
41
FRONT AND REAR
FOGLIGHTS fig. 43
The controls are situated on the cen-
tre tunnel.
They only function if the ignition key
is at MAR.
When a button is pushed to turn the
lights on, it lights up itself.
A- ON/OFF button for the front
foglights (where fitted). The dipped
beam headlights must be on to oper-
ate these lights.B- ON/OFF button for the rear fog-
lights (where fitted). The dipped beam
headlights or the front foglights must
be on to operate these lights.
The rear foglights will be switched off
when the ignition key is turned to
STOP. If required, you will need to
turn them on again the next time you
start the engine.FUEL CUT-OFF SWITCH fig. 44
This is a safety cut-out which comes
into play in the case of an accident to
block the fuel supply and thus stop the
engine.
If you cannot see any fuel leaks and
the car is in a fit state to continue its
journey, press button Ato reactivate
the fuel supply system.
After an accident, remember to turn
the ignition key toSTOPto avoid the
battery running down.
fig. 44
P5S00653m
fig. 43
P5S00652m
If, after an accident, you
can smell petrol or see that
the fuel feed system is leaking, to
avoid the risk of fire, do not reset
the switch.
WARNING

45
IMPORTANT If one of the doors
is not shut properly or there is a fail-
ure in the system, the central locking
feature will not work and, after some
attempts, the device stops working for
around two minutes. In these two
minutes the doors can be locked or
unlocked manually without the elec-
trical system coming into play. After
the two minutes the control unit is
ready to receive commands once
more.
If the reason for the malfunction has
been removed, the device will start to
work properly again. If not it will cut
out once more.ELECTRIC WINDOWS fig. 53
Two push buttons are mounted on
the central console. They control the
following when the ignition key is at
MAR:
A- left window opening
B- left window closing
C- right window closing
D- right window opening
If a button is pressed on the driver’s
side for around two seconds, the win-
dow works automatically: the window
stops when it is fully opened or closed
(or when the button is pushed again).
fig. 53
P5S00661m
Improper use of the electric
windows can be dangerous.
Before and during their operation,
ensure that any passengers in the
vehicle are not at risk either by per-
sonal objects getting caught or by
being injured directly. Always re-
move the ignition key when you get
out of the car to prevent the elec-
tric windows being operated acci-
dentally and constituting a danger
to the people left in the car.
WARNING

54
Important. The bonnet
might fall violently if the
support rod is not positioned prop-
erly.
WARNINGTo close the bonnet:
1) Hold the bonnet up with one hand
and, with the other, remove rod A-
fig. 71from recess Band replace it in
its clip.
2)Lower the bonnet until it is about
20 cm (8 ins) above the engine com-
partment.
3)Let it fall: the bonnet locks auto-
matically.
Always make sure the bon-
net is closed properly so it
will not open while the vehicle is
moving.
WARNING
fig. 74
P5S10039m
If repairs need to be carried
out inside the engine com-
partment when this is still hot, be
careful not to burn yourself and
keep away from the electric fan as
this may cut in at any time, even if
the key is removed from the ignition
switch. Wait until the engine has
cooled.
WARNING
Scarves, ties and other
loose articles of clothing
could easily get caught up in mov-
ing parts. This can be extremely
dangerous.
WARNING

55
BOOT
To open the boot, open the driver’s
side door, release the lock using the
ignition key and lift lever A-fig. 75in
the door frame:
1= lever unlocked
2= lever locked
To close the boot lid, use one hand
to lower it completely, then press it
with both hands at the points indicat-
ed by the arrows. Lock lever A.IMPORTANTThe boot lid must
be closed before opening or closing
the hood.
HEADLIGHTS
ADJUSTING
THE HEADLIGHT BEAMS
The correct positioning of the head-
light beams is very important for the
comfort and safety, not only of the
person driving the car but also all oth-
er road users. This is also covered by
a specific law. To ensure you and oth-
er drivers have the best visibility con-
ditions when travelling with the head-
lights on, the headlights must be set
properly.
Have the headlight positioning
checked at a Fiat Dealershipand ad-
justed if necessary.
ADJUSTING
THE FRONT FOGLIGHTS
Have the lights checked at a Fiat
Dealershipand adjusted if necessary. The addition of objects
(speakers, spoilers, etc.)
to the boot lid or to the
rear window shelf (except when
envisaged by the manufacturer)
may prevent the gas-filled struts
at the sides of the boot from
working properly.
fig. 75
P5S00669mWhen using the boot, make
sure the load you are car-
rying does not exceed the permit-
ted weight (see the “Technical
specifications” chapter).
WARNING

59
AIRBAG PASSENGER SIDE
(where fitted)
The passenger side airbag was de-
signed and calibrated to protect a per-
son wearing seat belts.
When fully inflated, the bag will fill
most of the space between the dash-
board and the passenger. Manual deactivation
The passenger side airbag can be de-
activated if it is absolutely necessary to
carry a child in the front passenger
seat.
Turn the specific switch fig. 77
which can be reached by opening the
passenger side door with the ignition
key. The switch has two positions:
1 - Passenger side airbag on: (posi-
tion ON
P) instrument panel warn-
ing light off. Do not carry children on
the front seat.
2 -Passenger side airbag off: (posi-
tion OFFF) instrument panel warn-
ing light on. A child can be carried on
the front seat with a suitable restraint
system.
The instrument panel warning light
Fwill stay on until the passenger
side airbag is reactivated.
SEVERE DANGER:
if the car has a front
airbag on passenger side, do not
place the child seat on the front
seat.
WARNING
fig. 77
P5S10010m

60
GENERAL WARNINGS
The front airbags can be trig-
gered if the car is subjected to
considerable crashes or involved
in an accident concerning the un-
derbody areas, such as a violent
impact against steps, kerbs or
projecting objects fastened to the
ground, falling into large holes or
dips in the road surface.
A small amount of powder and
smoke is freed when the airbags
are triggered. This is not harmful
and does not indicate the princi-
ple of a fire.
Go to a Fiat Dealership as soon
as possible if the warning light
comes on when travelling (to sig-
nal a fault) to have the problem
repaired.
The airbag system is guaranteed
for ten years. Contact a Fiat
Dealership as the expiry data ap-
proaches.
After an accident which trig-
gered the airbags, go to a Fiat
Dealership to have the entire
safety system, the electronic con-
trol unit, the seat belts and thepretensioners replaced. The
Dealership will also check the in-
tactness of the electrical system.
Any diagnostic, repair or re-
placement operations concerning
the airbag system must exclu-
sively be carried out at a Fiat
Dealership.
If you are having the car
scrapped, have the airbag system
deactivated at a Fiat Dealership
first.
If the car changes hands, the
new owner must be made aware
of the indications given above and
be given this Owner Handbook.
The pretensioners and front
airbags are activated by the elec-
tronic control unit according to
the type of impact. Consequent-
ly, missed activation of one or
more system components does
not indicate a fault in the system.
The instrument panel
warning light
¬should
come on when the ignition key is
turned to MAR and go out after ap-
proximately four seconds. Immedi-
ately, contact a Fiat Dealership if
the warning light either does not
come on or stays on or comes on
when travelling.
WARNING
When the passenger’s front
airbag is active (passenger
front airbag deactivation switch at
ON), the
Fwarning light will
come on for approximately four
seconds and flash for other four
seconds when the ignition key is
turned to MAR to remind the driver
than the passenger’s front and side
airbags (where fitted) will be fired
in the event of a crash. The warn-
ing light should go out immediate-
ly afterwards.
WARNING

61
Do not apply stickers or
other objects to the steer-
ing wheel or to the dashboard on
the passenger’s side. Do not travel
with objects on your lap or in front
of you nor with a pipe, pencil or
similar between your lips; you could
seriously hurt yourself if the airbag
inflates in a collision.
WARNING
The correct operation of
the front airbags and pre-
tensioners is only ensured if the car
is not overloaded.
WARNING
The airbag does not replace
seat belts but rather in-
creases their effectiveness. Further-
more, the front airbag is not fired in
the event of low speed front colli-
sions, side collisions, rear-end shunts
and roll-overs. In these cases, the
passengers are only protected by
the seat belts which for this reason
must always be fastened.
WARNING
Always drive with both
hands on the rim of the
steering wheel so that the airbag is
free to inflate during a head-on col-
lision, and protect you from serious
injury. Do not drive with your body
bending towards the steering wheel,
but sit in an upright position with
your back resting against the seat.
WARNING
If an attempt has been
made to steal the car, or if
it has actually been stolen or has
been vandalised in any way or sub-
jected to flooding, have the airbag
system checked over at a Fiat Deal-
ership.
WARNING
It is important to remember
that when the ignition key
is turned to MAR even if the engine
is off, the air bag can be fired when
the car is stationary if it hit by an-
other vehicle travelling at suitable
speed. As a consequence, Fiat rec-
ommends sitting children in their
specific retainer system on the back
seat, which is the most protected
position ossible. On the contrary,
the air bags will not be fired in the
car is crashed into when the key is
not insered or turned. Consequent-
ly, in this case, the fact that the
asystem is not fired does not indi-
cate a fault.
WARNING

68
If warning light ¢remains lit
together with the warning light
U
when the ignition key is at MAR,
turn the key toSTOPand then to
MAR; if the warning light still
remains lit, try with the other keys
provided with the car.
If you are still unable to start the
engine, follow the emergency startup
procedure (see “Emergency startup”
in the section “In an emergency”)
and go to the nearestFiat
Dealership immediately.
IMPORTANTDo not leave the
ignition key at MARwhen the
engine is off.
STARTING
THE ENGINE
The engine may seem noisier than
usual during the first seconds after
startup, especially after a long period
of inactivity. This phenomenon is
characteristic of hydraulic tappets,
and does not affect the functioning
and reliability of the engine: this par-
ticular timing system has been select-
ed for the Fiat barchetta engine to
reduce the number of maintenance
interventions necessary.IMPORTANT It is important that
the accelerator is never pressed until
the engine is started.
1) Make sure the handbrake is on.
2) Put the gear lever in neutral.
3) Press the clutch pedal right
down, without touching the acceler-
ator pedal.
4) Turn the ignition key to AVV
and let it go the moment the engine
starts.
If the engine does not start at the
first attempt, return the ignition key
to STOPbefore trying to start the
engine again.
It is dangerous to let the
engine run in a garage or
other closed area. The engine con-
sumes oxygen and gives off carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide and oth-
er poisonous fumes.
WARNING
Never touch the high ten-
sion cables (spark plug
cables) when the engine is run-
ning.
WARNING