
15
COMMAND
SWITCHES
Switches fig. 17.
A - Rear windscreen heater switch.
B - Front fog light switch with LED.
C - A/C on/off switch.
ELECTRIC WIN-
DOW WINDER
FRONT ELECTRICAL WIN-
DOW WINDERS
Press the switch fig. 18 to lower
the window. Raise the switch to
wind up the window.
A- Switch for adjusting front left
window.
B - Switch for adjusting front right
window.
Each door handle has a switch on it
to raise/lower its window.
fig. 17
P4E02287
fig. 18
P4E02011
fig. 19
P4E02012
ELECTRIC REAR WINDOWS
fig. 19
A
- Switch on door handle.
B - Rear left-hand window switch.
C - Rear right-hand window switch.
D - Rear window enable switch.
1-19 03/03/2003 05:44 PM Page 15

19
Ideally, refuel the car
before the reserve warn-
ing light illuminates.
Driving in fuel shortage condi-
tions can cause irregular supply
with negative effects on the
exhaust and catalytic system.
A damaged catalytic
convertor means harm-
ful emissions and conse-
quent environment pollution.NEVER go close to the
tank filler with naked
flames or lit cigarettes:
Also avoid going too close to
the fuel tank filler area, to avoid
inhaling harmful vapours.
NEVER fill leaded fuel
in the car (even in an
emergency) as the cat-
alytic muffler will get irre-
barably damaged.
1-19 03/03/2003 05:44 PM Page 19

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
You should read this chapter sitting comfortably in
your new Fiat Palio. This way you can see the parts
described in the handbook at a glance and immediate-
ly check out what you have just read for yourself.
You will quickly become familiar with your Fiat Palio,
and its control and other features. Later, when you start
the engine and join the traffic, you will make a host of
other pleasant discoveries.INSTRUMENTS ......................................................... PAGE 33
WARNING LIGHTS ................................................ PAGE 35
HEATING/
CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM ............................ PAGE 37
MANUAL CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM ....... PAGE 38
STEERING COLUMN STALKS ............................. PAGE 41
CONTROLS ............................................................... PAGE 43
INTERIOR EQUIPMENT ........................................ PAGE 45
DOORS ........................................................................ PAGE 48
BOOT .......................................................................... PAGE 51
BONNET .................................................................... PAGE 54
HEADLIGHTS ............................................................ PAGE 56
ABS ............................................................................... PAGE 56
AIR BAG ...................................................................... PAGE 58
SOUND SYSTEM ....................................................... PAGE 60
AT THE FILLING STATION ................................. PAGE 62
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT ............... PAGE 63
20
KEYS ............................................................................. PAGE 21
IGNITION SWITCH ............................................... PAGE 21
INDIVIDUAL SETTINGS ........................................ PAGE 22
SEAT BELTS ............................................................... PAGE 24
TRANSPORTING CHILDREN IN SAFETY ...... PAGE 29
PRETENSIONER ....................................................... PAGE 32
20-63 03/03/2003 06:02 PM Page 20

21
IGNITION
SWITCH
The key can turn to 4 different po-
sitions
fig. 2:
–
STOP: engine switched off, ex-
tractable key, steering column lock.
Some electrical devices (e.g. door cen-
tralized lock etc.) remain operational.
–
MAR: ride position. All electrical
devices are operational.
–
AVV: engine starting.
–
PARK: engine switched-off, park-
ing lights switched on, extractable key,
steering column lock. To turn the key
in
PARK position, press the button
A.
In the event of a break-
in (e.g. attempted theft),
have the car checked at a
Fiat Dealership prior to driving
again.
fig. 1
P4E02062
KEYS
Two keys are provided with the car
& (
fig. 1) they are used for:
– the ignition;
– the front doors;
– the boot door.
Together with the keys, a self-stick
label is supplied. On this label is re-
ported the number to be quoted to
Fiat Dealershipwhen ordering du-
plicate keys.
fig. 2
P4E02017
When getting out of the
car, always remove the
key, to avoid someone ac-
cidentally activating the controls.
Remember to engage the hand
brake, ensuring complete lockup
of the car, engage gear and leave
the wheels steered. If the car is
parked on a very sloping road, we
recommend you lock the wheels
also with a wedge or a stone.
Never leave children alone in an
unattended car.
20-63 03/03/2003 06:02 PM Page 21

Once you have released the lever,
check that the seat is firmly locked in
the runners by trying to move it back
and forth. Failure to lock the seat in
place could result the seat moving sud-
denly and the driver losing control of
the car.
Adjusting the reclining seat
back
Turn knob B-fig. 3until the back
reaches the reclination you desire.
Do not remove the seats
nor carry out mainte-
nance and/or repair oper-
ations on them. Improper oper-
ations can compromise safety de-
vice operation. Always go to a Fi-
at Dealership.
22
Moving the seat backwards or
forwards
Lift the lever A-fig. 3and push the
seat forwards or backwards; you are
in the correct position for driving
when your hands are resting on the
steering wheel rim and your arms are
slightly bent.
Only make adjustments
when the car is station-
ary.
STEERING COLUMN LOCK
Engagement:
After turning the key
to position STOP or PARK remove it
and turn the steering wheel till it locks .
To release: Gently move the steer-
ing wheel from side to side as you turn
the ignition key to
MAR.
Never remove the igni-
tion key while the car is
moving. The steering
wheel will automatically lock as
soon as you turn it. This also ap-
plies when the car is being towed.
INDIVIDUAL SET-
TINGS
FRONT SEATS fig. 3
fig. 3
P4E01989
20-63 03/03/2003 06:02 PM Page 22

33
The pretensioners can
only be used once. After a
collision that has trig-
gered it, have it replaced at a Fi-
at Dealership. The device will last
for 10 years from the date of pro-
duction given to the adhesive la-
bel. Replace the pretensioners as
this date approaches.INSTRUMENTS
SPEEDOMETER (SPEED INDI-
CATOR) fig. 21-22
A
- Kilometre counter.
B- Speedometer.
fig. 22
P4E01839
Operations involving
banging, vibrations or
heating (exceeding 100
C° for a maximum of 6 hours) in
the area around the pretension-
er may trigger or damage the de-
vice. Vibrations from rough road
surfaces or accidental jolting
caused by mounting pavements
etc. do not have any effect on the
pretensioner. If, however, you
need any assistance, go to a Fiat
Dealership.
C- Partial kilometer counter (Trip-
meter).
D- Trip counter reset button. Press
to reset.
FUEL GAUGE fig. 23
The needle indicates the amount of
fuel in the tank.
When the fuel reserve warning light
Acomes on it means that there are
about 5.5-7.5 litres of fuel in the tank.
E- tank empty.
F - tank full.
fig. 21
P4E01380
fig. 23
P4E01840
20-63 03/03/2003 06:02 PM Page 33

35
WARNING
LIGHTS
The warning lights come on in the
following circumstances:
BATTERY NOT
CHARGING PROPER-
LY (red)
When there is
a fault in the current gen-
erating system.
Go to a
Fiat Dealershipand pre-
vent deploying the battery.
When the key is turned to
MAR the
light comes on but should go out the
moment the engine is started.
LOW ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE (red)
When
the engine oil pressure
drops under the normal
value.
When the key is turned to
MARthe
light comes on but should go out the
moment the engine is started.
A delay in the light going out is ac-
ceptable only when the engine is idling.
If the engine has been heavily taxed,
the light may flash when the engine re-
turns to idle. The light should howev-
er go out when you accelerate slight-
ly.
v
w
If the vwarning light
comes on while the car is
moving, stop the engine
immediately and contact a Fiat
Dealership.
INJECTION SYSTEM
FAILURE (red) (petrol
version)
When there is a
fault in the injection system.
When the ignition key is turned to
the
MAR position, the light comes on
but should go out after a few seconds.
The warning light will stay on or
come on when travelling to indicate
imperfect operation of the injection
system with possible loss of perfor-
mance, poor handling and higher con-
sumption.
g
In these conditions, you can contin-
ue driving but you should avoid de-
manding efforts from the engine or
high speeds. Contact a
Fiat Dealer-
ship
as soon as possible.
Using the car for long periods when
the warning light is on may cause dam-
age especially when the engine is run-
ning irregularly or misfiring. The car
should only be used for short periods
at low speeds.
Occasional and brief lighting of the
warning light is meaningless.
HANDBRAKE EN-
GAGED / LOW
BRAKE FLUID (red)
In
two cases:
1.When the handbrake is applied.
2. when the brake fluid level falls be-
low the minimum level.
x
20-63 03/03/2003 06:02 PM Page 35

ABS (WHEEL AN-
TILOCKING SYS-
TEM) FAILURE (am-
ber)
When there is a fail-
ure in the ABS system.
In this case, the normal braking sys-
tem continues to work although with-
out the ABS assistance. Hence, have
the car seen to at a
Fiat Dealership
as soon as possible.
The warning light should come on
when the key is turned to
MARand
go out after approximately 2 seconds.
DIRECTION INDICA-
TORS (green) (flash-
ing)
When the direction
indicator control stalk is
operated (arrows).
PARKING LIGHTS
(green)
When the
side/tail lights are switched
on.
RE
3
MAIN BEAM HEAD-
LIGHTS (blue)
When main beam head-
lights are switched on
1
AIR BAG FAILURE
(red)
When there is an
airbag system failure.
If the xwarning light
comes on when travel-
ling, check whether the
handbrake is engaged. If the
warning light stays on and the
handbrake is not engaged, stop
immediately and contact a Fiat
Dealership.
>
Warning light >, with
the engine running, nor-
mally indicates a fault in
the ABS system only. In this case,
the braking system is still effi-
cient, though without the an-
tilocking device. You are advised
to go immediately to the nearest
Fiat Dealership, driving in a man-
ner to avoiding sharp braking and
get the system checked.
û
The warning light should
come on when the key is
turned to MAR and go
out after approximately 4 sec-
onds. If the warning light either
does not come on or comes on
when travelling, stop immedi-
ately and go to a Fiat Dealership.
The warning light should come on
when the key is turned to
MARand
go out after approximately 2 seconds.
36
INJECTION SYSTEM
FAILURE (red) (diesel
versions)
When there is a fault in the injection
system.
The warning light should come on
when the ignition key is turned to
MARand go out after a few seconds.
The warning light will stay on or
come on when travelling to indicate
imperfect operation of the injection
system with possible loss of perfor-
mance, poor handling and higher con-
sumption.
In these conditions, you can contin-
ue driving but you should avoid de-
manding efforts from the engine or
high speeds. Contact a
Fiat Dealer-
ship
as soon as possible.
Prolonged use of the car with warn-
ing light can cause damage to the en-
gine, specially in the event of misfir-
ing. The car can only be driven for a
short period of time at low ratios.
Occassional and brief lighting of the
warning light is meaningless.
20-63 03/03/2003 06:02 PM Page 36