Page 188 of 240
188
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
CHECKING FLUID
LEVELS
1.Engine oil
2.Battery
3.Brake fluid
4.Windscreen/rear window washer
fluid
5.Engine coolant
IMPORTANT Topping up or change of
the power steering fluid of 2.2 petrol ver-
sions shall be carried out at a Fiat Deal-
ership.
fig. 1 - 2.2 versionsF0L0158m
Never smoke while working
in the engine compartment;
gas and inflammable vapours may be
present, with the risk of fire.
WARNING
When topping up take care
not to confuse the various
types of fluids: they are all in-
compatible with one another
and could seriously damage the car.
183-206 Croma TRW GB 20-11-2006 15:03 Pagina 188
Page 189 of 240
189
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
fig. 2 - 1.8 versionsF0L0320m
1.Engine oil
2.Battery
3.Brake fluid
4.Windscreen/rear window washer
fluid
5.Engine coolant
6.Power steering fluidWhen topping up take care
not to confuse the various
types of fluids: they are all in-
compatible with one another
and could seriously damage the car.
Never smoke while working
in the engine compartment;
gas and inflammable vapours may be
present, with the risk of fire.
WARNING
183-206 Croma TRW GB 20-11-2006 15:03 Pagina 189
Page 190 of 240
When topping up take care
not to confuse the various
types of fluids: they are all in-
compatible with one another
and could seriously damage the car.
190
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
1.Engine oil
2.Battery
3.Brake fluid
4.Windscreen/rear window washer
fluid
5.Engine coolant
6.Power steering fluid
fig. 3 - 1.9 Multijet 8V versionsF0L0208m
Never smoke while working
in the engine compartment;
gas and inflammable vapours may be
present, with the risk of fire.
WARNING
183-206 Croma TRW GB 20-11-2006 15:03 Pagina 190
Page 191 of 240
191
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
fig. 4 - 1.9 Multijet 16VversionsF0L0209m
When topping up take care
not to confuse the various
types of fluids: they are all in-
compatible with one another
and could seriously damage the car.
Never smoke while working
in the engine compartment;
gas and inflammable vapours may be
present, with the risk of fire.
WARNING
1.Engine oil
2.Battery
3.Brake fluid
4.Windscreen/rear window washer
fluid
5.Engine coolant
6.Power steering fluid
183-206 Croma TRW GB 20-11-2006 15:03 Pagina 191
Page 192 of 240
192
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
1.Engine oil
2.Battery
3.Brake fluid
4.Windscreen/rear window washer
fluid
5.Engine coolant
6.Power steering fluid
fig. 5 - 2.4 Multijet 20VversionsF0L0317m
When topping up take care
not to confuse the various
types of fluids: they are all in-
compatible with one another
and could seriously damage the car.
Never smoke while working
in the engine compartment;
gas and inflammable vapours may be
present, with the risk of fire.
WARNING
183-206 Croma TRW GB 20-11-2006 15:03 Pagina 192
Page 198 of 240

CHANGING THE BATTERY
If required, replace the battery with a gen-
uine spare part having the same specifi-
cations.
If a battery with different specifications is
fitted, the service intervals given in the
“Service schedule” in this section will no
longer be valid.
Refer to the instructions provided by the
battery manufacturer.
198
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
fig. 16F0L0191m
BATTERY
The battery is of the “Limited mainte-
nance” type: under normal conditions of
use the electrolyte does not need topping
up with distilled water.
CHECKING THE CHARGE fig. 16
The battery charge may be checked sat-
isfactorily through the inspection slot us-
ing the indicator Aand acting according
to the colour the indicator shows.
Refer to the table below or to the label
Bon the battery.
The liquid in the battery is
poisonous and corrosive.
Avoid contact with eyes and skin. Do
not bring naked flames or possible
sources of sparks near to the battery:
risk of fire and explosion.
WARNING
Running the battery with
low fluid level can damage
the battery beyond repair and could
also cause its explosion.
WARNING
Bright white colourTop up electrolyte Contact Fiat Dealership
Dark colour withoutLow charge level Charge the battery
green area in the centre(advisable to contact
Fiat Dealership)
Dark colour with Electrolyte level and charge No action
green area in the centresufficient
Incorrect fitting of electrical
and electronic accessories can
seriously damage the car. If af-
ter buying the car, you want
to install electric accessories which re-
quire permanent electric supply
(alarm, free-hand phone kit, etc.) con-
tact Fiat Dealership whose qualified
personnel, in addition to suggesting the
most suitable devices, will evaluate the
overall electric absorption, checking
whether the car electric system is ca-
pable of withstanding the load re-
quired, or whether it should be inte-
grated with a more powerful battery.
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199
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
USEFUL ADVICE FOR
LENGTHENING THE LIFE OF
YOUR BATTERY
To avoid draining your battery and length-
en its life, observe the following indica-
tions:
❒when you park the car, ensure the
doors, tailgate and bonnet are closed
properly;
❒the ceiling lights must be off. The car
is however provided with an auto-
matic system for switching off internal
lights;
❒do not keep accessories (e.g.: sound
system, hazard lights, etc.) switched on
for a long time when the engine is not
running;
❒before performing any operation on
the electrical system, disconnect the
battery negative cable;
❒battery terminals shall always be per-
fectly tightened. Batteries contain substances
that are very harmful for the
environment. You are advised
to have the battery changed
at a Fiat Dealership, which is properly
equipped for disposing of used batter-
ies respecting nature and the law.
If the car is left inactive for
long periods at cold, remove
the battery and store it in a warm
place to prevent freezing.
WARNING
When working on the bat-
tery or near it, always wear
the proper goggles.
WARNING
IMPORTANT A battery which is kept at
a charge of less than 50% (optical indica-
tor with dark colour without green area
in the middle) for any length of time will
be damaged by sulphation leading to a re-
duction in cranking power.
Moreover, this might lead to a higher risk
of the battery electrolyte freezing (this
may even occur at -10°C). If the car is in-
active for a long period of time, refer to
“Car inactivity”, in section “Correct use
of the car”.
If after buying the car, you want to install
electric accessories which require per-
manent electric supply (alarm, etc.) con-
tact Fiat Dealership whose qualified per-
sonnel, in addition to suggesting the most
suitable devices, will evaluate the overall
electric absorption, checking whether the
car’s electric system is capable of with-
standing the load required, or whether it
should be integrated with a more power-
ful battery.
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200
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
In fact, since these devices continue ab-
sorbing energy even when the ignition key
is off, they gradually run down the battery.
The total intake of these systems (facto-
ry and after-market) must be less than 0,6
mA x Ah (of the battery) as shown in the
following table:
IMPORTANT NOTES
❒As far as possible, avoid sharp brak-
ing and screech starts, etc. Be careful
not to hit the kerb, potholes or oth-
er obstacles hard. Driving for long
stretches over bumpy roads can dam-
age the tyres;
❒Periodically check that the tyres have
no cuts in the side wall, abnormal
swelling or irregular tyre wear. If any
of these occur, have the car seen to at
a Fiat Dealership;
❒Avoid overloading the car when trav-
elling: this may cause serious damage
to the wheels and tyres;
Battery Maximum
admitted
stand-by intake
70 Ah 42 mA
90 Ah (*) 54 mA
(*) Versions fitted with alarm.
WHEELS AND TYRES
Check the pressure of each tyre, includ-
ing the spare, every two weeks and before
long journeys. The pressure should be
checked with the tyre rested and cold.
For the correct tyre inflation pressure, see
“Wheels” in “Technical specifications”
section.
Incorrect pressure causes abnormal tyre
wear:
Anormal pressure: tread evenly worn.
Blow pressure: tread particularly worn
at the edges.
Chigh pressure: tread particularly worn
in the centre.
Tyres must be replaced when the tread
wears down to 1.6 mm. In any case, com-
ply with the laws in the country where the
car is being driven.
fig. 17F0L0159m
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