Fiat 500

Maintenance to be done every 6,000 Miles (10,000km) or 6 months if sooner:

Do all the more frequent tasks and in addition:

1. Engine oil change. Use a top quality multigrade oil suitable to temperature (see page) without any other additives. Drain the oil from the plug on the right of the sump when the car is hot (17 mm spann) into a pan that will have plenty of room, to prevent spillage. Allow the oil to drip for at least 10min. Clean the drain plug, and check its washer. Refit the drain plug, and refill the sump with 4 pints. check the level on the dipstick and add a little more if required. The oil should be changed at 3,000 miles if the car is used mostly for town work, particularly in winter, or in dusty conditions.
   If you have just bought an old car and the oil is very black flush out first with flushing oil. When draining this jack up the left of the car once most of the oil is out to make any dregs flow out better.
2. Air Cleaner. - Replace the cartridge. When dusty conditions prevail, replace cartridge more often.
3. Spark plugs. - fit clean plugs. With the gap set to .025 in (.6mm) plugs are Marelli CW 6N, Champion L87Y (or L7) or Bosch W225 T 1.  The porcelain plug insulators and the leads, must be kept clean to ensure easy starting.
4. Ignition distributor. Undo the clips and remove the cap. Pull off the rotor arm. Check that the points are not contaminated with oil or dirt. Check their gap. This should be .019 to .012in  (.47 - .53mm) This may be almost impossible to measure other than [More]

Maintenance to be done every 3,000 Miles (5,000km).

Do all the more frequent tasks and in addition:

1. Check the car underneath. look at the rubber dirt excluders on the steering ball joints. Check the flexible hydraulic pipes for the brakes ( one at each front wheel, one just inside each rear suspension forward pivot), for rubbing or leaks.
2. Check under the car for oil leaks (or new oil leaks if minor seepage already occurs).
3. Lubricate the grease nippled on the king pins. Jack up the car to get the weight off the front suspension. Clean the nipples ( one each side ). Pump in grease till it extrudes clean at the ends of the king pin. Wipe off excess grease ( a little left around helps keep out wet ).
4. Check the fan belt tension. It should be possible to press it down 1/2 inch ( 1cm ) using one finger and hard pressure. To tighten, undo the three nuts clamping the two parts of the dynamo pulley, and move a spacer from between the two halves to the outside. Do not over-tighten or the dynamo bearings will be overloaded. Excessive slackness wears the belt by slipping. New belts stretch, and require checking two or three times in their first few hundred miles.
5. Gearbox and differential.Check oil level which must reach the bottom face of the plug fitted on the right side of gearbox. If necessary, add FIAT W 90 (SAE 90 EP) oil.
6. Steering box.Check oil level which must reach the bottom face of the plug fitted on box left side. If necessary, add FIAT W 90
7. Air cleaner.Clean cartridge accurately by shaking off the dust and blowing with a low-pressure air blast. Replace cartridge, if clogged.
   When dusty conditions prevail, clean and replace cartridge more often.
8. Generator and fan drive belt.Check and, if necessary, adjust belt tension; correct sag under a pressure of 22 lbs (10 kg): about 3/8” (1 cm). (see page)
9. Ignition distributor.Check breaker point gap which must be .0185” to .0209” (0,47 to 0,53 mm).
10. Spark plugs.Clean spark plugs and check if electrode gap is .0 197” to .0236” (0,5 to 0,6 mm).
11. Brake fluid reservoir.Check level and, if required, top up to the strainer. Use exclusively the special FIAT blue brake fluid (or equivalent non-mineral HI) fluid).
12. Tires.To equalize tire wear, rotate tires in criss-cross fashion.
13. Battery.Check terminals and clamps for tightness and cleanliness,

Maintenance to be done Monthly or every 1,500 Miles (2,500km) if sooner.

Do all the weekly/300 miles tasks and in addition:

1. Check the battery. Top up electrolyte to just above the plate separators with distilled water. Remove any corrosion and smear battery posts and terminal fittings with Vaseline. If corrosion recurs take the terminals off and try to be more thorough.
2. Stearing knuckles. Inject some FIAT Jota 1 grease in stearing knuckle lubricator facing the rear of the car.
3. Windscreen washer fluid. Top off the windscreen washer reservoir with a mixture of water and detergent.

Note: When or if the engine is new, replace the running-in oil after the first 900-1,200 miles (1,500-2,000km) with regular grade oil. After 1,800-2,400 miles (3,000-4,000km), renew oil.

Maintenance To be done weekly, before any long journey or every 300 Miles (500km) if sooner.

1. Check tire pressures.
2. Check oil level in  in engine sump. Check oil level which should range between Min and Max marks on dip stick. This check is to be carried out after running the engine for about one minute. If necessary, add some oil of a grade suitable to temperature (see page) up to the Max mark.
3. Check the level of brake hydraulic fluid in the reservoir under the front bonnet.
4. Check that all lights are working. A convenient way to do the brake lights is to reverse near something shinny.

Routine Maintenance Introduction:

In the posts that follow I have described in detail the routine servicing that should be done on your car.

1. This work has two important functions. First is that of doing adjustments and lubrication to ensure the least wear and most efficient function. But the second gain from maintenance, could almost be more important. By looking your car over, on top and underneath, you have the opportunity to check that all is in order.
2. Every component should be looked at, your gaze working systematically over the whole car. Dirt cracking near a nut or a flange can indicate something loose. Leaks will show. Electric cables rubbing, rust appearing though the paint underneath, will also be found before they bring on a failure on the road, or a more expensive repair if not tackled quickly. Even a little FIAT 500 is lethal if unsafe.
3. The tasks to be done on the car in general those recommended by the maker. We have also put in some additional ones. For someone getting his servicing done at a garage it may be more cost effective to accept component replacement after a somewhat short life in order to avoid maintenance costs. For the home mechanic this is not so. The manufacturers must detail the work to be done as a careful balance of such factors. Leaving it too long gives risk of defects occurring between service checks. Making intervals too frequent tempts owners into disrespect of their advice, to leave work undone disastrously long.
4. Always road test after a repair, and inspect the work after it, and check nuts etc.. for tightness. check again after about 150miles