Page 7 of 156
6
OBLIGATION SYMBOLS
Battery
Protect eyes.
Battery
Jack
Refer the owner
handbook.
Expansion tank
Use only the fluid pre-
scribed in the “Refueling” chapter.
Engine
Use only the lubricant
prescribed in the
“Refueling” chapter.
Unleaded fuel car
Use only unleaded fuel
87 R.O.N.
Windscreen wiper
Use only the fluid pre-
scribed in the “Refueling”
chapter.
Brake circuit
Do not exceed the max-
imum level of the fluid as
indicated on the tank. Use only the
fluid prescribed in the “Refueling”
chapter.
1-19 03/03/2003 05:44 PM Page 6
Page 36 of 156

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
Page 58 of 156

57
If you have never driven a car with
ABS before, you should practice using
the system on slippery terrain, obvi-
ously with the necessary safety pre-
cautions and keeping to the Highway
code of the country you are in. It is al-
so a good idea to read the following
information carefully.
The advantage in using the ABS sys-
tem is that it continues to give you
maximum manoeuvrability even when
braking hard in conditions for poor
grip by preventing the wheels locking.
However, do not expect that with
ABS the braking distance will always
decrease: for example surfaces with
gravel or fresh snow on a slippery
road could infact increase the braking
distance.
To exploit the ABS system to the full
in the event of necessity, you should
take heed of the following advice:
If the brake fluid low
warning light x
comes on,
stop the car immediately
and contact the nearest Fiat Deal-
ership. Fluid leaks from the hy-
draulic system, in fact, can com-
promise the braking of both tradi-
tional systems and systems with
ABS.When the ABS is acti-
vated, you will feel the
brake pedal pulsating. Do
not remove your foot, but keep
it pressed. In doing so you will
stop in the shortest amount of
space possible under the current
road conditions.
If you follow these tips, you will be
able to brake better in any situation.
IMPORTANTCars fitted with ABS
are only to be fitted with wheel rims,
tyres and brake liners of the make and
model approved by the car manufac-
turer.
The ABS exploits the
tyre-road grip available to
the full, but it cannot im-
prove it; you should therefore
take every care when driving on
slippery surfaces, and not take
unnecessary risks. If the ABS sys-
tem cuts in it is a sign that the
grip between the tyre and the
road surface has reached the lim-
it: you must slow down to match
the speed to the road grip avail-
able
If there is a fault, the in-
strument panel warning
light
>will come on, at
this point, reduce speed and go to
a Fiat Dealership to have your car
checked and put it right imme-
diately.
Braking while cornering always re-
quires extreme care even when using
ABS.
The most important advice to follow
is this:
20-63 03/03/2003 06:03 PM Page 57
Page 79 of 156

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.
64-79 03/03/2003 06:45 PM Page 78
Page 108 of 156

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)
104-127 03/03/2003 06:53 PM Page 107
Page 109 of 156

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.
104-127 03/03/2003 06:53 PM Page 108
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.
104-127 03/03/2003 06:53 PM Page 110
Page 112 of 156
111
fig. 3 - 1.9 D versions
P4E02674
1.Engine oil- 2.Battery -3.Brake-
clutch fluid -
4.Windscreen/rear mir-
ror washer fluid -
5. Engine coolant -
6.Power steering fluid.
fig. 2 - Versions 1.6
P4E02276
1.Engine oil- 2.Battery -3.Brake-
clutch fluid -
4.Windscreen/rear mir-
ror washer fluid -
5. Engine coolant -
6.Power steering fluid
104-127 03/03/2003 06:53 PM Page 111