2005 FIAT DUCATO 244 tow

116GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
BUMP STARTING
Starting by pushing or towing the ve-
hicle is not possible. In the event of an
emergency, when the battery is flat,
start the vehicle with a suitable emer-
gency battery, following the instruc-
tions given in section “In an emer-
gency” at paragraph “Jump starting”.
TOWING THE VEHICLE
IMPORTANTFor towing the ve-
hicle comply with current local regu-
lations and follow the instructions giv-
en in section “In an emergency” at
paragraph “Towing the vehicle”.If the vehicle is to be towed, adhere
to the following recommendations:
– if possible, carry the vehicle on the
floor of a rescue vehicle;
– if this is not possible, tow the ve-
hicle raising the driving wheels (front)
from the ground;
– if this, too, is not possible, the ve-
hicle should not be towed for more
than 200 km at a speed of no more
than 50 km/h.
When towing, the gearshift lever
should be at N.
Do not start the engine
while the vehicle is being
towed.
The failure to comply
with these instructions
may cause serious dam-
age to the automatic gearbox.
When travelling with the
gearbox faulty, drive with
the utmost care in consideration of
the limited performance (in terms
of acceleration and speed) that the
vehicle can offer.
WARNING
When travelling with the
gearbox faulty, the revers-
ing gear lock might not be active:
absolutely never move the lever to
the R position with the vehicle on
the move.
WARNING– Warning light flashing= auto-
matic gearbox fault.
Warning light flashing at starting or
when travelling indicates a fault in the
automatic gearbox.
The automatic control system sets
an “emergency programme” engaging
the 3
rdgear.
Switching the engine off and then on
again, the self-test system could ex-
clude the fault and therefore turn off
the warning light. The failure is how-
ever stored and the automatic gear-
box shall be checked at a Fiat Deal-
ership.

118GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
– braking (accelerator pedal release
time and braking system operation);
– type of programme (gearshift se-
lector lever position);
– winter driving (driving wheel
torque reduction);
– driving with trailer or uphill (vehi-
cle speed in relation to transmitted
torque)
– driving downhill (vehicle accelera-
tion in relation to the position of the
accelerator pedal);
– driving in towns or queues (accel-
erator pedal position and vehicle
speed);
– gear required by the driver
(gearshift lever position);
– cold starting (engine temperature).Gearshift programme control
To optimise vehicle handling the
electronic control unit has the fol-
lowing memorised programmes:
– automatic operation;
– manual operation;
– winter driving (to be selected
through buttonWINTER);
– engine warming up;
– protection against excessive gear-
box oil temperature .Automatic programme
This comprises 16 gearshifting pro-
grammes.
In relation to the vehicle speed and
torque transmitted, the control unit
detects the slope of the road surface
and depending on the sporty features
chosen, it autonomously chooses the
programme most suited to the situa-
tion.
During gearshifting, the gearbox con-
trol unit asks the injection control unit
to momentarily reduce the torque.
The duration of torque reduction
varies depending on the travelling con-
ditions.

121GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
– Do not drive too many hours at a
time but stop at intervals to stretch
your legs and recoup your energy;
– make sure the air in the passenger’s
compartment is being changed
continuously;
– never coast downhill (i.e. with the
engine off): if you do, you lose the aid
of engine braking, power brakes and
power steering so that braking re-
quires greater effort on the pedal and
steering requires greater effort on the
steering wheel.DRIVING AT NIGHT
These are the main rules to follow
when you are driving at night:
– drive especially carefully: it is hard-
er to drive at night;
– slow down especially if the road is
not lit;
– at the first signs of sleepiness, stop:
continuing would be a risk for yourself
and everybody else. Only start driving
again when you have had enough rest;
– keep a greater safety distance from
the vehicles in front of you than dur-
ing daylight hours: it is hard to judge
how fast other vehicles are going when
all you can see are their lights;
– make sure the headlights beams are
properly positioned: if they are too
low, they reduce visibility and strain
your eyes. If they are too high they can
dazzle other drivers. Adjust headlight
beam according to transported load;
– only use main beam headlights
when you are driving outside town
and when you are sure they do not an-
noy other drivers. dip your headlights
Water, ice or salt sprinkled
on the road can deposit on
the brake discs and reduce effi-
ciency of the first braking.
WARNING
Do not drive with objects
on the floor in front of the
driver’s seat: they could caught un-
der the pedals making braking or
accelerating impossible.
WARNING
Pay attention to the mats:
even a small problem to the
braking system may require in-
creased brake pedal stroke with re-
spect to normal.
WARNING

125GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
Electric devices
Use electric devices for the neces-
sary time only. The heated rear win-
dow, fog lights, windscreen wipers,
heater fan require large amounts of
electricity and increasing the request
for power will also increase fuel con-
sumption (up to +25% when driving in
towns).
Climate control system
The climate control system is an ad-
ditional load which greatly affects the
engine leading to higher consumption.
When the temperature outside the
vehicle allows it, use the air vents
where possible.
DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine when the
vehicle is stationary or at high or low
speed: in this way the engine will warm
up gradually increasing consumption
and emissions. You should drive off
slowly straight away avoiding high revs
so that the engine will warm up more
quickly.Unnecessary actions
Avoid revving the engine when
stopped at traffic lights or before
switching off the engine and avoid dou-
bling the clutch as these actions have
no purpose on modern vehicles and
serve only to increase consumption
and pollution.
Gear selections
As soon as the traffic and road con-
ditions allow it, shift to a higher gear.
Using a low gear to liven up accelera-
tion greatly increases consumption. In
the same way improper use of high
gears will increase consumption, emis-
sions and engine wear.
On passenger transportation versions
fitted with 2.3, 2.8 JTD and 2.8 JTD
POWER engines, fuel consumption can
be optimised by starting (on level road)
in 2nd gear instead of 1st gear.Top speeds
Fuel consumption increases consid-
erably as speed increases. Your speed
should be kept as even as possible and
superfluous braking and acceleration
avoided as this increases both con-
sumption and emissions.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently increasing the
revs will greatly affect consumption
and emissions; acceleration should be
gradual and should not exceed the
maximum torque.

126GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Frequent cold starting will not enable
the engine to reach optimal running
temperature. It follows, therefore,
that consumption will be higher (from
+15 to +30% in towns) as will the
production of toxic emissions.
Traffic and road conditions
Heavy traffic and higher consumption
are synonymous: for example, when
driving slowly with frequent use of low-
er 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.LOAD
RECOMMENDATIONS
The version of the Ducato you are
driving has been designed and ap-
proved on the basis of several set
maximum weights (see the tables
“Weights” in section “Technical spec-
ifications”):
– kerb weight
– payload
– total weight
– total weight on the front axle
– total weight on the rear axle
– towable weight
fig. 10
F0D0047m
Each of these limits must be
borne in mind and MUST
NEVER BE EXCEEDED under any
circumstances. In particular, never
exceed the maximum weight per-
mitted on the front and rear axles
when arranging loads in vehicle (es-
pecially for special version vehicles).
WARNING
Chance knocks or sudden
braking can cause sudden
shifts of the load which could jeop-
ardise the safety of the driver and
the passengers: before you start off
make sure the load is firmly secured
by using the hooks built into the
floor for that purpose fig. 10. Use
metal cables, ropes or straps strong
enough to support the weight of
the load to be fixed.
WARNING

128GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
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 vehicle’s performance.
Keeping these devices in good con-
ditions 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.
If your vehicle has a petrol engine
with catalytic converter use only un-
leaded petrol.
if you have trouble starting, do not
keep turning the ignition key for long
periods. Be especially careful to avoid
bump starting the vehicle by pushing,
towing or rolling downhill: these are
all manoeuvres that can damage the
catalyst.
Use an auxiliary battery for start-ups
only.If the engine begins to “loose its
smoothness” when travelling, contin-
ue your journey but reduce the de-
mands you are making on the engine
and have the vehicle seen to at a Fi-
at Dealershipas soon as you can.
When the instrument panel fuel re-
serve warning light comes on, fill up as
soon as possible. A low fuel level may
cause an uneven supply of fuel to the
engine with inevitable increase in the
temperature of the exhaust gas and se-
rious damage to the catalytic con-
verter.
Never run the engine with one or
more spark plugs disconnected, even
for testing purposes.
Do not warm up the engine by let-
ting it idle for a while before moving
off unless the outside temperature is
very low and, even in this case, only
do so for less than thirty seconds.
Do not install heat shields and do not
remove those already fitted to the cat-
alytic converter and exhaust pipe.
Do not allow anything to
be sprayed onto the cat-
alytic converter, lambda sensor and
exhaust pipe.
WARNING
Ignoring the above rules
may lead to fire.
WARNING
When functioning normal-
ly the catalytic converter
reaches high temperatures. For this
reason do not park the vehicle over
inflammable material (grass, dry
leaves, pine needles, etc.): fire haz-
ard.
WARNING

129GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
TOWING A TRAILER
IMPORTANT
The vehicle must be fitted with a ho-
mologated tow hitch and suitable elec-
trical system for towing a caravan or
trailer. Have the tow hitch fitted by an
expert who will issue specific docu-
mentation for use on roads.
Fit special wing mirrors in accor-
dance with the highway code.
Remember that towing a trailer
makes it harder for the vehicle to
climb the maximum gradients speci-
fied, increases braking and overtaking
distance, proportionally to the overall
weight of the trailer.
Engage a low gear when driving
downhill rather than constantly brak-
ing.
The weight the trailer exerts on the
vehicle’s tow hitch coupling reduces
the vehicle’s payload by the same
amount.In order to be sure you are not ex-
ceeding the maximum towing weight
(shown in the log book) you have to
take into account the trailer weight ful-
ly laden including the accessories and
personal luggage.
Do not exceed the speed limits for
towing a trailer in the country you are
driving in. In any case, do not exceed
the top speed of 100 km/h.TOW HITCH INSTALLATION
The tow hitch must be fixed to the
body by an expert in accordance with
the following instructions and re-
specting the additional and/or integra-
tive information provided by the tow
hitch manufacturer.
The tow hitch to be fitted must com-
ply with the current regulations in
force, with reference to Directive
94/20/CEE and subsequent modifica-
tions.
Use a tow hitch suited for the maxi-
mum towable load of the vehicle version
on which the tow hitch is to be fitted.
Use a unified coupling for the elec-
trical connections. The coupling is gen-
erally fitted on a specific mount fas-
tened to the tow hitch.
For the electrical connections, a 7 or
13 pole 12VDC coupling must be used
(CUNA/UNI and ISO/DIN standards).
Follow the instructions provided by
the manufacturer of the vehicle and/or
the tow hitch.
For the electric connections use the
proper trailer light control unit.
Under no circumstances
modify the vehicle’s braking
system for trailer braking control.
The trailer braking system must be
completely independent from the
vehicle hydraulic system.
WARNING
Where your vehicle is
equipped with ABS, re-
member that this has no effect over
the trailer braking system. Particu-
lar care must be taken on slippery
surfaces.
WARNING

130GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
The electrical brake or other device
(electrical winch, etc.) must be pow-
ered directly from the battery by
means of a lead with a cross-section
area not smaller than 2.5 mm
2.
In addition to the electrical connec-
tions, only the power wire for an ad-
ditional electrical brake and for inter-
nal trailer lighting with a power not
exceeding 15W can be connected to
the vehicle’s electrical system.
FITTING DIAGRAM
Van - Panorama - Combi -
Ambulance versions - fig. 11
The body of the tow hitch must be
secured by means of 6 screws in the
points shown Ø(use the left spring
attachment holes replacing the original
screws with other appropriately sized
and resistant screws).
Alternatively, a second tow hitch
with the following elongated dimen-
sions has been homologated:
(1) mm 400
(2) mm 0
fig. 11
F0D0242m
Rear wheel axle
Fully laden
vehicleBall centre
Suspension fastenings
Vehicle centre lineGround