2003 FIAT PALIO battery

78
RECURRENT
CHECKS AND
BEFORE LONG
DISTANCE TRIPS
Periodically, remember to check:
– tyre pressure and conditions
– level of battery fluid
– engine oil level
– coolant level and conditions of the
system
– brake fluid level
– windscreen washer liquid level
– power steering fluid level.
STORING THE
CAR
The following precautions should be
taken if the car will not be used for
more than a month:
– Park the car in covered, dry and if
possible well-ventilated premises.
– Engage a gear.
– Make sure the handbrake is not en-
gaged.
– Remove the cables from the bat-
tery terminals (first remove the cable
to the negative terminal), and check
the battery charge. If the car is to be
stored for long periods the battery
charge should be checked every
month and recharged if it falls below
12,5V.
– Clean and protect the painted parts
using protective wax.– Clean and protect the shiny metal
parts using special compounds readi-
ly available.
– Sprinkle talcum powder on the
rubber windscreen and rear window
wiper blades and lift them off the glass.
– Slightly open the windows.
– Cover the car with a cloth or per-
forated plastic sheet. Do not use
sheets of no-perforated plastic as they
do not allow moisture on the car body
to evaporate.
– Inflate the tyres to +0.5 bar above
the normal specified pressure and
check it at intervals.
– Do not drain the engine cooling
system.
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IN AN EMERGENCY
People who find themselves in an emergency situ-
ation need immediate and concrete help.
The following pages have been written to help you
if the need arises.
As you will see, a host of little snags have been taken
into account and, for each of them, the measures you
yourself can take are suggested. If the problems are
more serious however, you should have the car seen
at a Fiat Dealership.
With regard to this, we would like to remind you
that, in addition to the Owners Handbook you have
also been provided with the Warranty Booklet
where you will find details of all the services Fiat can
provide should you find yourself in difficulty.
We nevertheless recommend you read these
pages. If in need you will be able to find the informa-
tion you require much more quickly.
In addition to this you have also been provided
with 24 hours service assistance booklet, where in
you can find nearest contact number and address for
24 hour service assistance.JUMP STARTING ...................................................... PAGE 81
BUMP STARTING .................................................... PAGE 82
IF A TYRE IS PUNCTURED .................................. PAGE 82
IF A BULB BURNS OUT ........................................ PAGE 86
IF AN EXTERIOR LIGHT BURNS OUT ............ PAGE 88
IF AN INTERIOR LIGHT BURNS OUT ............. PAGE 92
IF A FUSE BLOWS ................................................... PAGE 93
IF THE BATTERY IS FLAT ..................................... PAGE 98
IF THE CAR NEEDS TO BE RAISED .................. PAGE 99
IF THE CAR NEEDS TO BE TOWED ................. PAGE 101
IF AN ACCIDENT OCCURS ................................. PAGE 102
80
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81
JUMP STARTING
If the battery is flat, you can use an-
other battery to start the engine. Its ca-
pacity must be the same or slightly
greater than the flat battery (see “Tech-
nical Specifications”).
Proceed as follows
fig. 1:
1)Connect positive terminals +of
the two batteries with a jump lead.
2)With a second lead, connect the
negative terminal (
–) of the auxiliary
battery and to an earth point E
on the
engine or the gearbox of the car to be
started.
IMPORTANTDo not directly
connect the negative terminals of the
two batteries: sparks could ignite the
flammable gas from the battery.
3)Start the engine.
4)When the engine has been start-
ed, remove the leads reversing the or-
der above.
If the engine fails to start after a few
attempts, do not keep turning the key
but have the car seen to at a
Fiat
Dealership
.
fig. 1
P4E01470
This starting procedure
must be carried out by
expert personnel; if it is
not done correctly it can cause
very intense electrical discharges.
In addition, the fluid contained in
the battery is poisonous and cor-
rosive. Avoid contact with skin
and eyes. You are also advised
not to put naked flames or light-
ed cigarettes near the battery
and not to cause sparks.
Under no circumstances
should a battery charger
be used for the emer-
gency procedure: it could dam-
age the electronic systems and in
particular the ignition and injec-
tion control units.
To avoid damages to the
car electric system, care-
fully follow the instruc-
tions of the cable manufacturer.
The cables must have a sufficient
diameter and must be enough
long to allow that the cars touch
each other.
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98
IF THE BATTERY
IS FLAT
First of all, read the “Car mainte-
nance” chapter for the steps to be tak-
en to avoid the battery running down
and to ensure it has a long life.
JUMP STARTING
See “Jump starting” in this chapter.
RECHARGING THE BATTERY
You are advised to recharge the bat-
tery slowly for a period of approxi-
mately 24 hours at a low amperage.
Charging for too long could damage
the battery.
Proceed as follows:
1) Disconnect the electrical system
from the battery terminals.
2)Connect the charger cables to the
battery terminals.
3)Turn on the charger.
4)When you have finished, turn the
charger off before disconnecting the
battery.
5)Reconnect the cables to the bat-
tery terminals. Make sure the polari-
ty is correct.
Under no circumstances
should a battery charger
be used to start the en-
gine: it could damage the elec-
tronic systems and in particular
the ignition and injection control
units. The liquid in the battery
is poisonous and corro-
sive. Do not let it touch
the skin or eyes. Recharging the
battery should be done in a well-
ventilated area away from naked
flames or possible sources of
sparks: explosion and fire risk.Do not attempt to
recharge a frozen bat-
tery. Thaw it first other-
wise it could explode. If the bat-
tery froze, make sure that the in-
ternal elements are not broken
(short-circuit risk) and that the
casing is not cracked (risk of
spilling the poisonous and corro-
sive fluid).
80-103 03/03/2003 06:49 PM Page 98

CAR MAINTENANCE
The Fiat Palio is new throughout, even in its ser-
vicing schedule.
For instance: the first scheduled servicing coupon
is prescribed at 1,000-1,500 kms or 3 months
whichever is earlier from the date of sale of vehicle.
However, it is useful to remember that the car
needs always ordinary attentions such as systematic
control with possible fluid level refuelling, tyre pres-
sure restoration, etc.
You should nonetheless bear in mind that the
proper maintenance of your car is certainly the best
way to keep it in tip-top conditions for years to
come and safeguard its performance and safety fea-
tures, while respecting the environment and keeping
running costs down.
Remember that the scrupulous compliance with
the servicing rules marked by the symbol ∑
can
constitute the condition necessary for the mainte-
nance of the warranty.
SCHEDULED SERVICING .................................... PAGE 105
SCHEDULED SERVICING
PLAN ............................................................................ PAGE 106
ADDITIONAL INTERVENTIONS ....................... PAGE 108
LEVEL CHECK ........................................................... PAGE 110
AIR CLEANER ............................................................ PAGE 116
BATTERY .................................................................... PAGE 117
ELECTRONIC CONTROL UNITS ..................... PAGE 120
SPARK PLUGS ........................................................... PAGE 121
WHEELS AND TYRES ............................................ PAGE 121
RUBBER PIPES ........................................................... PAGE 123
WINDSCREEN/REAR WINDOW WIPER......... PAGE 123
MANUAL CLIMATE SYSTEM ............................... PAGE 125
BODYWORK ............................................................ PAGE 125
INTERIORS ................................................................. PAGE 127
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108
ADDITIONAL
INTERVENTIONS
Every 1000 kmor prior to long
travels, check and possibly restore:
– engine coolant level
– brake - clutch fluid level
– Power steering fluid level
– battery fluid level
– windscreen washer fluid level
– pressure and condition of the tyres.
Every 3000 kmcheck and top up
as necessary: engine oil level.We suggest the use of
FL Group
product expressly recommended,
studied and realized for Fiat cars (see
the “Refuelling” table in the “Techni-
cal Specifications” chapter).
IMPORTANT - Engine oil
Replace the engine oil more fre-
quently than indicated in the Sched-
uled Servicing Plan, in the event that
the car is mainly used in one of the fol-
lowing particularly severe conditions:
– dusty, sandy or muddy roads;
– repeated and short distances (less
than 7-8 km) and with external tem-
perature less than zero;– with engine frequently idling or for
long distances at low speed (e.g. taxi,
door-to-door deliveries or for long
storage).
For any doubt on the engine oil re-
placement, in relation to how the car
is used, contact the
Fiat Dealership.
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109
IMPORTANT - Air cleaner
Using the car on dusty roads, replace
the air cleaner more frequently than
indicated in the Scheduled Servicing
Plan.
For any doubt on the air cleaner re-
placement, in relation to how the car
is used, contact the
Fiat Dealership.
The maintenance of the
car must be committed
to Fiat Dealership. For
those interventions of ordinary
and small maintenance, always
make sure to have the adequate
equipment, Fiat spare parts and
the consumption fluids; in any
event, do not perform such op-
erations, if you do not have any
experience. IMPORTANT - Fuel filter
Check the conditions of the fuel fil-
ter when changes (choking) are no-
ticed in the engine operation.
IMPORTANT - Battery
We suggest you to carry out the
check of the state of battery charge,
preferably at the beginning of the cold
season in order to avoid the possibil-
ity of freezing the electrolyte.
Such check must be carried out
more frequently if the car is mainly
used for short distances, or if it is
equipped with permanent absorption
users with disconnected key, above all
if applied in after market.
Please refer page no. 52 of 24
hours service assistance booklet
for BAT MOBILE service extend-
ed by M/s. Exide Batteries.You should check the battery fluid
(electrolyte) level more frequently
than shown in the service schedulein
this chapter if the car is used in hot cli-
mates or particularly demanding con-
ditions.
24 HOURS SERVICE
CALL - 9628 290 260
This single response num-
ber is available in 9 cities.*
AHMEDABAD - BANGALORE -
KOLKATA - CHENNAI - DELHI -
HYDERABAD - MUMBAI -
PUNE - LUCKNOW
* If you are not in, but near any of the above
cities; Dial city code followed by the single
response numberFor further information about Fiat Service Network please refer 24 Hours Service
AssistanceBooklet provided.
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The jack, with which the
car is equipped, is pre-
scribed only when the
wheel must be replaced. For ex-
igencies different from this latter,
the lifting of the car must re-
spect particular modalities.
Therefore, we recommend you
to perform the operation at Fiat
Dealership.
110fig. 1 - Versions 1.2
P4E02275CHECKING
FLUID LEVELS
1.Engine oil - 2.Battery -3. Brake-
clutch fluid -
4.Windscreen/rear mir-
ror washer fluid -
5. Engine coolant -
6.Power steering fluid.
Pay attention, during
refilling operations, not to
confuse the different
types of fluids: they are all in-
compatible and the car could be
seriously damaged if there is
wrong usage.
Pay attention to scarves,
ties and clothes which are
not tight: they could get
entangled in the moving parts.Never smoke during the
interventions in the en-
gine compartment: flam-
mable gas and vapours could be
present, with the risk of a fire.
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