2003 FIAT BARCHETTA snow chains

67
DRIVING YOUR CAR
To help you handle your Fiat barchetta in the best
and safest possible way, and above all use it to its
fullest potential, we have given you some hints in this
chapter on “what to do, what not to do and what to
avoid” when at the wheel of your Fiat barchetta.
Most of the time, these suggestions apply to other
cars as well. Sometimes, however, the tip may apply
to an exclusive Fiat barchetta feature. You are there-
fore strongly recommended to pay the closest atten-
tion to this section for helpful hints on optimum dri-
ving practices and usage of the car that will help you
get the most out of your Fiat barchetta. STARTING THE ENGINE ............................................... 68
PARKING ............................................................................ 70
GEAR USE .......................................................................... 71
SAFE DRIVING .................................................................. 71
CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS
AND POLLUTION .......................................................... 76
CHEAP RUNNING THAT RESPECTS
THE ENVIRONMENT ..................................................... 78
TOWING A TRAILER ..................................................... 79
SNOW CHAINS ............................................................... 80
VEHICLE STORAGE ........................................................ 81
REPEATED CHECKS AND CHECKS
BEFORE LONG TRIPS .................................................... 82
ACCESSORIES PURCHASED BY THE OWNER ..... 82
USEFUL ACCESSORIES .................................................. 82

75
– Remember that fog also means the
tarmac is wet and therefore manoeu-
vres of all kinds are more difficult and
stopping distances are longer.
– Keep a good distance from the cars
in front of you.
– As far as possible, avoid spurts of
speed or sudden deceleration.
– Do not overtake other vehicles if
you can help it.
– If you are forced to stop your car
(breakdown, limited visibility etc.) try
to stop off the road. Then turn on the
hazard lights and, if possible, the
dipped headlights. Rhythmically sound
the horn if you realise another car is
coming.
DRIVING
IN THE MOUNTAINS
– When driving downhill, use the en-
gine brake by engaging a low gear so
as not to overheat the brakes.
– Under no circumstances should
you drive downhill with the engine off
or with the car in neutral, let alone
with the ignition key out.– Drive at a moderate speed without
cutting corners.
– Remember that overtaking while
going uphill is slower and therefore re-
quires more free road. If you are be-
ing overtaken while driving uphill,
make it easier for the other vehicle
to pass.
DRIVING ON SNOW OR ICE
Here are some tips for driving in
these conditions:
– Keep your speed down.
– Use chains if the roads are covered
in snow (refer to the “Snow chains”
paragraph in this section).
– Mainly use the engine brake and
under all circumstances avoid braking
sharply.
– When braking in a car not fitted
with ABS, avoid the wheels locking by
varying the pressure you exert on the
brake pedal.
– Do not accelerate suddenly and
avoid swerving.– In the winter, even apparently dry
roads may have icy patches. Be care-
ful therefore when driving over
stretches that do not get much expo-
sure to the sun or that are lined by
trees and rocks where ice might not
have melted.
– Keep a good distance from the ve-
hicles in front.
– Do not remain for long periods in
deep snow with the engine running as
the snow could force the exhaust gas-
es into the passenger compartment.
DRIVING WITH ABS
ABS is a braking system that essen-
tially offers two advantages:
1)It prevents wheel lock-up and
consequent skidding in emergency
stops, particularly when the road does
not offer much grip.
2)It makes it possible to brake and
steer at the same time so you can
avoid unexpected obstacles and direct
the car where you want while braking.
The extent to which this can be done
will depend on the physical limits of
the tyre's sideways grip.

80
In order to be sure you are not
exceeding the maximum towing
weight you have to take into account
the trailer’s fully laden weight,
including accessories and personal
luggage.
Do not exceed the speed limits for
towing a trailer in the country you
are driving in. In any case, do not
exceed the top speed of 100 km/h. SNOW CHAINS
Keep your speed down
when snow chains have
been fitted to the
wheels. Avoid potholes, steps
and pavements, and do not
drive for long stretches on
snow-free roads, otherwise you
risk damaging the tyres, suspen-
sion and steering.
The use of snow chains is regulated
by the legislation in force in the
country the car is driven in.
The chains may only be applied to
the drive wheel tyres (front wheels).
Check the tautness of the chains
after driving some twenty to thirty
metres.Do not use snow chains with
195/55 R15 (84V) or 195/45 R16
(80V) tyres as the chains are likely to
interfere with the plastic wheelarch-
es.
Use only low-profile chains with
185/55 R15 (81H) tyres: maximum
height off the wheel 12 mm
IMPORTANT As the spare
wheel is small, it is not possible to fit
snow chains to it. If a front tyre is
punctured, first exchange a rear
wheel with the spare tyre and then
change the flat tyre with the rear
wheel thus removed. This way there
will be two ordinary wheels at the
front and the snow chains can fitted.
The ABS system which
may be fitted to the vehi-
cle will not control the trailer
braking system. Great care should
therefore be taken when driving
on slippery road surfaces.
WARNING
Under no circumstances
modify the car's braking
system for trailer braking control.
The trailer's braking system must
be completely independent of the
car's hydraulic system.
WARNING

The sticker gives the follow-
ing information in four lan-
guages:
CAUTION!FOR TEMPORARY USE
ONLY
. MAX. 80 KM/H! REPLACE BY NOR-
MAL WHEEL AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. DO NOT
COVER THIS LABEL IN USE
. When driving
with a space-saver spare wheel fitted
the driving performance of your car
may change. Avoid accelerating or
braking suddenly, steering abruptly or
driving fast on bends. The life span of
a space-saver spare wheel is approx-
imately 3000 km, after which it will
need to be replaced with another
spare wheel of the same type. Nev-
er fit a standard tyre on the spare-
saver spare wheel rim. Have the
wheel replaced and refitted as soon
as possible. Never use two or more
spare wheel at the same time. Do not
lubricate the bolt threads before fit-
ting them back: they could come
loose. The jack should only be used
to change a wheel on the car for
which it was designed. It should not
be put to other uses or employed to
raise other models of car. Under no
circumstances should it be used when
carrying out repairs under the vehi-
cle.
87
WARNING
An incorrectly positioned
jack may cause the vehicle
to fall.
Do not use the jack to lift loads ex-
ceeding that indicated on the label
attached to the jack itself.
Never start the engine when the car
is jacked up.
If you are towing a trailer, release
the trailer before jacking up the car.
Do not fit snow chains on space-
saver spare wheels. If a front wheel
(drive wheel) is punctured and you
require snow chains to proceed,
take a standard wheel from the
rear axle and fit the space-saver
spare wheel in its place. Having fit-
ted two standard wheels on the dri-
ve axle, you can use snow chains,
thus solving the emergency situa-
tion.
WARNING
Torque the wheel cap cor-
rectly to prevent the wheel
from coming free in motion.
Never tamper with the inflation
valve.
Never place tools between the rim
and tyre.
Check the tyre and space-saver
spare wheel pressure regularly. Tyre
pressure is shown in the “Technical
specifications” chapter.
WARNING

141
WHEELS
RIMS AND TYRES
Pressed steel or alloy wheels (where
applicable), specific bolts (of a differ-
ent size and reciprocally incompatible)
for each of the two types of rim.
Tubeless tyres with radial shell.IMPORTANT Do not use an inner
tube with Tubeless tyres. Do not se-
cure light alloy wheels using bolts de-
signed for steel wheels and vice-versa.
For the compatibility between wheels
and wheel bolts and between these
and the spare wheel, refer to the de-
tailed indications given in the para-
graph “If a tyre is punctured”.
SNOW CHAINS
Do not use snow chains with 195/55
R15 (84V) or 195/45 R16 (80V) tyres
as the chains are likely to interfere
with the plastic wheelarches.
Use only low-profile chains with
185/55 R15 (81H) tyres: maximum
height off the wheel 12 mm. Check the
tautness of the chains after driving
some twenty to thirty yards (twenty
to thirty metres).
Rim Tyre
6 1/2J x15” 195/55 R15 (84V)
6 1/2J x16” 195/45 R16 (80V)
6 J x15” 185/55 R15 (81H)
specific for use
with snow chains
SPARE WHEEL
Pressed-steel rim.
Tubeless tyre.
All homologated tyres are listed in
the Vehicle’s Registration Papers. To
ensure safe driving, make sure that the
tyres are not only of the specified di-
mensions but that all four tyres are of
the same type and make.
Rim Tyre
4.00 Bx14H 135/80 B14