2006 FIAT CROMA Owners Manual

PARKING THE CAR
Engage the handbrake and set gear lever to
P. Leave the wheels steered. Block the
wheels with a wedge or a stone if the car
is parked on a steep slope.
Do not leave the ignition key at ONto
prevent draining the battery. Always re-
move the key when you leave the car.TOWING THE CAR
IMPORTANT Comply with current local
regulations to tow the car.
If the car is to be towed, observe the fol-
lowing recommendations:
❒transport the car, if possible, on the
flatbed of a wrecker or maintenance
vehicle;
❒should this not be possible, tow the
car with the front driving wheels
raised from ground.
For towing the car, the gear lever shall be
set to N. FAILURE INDICATIONS
Failures to the electronic automatic trans-
mission is indicated by the turning of warn-
ing light
ton the instrument panel to-
gether with the dedicated message on the
multifunction display (see section “Warn-
ing lights and messages”).
Contact Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble to have the fault removed.
STOPPING THE CAR
To stop the car:
❒release the accelerator pedal;
❒press the brake pedal.
IMPORTANT With the car on a sloping
road and engine running, keep the car
stopped just using the brake pedal, do not
press the accelerator pedal.
With the car parked with engine running
and gear lever at D, R or in sequential
mode, keep the brake pedal pressed to
prevent car moving off by engine idling.
For long stops set gear lever to P.
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Never leave children unat-
tended in the car.
WARNING
BUZZER WARNINGS
The warning buzzer will sound and P po-
sition will flash for a few seconds when the
ignition key is at OFFand the gear lever
is not set at P.
Ignition key can only be removed with
gear lever at P.Do not start the engine when
towing the car.
Failure to observe the above
instructions could seriously
damage the automatic trans-
mission.
Never leave children unat-
tended in the car.
WARNING

Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack from
the roof as soon as they are no longer
used. These accessories lower air pene-
tration and adversely affect consumption
levels. When needing to carry particular-
ly voluminous objects, preferably use a
trailer.
Electric devices
Use electric devices only for the amount
of time needed. Rear heated window, ad-
ditional headlights, windscreen wipers and
heater fan need a considerable amount of
energy, therefore increasing the require-
ment of current increases fuel consump-
tion (up to +25% in the urban cycle).
Climate control
The air conditioner is an additional load
which greatly affects the engine leading to
higher consumption (on average up to
+20%). When the temperature outside
the car permits it, use the air vents where
possible.
Spoilers
The use of non-certified aerodynamic
items may adversely affect air drag and
consumption levels.DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine with the car at
a standstill or at idle or high speed: under
these conditions the engine warms up
much more slowly, increasing electrical
consumption and emissions. It is therefore
advisable to move off immediately, slow-
ly, avoiding high speeds. This way the en-
gine will warm faster.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid accelerating when waiting at traffic
lights or before switching off the engine.
This and also double declutching is ab-
solutely pointless on modern cars and al-
so increase consumption and pollution.
Gear selection
As soon as the conditions of the traffic and
road allow, use a higher gear. Using a low
gear to obtain brilliant performance in-
creases consumption.
In the same way improper use of a high
gear increases consumption, emissions an
engine wear.CONTAINING
RUNNING COSTS
Here are some suggestions which may
help you to keep the running costs of your
car down and lower the amount of toxic
emissions released into the atmosphere.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out
in accordance with the “Service schedule”.
Tyres
Check the pressure of the tyres routine-
ly at an interval of no more than 4 weeks:
if the pressure is too low, consumption
levels increase as resistance to rolling is
higher.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much luggage
stowed in the boot. The weight of the car
(especially when driving in town) and its
trim greatly affects consumption and sta-
bility.
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Traffic situations and road
conditions
Rather high consumption levels are tied to
situations with heavy traffic, for example
in queues with frequent use of the lower
gears or in cities with many traffic lights.
Also winding mountain roads and rough
road surfaces adversely affect consump-
tion.
Traffic hold-ups
During prolonged hold-ups (e.g.: level
crossings) the engine should be switched
off.TOWING TRAILERS
IMPORTANT NOTES
For towing caravans or trailers the car
must be fitted with a certified tow hook
and an adequate electric system. Installa-
tion should be carried out by specialised
personnel who release a special document
for circulation on the road.
Install any specific and/or additional rear-
view mirrors as specified by law.
Remember that when towing a trailer,
steep hills are harder to climb, the brak-
ing spaces increase and overtaking takes
longer depending on the overall weight.
Engage a low gear when driving downhill,
rather than constantly using the brake.
The weight the trailer exerts on the car
tow hook reduces by the same amount
the actual car loading capacity. To make
sure the maximum towable weight is not
exceeded (given in the log book) account
should be taken of the fully laden trailer,
including accessories and personal be-
longings. Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases
with speed. Avoid superfluous braking and
accelerating, which cost in terms of both
fuel and emissions.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently increasing the revs
will greatly affect consumption and emis-
sions: acceleration should be gradual and
should not exceed the maximum torque.
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts do
not allow the engine to reach optimum
operating temperature. This results in a
significant increase in consumption levels
(from +15 to +30% on the urban cycle)
and emission of harmful substances.
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INSTALLING THE TOW HOOK
The towing device should be fastened to
the body by specialised personnel accord-
ing to any additional and/or integrative in-
formation supplied by the Manufacturer of
the device.
The towing device must meet current reg-
ulations with reference to 94/20/EC Di-
rective and subsequent amendments.
For any version the towing device used
must match the towable weight of the car
on which it is to be installed.
For the electric connection a unified con-
nector should be used which is generally
placed on a special bracket normally fas-
tened to the towing device, and a special
ECU for external trailer light control shall
be installed on the car.
For the electrical connection, 7 or 13 pin
12VDC connection is to be used (CU-
NA/UNI and ISO/DIN Standards). Follow
the instructions provided by the car man-
ufacturer and/or the tow hitch manufac-
turer.An electric brake should be supplied di-
rectly by the battery through a cable with
a cross section of no less than
2.5 mm
2.
IMPORTANT Electric brake or other de-
vice shall be used with running engine.
In addition to the electrical branches, the
car’s electric system can only be con-
nected to the supply cable for an electric
brake and to the cable for an internal light,
though not above 15W.
For connections use the preset control
unit with battery cable no less than 2.5
mm
2. Do not exceed the speed limits of the
country you are driving in. In any case do
not exceed 100 km/h.
It is recommended to use a proper tow-
ing stabiliser on the trailer drawbar.
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The ABS system with which
the car may be fitted does
not control the trailer braking system.
Drive with extreme care on slippery
roadbeds.
WARNING
Under no circumstances
should the car brake system
be altered to control the trailer brake.
The trailer braking system must be
fully independent of the car hydraulic
system.
WARNING

ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM fig. 7
The tow hook structure must be fastened using a total of 4 M10 screws
(A).
Thickness of upper plates, left Band right C, shall be 6 mm min.
Thickness of lower plates, left Eand right F, shall be 8 mm min.
The hook should be fastened to the body avoiding any type of drilling
and trimming of the rear bumpers that remains visible when the hook
is removed.
IMPORTANT It is compulsory to fasten a label (plainly visible) of suit-
able size and material with the following wording:
MAX LOAD ON BALL 70 kg
After fitting, screw holes shall be sealed to prevent exhaust gas inlet.
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fig. 7F0L0236m

IMPORTANT When snow tyres are used
with a max speed index below the one
that can be reached by the car (increased
by 5%), place a notice in the passenger’s
compartment, plainly in the driver’s view
which states the max permissible speed of
the snow tyres (as per EC Directive).
All four tyres should be the same (brand
and track) to ensure greater safety when
driving and braking and better driveabili-
ty.
Remember that it is inappropriate to
change the direction of rotation of tyres.SNOW TYRES
Use snow tyres of the same size as the
normal tyres provided with the car.
Fiat Dealership will be happy to provide
advice concerning the most suitable type
of tyre for the customer’s requirements.
For the type of tyre to be used, inflation
pressures and the specifications of snow
tyres, follow the instructions given in para-
graph “Wheels” in section “Technical
specifications”.
The winter features of these tyres are re-
duced considerably when the tread depth
is below 4 mm. In this case, they should
be replaced.
Due to the snow tyre features, under nor-
mal conditions of use or on long motor-
way journeys, the performance of these
tyres is lower than that of normal tyres. It
is therefore necessary to limit their use to
the purposes for which they are certified.
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The max speed for snow
tyres with “Q” marking is
160 km/h; 190 km/h for tyres with “T”
marking and 210 km/h for tyres with
H marking. The Road Traffic Code
speed limits must however be always
strictly observed.
WARNING

SNOW CHAINS
Use of snow chains should be in compli-
ance with local regulations.
Snow chains should only be applied to the
driving wheels (front wheels). We rec-
ommend using Lineaccessori Fiat snow
chains.
Check the tension of the chains after the
first few metres have been driven.
IMPORTANT Snow chains cannot be fit-
ted to the space-saver spare wheel. So, if
a front (drive) wheel is punctured and
chains are needed, a rear wheel should be
fitted to the front of the car and the spare
wheel should be fitted to the rear. This
way with two normal drive wheels, snow
chains can be fitted to them to solve an
emergency.
IMPORTANT Snow chains shall only be
a temporary solution. Use snow tyres if
you have to travel for long on roadbeds
covered with snow or ice.
IMPORTANT With snow chains fitted,
use the accelerator with extreme care to
prevent or to reduce to a minimum dri-
ving wheel skidding in order to avoid snow
chain breaking that could cause damages
to the body or the mechanical parts of the
car.
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Versions Tyres on which chains Type of snow chains
can be fitted to be used
1.8 - 2.2205/55 R16 91V
1.9 Multijet215/55 R16 93W2.4 Multijet
215/50 R17 91WSnow chains with reduced size with
max protrusion beyond the tyre
profile of 9 mm
Refer to the above mentioned table for information on the wheels where
snow chains can be fitted. Follow the prescriptions.
Keep your speed down when snow chains are fitted. Do not ex-
ceed 40 km/h. Avoid potholes, steps and pavements and avoid
also to drive for long distances on roads not covered with snow
to prevent damaging the car and the roadbed.

❒clean and protect the painted parts us-
ing protective wax;
❒clean and protect the shiny metal parts
using special compounds readily avail-
able;
❒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 perfo-
rated plastic sheet. Do not use sheets
of non-perforated plastic as they do
not allow moisture on the car body to
evaporate;
❒inflate tyres to +0,5 bar above the
normal specified pressure and check it
at intervals;
❒if you don’t disconnect the battery
from the electric system, check its
charge every month and recharge it if
the optical indicator shows a dark
colour without the central green area;
❒do not drain the engine cooling sys-
tem.
IMPORTANT Where relevant, switch off
the car alarm with the remote control.
CAR INACTIVITY
If the car is to be left inactive for longer
than a month, the following precautions
should be noted:
❒park the car in covered, dry and if pos-
sible well-ventilated premises;
❒engage a gear (position P with auto-
matic transmission);
❒check that the handbrake is not en-
gaged;
❒disconnect battery terminals (first dis-
connect the negative terminal) and
check the battery charge. This check
is to be repeated every three months
when the car is left inactive. Recharge
if the optical indicator shows a dark
colour without the central green area;
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