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IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
STOPPING THE CAR
To stop the car, simply release the accel-
erator pedal and, if necessary press the
brake pedal.
Regardless of the gear engaged and the op-
erating mode activated (MANUAL or AU-
TO) the system automatically disengages
the clutch and shifts to a lower gear.
Stopping the car the system automatical-
ly engages the first gear (1).PARKING THE CAR
To park the car safely it is absolutely nec-
essary to engage first gear (1) or reverse
(R) and also the handbrake if the car is on
a slope.
When turning off the engine with the car
on an uphill slope and a gear engaged, it
is absolutely necessary to wait for the dis-
play showing the gear engaged to go off
before releasing the brake pedal.
If the gearbox is in neutral (N) and want-
ing to engage a parking gear, the system
should be activated and with the foot on
the brake pedal it is necessary to engage
first gear (1) or reverse (R).
TOWING THE CAR
See the instructions contained in para-
graph “Towing the car” in section “In an
emergency”. BUZZER WARNINGS
The buzzer is activated when:
❒reverse gear is engaged (R);
❒clutch overheating occurs when mov-
ing off (in this case it is necessary to
“force” start-up without hesitation or,
if the car is on a slope, release the ac-
celerator and use the brake pedal to
stop the car);
❒an attempt is made to start the engine
with a gear engaged and the brake ped-
al is not pressed completely;
Still for safety reasons, when the car is sta-
tionary, with engine started gear engaged,
the system activates the buzzer and au-
tomatically shifts to neutral (N) when:
❒no action is made on the accelerator
and/or brake pedal for at least 3 min-
utes;
❒the brake is pressed for over 10 min-
utes;
❒the driver’s door is opened and no ac-
tion is made on the accelerator and
brake by at least 2 seconds;
❒a gearbox failure has been detected.
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TECHNICAL
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INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
CONTAINING
RUNNING COSTS
Here are some suggestions which may
help you to keep the running costs of your
car down and lower the amount of toxic
emissions released into the atmosphere.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out
in accordance with the “Service schedule”.
Tyres
Check the pressure of the tyres routine-
ly at an interval of no more than 4 weeks:
if the pressure is too low, consumption
levels increase as resistance to rolling is
higher.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much luggage
stowed in the boot. The weight of the car
(especially when driving in town) and its
trim greatly affects consumption and sta-
bility.Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack from
the roof as soon as they are no longer
used. These accessories lower air pene-
tration and adversely affect consumption
levels. When needing to carry particular-
ly voluminous objects, preferably use a
trailer.
Electric devices
Use electric devices only for the amount
of time needed. Rear heated window, ad-
ditional headlights, windscreen wipers and
heater fan need a considerable amount of
energy, therefore increasing the require-
ment of current increases fuel consump-
tion (up to +25% in the urban cycle).Climate control
The air conditioner is an additional load
which greatly affects the engine leading to
higher consumption (on average up to
+20%). When the temperature outside
the car permits it, use the air vents where
possible.
Spoilers
The use of non-certified aerodynamic
items may adversely affect air drag and
consumption levels.
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INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases
with speed. Avoid superfluous braking and
accelerating, which cost in terms of both
fuel and emissions.
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
operating temperature. This results in a
significant increase in consumption levels
(from +15 to +30% on the urban cycle)
and emission of harmful substances.
Traffic situations 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 (traffic lights,
level crossings) the engine should be
switched off. DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine with the car at
a standstill or at idle or high speed: under
these conditions the engine warms up
much more slowly, increasing electrical
consumption and emissions. It is therefore
advisable to move off immediately, slow-
ly, avoiding high speeds. This way the en-
gine will warm faster.
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 cars and al-
so 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.
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WARNING
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CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
TOWING TRAILERS
IMPORTANT NOTES
For towing caravans or trailers the car
must be fitted with a certified tow hook
and an adequate electric system. Installa-
tion should be carried out by specialised
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 car
tow hook reduces by the same amount
the actual car loading capacity. To make
sure the maximum towable weight is not
exceeded (given in the log book) account
should be taken of the fully laden trailer,
including accessories and personal be-
longings.
Do not exceed the speed limits of the
country you are driving in. In any case do
not exceed 100 km/h.INSTALLING THE TOW HOOK
The towing device should be fastened to
the body by specialised personnel ac-
cording to any additional and/or integra-
tive information supplied by the Manufac-
turer of the device.
The ABS system with which
the car may be fitted does
not control the trailer braking system.
Drive with extreme care on slippery
roadbeds.
WARNING
Under no circumstances
should the car brake system
be altered to control the trailer brake.
The trailer braking system must be
fully independent of the car hydraulic
system.
WARNING
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EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
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 car
on which it is to be installed.
IMPORTANT Supplementary electric
loads other than external lights (e.g. elec-
tric brake, electric winch, etc.) shall be
used with running engine.Assembly diagram fig. 13-14
The tow hook structure must be fastened
in the points shown by the symbol
Øus-
ing a total of 6 M10 screws.
Counterplates
➀shall have a 4 mm min
thickness.
Counterplates
➁shall have a 6 mm min
thickness.
The hook should be fastened to the body
avoiding any type of drilling and trimming
of the rear bumpers that remains visible
when the hook is removed.IMPORTANT It is compulsory to fasten a
label (plainly visible) of suitable size and
material with the following wording:
MAX LOAD ON BALL 60 kg
After fitting, screw holes shall be sealed to
prevent exhaust gas inlet.
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AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
F0C0249mF0C0434m
Existing
hole
Standard
tow ball
Existing
hole
Existing
hole
Rear axle
Existing
hole
fig. 13 - Saloon versionsfig. 14 - Multi Wagon versions
Full load
Rear axle
Full load
Standard
tow ball
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MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
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DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
SNOW TYRES
Use snow tyres of the same size as the
normal tyres provided with the car.
Fiat Dealership will be glad to provide ad-
vice concerning the most suitable type of
tyre for the customer’s requirements.
For the type of tyre to be used, inflation
pressures and the specifications of snow
tyres, follow the instructions given in para-
graph “Wheels” in section “Technical
specifications”.
The winter features of these tyres are re-
duced considerably when the tread depth
is below 4 mm. In this case, they should
be replaced.Due to the snow tyre features, under nor-
mal conditions of use or on long motor-
way journeys, the performance of these
tyres is lower than that of normal tyres. It
is therefore necessary to limit their use to
the purposes for which they are certified.
IMPORTANT When snow tyres are used
with a max speed index below the one
that can be reached by the car (increased
by 5%), place a notice in the passenger
compartment, plainly in the driver’s view
which states the max permissible speed of
the snow tyres (as per EC Directive).
All four tyres should be the same (brand
and track) to ensure greater safety when
driving and braking and better driveabili-
ty.
Remember that it is inappropriate to
change the direction of rotation of tyres.The max speed for snow
tyres with “Q” marking is
160 km/h; 190 km/h for tyres with “T”
marking and 210 km/h for tyres with
H marking. The Road Traffic Code
speed limits must however be always
strictly observed.
WARNING
Page 156 of 274

Keep your speed
down when snow
chains are fitted. Do
not exceed 50 Km/h. Avoid
potholes, steps and pavements and
avoid also to drive for long distances on
roads not covered with snow to prevent
damaging the car and the roadbed.
155
WARNING
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EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
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AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
SNOW CHAINS
Use of snow chains should be in compli-
ance with local regulations.
Snow chains should only be applied to the
driving wheels (front wheels).
Check the tension of the chains after the
first few metres have been driven.
Use snow chains with reduced size: on
tyres 195/65 R15” and 205/55 R16” use
snow chains with reduced size with max
protrusion beyond the tyre profile of 9
mm.
IMPORTANT Snow chains cannot be fit-
ted to the space-saver spare wheel. So, if
a front (drive) wheel is punctured and
chains are needed, a rear wheel should be
fitted to the front of the car and the spare
wheel should be fitted to the rear.
This way with two normal drive wheels,
snow chains can be fitted to them to solve
an emergency.
IMPORTANT Snow chains may not be
used on tyres type 215/45 R17 87W since
interference can be generated with the
surrounding components.