97
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IIN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
FAILURE INDICATIONS
Any failure is indicated by instrument pan-
el warning light
gcoming on together
with the message on the multifunction dis-
play (where provided) (see section
“Warning lights and messages”).
In the event of electric power steering sys-
tem failure, the car can be driven with me-
chanical steering.
IMPORTANT In some circumstances, fac-
tors independent from the electric pow-
er steering could cause the illumination of
the warning light
gon the instrument
panel.
We suggest to stop immediately the car,
turn off the engine for about 20 seconds
and then re-start the car. If the warning
light
gstays on together with the mes-
sage on the multifunction display (where
provided), contact Fiat Dealership.IMPORTANT The steering may become
slightly stiff following parking manoeuvres
including a great deal of steering. This is
normal and caused by a system to prevent
motor overheating. No servicing is re-
quired. The electric power steering sys-
tem will return to normal operation the
next time the car is used.
It is absolutely forbidden to
carry out whatever after-
market operation involving steering
system or steering column modifica-
tions (e.g.: installation of anti-theft
device) that could badly affect per-
formance and safety, cause the lapse
of warranty and also result in non-
compliance of the car with homolo-
gation requirements.
WARNING
Always switch the engine off,
remove the key from the
starting device and actuate the steer-
ing lock before carrying out any main-
tenance operation, especially when
the wheels are raised from the
ground. In case this is not possible
(e.g. when the key must be in MAR
position or the engine running); re-
move the electric power steering
main fuse before carrying out any
maintenance operation.
WARNING
089-108 Punto GDX GB 20-07-2007 9:42 Pagina 97
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR
USING THE SEAT BELTS
The driver must comply with (and have
the car occupants follow) all the local le-
gal regulations concerning the use of seat
belts. Always fasten the seat belts before
starting.Seat belts are also to be worn by expec-
tant mothers: the risk of injury in the case
of accident is greatly reduced for them and
the unborn child if they are wearing a seat
belt.Of course they must position the lower
part of the belt very low down so that it
passes under the abdomen, see fig. 4.
113
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
fig. 4F0M0043mfig. 5F0M0044mfig. 6F0M0045m
The belt should not be twist-
ed. The upper part should
pass over the shoulder and cross the
chest diagonally. The lower part
should adhere to the pelvis and not
the abdomen of the passenger, see
fig. 5 Do not use any objects (pegs,
stoppers, etc.) to keep the belts away
from the body.
WARNING
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128
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
ENGINE
STARTING
The car is fitted with an electronic engine
lock device: if the engine fails to start, see
the paragraph “The Fiat CODE system” in
section “Dashboard and controls”.
The engine may be noisier than usual dur-
ing the first seconds of operation, espe-
cially after it has not been used for a while.
This characteristic feature does not com-
promise functionality or reliability of the
hydraulic tappets: the timing system de-
vised to limit servicing.
We recommend that during
the initial period you do not
drive to full car performance
(e.g.: excessive acceleration,
long journeys at top speed, sharp brak-
ing, etc.).
When the engine is switched
off never leave the key into
the ignition switch to prevent
pointless current absorption
from draining the battery.
Running the engine in con-
fined areas is extremely dan-
gerous. The engine consumes oxygen
and produces carbon monoxide
which is a highly toxic and lethal gas.
WARNING
Remember that the servo-
brake and power steering
are not operational until the engine
has been started, therefore much ef-
fort than usual is required on the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
WARNING
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒ press the clutch pedal down to the
floor without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVVand let
it go the moment the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating starting.
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129
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, warn-
ing light
Yremains lit together with
warning light Uturn the key to STOP
STOP and then back to MAR; if the warn-
ing light remains on, try with the other
keys provided with the car.
IMPORTANT If the instrument panel
warning light Ystays on glowing steadi-
ly, contact immediately Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
to MARwhen the engine is off.STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
DIESEL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒Ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒Put the gear lever into neutral;
❒Turn the ignition key to MAR: the
warning lights
mand Yon the in-
strument panel will turn on;
❒Wait for the warning lights Yand
mto turn off. The hotter the engine
is, the quicker this will happen;
❒ Press the clutch pedal down to the
floor without touching the accelerator;
❒Turn the ignition key to AVVas soon
as warning light
mgoes out. If you
wait too long you will lose the benefit
of the work done by the glow plugs. Re-
lease the key as soon as the engine
starts.If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating starting.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
Yremains
lit together with warning light
mturn
the key to STOPand then back to MAR;
if the warning lights remain on, try with
the other keys provided with the car.
IMPORTANT If the instrument panel
warning light
Ystays on glowing steadi-
ly, contact immediately Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
to MARwhen the engine is off.
The warning light
mwill
flash for 60 seconds at start-
up or during prolonged crank-
ing to indicate a fault in the
glow plug heating system. You can use
the car as usual if the engine starts but
you should contact Fiat Dealership as
soon as possible.
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130
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOPwhile the en-
gine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, 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.HOW TO WARM UP THE
ENGINE AFTER IT HAS JUST
STARTED
(petrol and diesel engines)
Proceed as follows:
❒ Drive off slowly, letting the engine turn
at medium revs. Do not accelerate
abruptly;
❒Do not drive at full performance for the
initial kilometres. Wait until the coolant
temperature gauge starts moving.
Remember that the servo-
brake and power steering are
not operational until the en-
gine has been started, there-
fore much effort than usual is required
on the brake pedal and steering wheel.
Never bump start the engine
by pushing, towing or coast-
ing downhill as this could
cause fuel to flow into the
catalytic exhaust system and damage
it beyond repair.
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141
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
FAILURE AIR BAG
FAILURE (red)
Turning the ignition key to
MARthe warning light turns on, but it
should go off after few seconds.
The warning light stays on glowing steadi-
ly if there is a failure in the air bag system.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
¬If when turning the ignition
key to MAR, the warning
light
¬does not turn on or stays on
when travelling there could be a fail-
ure in safety systems; in this event air
bags or pretensioners could not trig-
ger in case of impact or, in a minor
number of cases, they could trigger
accidentally. Contact Fiat Dealership
immediately to have the system
checked.
WARNING
The failure of the warning
light
¬(warning light off) is
also indicated by the flashing for
more than the normal 4 seconds of
the passenger’s front air bag deacti-
vated warning light F.
WARNING
HIGH TEMPERATURE
ENGINE COOLANT
FLUID (red)
Turning the ignition key to MARthe
warning light turns on, but it should go off
after few seconds.
The warning light turns on when the en-
gine is overheated.
If the warning light comes on, proceed as
follows:
❒normal driving conditions: stop
the car, switch off the engine and
check whether the water level in the
reservoir is not below the MIN mark.
Otherwise wait for few seconds to al-
low the engine cooling, then open
slowly and carefully the cap, top up
coolant and check whether its level is
falling between MIN and MAX marks
in the reservoir. Check visually any
leak. If, when restarting, the warning
light comes on again, contact a Fiat
Dealership.
ç
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LOW ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE (red)
EXHAUSTED OIL (red)
(Multijet versions with
DPF)
Low engine oil pressure
Turning the ignition key to MARthe
warning light turns on, but it should go out
as soon as the engine is started.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
v
If the warning light vturns on when the car is trav-
elling (on certain versions together
with the message on the display) stop
the engine immediately and contact
a Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
“DUALDRIVE”
ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING FAILURE
(red)
Turning the ignition key to MARthe
warning light turns on, but it should go off
after few seconds.
If the warning light stays on, you will not
have the steering assistance and the effort
on the steering wheel will be increased,
steering is however possible. Contact Fi-
at Dealership.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
g
142
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
❒Car heavy duty(e.g.: towing trailer
uphill of fully laden car): decrease
speed, if the warning light stays on,
stop the car. Wait for 2 or 3 minutes
leaving the engine on and slightly ac-
celerated to further activate the cir-
culation of the coolant fluid, then
switch the engine off. Check proper
coolant level as described previously.
IMPORTANT Under severe use of the
car, keep the engine on and slightly accel-
erated for few minutes before switching it
off.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
LOW BATTERY
CHARGE (red)
Turning the ignition key to
MARthe warning light turns on, but it
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 or flashing: contact immediately Fiat
Dealership.
w
Exhausted oil
The warning light with turn on flashing to-
gether with the message on the display
when the system detects that the engine
oil is exhausted.After the first indication, at each engine
starting the warning light
vwill go on
flashing for about 60 seconds and then
every 2 hours until oil is changed.
If warning light vflash-
es, contact Fiat Dealership
immediately to have oil changed and
instrument panel warning light turned
off.
WARNING
139-152 Punto GDX GB 20-07-2007 9:42 Pagina 142
If, turning the ignition key to
MAR, the warning light Udoes not turn on or if it turns
on glowing steadily or flash-
ing when travelling (on certain versions
together with the message on the dis-
play), contact Fiat Dealership as soon
as possible. Warning light Uoperation
can be checked by traffic agents by
proper equipment. Comply with laws
and regulations of the country where
you are driving.
If the light flashes, it is necessary to release
the accelerator pedal to lower the speed
of the engine until the warning light stops
flashing; continue the journey at moder-
ate speed, trying to avoid driving condi-
tions that may cause further flashing and
contact Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble. EOBD engine control system
failure
Under normal conditions, turning the ig-
nition key to MAR, the warning light turns
on, but it should go out as soon as the en-
gine is started. The initial turning on indi-
cates that the warning light is working prop-
erly. If the warning light stays on or turns
on when travelling:
❒glowing steadily: means a fault in the
supply/ignition system which could
cause high emissions at the exhaust,
possible lack of performance, poor
handling and high consumption levels.
On certain versions the dedicated mes-
sage is displayed.
In these conditions it is possible to con-
tinue driving without however requiring
heavy effort or high speed from the en-
gine. Prolonged use of the car with the
warning light on may cause damages. Con-
tact Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
The warning light goes off if the fault dis-
appears, but it is still stored by the system.
❒flashing: indicates the possibility of
damage to the catalyst (see “EOBD
system” in section “Dashboard and
controls”).
144
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
INJECTION SYSTEM
FAILURE
(Multijet versions -
amber)
EOBD SYSTEM
FAILURE (petrol
versions - amber)
Injection system failure
Under normal conditions, turning the ig-
nition key to MAR, the warning light turns
on but it should go off after engine start-
ing.
If the warning light stays on or turns on
when travelling, means a fault in the sup-
ply/ignition system which could cause high
emissions at the exhaust, possible lack of
performance, poor handling and high con-
sumption levels.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
In these conditions it is possible to con-
tinue driving without however requiring
heavy effort or high speed from the en-
gine. In any case, contact Fiat Dealership
as soon as possible.
U
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