120GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
BEFORE GETTING BEHIND
THE WHEEL
– Make sure all light, including the
headlights, are working properly;
– adjust the position of seats and dri-
ving and door mirrors properly for the
best driving position;
– make sure that nothing (mats, etc.)
gets in the way of the pedals when
they are pushed down;
– make sure that any child restraint
systems (child seats, cradles, etc.) are
properly fixed;
– place any objects in the load com-
partment in such a way that they can-
not be thrown forwards in the event
of an accident;
– light eating will help keep your re-
flexes prompt. Above all, do not have
anything alcoholic to drink.
Remember to periodically check:
– tyre pressure,
– engine oil level,
– engine coolant level and cooling
system conditions,– brake fluid level,
– windscreen washer fluid level.
WHEN TRAVELLING
– The first rule of safe driving is pru-
dence;
– prudence also means putting your-
self into a position where you can pre-
dict wrong or imprudent behaviour
from other drivers;
– stick closely to the rules of the
road in the particular country where
the vehicle is being driven and, above
all, do not exceed speed limits;
– ensure that, besides yourself, all the
other passengers in the vehicle have
their seat belts fastened, that children
are sitting in the appropriate child
seats and any animals in the vehicle are
placed in suitable compartment;
– you should be physically fit and
mentally alert before setting out on
long journeys.
Always fasten both front
and back seat belts
(Panorama, Minibus, Combi and
Crew Cab versions). Travelling with
the seat belts unfastened increas-
es the risk of injury or death if you
are in a collision.
WARNING
Driving while drunk or un-
der the influence of drugs
or certain medicines is dangerous
for both you and other road users.
WARNING
123GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
– if you are forced to stop your ve-
hicle (breakdown, limited visibility,
etc.) try to stop off the road. Turn on
the hazard lights and, if possible, the
dipped beam headlights. Rhythmically
sound the horn if you release anoth-
er vehicle is coming.
DRIVING IN THE
MOUNTAINS
– Check fluid levels (oil, brake fluid,
coolant) and tyre wear before driving
in the mountains;
– when driving downhill use the en-
gine braking effect by engaging a low
gear so as not to overheat the brakes;
– under no circumstances should you
drive downhill with the engine off or
with the gear in neutral, let alone with
the ignition key out;
– drive at moderate speed and avoid
“cutting” corners;
– remember that overtaking while
going uphill is slower and therefore re-
quires more free road. If you are be-
ing overtaken while driving uphill,
make it easier for the other vehicle
to pass.DRIVING ON SNOW
AND ICE
Here are some tips for driving in
these conditions:
– keep your speed down;
– use chains if the roads are covered
with snow;
– do not park the vehicle with the
engine running for long periods of
time: snow could divert exhaust fumes
into the passenger compartment;
– mainly use the braking effect of the
engine and under all circumstances
avoid braking sharply;
– when braking a vehicle not fitted
with ABS, reduce the possibility of the
wheels locking by varying the pressure
you exert on the brake pedal;
– do not accelerate suddenly and
avoid swerving;– in the winter, even apparently dry
roads may have icy patches. Be care-
ful therefore when driving over
stretches that do not get much expo-
sure to the sun or are lined with trees
or rocks where ice might not have
melted;
– keep a good distance from the ve-
hicles in front.
DRIVING WITH ABS
– ABS is a braking system that es-
sentially offers two advantages:
1) It prevents wheel lock and con-
sequent skidding in emergency stops,
particularly when the road does not
offer much grip.
2) it makes it possible to brake and
steer at the same time and direct the
vehicle where you want while braking.
134GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
VEHICLE STORAGE
The following precautions should be
taken if the vehicle will not be used for
several months:
– park the vehicle in covered, dry and
if possible well-ventilated premises;
– engage a gear;
– remove the cables from the battery
(first remove the cable to the negative
terminal) and check the battery
charge. If the vehicle is to be stored
for long periods the charge of the bat-
tery should be checked every month
and recharged if it falls below 12.5 V;– make sure the handbrake is not en-
gaged;
– 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 rub-
ber windscreen and rear window
wiper blades and lift them off the glass;
– slightly open the windows;
– cover the vehicle with a cloth or
perforated plastic sheet. Do not use
sheets of non-perforated plastic as
they do not allow moisture on the ve-
hicle 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 sys-
tem.
IMPORTANTWhere relevant,
switch off the electronic vehicle alarm
with the remote control and deacti-
vate the system by turning the emer-
gency key to OFF (see “Electronic
alarm” in section “Getting to know
your vehicle”).
138IN AN EMERGENCY
1. STOP THE VEHICLE
– Stop the vehicle in a position that
is not dangerous for oncoming traffic
where you can change the wheel safe-
ly. The ground should be flat and ad-
equately firm. If you have to change
the wheel at night, choose a lit area if
possible.
– Turn the engine off and pull up the
handbrake.
– Engage first or reverse gear.
– Alert other drivers that the vehicle
is stationary in compliance with local
regulations: hazard warning lights,
warning triangle, etc.
Any passengers should get out and
wait as far away as possible from the
danger of traffic.
If the road is sloping or bumpy, place
wedges or other suitable material to
prevent the vehicle from moving, un-
der the wheels.2. TAKE OUT THE TOOLS,
JACK AND SPARE WHEEL
The tools are in the cab near the
seats.
Please note:
– the jack weights 4.2 kg;
– the jack requires no adjustments;
– the jack cannot be repaired. If it
breaks it must be replaced with a new
jack;
– no other tool, apart from the ex-
tension and the ratchet wrench shown
in this chapter can be fitted to the jack.
The spare wheel is located under the
rear part of the load bed.
Do not lubricate the bolt
threads before fitting
them back: they could come
loose.
WARNING
Check tyre pressure and
spare wheel pressure regu-
larly. Refer to section “Technical
Specifications”.
WARNING
163VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
SERVICE SCHEDULE
thousands of kilometres
Check tyre conditions and wear and adjust pressure, if required
Check lighting system operation (headlights, direction indicators, hazard lights,
load compartment light, ceiling lights, warning lights, etc.)
Check windscreen wiper/washer operation, adjust nozzles
Check windscreen/rear window wiper blade position/wear
Check front and rear (where fitted) disc brake pad conditions and wear
Check rear drum brake linings conditions and wear (where fitted)
Inspect conditions and soundness of:
– outer bodywork and underbody protection;
– piping (exhaust - fuel feed and brakes)
– rubber parts (boots, sleeves, bushings, etc.)
– fuel feed and braking system hosing
Check tension and conditions of various control belts and adjust, if required
(excluding engines with automatic belt tighteners)
Check accelerator pedal stroke and adjust, if required
Check handbrake lever stroke and adjust, if required
Check tappet clearance and adjust, if required (2.8 JTD version)
Check tappet clearance and adjust, if required (petrol versions)
Check exhaust emissions
30 60 90 120 150 180
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164VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
thousands of kilometres
Replace fuel filter cartridge (Diesel versions)
Replace air cleaner cartridge (Diesel versions)
Replace air cleaner cartridge (petrol versions)
Replace spark plugs (petrol versions)
Top up fluids (engine coolant, brakes, power steering,
battery, windscreen washer, etc.)
Check timing belt conditions (***)
Replace timing belt and various control belts
(or every 48 months) (*)
Check engine control systems via diagnostic socket
Change gearbox - transmission - rear axle oil (4WD version)
Check gearbox/differential oil level (automatic transmission)
Change engine oil (**)
Replace engine oil filter (**)
Change brake fluid (or every 24 months)
Replace pollen filter (or every 12 months)
(*) Replace every 240,000 km or every 60 months for 2.3 JTD versions.
(**) Change/replace engine oil filter and oil every 40,000 km for 2.3 JTD versions
(***) Every 120,000 km for 2.3 JTD versions
30 60 90 120 150 180
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165VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
ANNUAL
INSPECTION
SCHEDULE
The following annual inspection
schedule is required for vehicles trav-
elling 15,000 Kmapprox. a year. The
schedule includes the following oper-
ations:
– check tyre condition and wear and
adjust pressure, if required (including
spare wheel);
– check operation of lights (head-
lights, direction indicators, hazard
lights, boot light, passenger compart-
ment light, instrument panel lights,
etc.);
– check windscreen wiper/washer
and adjust nozzles;
– check position and wear of wind-
screen/rear window wiper blades;
– check front pad conditions and
wear;
– check for bonnet and boot lock
cleanness, lever cleanness and lubri-
cation;– inspect conditions of: engine, gear-
box, transmission, piping (exhaust, fu-
el feed, brakes), rubber parts (boots,
sleeves, bushings, etc.), brake and fu-
el line hoses;
– check battery charge status;
– check conditions of various control
belts;
– check and top up fluid levels (en-
gine coolant, brakes, windscreen
washer, battery, etc.);
– check and top up engine oil;
– replace pollen filter.
ADDITIONAL
CHECKS
Every 1,000 km or before long
trips, check and top up as necessary:
– engine coolant level
– brake fluid level
– power steering fluid level
– battery electrolyte level
– windscreen washer fluid
– tyre pressure and conditions.
Every 3,000 km or before long
trips, check and top up as necessary:
engine oil
Every 10,000 kmor at cwarning
light coming on (diesel engines only):
bleed water from fuel filter.
You are recommended to use FL
Seleniaproducts designed and pro-
duced for Fiat vehicles (see the “Ca-
pacities” table in the “Technical Spec-
ifications” section).
166VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
IMPORTANT - Pollen filter
If the vehicle is often used in dusty
or extremely polluted environments,
you should change the filter element
more frequently. It should be changed
especially if the amount of air intro-
duced into the passenger compart-
ment has decreased.
IMPORTANT - Diesel filter
Refuelling with diesel fuel not com-
plying with the grade of purity pre-
scribed by European Specification
EN590 might make it necessary to re-
place the filter more frequently than
indicated in the Service Schedule.
IMPORTANT - Battery
The charge in your battery should be
checked, where possible at the start
of the winter, to limit the risk of the
battery electrolyte freezing.
This check should be carried out
more frequently if the vehicle is mainly
used for short trips or if it is fitted
with accessories that permanently
take in electricity even when the igni-
tion key is removed, especially in the
case of after market accessories.You should check the battery fluid
(electrolyte) level more frequently
than shown in the Service Schedule if
the vehicle is used in hot climates or
particularly demanding conditions.
IMPORTANTAs concerns Camp-
ing Car versions, due to high electric
absorption, observe indications rele-
vant to battery contained in para-
graphs "Vehicle storage" (section
"Getting the best out of your vehicle")
and "Battery – Checking the charge"
(section "Vehicle maintenance").
Maintenance of your ve-
hicle should be entrusted
to a Fiat Dealership. For
ordinary routine maintenance
operations which you are able to
carry out yourself, ensure that
you have the necessary tools and
original Fiat spare parts and flu-
ids available. Do not carry out
servicing operations if you have
no experience.IMPORTANT - Engine oil
Change the engine oil more fre-
quently than shown in the Service
Schedule if the vehicle is normally dri-
ven in one of the following particular-
ly severe conditions:
– towing a trailer
– on dusty roads
– short distances (less than 7-8 km)
repeated and with external tempera-
tures below zero.
– frequently idling engines or long
distance low speed driving (e. g. taxis
or door-to-door deliveries) or in case
of a long term inactivity replace engine
oil more frequently than required on
Scheduled Maintenance Plan.
IMPORTANT - Air cleaner
Replace the air cleaner more fre-
quently if the vehicle is used on dusty
roads.
If you are in doubt about how often
the engine oil or the air cleaner should
be changed in relation to how you use
the vehicle, contact a Fiat Dealer-
ship.