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104
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARDAND CONTROLS
STARTING
AND DRIVING
HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever is located between
the two front seats.
Pull the lever upwards until the vehicle is
blocked to operate the handbrake.
When the handbrake lever is pulled up
and the ignition key is on MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light xwill turn
on.
Proceed as follows to release the hand-
brake:
❒slightly lift the handbrake and press the
release button A-fig. 1;
❒hold button Apressed and lower the
lever. Warning light xon the instru-
ment panel will go out.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out
this operation to prevent the vehicle from
moving accidentally.PARKING THE VEHICLE
Proceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the hand-
brake;
❒engage a gear (on a slope, engage first
gear if the vehicle faces uphill or reverse
if it faces downhill) and leave the wheels
steered.
If the vehicle is parked on a steep slope,
it is advisable to further block the wheels
with a wedge or stone.
Do not leave the ignition key on MARto
prevent draining the battery. Always re-
move the key when you leave the vehi-
cle.
Never leave children unattended in the ve-
hicle. Always remove the ignition key
when leaving the vehicle and take it out
with you. STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOPwhile the en-
gine is idling.
IMPORTANTAfter a demanding dri-
ve, you should allow the engine to “catch
its breath” before turning it off by letting
it idle to allow the temperature in the en-
gine compartment to fall.
A quick burst on the acceler-
ator before turning off the en-
gine serves absolutely no
practical purpose, it wastes
fuel and is damaging especially to tur-
bocharged engines.
fig. 1FF0T0043m
The vehicle must be braked
after a few snaps of the
lever, otherwise, contact the Fiat
Dealership for regulation.
WARNING
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114
SAFETY
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARDAND CONTROLS
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
ENGINE COOLANT
HIGH TEMPERATURE
(red)
When the ignition key is moved
to MAR, the warning light turns on and
should go off after a few seconds.
The warning light turns on when the en-
gine is overheated.
If the warning light comes on, proceed as
follows:
❒during normal travel: stop the ve-
hicle, stop the engine and check that the
water level in the vessel is not under
the MIN reference line. In this case, wait
for a few minutes for the engine to cool
down, then slowly and carefully open
the cap, top-up with coolant and check
that the level is between the MIN and
MAX references on the vessel itself. Al-
so check for leakages. Go to a Fiat
Dealership if the warning should come
on when the engine is started again.❒In demanding vehicle use condi-
tions (e.g. towing trailers uphill or ve-
hicle at full load): slow down and stop
the vehicle if the warning light stays on.
Stop for 2 or 3 minutes with the engine
running and slightly accelerated to
favour better coolant circulation. Then
stop the engine. Check correct liquid
level as described above.
IMPORTANT Under severe use of the ve-
hicle, keep the engine on and slightly ac-
celerated for a few minutes before switch-
ing it off. On certain versions the dedi-
cated message is displayed.LOW BATTERY
CHARGE (red)
When the ignition key is moved
to MAR, the warning light turns on and
should go out as soon as the engine is
started (with the engine running at idle
speed a brief delay in going out is allowed).
If the warning light stays on glowing steadi-
ly, immediately contact the Fiat Dealer-
ship.
On certain versions the dedicated mes-
sage is displayed.
çw
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168
SAFETY
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARDAND CONTROLS
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
Batteries contain substances
that can be very dangerous
for the environment. It is ad-
visable to have the battery re-
placed by a Fiat Dealership where it
will be disposed of according to the
law.
Whenever an operation on
the battery or near it is re-
quired, always protect your eyes with
special goggles.
WARNING
If the vehicle remains unused
for a long time at very low
temperatures, remove the
battery and take it to a warm
place to avoid freezing.
USEFUL ADVICE
TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR
BATTERY
To avoid draining your battery and make
its life longer, observe the following indi-
cations:
❒when you park the vehicle, ensure the
doors, tailgate and bonnet are closed
properly;
❒switch off all lights inside the vehicle: the
vehicle is however equipped with a sys-
tem which switches all internal lights off
automatically;
❒do not keep accessories (e.g. sound sys-
tem, emergnecy lights, etc.) switched
on for a long time when the engine is
not running;
❒before performing any operation on the
electrical system, disconnect the bat-
tery negative cable;
❒battery terminals shall always be per-
fectly tightened.The battery is also more prone to the risk
of freezing (e.g. already at –10°C). Refer
to the paragraph “Vehicle inactivity” in
“Starting and driving” if the vehicle is left
parked for a long time.
If, after buying the vehicle, you want to in-
stall electric accessories which require
permanent electric supply (alarm, etc.)
contact the Fiat Dealership whose quali-
fied personnel, in addition to suggesting
the most suitable devices, will evaluate the
overall electric absorption, checking
whether the vehicle electric system is ca-
pable of withstanding the load required,
or whether it should be integrated with
a more powerful battery.
Since these devices continue absorbing en-
ergy even when the ignition key is off, they
gradually run down the battery.