . It is a cute little plug thing. Looks like a black rectangle flat cap though with male pins on the inside of it. It is not a OBD reader tool with a screen or anything like that.

 

[Electric Tire Shredder]

As long as it's wireless to your phone, I don't think it will do any damage, & it might even function. Again, please keep in mind that this is all just a fun experiment unless you can do it before purchase, or you really need to maximize range...:

OBD:

1. Plug in a $17 eBay ELM327 KONNWEI KW902 OBD reader (others may work) above the hood release & turn it on.
2. Download free AlfaOBD "demo" (nearly no other apps work for this EV) on your Android & open it & turn the "ignition" on one click.
3. Follow the 5 pictures here: Diagnostic Tips for Free AlfaOBD "Demo" Then swipe left & hit "Read System Status".
4. Scroll down to "SOC: XX.XX%" (sorry, I'm not near mine to check how many pages down it is). App shuts off in 15 min but will turn right back on again.

% Gauge Recalibrate:

1. Find a local charger that has a meter showing how much total power it gave you. Mine is free GreenLots but some even without meters will show power on their own app.
2. Drive until % on OBD reads really low near that charger, drive around VERY near the charger until it's as low as you dare (0.1%? - it dies at 0.0), park with everything on until it hits 0.00%: Lowbeams with fogs, rear defog & fan is about all that works.

Drive Battery Health Check:

1. Charge from 0.00% on OBD until it shuts itself off (about 4 hours!) & make sure you're there to read the meter WHEN IT SHUTS OFF, because mine only shows for a few seconds.
2. Divide the meter's kWh by 25 to get your approximate* % of original capacity.

*It's somewhat dependent on temperature, & possibly other factors, but it's the closest thing we have so far because OBD's battery State Of Health data is inherently inaccurate.