2003 FIAT BARCHETTA Owners Manual

128
RUBBER TUBING
Follow the Service Schedule careful-
ly in the case of the braking, power
steering and fuel supply systems' rub-
ber hoses. Ozone, high temperatures
and long absence of liquid in the sys-
tem can in fact cause the hardening
and cracking of the hoses with possi-
ble losses of fluid. A careful check is
therefore essential.
WINDSCREEN
WIPER
BLADES
Periodically clean the rubber part
with suitable liquid; TUTELA PRO-
FESSIONAL SC 35is recommend-
ed.
Change the blades if the rubber edge
is warped or worn out. You should in
any case change them approximately
once a year. To ensure the front and rear tyres all
wear evenly, you are advised to change
the tyres over every 10-15 thousand
kilometres (6-10 thousand miles)
keeping them on the same side of the
car so as not to reverse the direction
of rotation.
Do not change the tyres
over in criss-cross fashion
by moving a tyre from the left hand
side of the car to the right and vice
versa.
WARNING
Travelling with worn wiper
blades is dangerous be-
cause it reduces visibility in bad
weather.
WARNING

129
Some simple steps can reduce po-
tential damage to the blades:
– If the temperature falls to below
zero, make sure the rubber blade is
not frozen to the windscreen. If nec-
essary, free it with a de-icing com-
pound.
– Remove any snow that has settled
on the glass: besides saving the blades
you will avoid straining the electric
windscreen wiper motor and causing
it to overheat.
– Do not operate the windscreen
wipers on dry glass.SPRAY NOZZLES
If there is no jet of liquid, first make
sure that there is liquid in the reser-
voir: see “Checking fluid levels” in this
chapter.
Then make sure that the holes in the
nozzles fig. 12 are not clogged up.
Use a pin for this if necessary.
The jets of the windscreen washer
are directed by adjusting the nozzles
in such a way that the jets are direct-
ed at the highest point reached by the
wiper blades when operating. Changing the windscreen
wiper blade fig. 11
1)Lift windscreen wiper armAand
position the blade to form a right an-
gle with the arm.
2) Press tab Bof the coupling spring
and remove the blade to be replaced
from the arm.
3)Fit the new blade by inserting the
tab into the special hole in the arm.
Make sure it is locked into place.
fig. 12
P5S00711m
fig. 11
P5S00710m

130
BODYWORK
PROTECTING THE CAR
FROM ATMOSPHERIC
AGENTS
The main causes of rust are:
– atmospheric pollution
– salt and humidity in the atmosphere
(seaside or very hot and humid areas)
– environmental conditions that are
specific to the season.
In addition, the abrasiveness of dust
in the atmosphere and sand carried by
the wind as well as mud and stones
kicked up by other vehicles must not
be underestimated.
For your Fiat barchetta, Fiat has used
leading-edge technological solutions to
effectively protect the body from rust.These are the main ones:
– Painting systems and products that
make the car particularly resistant to
rust and scratching.
– The use of zinc-plated (or pre-
treated) sheet steel which is highly re-
sistant to rust.
– The spraying of the underbody, en-
gine compartment, inside the wheel-
arches and other parts with wax-based
products with a high protective ca-
pacity.
– Spraying plastic-coating materials
for protecting the most exposed
points: under the door, inside the
wings, the edges etc.
– The use of “open” box sections to
prevent condensation and water from
building up and rusting the inside of
the parts.
MANUAL CLIMATE
CONTROL SYSTEM
(where fitted)
During the winter, the climate con-
trol system must be turned on at least
once a month for about ten minutes.
Have the system checked at a Fiat
Dealershipbefore the summer.
The system uses R134a
refrigerating liquid. If it
accidentally leaks it will
not damage the environment.
Under no circumstances should
R12 fluid be used. Besides being
incompatible with the system's
components, it contains chloro-
fluorocarbides (CFC).

131
BODY AND UNDERBODY
GUARANTEE
The Fiat barchetta is covered guar-
antee against any original structural or
body part being holed by rust. Refer
to the “Warranty Booklet” for the
general conditions of this guarantee.
TIPS FOR KEEPING THE
BODY IN GOOD CONDITION
Paintwork
The paintwork is not only to make
your car look attractive but also to
protect the steel.
If your car is scuffed or scratched
deeply you are therefore recom-
mended to touch up the paintwork as
necessary to prevent rust from form-
ing.
Only use genuine products when
touching up the paintwork (see the
“Technical Specifications” chapter).To wash the car properly:
1) Soak the body using a low pres-
sure jet of water.
2) Wipe a sponge with a slightly
soapy solution over the body, fre-
quently rinsing the sponge.
3)Rinse well with water and dry
with a jet of air or a chamois leather.
When drying the car, be careful to
get at those parts which are not so
easily seen e.g. the door frames, bon-
net and around the headlights where
water can most readily collect. You
are advised not to take the car into a
closed area immediately but to leave
it out in the open so any water left can
evaporate more easily.
Do not wash the car after it has been
parked in the sun or while the bon-
net is hot: it could take the shine off
the paint. Ordinary maintenance of the paint-
work consists in washing it. The fre-
quency you should do this depends on
the conditions and the environment
the car is driven in. For example, if you
drive in areas with a high level of air
pollution or on roads sprinkled with
road salt, it is a good idea to wash the
car more often.
Detergents pollute wa-
ter. For this reason, the
car must be washed in an
area equipped for the collection
and purification of the liquids
used while washing.

132
Windows
Use specific window cleaners to
clean the windows. Use very clean
cloths to avoid scratching the glass or
damaging its transparency.
Engine compartment
At the end of each winter season,
carefully clean the engine compart-
ment. Have this done at a garage.Detergents pollute wa-
ter. The car must there-
fore be washed in an area
equipped for the collection and
purification of the liquids used
while washing.
IMPORTANTThe car should be
washed while the engine is cold and
with the ignition key at STOP. After
washing the car, make sure that the
various protections (e.g. rubber boots
and various guards) have not been re-
moved or damaged. Outside plastic parts must be cleaned
following the usual car washing pro-
cedure.
Avoid parking your car under trees;
the resinous substances that often
drop will dull the paintwork and in-
crease the possibility of corrosion.
IMPORTANT Bird droppings must
be washed off immediately and with
great care as their acid is particularly
aggressive.

133
HOOD
Normal maintenance of the hood
consists in washing it.
Dust the hood off before washing it.
Dirt must be removed using an ap-
propriate cleaning compound; then
rinse thoroughly using a low pressure
hose.
INTERIORS
From time to time, check that wa-
ter has not collected under the mats
(from dripping shoes, umbrellas etc.)
which could cause the steel to rust.
You are advised to wash
the hood by hand. When
washing a car in an auto-
matic car wash, the rotating
brushes exert a strong pressure
on the surface of the hood that
could damage it and scratch the
rear window. In addition, the
cleaning compounds and addi-
tives could have a negative effect
and spoil the hood's appearance.IMPORTANT Do not use petrol,
stain removers, benzol, paint thinners
or solvents to remove dirt marks; on-
ly use products designed for the pur-
pose. If the marks still will not come
out, see a Fiat Dealership.
REAR WINDOW
This window can be replaced; con-
tact a Fiat Dealershipto have this
done.
When cleaning the rear window be
particularly careful to avoid scratches
or scuffs that could spoil its appear-
ance.
Never use flammable prod-
ucts (petroleum ether or
petrol) to clean the inside of the
car. Electrostatic charges generat-
ed by rubbing while cleaning could
cause fires.
WARNING

134
If the stain does not come out, use
a special cleaning compound being par-
ticularly careful to follow the instruc-
tions for use.
IMPORTANTNever use alcohol
or alcohol-base products.
PLASTIC PARTS INSIDE
THE CAR
Use special products designed not to
alter the appearance of the compo-
nents.
IMPORTANT Do not use alcohol
or petrol for cleaning the glass of the
instrument panel. CLEANING THE SEATS AND
FABRIC UPHOLSTERY
– Remove the dust with a soft brush
or a vacuum cleaner.
– Rub the seats with a rag moistened
in a solution of water and neutral de-
tergent.
CLEANING LEATHER SEATS
– Remove the dry dirt with a buck-
skin or very slightly moist cloth with-
out exerting too much pressure.
– Remove liquid or grease stains with
a dry absorbent cloth without rubbing.
Then wipe with a buckskin or soft
cloth moistened with water and neu-
tral soap.
Do not keep aerosol cans in
the car. There is the risk
they might explode. Aerosol cans
must never be exposed to a tem-
perature above 50°C. The temper-
ature inside the car might go well
beyond that figure if the car is ex-
posed to the sun.
WARNING

135
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Motor and engineering enthusiasts as well as those
“in the trade” will probably start reading from this point
in the manual. This, in fact, is where a section jam-
packed with facts, figures, formulae, measurements and
tables begins. In a sense it is the Fiat barchetta’s iden-
tity card. A document that introduces the car and ex-
plains in technical jargon all the features that go together
to make the Fiat barchetta a model designed to give you
superlative driving satisfaction.IDENTIFICATION DATA ................................................ 136
ENGINE CODE - BODY VERSION .............................. 137
ENGINE ................................................................................. 137
TRANSMISSION ................................................................. 139
BRAKES ................................................................................. 139
SUSPENSIONS .................................................................... 140
STEERING ............................................................................. 140
WHEEL GEOMETRY ......................................................... 140
PERFORMANCE ................................................................. 140
WHEELS ................................................................................ 141
DIMENSIONS ...................................................................... 142
WEIGHTS ............................................................................. 143
CAPACITIES ........................................................................ 144
FLUIDS AND LUBRICANTS ........................................... 145
FUEL CONSUMPTION .................................................... 147
CO
2EMISSIONS ................................................................. 147
TYRES PRESSURE ............................................................... 148