100GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
RADIO TRANSMITTERS AND
CELLULAR TELEPHONES
Radio transceiver equipment (e.g.: e-
tacs mobile phones, HAM radio sys-
tems and the like) shall not be used in-
side the vehicle unless a separate aer-
ial is mounted on the roof.
IMPORTANTThe use of similar
devices inside the passenger compart-
ment (without separated aerial) pro-
duces radio-frequency electromag-
netic fields which, amplified by the res-
onance effects inside the passenger
compartment, may cause electrical
systems equipping the vehicle to mal-
function. This could compromise safe-
ty in addition to constituting a poten-
tial hazard for the passengers.
In addition, transmission and recep-
tion of these devices may be affected
by the shielding effect of the vehicle
body.
As concerns EC-approved mobile
phones (GSM, GPRS, UMTS), strictly
comply with the instructions for use
provided by the mobile phone’s man-
ufacturer.ACCESSORIES
PURCHASED BY THE
OWNER
If after buying the car, you decide to
install electrical accessories that re-
quire 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 evalu-
ate the overall electric absorption,
checking whether the car’s electric sys-
tem is able to withstand the load re-
quired, or whether it needs to be in-
tegrated with a more powerful battery.
INSTALLATION OF
ELECTRIC/ ELECTRONIC
DEVICES
Electric/electronic devices installed
after buying the car or in aftermarket
shall bear the and marking:Fiat Auto S.p.A. authorizes the in-
stallation of transceivers provided that
installation is carried out at a special-
ized shop, workmanlike performed
and in compliance with manufacturer's
specifications.
IMPORTANTInstallation of de-
vices resulting in modifications of car
characteristics may cause driving li-
cense seizing by traffic agents and al-
so the lapse of the warranty as con-
cerns defects due to the abovemen-
tioned modification or traceable back
to it directly or indirectly.
Fiat Auto S.p.A.declines all re-
sponsibility for damages caused by the
installation of non-genuine accessories
or not recommended by Fiat Auto
S.p.A.and installed not in compliance
with the specified requirements.
101GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
– becomes continuous when the dis-
tance between the vehicle and the ob-
stacle is less that 30 cm and stops im-
mediately if the distance raises;
– is constant if the distance is unvar-
ied.
IMPORTANTIn the event of a
parking sensor system failure, you will
hear an alarm signal when you engage
reverse gear.
The sensors are shaped to fit into the
bumpers and optimise scanning angles.
fig. 149
F0A0723b
PARKING SENSORS
(where provided)
Parking sensors are located in the
rear bumper to detect and inform the
driver (through an intermittent
acoustic signal) about the presence of
obstacles behind the vehicle.
ACTIVATION
Sensors will activate automatically
when engaging reverse gear.
The frequency of the acoustic alarm
will increase as the distance between
the vehicle and the obstacle decreas-
es.
BUZZER WARNINGS
When the reverse gear is engaged an
intermittent acoustic signal is auto-
matically activated (short beep to sig-
nal system activation).
The acoustic signal frequency:
– becomes louder as the reduction
of distance between the vehicle and
the obstacle decreases;Detection distances:
Central ray ................................130 cm
Corner action range ................ 60 cm
Min/max range ................... 25/180 cm
If several sensors signal an obstacle,
the control unit checks and indicates
the closest one.
The system will automatically cut out
also when reverse gear is engaged af-
ter a distance of 50 or after exceeding
the speed of 30 km/h.
For proper operation,
the parking sensors shall
always be clean from
mud, dirt, snow or ice. Therefore
keep the rear bumpers clean to
prevent irregular operation of
the parking sensors.
118DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
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.
– Make sure the handbrake is not en-
gaged.
– Remove the cables from the bat-
tery terminals (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 battery should be checked
every month and recharged if it falls
below 12.5V.IMPORTANT Where relevant,
switch off the electronic alarm with the
remote control.
– 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
rubber 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
system.
VEHICLE STORAGE
144IN AN EMERGENCY
IF THE BATTERY
IS FLAT
First of all, read the “Vehicle main-
tenance” section for the steps to be
taken to avoid the battery running
down and to ensure it has a long life.
IF THE BATTERY IS FLAT
Charging should be slow at a low
amp rating for 24 hours. Charging for
a longer time may damage the battery.
Proceed as follows:
1) Disconnect the electrical system
from the battery terminals.
IMPORTANTWhere relevant,
switch the electronic alarm off with
the remote control.2)Connect the charger cables to the
battery terminals.
3)Turn on the charger.
4)When you have finished, turn the
charger off before disconnecting the
battery.
5)Reconnect the cables to the bat-
tery terminals. Make sure the polari-
ty is correct.JUMP STARTING
See “Jump starting”, in this chapter.
The liquid in the battery
is poisonous and corro-
sive. Do not let it touch
the skin or eyes. Recharging the
battery should be done in a well-
ventilated area away from naked
flames or possible sources of
sparks: explosion and fire risk.
Do not attempt to
recharge a frozen bat-
tery. Thaw it first other-
wise it could explode. If the bat-
tery froze, make sure that the in-
ternal elements are not broken
(short-circuit risk) and that the
casing is not cracked (risk of
spilling the poisonous and corro-
sive fluid).
Under no circumstances
should a battery charger
be used to start the en-
gine: it could damage the elec-
tronic systems and in particular
the ignition and injection control
units.
164VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
Incorrect fitting of elec-
trical and electronic ac-
cessories can seriously
damage the vehicle.
If after buying the vehicle, you
want to install electric acces-
sories which require permanent
electric supply (alarm, free-hand
phone kit, etc.) contact Fiat Deal-
ership whose qualified personnel,
in addition to suggesting the
most suitable devices, will evalu-
ate the overall electric absorp-
tion, checking whether the vehi-
cle electric system is capable of
withstanding the load required,
or whether it should be integrat-
ed with a more powerful battery.
Batteries contain sub-
stances that are very
harmful for the environ-
ment. You are advised to have
the battery changed at a Fiat
Dealership. It is properly
equipped for disposing of used
batteries in an environmentally-
friendly way that complies with
the law.The liquid in the battery
is poisonous and corro-
sive. Avoid contact with
eyes and skin. Do not bring naked
flames or possible sources of
sparks near the battery: risk of
fire and explosion.CHANGING THE BATTERY
If required, replace the battery with
a genuine spare part having the same
specifications.
If a battery with different specifica-
tions is fitted, the service intervals giv-
en in the “Service schedule” in this
section will no longer be valid. Refer
therefore to the instructions provid-
ed by the battery manufacturer.
Running the battery
with low fluid level can
damage the battery be-
yond repair and could also cause
its explosion.
When working on the
battery or near it, always
wear the
USEFUL ADVICE FOR
LENGTHENING THE LIFE OF
YOUR BATTERY
To avoid draining your battery and
lengthen its life, observe the follow-
ing indications:
– when you park the vehicle, ensure
the doors, tailgate and bonnet are
closed properly;If the vehicle is left inac-
tive for long periods at
cold, remove the battery
and store it in a warm place to
prevent freezing.
165VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
IMPORTANTA battery which is
kept at a charge of less than 50% for
any length of time will be damaged by
sulphation leading to a reduction in
cranking power and a higher risk of
the battery electrolyte freezing (this
may even occur at –10°C).
If the vehicle is inactive for a long pe-
riod of time, refer to the “Vehicle
storage” paragraph in section “Driving
your vehicle”.
If you want to add accessories after
buying the vehicle (alarm system, free-
hand phone kit, etc.) visit a Fiat Deal-
ership. They can suggest the most suit-
able accessories to get and check
whether the electric system can sup-
port the required load or whether a
larger capacity battery is required.
These devices will, in fact, run off the
battery even when the key is not in-
serted (vehicle parked) and can deploy
the battery. – the ceiling lights must be off. The
vehicle is however provided with an
automatic system for switching off in-
ternal lights;
– do not keep accessories (e.g. sound
system, hazard lights, etc.) switched on
for a long time when the engine is not
running;
– before performing any operation
on the electrical system, disconnect
the battery negative cable;
– battery terminals shall always be
perfectly tightened.
166VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
ELECTRONIC
CONTROL UNITS
When the vehicle is being used nor-
mally, special measures are not neces-
sary.
The following instructions must be
followed very carefully, however, if
you work on the electrical system or
in cases where emergency starting is
necessary:
– Never disconnect the battery from
the electrical system while the engine
is running.
– Disconnect the battery from the
electrical system if you are recharg-
ing it. The modern battery chargers
can discharge voltage up to 20V.
– Never perform emergency start-
ups with a battery charger. Always use
an auxiliary battery.
– Be particularly careful when con-
necting the battery to the electrical
system. Ensure the battery posts are
connected up to the right leads (the Battery Maximum
admitted
stand-by intake
40 Ah 24 mA
50 Ah 30 mA
60 Ah 36 mApolarity is correct) and check that the
connection has been made properly.
– Do not connect or disconnect the
terminals of the electronic units while
the ignition key is at MAR.
– Do not check polarity through
sparking.
– Disconnect the electronic units if
you are electrically welding the vehi-
cle body. Remove the units if temper-
atures exceed 80°C (special opera-
tions on the bodywork, etc.).
IMPORTANTIf the sound system
or alarm systems are not installed cor-
rectly, they can interfere with the
working of the electronic control
units.
Modifications or repairs
to the electrical system
carried out incorrectly
and without bearing the features
of the system in mind can cause
malfunctions with the risk of fire.
The total intake of these systems
(factory and after-market) must be less
than 0.6 mA x Ah (of the battery) as
shown in the following table: