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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
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WARNING
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INDEX
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AND CONTROLS
GENERAL WARNINGS
❒When parking, take the utmost care
to obstacles that may be set above or
under the sensors.
❒Objects set close to the vehicle, un-
der certain circumstances are not de-
tected and could therefore cause
damages to the vehicle or be dam-
aged.
Below are listed some conditions that
could affect the parking system perfor-
mance:
❒Reduced sensor sensitivity or re-
duced parking system performance
could be due to the presence on the
sensor surface of: ice, snow, mud,
multiple painting.
❒The sensor detects a non-existent ob-
ject (“echo disturbances”) caused by
disturbances of mechanical nature,
e.g.: vehicle washing, rain (extreme
wind conditions), hail.
❒Indications sent by the sensors can al-
so be altered by ultrasound systems
(e.g.: truck pneumatic brakes or pneu-
matic hammers) set nearby the vehi-
cle.
❒Parking system performance could al-
so be affected by sensor position. For
instance, when trimming is changed
(due to wear of shock absorbers, sus-
pensions) or when changing tyres,
loading excessively the vehicle, car-
rying out specific tuning for lowering
the vehicle.
❒Obstacle detection at the top of the
vehicle (specially for vans or chassis
cabs) could not be guaranteed since
the system detects obstacles that can
strike the bottom of the vehicle.
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SAFETY
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CORRECT USE
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ACCESSORIES
PURCHASED BY THE
OWNER
If after buying the vehicle, you decide to
install electrical accessories that require a
permanent electric supply (alarm, satellite
antitheft system, etc.) or accessories that
in any case burden the electric supply,
contact Fiat Dealership, whose qualified
personnel, besides suggesting the most
suitable devices belonging to Lineaccessori
Fiat, will also evaluate the overall electric
absorption, checking whether the vehicle
electric system is able to withstand the
load required, or whether it needs to be
integrated with a more powerful battery.
Take care when fitting addi-
tional spoilers, alloy rims and
non-standard wheel caps: they might
reduce ventilation of the brakes, thus
their efficiency, during abrupt and re-
peated braking, or long downhill
slopes. Make sure that nothing (mats,
etc.) gets in the way of the pedals
when they are pushed down.
WARNING
For connection to existing ve-
hicle presetting system, con-
tact Fiat Dealership to prevent any
trouble that could impair vehicle safe-
ty.
WARNING
fig. 109F0N0158m
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CORRECT USE
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TECHNICAL
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IINDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
When the vehicle is parked on a steep
slope the reel mechanism may block; this
is normal. The reel mechanism also pre-
vents the webbing coming out when it is
jerked or if the vehicle brakes sharply, is
in a collision or when cornering at high
speed.ADJUSTING THE SEAT BELT
HEIGHT fig. 2
SEAT BELTS
USING THE SEAT BELTS fig. 1
The belt should be worn keeping the chest
straight and rested against the seat back.
To fasten the seat belts, take hold the
tongue Aand insert it into the buckle B,
until hearing the locking click.
At removal, if it jams, let it rewind for a
short stretch, then pull it out again with-
out jerking.
To unfasten the seat belts, press button
C. Guide the seat belt with your hand
while it is rewinding, to prevent it from
twisting.
Through the reel, the belt automatically
adapts to the body of the passenger wear-
ing it, allowing freedom of movement.
fig. 1F0N0069mfig. 2F0N0070m
Never press button C-fig. 1
when travelling.
WARNING
Only adjust seat belt height
when the vehicle is station-
ary.
WARNING
To adjust, press button A-fig. 2and raise
or lower the grip B-fig. 2.
Always adjust the height of the seat belt
to fit the person wearing it. This could
greatly reduce the risk of injury in the case
of collision.
The belt is adjusted properly when the
webbing passes approximately halfway be-
tween the edge of the shoulder and the
neck.
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WARNING
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE VEHICLE
ENGINE
STARTING
The vehicle is fitted with an electronic en-
gine lock device: if the engine fails to start,
see the paragraph “The Fiat CODE sys-
tem” in section “Dashboard and controls”.
We recommend that during
the initial period you do not
drive to full vehicle perfor-
mance (e.g.: excessive accel-
eration, long journeys at top speed,
sharp braking, etc.).
When the engine is switched
off never leave the key into
the ignition switch to prevent
pointless current absorption
from draining the battery.
Running the engine in con-
fined areas is extremely dan-
gerous. The engine consumes oxygen
and produces carbon monoxide
which is a highly toxic and lethal gas.
WARNING
Remember that the servo-
brake and power steering
are not operational until the engine
has been started, therefore much ef-
fort than usual is required on the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
WARNING
STARTING PROCEDURE
Proceed as follows:
❒engage the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒turn the ignition key to MAR: the
warning lights
mand Yon the in-
strument panel will turn on;
❒wait for the warning lights Yand
mto turn off. The hotter the engine
is, the quicker this will happen;
❒press the clutch pedal down to the
floor without pressing the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVVas soon
as warning light
mturns off. If you
wait too long you will lose the bene-
fit of the work done by the glow plugs.
Release the key as soon as the engine
starts.
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SAFETY
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CORRECT USE
OF THE VEHICLE
If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating starting.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
Yremains
lit together with warning light
mturn
the key to STOPand then back to MAR;
if the warning lights remain on, try with
the other keys provided with the vehicle.
IMPORTANT If the instrument panel
warning light
Ystays on glowing steadi-
ly, contact immediately Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
to MARwhen the engine is off.
The warning light
mwill
flash for 60 seconds at start-
up or during prolonged crank-
ing to indicate a fault in the
glow plug heating system. You can use
the vehicle as usual if the engine starts
but you should contact Fiat Dealership
as soon as possible.
HOW TO WARM UP THE
ENGINE AFTER IT HAS JUST
STARTED
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly, letting the engine turn
at medium revs. Do not accelerate
abruptly;
❒do not drive at full performance for
the initial kilometres. Wait until the
coolant temperature gauge starts
moving.
Remember that the servo-
brake and power steering are
not operational until the en-
gine has been started, there-
fore much effort than usual is required
on the brake pedal and steering wheel.
Never bump start the engine
by pushing, towing or coast-
ing downhill as this could
cause fuel to flow into the
catalytic exhaust system and damage
it beyond repair.
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOPwhile the en-
gine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, you
should allow the engine to “catch its
breath” before turning it off by letting it
idle to allow the temperature in the en-
gine compartment to fall.
A quick burst on the acceler-
ator before turning off the en-
gine serves absolutely no
practical purpose, it wastes
fuel and is damaging especially to tur-
bocharged engines.
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WARNING
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE VEHICLEWhen the handbrake lever is pulled up
and the ignition key is at MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
xwill turn
on.
To release the handbrake:
❒slightly lift the handbrake and press the
release button A;
❒keep button Apressed and lower the
lever. Warning light xwill turn off.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out
this operation to prevent the vehicle mov-
ing accidentally.
IMPORTANT Pull the handbrake only
when the vehicle is stationary or, with
vehicle running only if the hydraulic sys-
tem is failing. Should it be necessary to
use the handbrake with the vehicle run-
ning, pull it slowly to prevent rear axle
locking and vehicle side skid as a conse-
quence.
PARKING THE VEHICLE
Proceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the hand-
brake;
❒engage a gear (on a slope, engage
first gear if the vehicle is faced uphill
or reverse if it is faced downhill) and
leave the wheels steered.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a
stone if the vehicle is parked on a steep
slope. Do not leave the key in the igni-
tion switch to prevent draining the bat-
tery. Always remove the key when you
leave the vehicle.
HANDBRAKE fig. 1
The handbrake lever is located on the left-
hand side of the driver’s seat.
Pull the handbrake lever upwards until the
vehicle cannot be moved. Four or five
clicks are generally enough when the ve-
hicle is on level ground while nine or ten
may be required if the vehicle is on a steep
slope or laden.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case, con-
tact Fiat Dealership to have the handbrake
adjusted.
Never leave children unat-
tended in the vehicle. Always
remove the ignition key when leaving
the vehicle and take it out with you.
WARNING
fig. 1F0N0073m
USING THE MANUAL
GEARBOX
To engage the gears, press the clutch ped-
al fully and shift the gear lever into one of
the required positions (the diagram is
shown on the knob fig. 2).
To engage the 6th gear (where provided)
move the gearshift lever pressing slightly
rightwards to prevent engaging the 4th
gear accidentally. Do the same for shifting
from 6th to 5th gear.
IMPORTANT The vehicle can only be put
into reverse gear when it has stopped
moving completely. With the engine run-
ning, before engaging the reverse, wait at
least 2 seconds with the clutch pedal ful-
ly down to prevent damage and grating of
the gears.
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WARNING
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE VEHICLE
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 op-
erating temperature. This results in a sig-
nificant increase in consumption levels
(from +15 to +30% on the urban cycle)
and emission of harmful substances.
Traffic 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 (level crossings)
the engine should be switched off.TOWING TRAILERS
IMPORTANT NOTES
For towing caravans or trailers the vehi-
cle must be fitted with a certified tow
hook and an adequate electric system. In-
stallation should be carried out by spe-
cialised 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 ve-
hicle tow hook reduces by the same
amount the actual vehicle loading capaci-
ty. To make sure the maximum towable
weight is not exceeded (given in the log
book) account should be taken of the ful-
ly laden trailer, including accessories and
personal belongings. DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine when the vehi-
cle is stationary or at high or low speed:
in this way the engine will warm up grad-
ually increasing consumption and emis-
sions. You should drive off slowly straight
away avoiding high revs so that the engine
will warm up more quickly.
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 vehicles and
also 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.
Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases
with speed. Avoid superfluous braking and
accelerating, which cost in terms of both
fuel and emissions.
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WARNING
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE VEHICLE
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 ve-
hicle 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 vehicle.
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 vehicle
manufacturer and/or the tow hitch man-
ufacturer.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
vehicle’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.
Fit a suitable towing stabilizer to the trail-
er to be towed.
The ABS system with which
the vehicle may be fitted
does not control the trailer braking
system. Therefore be cautious on slip-
pery roads.
WARNING
Under no circumstances
should the vehicle brake sys-
tem be altered to control the trailer
brake. The trailer braking system
must be fully independent of the ve-
hicle’s hydraulic system.
WARNING