This high-performance 1.4-liter engine also is fitted with a structural aluminum oil pan. Crankcase capacity is 4.0 quarts with a dry filter. Synthetic 5W-40 engine oil is recommended, due to higher overall temperatures with the turbocharger. To maintain a lower ownership cost for the Fiat 500 Abarth, oil change intervals are set at 8,000 miles.
The valve train for the 1.4-liter MultiAir Turbo engine features Fiat’s exclusive MultiAir fuel delivery technology. Unlike engines that rely on direct action from fixed lobes on the camshaft to control intake valve opening and closing, MultiAir is an electro-hydraulic system that can control intake air, cylinder by cylinder and stroke by stroke depending on the demands from the standard electronic throttle control (ETC) system.
Actual opening of the valves is controlled by hydraulic fluid running through a narrow passage that is controlled by a dual-action solenoid. When the solenoid is closed, under highway speeds or full acceleration, intake valves are fully open much like a traditional engine for maximum power. At lower speeds, the solenoid opens, allowing oil to bypass the passage, decoupling the valves. This allows for infinite control of the valves and controls the amount of fresh air into the cylinders, reducing wasted energy that is common with fixed intake lobes on a camshaft. Spent exhaust gases are released through traditional lobes on the camshaft and exit through a cast stainless steel exhaust manifold.
