Fiat Problems

The Fiat 500 Bluetooth system incorporated a Windows-based technology called Blue & Me. The idea was to give full hands-free control of the phone’s functions, but how to connect Bluetooth to Fiat 500 hardware is similar to any other system.

Bluetooth Fiat 500 pairing starts with enabling Bluetooth on your phone and switching the setting to Discoverable. From there, you use the car’s info-screen menus to find Settings, then select User Pairing. Then tap the Blue & Me prompt on the screen and type the PIN into your phone.

That should ensure the connection and reinstate it whenever the car detects that phone.

The catch is that Fiat 500 Bluetooth wasn’t available on every model. Early (2008 and 2009) base model (Pop) Fiat 500s sold in Australia didn’t have Bluetooth connectivity. If you bought the Sport or Lounge model, you got this feature, but only Pops built in 2010 or later had Bluetooth.

The Fiat Ritmo is a pretty rare car here, having been on sale for only about two years and failing to inspire much interest from Australian car buyers.

As far as the clutch goes (and the Ritmo was only sold here in manual form) I believe it uses a hydraulic actuation. On conventional hydraulic systems, there should be an adjuster somewhere down near the slave-cylinder which varies where it acts on the clutch fork. By altering this setting, you effectively change the distance the fork travels and, therefore, introduce more or less movement into the clutch itself. But the Ritmo uses a concentric slave cylinder which lives inside the bell-housing and is not adjustable nor serviceable without removing the car’s gearbox.

That would make the Ritmo’s clutch self-adjusting. Either way, when the system has run out of adjustment, that usually signals that it’s time for a new clutch assembly as the clutch itself is worn beyond the point of serviceability.

But, before you worry about any of that, check that the clutch master cylinder contains the correct level of clutch fluid. If there’s a leak in the system, the clutch will not disengage properly. If your problem is one of the clutch slipping, then it’s more likely you have an actual worn out clutch.

I’m going to assume your vehicle has a petrol engine, as this type of question is usually one regarding the need, or otherwise, for high-octane (Premium) unleaded petrol. (Diesel tends to be diesel and that’s that). On that basis, your Fiat will be fine to run on standard ULP, and you don’t need to go to the expense of filling up with the more expensive PULP brew as you won’t achieve anything in the process apart from emptying your wallet faster.

You won’t harm the engine by using PULP, but there’s nothing to be gained. The other common question on this subject revolves around the use of ethanol-blended fuels (say, E10, which consists of 90 per cent ULP and 10 per cent ethanol). The short answer is that, no, a 2013 Freemont can not use ethanol-blended fuel without risking damage to the vehicle’s fuel system. The alcohol in E10 can attack the plastic and rubber parts of a car’s fuel system, leading to expensive damage down the track. If a car has been designed with materials to cope with that, then it’s fine on E10, but the Fiat does not fall into that category.

What you really need to know about the Fiat Freemont is that it’s essentially a Dodge Journey with a Fiat badge (and all that implies). The Dodge Journey itself is not very well regarded within the trade and there’s no reason to suggest the addition of a Fiat badge to it will change any of that.

The major areas of concern are in the electrical and build quality departments, where both the Dodge and Fiat have their problems. Be especially careful to make sure that all the electrical gear works properly, including the stuff at the rear of the car such as the reversing camera, rear wiper and central locking. Poor design and assembly meant that the wiring at the rear of this car is suspect and prone to failure with a new wiring loom sometimes required to fix it. The Freemont was also recalled for a variety of major problems including a bearing-failure problem in the engine, engine bay fires, faulty cruise control and even a driver’s air-bag that could deploy without warning.

Most workshops should be able to service the car, and any that doesn’t want to, clearly doesn’t want your money. The Freemont’s long-term running-cost forecast will have far more to do with what work needs to be carried out than anything to do with its fuel consumption. Frankly, there are better choices out there.

The Fiat coupes of the 1970s that most people remember are the sleek little 124 in its various forms. But although it’s largely overlooked today, the Fiat 128 was available in 1972 as a coupe and in SL specification. That got you a somewhat boxy little two-door with a 1.3-litre engine making 56kW, and a four-speed manual transmission. These cars were sold officially in Australia and, yes, they were right-hand-drive.

Fiat is an Italian car manufacturer and the FIAT acronym stands for "Fabbrica Italiana Automobili Torino". 

Generally the cost will depend on the variant and year. You can get more information on quick and cheap key replacments from dealers or automotive locksmiths here.

The cost of a new key fob replacement will depend on a few factors. For more in-depth information check out our article about how to replace your keys. 

Normally, I would recommend the Kluger, but with 225,000 km on the clock already it’s not so cut-and-dried. If the Kluger has a good service record and is in good condition then I still think I would go that way. The Freemont is more of a gamble in my view. Should you decide on the Freemont you shouldn’t have problems getting parts for it.

Most likely it is coming from the windscreen area, so make sure the drains are clean and flowing freely.

Dry the floor and carpets out, and then have someone hose the windscreen down while you watch from inside to spot any water coming in. It could be the windscreen seal is leaking. Perhaps you have had a windscreen replaced?