Page 72 of 258

71GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
CONTROLS
CENTRAL BUTTON PANEL
fig. 103
A- Heated rear window on/off
(where provided)
When the heated rear window is
switched on, also the door mirror de-
frosting function is activated. It is how-
ever possible to activate the defrost-
ing function without switching on the
heated rear window: the control but-
ton is the same.
B - Front fog lights on/off
C- Hazard lights on/off
CEILING LIGHT
The lights come on automatically
when a front door is opened.
Press button A-fig. 101to switch
both lights on with the doors closed
or open.
Press button Cto light the right lamp
only. Press button Bto light the left
lamp only.
A second ceiling light can be found
over the rear door in the load com-
partment. Press the short side of the
plastic lens as shown in fig. 102to
switch this light on.
fig. 101
F0D0037m
fig. 102
F0D0038m
In the event of defective
device operation or unsuc-
cessful operation, press button
OFF and contact the Fiat Dealer-
ship after checking the protection
fuse well-being. Deactivate the de-
vice when you are not using it to
prevent accidental speed memori-
sation.
WARNING
fig. 103
F0D0032m
Page 73 of 258
72GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
fig. 104
F0D00164m
fig. 105
F0D105m
All direction indicators will flash and
the instrument panel warning lights r
and ycome on when the button is
pressed regardless of the ignition key
position.FUEL CUT-OFF SWITCH
This a safety cut-off switch located in
the engine compartment on the dash-
board bulkhead fig. 105which comes
into operation in the case of an acci-
dent to block the supply of fuel there-
by stopping the engine.
D- Rear fog lights on/off.
E- ASR system (Antislip Regulation)
on/off.LEFT-HAND BUTTON
PANEL
Button panel in fig. 104is used on
Minibus, Ambulance and 4WD ver-
sions for adding special optional equip-
ment.
The use of hazard lights is
governed by the Highway
Code of the country you are in.
Keep to the rules.
WARNING
If, after an accident, you
can smell petrol or see that
the fuel feed system is leaking, to
avoid the risk of fire, do not reset
the switch.
WARNING
Page 78 of 258
77GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
ASHTRAY AND CIGAR
LIGHTER
Use:
1- to use the cigar lighter press but-
ton A-fig. 117after approximately 15
seconds it will return automatically to
its initial position and it is ready for use.
2- to open the ashtray, pull the cov-
er Bin arrow direction.To remove the ashtray, pull Bup-
wards as shown in fig. 118.
In Panorama versions, passenger ash-
trays are located in side upholstery.
IMPORTANTAlways check that
the cigar lighter has turned off.
Do not use the ashtray as a
waste paper basket: con-
tact with lit cigarettes could cause
a fire.
WARNING
The cigar lighter gets very
hot. Be careful how you
handle it and make sure it is not
used by children: danger of fire or
burns.
WARNING
fig. 117
F0D0035m
fig. 118
F0D0034m
Never use the cigar
lighter as current socket
since it could be dam-
aged! For this kind of use (in-
cluding mobile phones recharge)
only use the current sockets (A,
B, or C) shown on previous page.
Page 81 of 258

80GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
SIDE SLIDING DOOR
When leaving the vehicle
parked with the sliding
doors open, always check that the
door hooks are properly fastened
into the retaining device.
WARNING
fig. 123
F0D0084m
Do not move the vehicle
with side doors open.
WARNING
The sliding door opens in the same
way as the driver’s cab door.
The side sliding door is equipped
with a lock that stops it at the end of
its opening run. Push the outer handle
A-fig. 123(or the corresponding in-
ner one) to arrow direction.
In any case, always make sure that
the door is correctly fastened in the
door open catch.
fig. 124
F0D0658m
MOBILE FOOT BOARD
fig. 124 (where provided)
When opening cab or load com-
partment side door, a foot board will
come out under the vehicle floor to
make easier to get into the vehicle.
Always make sure the foot
board is fully retracted be-
fore moving off. Since the foot
board is interlocked with the side
sliding door, if the foot board is not
fully retracted or rear doors are not
perfectly closed will cause instru-
ment panel warning light ´com-
ing on.
WARNING
Page 87 of 258
86GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
HEADLIGHTS
ADJUSTING THE FRONT
HEADLIGHT BEAM
The correct positioning of the head-
light beams is very important for the
comfort and safety, not only of the
person driving the vehicle but also all
other road users.
This is also covered by a specific law.
To ensure you and other drivers
have the best visibility conditions when
travelling with the headlights on, the
headlights must be set properly.
fig. 136
F0D00043m
Check the positioning of
the headlight beams every
time you change the load to be car-
ried.
WARNINGHave the headlight positioning
checked at aFiat Dealership and
adjusted if necessary.
When the vehicle is loaded, it
“slopes” backwards. This means that
the headlight beam rises. In this case,
it is necessary to return it to the cor-
rect position.
This is achieved by turning knob A-
fig. 136to the load condition illus-
trated on the following page.
Page 89 of 258

88GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
If you have never driven a vehicle
with ABS before, you should practice
using the system on slippery terrain,
obviously with the necessary safety
precautions and keeping to the High-
way Code of the country you are in.
It is also a good idea to read the fol-
lowing information carefully.
The advantage in using the ABS sys-
tem is that it continues to give you
maximum manoeuvrability even when
braking hard in conditions of poor grip
by preventing the wheels locking.
You should, however, not expect the
braking distance to always decrease:
for example surfaces with gravel or
fresh snow on a slippery road will in
fact increase the braking distance.
To exploit the ABS system to the full
in the event of necessity, you should
take heed of the following advice:ABS
The vehicle is fitted with an ABS
braking system (optional), which pre-
vents the wheels from locking when
braking, makes the most of road grip
and gives the best control when emer-
gency braking under difficult road con-
ditions.
The driver can tell the ABS system
has come into play when he feels the
brake pedal pulsating slightly and the
system gets noiser.
This should not be interpreted as a
fault in the brakes; on the contrary it
is a sign that the ABS system is work-
ing: it tells the driver that the vehicle
is travelling at the limit of its road grip
and that he should alter his speed to
fit the type of road surface.
The ABS system is an addition to the
basic braking system. If there is a mal-
function, the system turns off auto-
matically and only the ordinary brakes
continue to work.
If a failure occurs, and consequently
the anti-lock function is not effective,
the braking system will continue to
work as usual.
If the ABS system cuts in it
is a sign that the grip be-
tween the tyre and the road surface
has reached the limit: you must
slow down to match the speed to
the road grip available.
WARNING
If there is a fault, the warn-
ing light >will light up on
the dashboard. At this point, reduce
speed and go to a Fiat Dealership
to have your vehicle checked and
put right immediately.
WARNING
The ABS exploits the tyre-
road grip available to the
full, but it cannot improve it; you
should therefore take every care
when driving on slippery surfaces,
and not take unnecessary risks.
WARNING
Page 90 of 258

89GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
Warning light >alone,
with the engine running,
normally indicates a fault in the
ABS system only. In this case, the
braking system is still efficient,
though without the anti-locking de-
vice. Under these conditions, per-
formance of the EBD system may
be reduced. In this case too, you are
advised to go immediately to the
nearest Fiat Dealership, driving in
such a way to avoid sharp braking
to have the system checked over.
WARNING
If the xbrake fluid low
warning light comes on,
stop the vehicle immediately and
contact the nearest Fiat Dealership.
Fluid leaks from the hydraulic sys-
tem, in fact, can compromise brake
system operation, both traditional
systems and systems with ABS.
WARNING
Braking while cornering always re-
quires extreme care even when using
ABS.
The most important advice to follow
is this:
If you follow these tips you will be
able to brake better in any situation.
IMPORTANTVehicles fitted with
ABS shall only be fitted with wheel rims,
tyres and brake pads of the make and
model approved by the vehicle manu-
facturer.The system is completed with an elec-
tronic brakeforce distributor called
EBD which improves braking system
performance by means of the ABSsys-
tem control unit and sensors.
When the ABS cuts in, and
you feel the brake pedal
pulsating, do not remove your foot,
but keep it pressed. In doing so you
will stop in the shortest amount of
space possible under the current
road conditions.
WARNING
The vehicle is fitted with an
electronic brakeforce dis-
tributor (EBD). The >and x
warning lights come on at the same
time when the engine is running to
indicate that there is an EBD sys-
tem failure. In this case violent
braking may be accompanied by
early rear wheel locking with the
possibility of skidding. Drive ex-
tremely carefully to the nearest Fi-
at Dealership to have the system
checked.
WARNING
Page 92 of 258

91GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
Therefore, failure to come into ac-
tion in the above circumstances does
not mean that the system is not work-
ing properly.
Airbag system efficiency is constant-
ly monitored by an electronic control
unit.
If warning light
¬(A-fig. 139)
comes on when travelling (indicating a
fault), have immediately the system
checked and repaired at a Fiat Deal-
ership.FRONT AIRBAG
PASSENGER SIDE
The passenger’s front airbag has been
designed and calibrated to improve the
protection of a person wearing seat
belts.
At its maximum inflation, its volume
fills most of the space between the
dashboard and the passenger.
fig. 139
F0D0190m
SERIOUS DANGER If it is
absolutely necessary to car-
ry a child on the front pas-
senger seat with the cradle
child’s seat facing back-
wards, the front passenger’s air bag
must be deactivated using the key
switch. In this case it is absolutely
necessary to check the warning
light
F(see paragraph “Passen-
ger’s front air bag”) to make sure
that deactivation has actually tak-
en place.
WARNING
With passenger’s air bag
active, never place child’s
seats with the cradle facing back-
wards since the air bag activation
could cause to the child serious in-
juries, even mortal, regardless of the
seriousness of the crash that trig-
gered it. You are advised to carry
children always with proper re-
straint systems on the rear seats, as
this is the most protected position
in the case of a crash.
WARNING