Fiat Seicento 1998 - 2010 - USED, ENGINE, FAULTS

Fiat Seicento

Fiat Seicento (type 187) replaced the Cinkuecento model, taking over most of the solution and the general body concept. It looks modern, but still has only three doors and a similar amount of space inside the model as the previous model.

The Fiat Seicento works perfectly, but under certain conditions. First of all, you need to remember that this typical city car is small, mobile, easy to park. Suitable for traveling by two people in the front seats. In the rear it is cramped and the boot has a capacity of only 170 liters. All those who, for the sake of small wallets, want to buy a Fiat Seicento and treat it like a family car over short and long distances will be disappointed. Rear seat access is difficult, there is not enough space for longer trips.

Only one body type and two engine variants. Proponents of the livelier ride have a sports version - Sporting.

The Fiat Seicento is an evolution of the previous Cinkuecento. With the same weaknesses his predecessor dragged on throughout his career, including some 0,9 engine issues and gearbox issues. Seicento has made progress throughout its career as far as quality is concerned. The Fiat Seicento (or 600) since 2002, is not a bad choice in terms of reliability.

With a small budget, many requirements cannot be afforded. The Fiat Seicento is one of the cars that can serve as the first car quite well. This is not the best car you can buy in this regard, but other more popular models are often simply more expensive.

The Fiat Seicento small car is more compact than most of its competitors (3,34 m long, 1,51 m wide, 1,45 m high) and seats for four people. Real Fiat city cars, good visibility, optimum handling along with an 8,8m turning circle. The Fiat Seicento trunk has a capacity of 170 liters, with the rear seats folded down to 810 liters.

Fiat Seicento / 600 is a small car model manufactured by the Italian car manufacturer Fiat from 1998 to 2010, in 2005 the name was changed from "Seicento" to "600". Also, Fiat changed the allowed number of people in the car from five to four, then.

The Fiat Seicento exterior dimensions are similar to the Cinkuecento. The look also alluded to the older car model, but the body has much softer lines. It is most similar to its predecessor, the taillights.

A version with an electric motor called the Fiat Seicento Elettra was for sale.

To increase sales, throughout the years of production, Fiat has released as many as 29 different versions of equipment (including VANs), which are usually not very different from one another.

In 2010, the production of the Fiat Seicento, which was already named 600, was discontinued. It was replaced by the 500.

COMFORT - Fiat Seicento

Fiat Seicento

The dashboard instrument cluster is made of one piece. After 2005, the quality of plastics was improved. Some models are serviced.
Newer models have airbags for driver and front passenger. By the way, the cabin space is characterized by minimalism in the positive sense of the word. The instrument panel has analog speed and fuel level indicators, below which is a digital clock and odometer. In the middle is the ventilation control under which there is a "hole" for the audio device and that's it! What we have positively noticed at Seicent is that there is enough space for storing smaller and larger "little things", and there is especially a large space in front of the passenger, which also has an additional compartment. However, in models with a passenger airbag, this space does not exist. We saw a similar solution with the first generation of Punta.

The Fiat Seicento as well as the Cinkuecento 600 do not provide much space in the front or rear seats. Senior drivers can only find a good driving position when they move the seat all the way back. In such a situation, the person in the back seat does not have legroom. The legroom is lacking, moreover, even when the seats are moved all the way forward.

The Fiat Seicento, unfortunately, was not a safe car. At the Euro NCAP test, a small Italian car received only two stars out of five. Then, after changing the regulations regarding this test, Fiat Seicento lost one star.

Like its predecessor, the Fiat Seicento has poor insulation, this is the result of using poor quality soundproofing material and leaving significant surfaces and sides of the door in no upholstery.

MECHANICS - Fiat Seicento

Fiat Seicento

Engine range Fiat The Seicento is two gasoline engines of 900 liters with 40 hp and 1,1 liters with 54 hp.

The 900 cc version may be of interest to those who use Fiat Seicento for short trips around the city. 3 was removed from supply in 0,9. It uses a chain to drive the engine. There are no major failures, but neither impressive performance nor economical consumption. It was taken from the Cinkuecento model. Even in the mid-2004s, modernization was made, consisting of fuel injection instead of carburetor.

A much better choice is the 1.1 engine with 54 hp, where a belt is used to drive the engine. It consumes an average of 5 to 7 liters of gasoline per 100 km. This is a very durable engine. It works well with gas installations, it is also sensitive to tuning. No problem to withstand over 200 km, it is cheap to maintain. Recommended are versions manufactured after 000, have multi-point fuel injection. It accelerates the 2000 kg heavy Fiat Seicento in 810 seconds from zero to 14,5 km / h and gives it a top speed of 100 km / h. The 150 engine develops 1.1 hp (54 kw) at 40 rpm and 5000 Nm of torque at 88 rpm.

The car has front-wheel drive with a 5-speed manual transmission.

The steering wheel is precise, some models have an electric power steering. The brakes are also of good quality, even if it does not receive ABS support. The suspension is of average quality and simple assembly, like everything in this car. It has no sporting features, and it's not too comfortable, though it does absorb bumps along the road for a long wheelbase.

Fiat Seicento - Model History:
spring 1998. Premiere of Fiat Seicento with 0.9 (39hp) and 1.1 (54hp only) Sporting engines.
1999. Engine 1.1 in other versions of the model.
autumn 2000 restailing: multipoint engine fuel injection 1.1, new front bumper, new upholstery…
2002. Engine draw to 0,9.
2005 Change of model name to "600"
. 2008 Fiat Seicento is withdrawn from the European market, with the exception of Poland and Italy.
May 2010. End of production of the model.

FAULTS - Fiat Seicento

The Fiat Seicento is definitely not a hassle-free car. Whatever engine you choose, you have to account for certain costs. The 0,9-liter engine likes to consume a little more oil, and with the 1.1 engine it often burns the cylinder head gasket and has problems with the ignition coils. Users also complain that Seicento leaks oil on the valve cover, crankcase and crankshaft seals.

Engine 0.9. When leaking oil from the valve cover, pay attention to the leak between the valve cover and the intake on the cylinder head.

Engine 0.9. On models manufactured to October 1998, bad cylinder head gasket (seal). They vary from 70 km to 000 km.

Engine 0.9. On models manufactured until July 1998, engine malfunctioning. Caused by misinformation from an absolute pressure sensor. The failures were resolved at Fiat's expense.

Gas tank. Models built before September 1998 may have problems with gasoline vapor recycling tubes. It manifests itself in noise. Correction by dealer in late 1998, by replacement of pipe.

The biggest cost is the replacement of the engine head gasket, the symptoms - boiling coolant or loss of coolant.

Crankshaft position sensor problem, you cannot start the engine due to a fault.

Transmission. On models manufactured by May 1998, they are preparing increased noise of 60 km. Solved at the factory since May 000: Changing the reverse gear.

Transmission. Fiat Seicento produced by 2002, possible incidents on a 50 km box, mainly on Sporting by July 000. It could lead to a change of gearbox.

Transmission. Seicento 2001, the start of mechanical earthquakes in the range of 60 to 80 km / h. Gearbox manufacturing errors caused. This, in extreme cases, may require replacement of the transmission.

Clutch on models built before January 1999, difficulty in changing gears caused by the clutch mechanism. Solved with a new clutch since January 1999.

You need to be careful about the front wheel joints, so that the joints do not leak, the rubber cuff stops. The cuffs themselves are not particularly durable, but they are cheap. If you see any cracks in the cuffs, replace them and check the condition of the joints and lubricate the joints.

Corrosion protection is very good. Rust affects only the oldest models. They simply corrode the exhaust system and the fuel tank, check the fuel tank regularly so that it does not expire and start venting.

The loud operation of the speedometer cable in the instrument panel area means that it needs to be replaced soon.

Seat belts will not roll, roll, always.

Exterior mirrors. Vibration of the mirror. Slight improvement on models manufactured since May 1999.

Malfunctions of alternators, radiator fans, ECU motors and wiper motor.

Tail lights. Bulb failures, normal.

Failure, failure of the coolant cooling fan can cause overheating and serious damage to the engine unless it is noticed quickly.

Electronic breakdowns happen often, this is usually a matter of moisture or dirt in one of the many connectors.

The most endangered elements are the forks of the rear forks. During the test drive, make sure no suspicious knocking is heard near the rear wheels.

Shock absorbers. Longevity somewhat limited, less than 80 km, improved since 000.

Suspension, due to tire wear, the geometry of the ladder should be checked regularly.

Wheel Bearing Problems.

Bearings. On models manufactured up to September 1999, they can become noisy from 50 km especially in the 000-1998 models.

Service actions started in mid-2000, they needed to check the brake pedal (possible cracks). At the end of 2000, actions that found a problem with brake pipes. The spring of 2004 was the largest product recall in the history of the Fiat Seicento. More than 16 cars were checked for corrosion and leaks from the tank.

CONCLUSION

The Fiat Seicento car is designed for people looking for a small city car, which manages perfectly in crowded parking lots. In addition to the many drawbacks, repair costs are really low, allowing you to enjoy a cheap ride.

Mladen

Hi there, I am Mladen and I am an auto enthusiast. I started this blog years ago to help like minded people share information about latest cars, car servicing ideas, used car info, exotic cars, and auto technology. You will find helpful articles and videos on a wide variety of cars - Audi, Mercedes, Toyota, Porsche, Volvo, BMW and much more. Ping us if you have anything cool to share on latest cars or on how to make older cars more efficient, or just want to say hi!