Page 78 of 156

Type of snow chain
to be used
Reduced clearance snow
chains maximum projection off
wheel equal to 12 mm
Versions
1.2 EL-ELX-SPORT
1.6 16V GTX
1.9 EL-ELX
Tyres on which chains
can be fitted
165/80 R13
175/65 R14
165/80 R13
77
Traffic and road conditions
Heavy traffic and higher consumption
are synonymous: for example, when
driving slowly with frequent use of
lower gears or in towns where there
are numerous traffic lights.
Winding roads, mountain roads and
bumpy roads also have a negative effect
on consumption.
Enforced halts
During prolonged stops (traffic lights,
level crossings, etc.) the engine should
be switched off.
SNOW CHAINS
The use of snow chains is regulated
by the legislation in force in the coun-
try the car is driven in.
The chains may only be applied to
the drive wheel tyres (front wheels).
Refer to the following
table for information on
the wheels where snow
chains can be fitted. Follow the
prescriptions.
Check the tautness of the chains af-
ter driving some ten metres.
Keep your speed
down when snow
chains have been
fitted. Do not exceed 50 km/h.
Avoid potholes, do not mount
steps or kerbs and do not travel
long stretches on snow-free roads
otherwise you risk damaging
both your car and the tarmac.
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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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82
BUMP STARTING IF A TYRE IS
PUNCTURED
Follow the instructions on this and
the following pages to use the jack and
spare wheel correctly.
Remember that until
the engine has started the
brake booster and power
steering systems will not work
and a greater effort will therefore
be required to depress the brake
pedal or turn the steering wheel.
An incorrectly posi-
tioned jack may cause the
car to fall.
Do not use the jack to lift loads
exceeding that indicated on the
label attached to the jack itself.
The jack should only be used to
change a wheel on the car for
which it is designed. It should not
be put to other uses or employed
to raise other models of cars. Un-
der no circumstances should it be
used when carrying out repairs
under the car.
Do not lubricate the bolt
threads before fitting them back:
they could come loose.
Never start the engine,
when the car is raised on
a jack. Never tamper with
the inflation valve. Never place
tools between the rim and tyre.
Check the tyre and spare wheel
pressure regularly. The tyre in-
flation pressure is shown in the
“Technical specifications” chap-
ter.
Never bump start the
engine (by pushing, tow-
ing or coasting downhill).
This could cause fuel to flow in-
to the catalytic exhaust system
and damage it beyond repair.
If the car is fitted with al-
loy rims, a specific spare
wheel is provided. It is dif-
ferent from the one provided for
the cars fitted with steel rims. In
the event of successive purchase
of alloy rims, replacing the steel
rims, we suggest you to keep at
disposal 4 genuine bolts, which
will be used only with the spare
wheel. Danger of damaging the
wheel hubs
80-103 03/03/2003 06:49 PM Page 82
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107
Thousands of Kilometers 15 3045 6075 90105 120135 150165 180
(*) or every 3 years if the car is used in the following harsh conditions:
- Prolonged use in cold/hot climates, sity driving with prolonged lengths of time at idle speed, driving on dusty roads or roads covered with sand/salt.
- or every 5 years regardless of km covered and use conditions.
NOTE: For every 7,500 km service please refer Owner’s Warranty & Service Policy book.
For every 7,500 km or 6 months (whichever is erlier from previous service) replace engine oil and oil filter.
Top up fluids (engine coolant, brakes, power steering, windscreen washer etc.)
Timing command toothed belt check
Timing command toothed belt replacement
Spark plugs replacement, wire control (*)
Engine control system functionality check
(through autodiagnostic socket)
Change gear/differential gear oil level check
Changing engine oil (every 7,500 km or 6 months)
Replace engine oil filter (every 7,500 km or 6 months)
Brake fluid replacement (or every 24 months)
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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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Page 111 of 156
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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112
ENGINE OIL
Fig. 4
: versions 1.2
Fig. 5: versions 1.6
Fig. 6: versions 1.9 D
Check the oil level with the car
parked on level ground and with the
engine still hot (about 10 minutes af-
ter having stopped the engine).
The oil level must be between the
MINIMUMand MAXIMUMmarks
on the control dipstick. The space be-
tween
MINand MAXcorresponds
to roughly one litre of oil.
IMPORTANT Check the level and
replace the engine oil respecting the
frequency indicated in the “Scheduled
Servicing Plan” and “Additional Inter-
vention”.
If the oil level is close to or even be-
low the
MIN mark, add oil through
the filler hole until the level reaches
the
MAXmark. The oil level must
never exceed the
MAX line.
IMPORTANTAfter adding or
changing the oil, let the engine run for
a few seconds then wait a few minutes
after you have turned it off before
checking the level.
IMPORTANT If the level of the en-
gine oil, when checked, is found to be
over the
MAXmark, go to a Fiat
Dealership
to have it put right.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
When the car is new, the engine
needs to run in, therefore the engine
oil consumption can only be consid-
ered stabilised after the first 5000 -
6000 km.
IMPORTANTOil consumption
depends on the driving style and the
conditions of use.
fig. 5
P4E01435
fig. 4
P4E01477
fig. 6 - 1.9 D versions
P4E02327
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