107GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
If you still cannot start the engine,
get in touch with a Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANT When the outside
temperature is low, it is important to
note that the use of a more fluid oil
will facilitate starting the cold engine.
Therefore, in winter, follow the advice
in chapter “Technical specifications”,
paragraph “Fluids and lubricants”.
IMPORTANTNever leave the igni-
tion key at MARwhen the engine is off.
Minibus and School Bus versions:
press the ignition enable button lo-
cated to the left of the steering col-
umn as shown in the specific supple-
ment to this handbook.HOW TO WARM UP
THE ENGINE AFTER IT
HAS JUST STARTED
(petrol and diesel versions)
– Begin to move forward slowly let-
ting the engine turn at medium revs.
Do not accelerate abruptly.
– Do not push the engine to its lim-
it for the first few kilometres. You are
recommended to wait until the
coolant temperature indicator starts
to move.
EMERGENCY START-UP
If the Fiat CODE system fails to
recognise that code transmitted by the
ignition key (warning light Yon the
instrument panel lit) the emergency
start-up can be performed by using the
CODE card code.
See the “In an emergency” section.Catalysed vehicles must
not be bump started
(pushed, towed or coast-
ed downhill) as this could cause
fuel to flow into the catalytic ex-
haust system and damage it be-
yond repair.
Remember that until the
engine has started the
brake booster and power steering
systems will not work and a greater
effort will therefore be required to
depress the brake pedal or turn the
steering wheel.
WARNING
108GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
SWITCHING OFF
THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOPwhile
the engine is idling.
IMPORTANTAfter a taxing drive
you should allow the engine to “catch
its breath” before turning it off by let-
ting it idle to allow temperature in the
engine compartment to fall.PARKING
Switch off the engine, pull up the
handbrake and engage a gear (1st gear
or reverse, according to whether the
vehicle is facing up or downhill) and
leave the wheels turned. If the vehi-
cle is left on a steep slope, wedges or
a rock should be used to lock the
wheels.
Do not leave the ignition key at
MAR to prevent running the battery
down. Always remove the key when
you leave the vehicle.HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever is located on
the left-hand side of the driver’s seat.
Pull the lever upwards as far as it will
go to apply the handbrake. Instrument
panel warning light xwill come on
when the key is turned to MAR.
IMPORTANTThe vehicle must be
blocked after three or four lever re-
leases when the vehicle is empty; the
number of releases necessary to block
it depend on the load and on the road
slope.
In case of problems, contact a Fiat
Dealershipto have it adjusted. A quick burst on the ac-
celerator before turning
off the engine serves ab-
solutely no practical purpose and
wastes fuel. It can also damage
turbo-charged engines.
fig. 1
F0D0044m
Never leave children unsu-
pervised in the vehicle.
WARNING
109GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
To release the handbrake:
1)slightly lift the handbrake and press
release button A-fig. 1;
2)keep the button pressed and low-
er the lever. Warning light xwill go
out;
3)press the brake pedal when car-
rying out this operation to prevent the
vehicle moving accidentally.
IMPORTANTPull the handbrake
lever only when the vehicle is at a
standstill, or when the vehicle is run-
ning, but however only in case of a fail-
ure of the hydraulic system.
Should the handbrake be exception-
ally used when the vehicle is running, it
is suggested to keep a moderate trac-
tion to avoid causing the rear axle
block, entailing vehicle side skidding.USING THE
MANUAL GEARBOX
Press the clutch fully before shifting
the gear stick into one of the positions
shown in the diagram fig. 2(the dia-
gram is also on the gear lever knob).
To engage reverse, lift the sliding ring
Aunder the knob and shift the lever
to the left and forth.IMPORTANTOnly engage the re-
verse gear when the vehicle is com-
pletely stationary.
With the engine running, before en-
gaging reverse, wait for at least 2 sec-
onds with the clutch pedal pressed to
avoid damaging the gears and grating.
fig. 2
F0D0057m
You must press the clutch
fully down to change gear
properly. It is therefore essential
that there is nothing under the ped-
als. Make sure that mats are lying
flat and do not get in the way of
pedals.
WARNING
112GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
IMPORTANTRemoving the igni-
tion key is only allowed with the
gearshift lever in position Pand for a
maximum time of 30 seconds from
when the engine is turned off P, when
the door is opened a buzzer will sound
for about 15 seconds to alert the dri-
ver.
In an emergency (flat battery) it is
possible to move the gearshift lever
from position P, pressing the clamp-
ing device fig. 7set under the gearshift
lever cap.R - Reverse
Move the gearshift lever to Rwith
the vehicle stationary, the engine idling
and the brake pedal pressed.
To prevent accidental movements,
the lever can only be moved to this
position with the button C-fig. 4
pressed.
With the lever in position Rthe re-
verse lights turn on and a buzzer
sounds for about 4 seconds to warn
the driver.
IMPORTANTWith the lever in
position R, reverse gear is not engaged
if the vehicle speed exceeds the es-
tablished limit (approx. 12 km/h).
When the speed falls below this value,
reverse gear engages and stays en-
gaged even if the limit is exceeded.
fig. 7
F0D0240m
Before moving the lever,
press the brake pedal: the
vehicle must be stationary.
WARNING
Move the gearshift lever to position
Pwith the vehicle stationary and the
engine idling before switching off.
For safety reasons the ignition key
can only be removed with the gearshift
lever in this position.
IMPORTANTMovement of the
lever from position P is only allowed
pressing the button C-fig. 4with the
brake pedal pressed.
Move the gearshift lever to
position P when getting out
of the vehicle leaving the engine
running.
WARNING
Before moving the lever
from position P, press the
brake pedal: the vehicle must be
stationary.
WARNING
115GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
Moving the lever back to position D
the gearbox instantly resumes the au-
tomatic mode selecting the ratio ac-
cording to the driving characteristics.
IMPORTANTThe electronic con-
trol unit is programmed to change
gear one at a time, therefore repeat-
ed fast actuations will not result in re-
peated engagements of the gears. The
higher or lower gear is engaged mov-
ing the lever to the (+) or (–) position
when the previous request has been
performed.
In the event of a fault to the sequen-
tial manual system, the system will se-
lect the automatic mode.FAILURE INDICATIONS
Automatic gearbox faults are indi-
cated by the warning light A-fig. 9 on
the instrument panel.
Turning the ignition key to MARthe
warning light should turn on and go
out after about 4 seconds. If the warn-
ing light stays on or if turns on when
travelling, this indicates a gearbox fault
(flashing light) or gearbox oil over-
heating (steadily glowing light).– Warning light glowing steadi-
ly= automatic gearbox oil maximum
temperature.
If the warning light turns on and
glows steadily when travelling, this in-
dicates that the gearbox oil has
reached the maximum temperature.
You are therefore advised to stop the
vehicle with the engine at idle speed
and gearshift lever in “N” or “P” (in
this case engine cooling fans are on),
until the warning light goes out and re-
sume your journey without pushing
the engine to peak performance.
If the warning light turns on again, it
is necessary to stop again with the en-
gine idling until it goes out.
If there are less than 15 minutes be-
tween one turning on of the warning
light and the next, you are advised to
stop the vehicle, do not switch off the
engine but allow the engine-gearbox
unit to cool down completely (both
engine cooling fans off).
fig. 9
F0D0192m
116GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
BUMP STARTING
Starting by pushing or towing the ve-
hicle is not possible. In the event of an
emergency, when the battery is flat,
start the vehicle with a suitable emer-
gency battery, following the instruc-
tions given in section “In an emer-
gency” at paragraph “Jump starting”.
TOWING THE VEHICLE
IMPORTANTFor towing the ve-
hicle comply with current local regu-
lations and follow the instructions giv-
en in section “In an emergency” at
paragraph “Towing the vehicle”.If the vehicle is to be towed, adhere
to the following recommendations:
– if possible, carry the vehicle on the
floor of a rescue vehicle;
– if this is not possible, tow the ve-
hicle raising the driving wheels (front)
from the ground;
– if this, too, is not possible, the ve-
hicle should not be towed for more
than 200 km at a speed of no more
than 50 km/h.
When towing, the gearshift lever
should be at N.
Do not start the engine
while the vehicle is being
towed.
The failure to comply
with these instructions
may cause serious dam-
age to the automatic gearbox.
When travelling with the
gearbox faulty, drive with
the utmost care in consideration of
the limited performance (in terms
of acceleration and speed) that the
vehicle can offer.
WARNING
When travelling with the
gearbox faulty, the revers-
ing gear lock might not be active:
absolutely never move the lever to
the R position with the vehicle on
the move.
WARNING– Warning light flashing= auto-
matic gearbox fault.
Warning light flashing at starting or
when travelling indicates a fault in the
automatic gearbox.
The automatic control system sets
an “emergency programme” engaging
the 3
rdgear.
Switching the engine off and then on
again, the self-test system could ex-
clude the fault and therefore turn off
the warning light. The failure is how-
ever stored and the automatic gear-
box shall be checked at a Fiat Deal-
ership.
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
121GETTING THE BEST OUT OF YOUR VEHICLE
– Do not drive too many hours at a
time but stop at intervals to stretch
your legs and recoup your energy;
– make sure the air in the passenger’s
compartment is being changed
continuously;
– never coast downhill (i.e. with the
engine off): if you do, you lose the aid
of engine braking, power brakes and
power steering so that braking re-
quires greater effort on the pedal and
steering requires greater effort on the
steering wheel.DRIVING AT NIGHT
These are the main rules to follow
when you are driving at night:
– drive especially carefully: it is hard-
er to drive at night;
– slow down especially if the road is
not lit;
– at the first signs of sleepiness, stop:
continuing would be a risk for yourself
and everybody else. Only start driving
again when you have had enough rest;
– keep a greater safety distance from
the vehicles in front of you than dur-
ing daylight hours: it is hard to judge
how fast other vehicles are going when
all you can see are their lights;
– make sure the headlights beams are
properly positioned: if they are too
low, they reduce visibility and strain
your eyes. If they are too high they can
dazzle other drivers. Adjust headlight
beam according to transported load;
– only use main beam headlights
when you are driving outside town
and when you are sure they do not an-
noy other drivers. dip your headlights
Water, ice or salt sprinkled
on the road can deposit on
the brake discs and reduce effi-
ciency of the first braking.
WARNING
Do not drive with objects
on the floor in front of the
driver’s seat: they could caught un-
der the pedals making braking or
accelerating impossible.
WARNING
Pay attention to the mats:
even a small problem to the
braking system may require in-
creased brake pedal stroke with re-
spect to normal.
WARNING