Fiat 500L transmission woes at 10k miles

[Brandon Gatz]

I acquired my 2015 500L last month with 9k miles on the tach. Having driven her 1000 miles since, I'm baffled by the automatic transmission. 1st and 2nd gears upshift [censored] near redline, especially when cold. Yes, Margaret, I'm not flooring it...no matter how gently I accelerate she won't upshift till 5-6k rpm. I've tried massaging the peddle to force an upshift, but no such luck. I've resorted to manual mode for most of my city driving as a result. The dealer has the car and they say they cannot replicate it. Even so, the are reflashing the trans software so that it can relearn it's shift points based upon my driving. Anyone else with this issue?

 

[Burt]

Years ago this would happen if you had a vacuum leak. Not sure if modern cars have vacuum lines to tranny.

 

[ragtoplvr]

it is a dual clutch tyranny totally electronic control. Get checked at dealer.


Rod

 

[knerml]

If your car has a mode switch, it is probably set at SPORT.

 

[Robenstein]

My Aisin Warner 4 speed in my Scion is a real lazy shifter (since new) until it gets some warmth in it, it is real bad in the winter. It will not at all go into 4th until the temp gauge is 3/4 the way to operating temp.

 

[mattwithcats]

Change motor oil and transmission fluid.

I would use Castrol Edge in the black bottle, 0W-40...
Ran very good for me...

Transmission-Page 390,
http://www.fiatusa.com/download/pdf/manuals/2015-FIAT-500L-OM-3rd_R1.pdf?myyear=3&myvehicle=3

Also check tire pressure,...

Something is dragging the engine down, causing the high shift points...

 

[Trav]

Fix It Again Tony.

 

[bioburner]

I would park it at the dealer at night and come back in the AM and get the service manager with you to take a ride. My Scion Xb does not to shift up when cold but that's in the programming and even has a light come on in the dash telling you about it till it gets warm.

 

[Olas]

The lazy option is to remap the transmission
The medium option is a manual valve body
The correct option is to fit the manual available in the rest of the world.

Or just live with it.

 

[KingCake]

dual clutch trannies are a nightmare. it probably needs a relearn at minimum.

 

[Johnny2Bad]

Well, you must have researched your vehicle before you bought it, so you already know you bought one of the most unreliable new cars you can own.

Has anyone removed the negative battery cable, and let the vehicle sit for half an hour or so (just to make sure) before re-attaching it? That usually forces the transmission to forget it's learned pattern (from the previous owner, or if it was a demo, from a hundred previous test drivers) and start anew.

Worth a try, anyway.

 

[KrisZ]

+1 on the battery disconnect suggestion, it should reset the ECU.

-1 on all the typical Fiat comments. These types of comments seem to be absent or in much lesser numbers in various Honda threads requiring VCM disable or the VTC actuator or oil consumption in Toyotas etc.

 

[circuitsmith]

Did it do this when you test drove it?

 

[Robenstein]

Originally Posted By: KingCake
dual clutch trannies are a nightmare. it probably needs a relearn at minimum.


They really are. I remember when the first Ford Fiestas came out with them. I worked at a dealer then and we had some come factory fresh off the truck that would not even go into gear. We had to push them straight into the service bay.

 

[Merkava_4]

Should've got the 500E.

 

[KB1]

I don't know who buys these cars. I had a rental for 2 weeks and could not stand the transmission. It makes you insane in traffic. It never calms down.

 

[Jetronic]

Strangely, the same transmission in my car runs in the 1000-1700 rpm range all day long. From 41 Mph up you're in top gear.

Unless I choose sports mode, then it never really goes below 1700 rpm, and all the way up beyond the 4500rpm redline. I've seen 4700 rpm out of it through a long and fast corner. When cornering on the edge of grip the transmission waits to shift up.

 

[chrisri]

Originally Posted By: Jetronic
Strangely, the same transmission in my car runs in the 1000-1700 rpm range all day long. From 41 Mph up you're in top gear.

Unless I choose sports mode, then it never really goes below 1700 rpm, and all the way up beyond the 4500rpm redline. I've seen 4700 rpm out of it through a long and fast corner. When cornering on the edge of grip the transmission waits to shift up.

Please stop spreading lies. Go sell that POS FIAT for whatever you can get and quickly find your self a D4D Toyota. Change the head gasket and cylinder block and you are good to go.

 

[Robenstein]

Originally Posted By: Jetronic
Strangely, the same transmission in my car runs in the 1000-1700 rpm range all day long. From 41 Mph up you're in top gear.

Unless I choose sports mode, then it never really goes below 1700 rpm, and all the way up beyond the 4500rpm redline. I've seen 4700 rpm out of it through a long and fast corner. When cornering on the edge of grip the transmission waits to shift up.


The fact that some work and some don't is not strange. It is called lack of consistent quality control.

 

[Jetronic]

Well, maybe in te US. Here they all seem to work like mine...