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
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44
fig. 41
P4E02029
fig. 40
P4E02287
CONTROLS
fig. 40
The buttons located above the cen-
tral air vents.
The controls can only be operated
when the ignition key is at
MAR.
When a function is activated the LED
on the respective button will light up.
Press the button again to switch the
control off.
Heated rear window
Button A: to switch on /off the ther-
mal rear window.
Rear fog light
Button B: These lights can only be
switched on when the dipped beam
headlights or the front foglights are
switched on.
Fog lights
ButtonB: These lights can only be
switched on when the parking lights
are on.
Climate control system
Button C: to switch on/off the air
conditioner.
FUEL CUT-OFF SWITCH
fig. 41
This is a safety cut-off switch which
comes into operation in the case of an
accident to block the supply of fuel
thereby stopping the engine.
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.
If you cannot see any fuel leaks and
the car is in a fit state to continue its
20-63 03/03/2003 06:03 PM Page 44
53
If you want to carry a
can of petrol as a reserve,
adhere to the laws in
force. Not following precautions
increases the risk of fire in the
event of an accident. To remove the
parcel shelf
1)
Free the upper extremities A-fig.
61
of the two tie rods, withdrawing
the eyelets from the pins.
2)Free the cover pins A-fig. 62
from their seats Band remove it.
After removing, the cover can be
transversally positioned between the
front seat backs and the tipped chush-
ion of the rear seat.
IMPORTANT If the load in the
boot is fairly heavy and you are trav-
elling at night, check and adjust the
height of the dipped beam headlights
(see“ Headlights” paragraph in this
chapter).
Heavy loads which are
not securely anchored
could seriously injure pas-
sengers in the event of an acci-
dent.
We suggest you do not
drive with the tailgate
open, as the exhaust gas-
es can come inside the car via the
boot.
fig. 62
P4E01750
20-63 03/03/2003 06:03 PM Page 53
62
AT THE FILLING STATION
An inefficient catalytic
converter will allow
harmful gases to be re-
leased in the atmosphere.Never put even the tini-
est amount of leaded fu-
el into the tank, even in
an emergency; you would dam-
age the catalytic converter be-
yond repair.
The pollution prevention devices of
Fiat Palio mean only unleaded petrol
can be used.
Use petrol with a research octane
number (R.O.N.) equal to 87.
AERIAL fig. 73
To install:
1) Remove the courtesy light unit
(see “If an interior light burns out” in
the “In an emergency” chapter).
2) Loosen the retaining screws (con-
nected to the antenna cable) and re-
move the plastic cap from the roof of
the vehicle.
3) Position the aerial and secure it with
the same screw which was used to attach
the cap to the roof.
4) Mount again the ceiling light as-
sembly in its seat, with a light pressure.
fig. 73
P4E01635
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63
PROTECTING THE
ENVIRONMENT
Protecting the environment has been
the guiding principle in the design of the
Fiat Palio right from the start. The re-
sult is the use of materials and creation
of devices that can reduce or consid-
erably curtail harmful influences on the
environment.
The devices for curtailing emission
for petrol version are:
– a three-way catalytic converter;
– Lambda sensor;
– an anti evaporation system.
The devices for curtailing emission
for diesel version are:
– Catalytic converter;
– Exhaust gas recirculation.
As a consequence Fiat Palio is ready
to travel well ahead of the most strin-
gent international pollution control
standards.
fig. 74
P4E01945
IMPORTANT If required, replace
the fuel cap with another genuine cap
to avoid affecting the efficiency of the
fuel vapour recovery system.
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.FUEL FILLER CAP
To unlock the fuel filler cap flap from
inside the car, lift the lever
A-fig. 74.
The airtight seal of the filling cap may
lead to a slight increase of pressure in
the tank. A hissing sound when the
cap is removed is therefore quite nor-
mal.
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74
If the engine begins to “lose its
smoothless” when travelling, continue
your journey but reduce the demands
you are making on the engine and go
to a
Fiat Dealership as soon as you
can.
When the instrument panel fuel re-
serve warning light comes on, fill up as
soon as possible. A low level of fuel
can cause an uneven supply of fuel to
the engine with the inevitable increase
in the temperature of the exhaust gas
and serious damage to the catalytic
converter.
Never run the engine with one or
more spark plugs disconnected, even
for testing purposes.
Do not warm up the engine by letting
it idle for a while before moving off un-
less the outside temperature is very low
and, even in this case, only do so for less
then 30 seconds.Do not install other heat shields and
do not remove those already fitted to
the catalytic converter and exhaust
pipe.
Do not allow anything to be sprayed
onto the catalytic converter, lambda
sensor and exhaust pipe.
Ignoring the above rules
may lead to fire.
The catalytic converter
develops high tempera-
ture during normal oper-
ation. Do not park the car on
grass, dry leaves, pine needles or
other flammable material: fire
hazard
LOOKING AFTER EMISSION
CONTROL DEVICES
The correct use of pollution control
devices not only ensures respect for
the environment but also has an effect
on the car’s performance.
Keeping these devices in good con-
dition is therefore a fundamental rule
for driving that is easy on your pock-
et and on the environment too.
The first step to take is to follow the
Service Schedule to the letter.
Use only unleaded petrol.
If you have trouble starting, do not
keep turning the ignition key for long
periods. Be especially careful to avoid
bump starting the car by pushing, tow-
ing or rolling downhill: these are all
manoeuvres that can damage the cat-
alytic exhaust. Use an auxiliary battery
for start-ups only (see “Starting with
auxiliary battery” in the chapter “In an
emergency”).
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102
IF ANYONE IS INJURED
– Never leave the injured person
alone. The obligation to provide as-
sistance exists even for those not di-
rectly involved in the accident.
– Do not congregate around the in-
jured person.
– Reassure the injured person that
help is on its way and will arrive soon.
Stay close by to calm him/her down in
case of panic.
– Unfasten or cut seat belts holding
injured parties.
– Do not give an injured person any-
thing to drink.
– Do not move an injured person un-
less the following situation arise.
– Pull out the injured person from
the car only if there is a risk of it catch-
ing fire, sinking in water or is likely to
fall over a cliff or etc. Do not pull
his/her arms or legs, do not bend the
head and, as far as possible, keep the
body horizontal.
IF AN ACCIDENT
OCCURS
– It is important to keep calm.
– If you are not directly involved in
the accident, stop at least ten metres
away from the accident.
– If you are on a motorway, stop
without obstructing the emergency
lane with your car.
– Turn off the engine and turn on the
hazard lights.
– At night, illuminate the scene of the
accident with your headlights.
– Act carefully, you must not risk be-
ing run over.
– If the doors are blocked, do not at-
tempt to smash the windscreen to get
out of the car. It is made of layered
glass and is very hard. Side and rear
windows are much more easily bro-
ken.
– Mark the accident by putting the
red triangle at the regulatory distance
from the car where it can be clearly
seen. – Call for rescue making the infor-
mation you give as accurate as you
can. On the motorway use the special
column-mounted emergency phones.
– In pile-ups on the motorway, par-
ticularly when the visibility is bad,
there is a high risk of other vehicles
running into those already stopped.
Get out of the car immediately and
take refuge behind the guard-rail.
– Remove the ignition keys from the
vehicles involved.
– If you can smell petrol or other
chemicals, do not smoke and make
sure all cigarettes are extinguished.
– Use a fire extinguisher, blanket
sand or earth to put out fires, how-
ever small they may be. Never use wa-
ter
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106
Thousands of kilometers 15 3045 6075 90105 120135 150165 180
SERVICE SCHEDULE
Check of conditions and weariness of tyres
Check front disc brake pad
Check of conditions and weariness of rear drum brake gasket
Visually inspect: underbody protection, pipes
(exhaust - fuel supply - brakes), rubber elements
(guards - sleeves - bushes - etc.), supply and brake system tubing
Voltage check and possible adjustment of trapezoidal belts
and/or poly-V
Inspect conditions of V belts and/or ploy v-belts
Tappet clearance check/adjustment (petrol version)
(excluding the versions with hydraulic tappets)
Check and adjust tappet clearance (diesel version)
Check/adjustment of the stroke of the lever hand brake
Check evaporation system (diesel version)
Visually inspect fuel evaporation system (connections, lines,
containers, seals and filler cap)
Fuel filter replacement (see “important” in the “Additional
interventions” in this chapter) (for diesel version replace the filter
every 7,500 km)
Replace air cleaner cartridge (diesel version) (see “important” in the
“Additional interventions” in this chapter)
Replace air cleaner cartridge (see “Additional checks” in this chapter)
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