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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133
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
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.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.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.
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134
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts do
not allow the engine to reach optimum op-
erating temperature. This results in a sig-
nificant increase in consumption levels
(from +15 to +30% on the urban cycle)
and emission of harmful substances.
Traffic 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 (level crossings)
the engine should be switched off.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. 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.
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139
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
GENERAL WARNINGS ..................................................... 140
LOW BRAKE FLUID............................................................ 140
HANDBRAKE ON................................................................ 140
AIR BAG FAILURE................................................................ 141
ENGINE COOLANT HIGH TEMPERATURE................ 141
LOW BATTERY CHARGE................................................. 142
LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE.......................................... 142
EXHAUSTED OIL ................................................................ 142
“DUALDRIVE” ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING FAILURE............................................................. 142
INCOMPLETE DOOR LOCKING.................................... 143
LOW ENGINE OIL LEVEL ................................................ 143
SEAT BELTS NOT FASTENED.......................................... 143
EBD SYSTEM FAILURE........................................................ 143
INJECTION SYSTEM FAILURE
(DIESEL VERSIONS) ............................................................ 144
ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE (EOBD)
(PETROL VERSIONS) ......................................................... 144
FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG DEACTIVATED.......... 145
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE......................................................... 145
FUEL RESERVE....................................................................... 145
GLOW PLUG WARMING ................................................ 146
GLOW PLUG WARMING FAILURE............................... 146
WATER IN DIESEL FUEL FILTER..................................... 146CAR PROTECTION SYSTEM FAILURE
FIAT CODE ........................................................................... 146
EXTERNAL LIGHTS FAILURE........................................... 147
REAR FOGLIGHTS............................................................... 147
GENERIC FAILURE INDICATION ................................. 147
ESP SYSTEM FAILURE ........................................................ 148
BRAKE PAD WEAR ............................................................ 148
HILL HOLDER FAILURE .................................................... 148
PARKING SENSOR FAILURE............................................ 149
CHECK TYRE PRESSURE .................................................. 149
LOW TYRE PRESSURE ...................................................... 149
TYRE PRESSURE UNSUITABLE FOR SPEED ................ 149
SIDELIGHTS AND LOW BEAMS..................................... 150
FOLLOW ME HOME........................................................... 150
FRONT FOG LIGHTS.......................................................... 151
LEFT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR........................ 151
RIGHT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR.................... 151
“DUALDRIVE” ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ..........151
CRUISE CONTROL ............................................................ 151
MAIN BEAM HEADLIGHTS............................................... 151
POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF ICE ON THE ROAD ........... 152
LIMITED RANGE ................................................................. 152
ASR SYSTEM ......................................................................... 152
SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED .................................................. 152
WW W
A A
R R
N N
I I
N N
G G
L L
I I
G G
H H
T T
S S
A A
N N
D D
M M
E E
S S
S S
A A
G G
E E
S S
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ç
FUEL RESERVE
(amber)
Turning the ignition key to
MARthe warning light turns on, but it
should go off after few seconds.
The warning light turns on when about 7
litres fuel are left in the tank.
IMPORTANT The warning light flashes to
indicate a failure, contact Fiat Dealership
as soon as possible to have the system
checked.
145
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
INEFFICIENT ABS
SYSTEM (amber)
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 sys-
tem is inefficient or unavailable. In this case
the braking system keeps its effectiveness
unchanged, but without the potential of-
fered by the ABS system. Caution is ad-
visable and it is necessary to contact Fiat
Dealership.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
>F
FRONT PASSENGER’S
AIR BAG
DEACTIVATED
(amber)
Warning light
Fcomes on when front
passenger’s air bag is deactivated.
With front passenger’s air bag on, turn-
ing the ignition key to MAR, warning light
Fcomes on steadily for about 4 sec-
onds, it flashes for other 4 seconds and
then it shall go off.
Warning light
Findicates
also warning light ¬fail-
ures. This is indicated by intermittent
flashing, over 4 seconds, of warning
light
F. In this event warning light¬indicates that there could be a fail-
ure in safety systems. Contact Fiat
Dealership immediately to have the
system checked.
WARNING
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146
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
GLOW PLUG
WARMING
(Multijet versions -
amber)
GLOW PLUG
WARMING FAILURE
(Multijet versions -
amber)
Glow plug warming
Turning the ignition key to MAR, the
warning light turns on and it will turn off
when glow plugs reach the preset tem-
perature. Start the engine immediately af-
ter warning light switching off.
IMPORTANT With hot ambient temper-
ature, warning light stays on for very short
time.
Glow plug warming failure
The warning light turns on when there is
a failure in the glow plug warming system.
Contact Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
m
WATER IN DIESEL
FUEL FILTER
(Multijet versions-amber)
Turning the ignition key to MARthe
warning light turns on, but it should go off
after few seconds.
The warning light turns on when there is
water in the diesel fuel filter.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
c
The presence of water in the
fuel circuit may cause serious
damage to the entire injec-
tion system and cause irreg-
ular engine operation. If the warning
light
cturns on (on certain versions to-
gether with the message on the display)
contact Fiat Dealership as soon as pos-
sible to have the system relieved. If the
above indications come on immedi-
ately after refuelling, water has prob-
ably been poured into the tank: turn
the engine off immediately and contact
Fiat Dealership.
CAR PROTECTION
SYSTEM FAILURE -
FIAT CODE
(amber)
Turning the key to MARthe warning light
shall flash only once and then go off.
If with the ignition key at MAR, the warn-
ing light stays on, this indicates a possible
failure (see “Fiat Code system” in section
“Dashboard and controls”).
IMPORTANT The turning on at the same
time of the
Uand Ywarning lights in-
dicates a failure of the Fiat CODE system.
If with the engine running the warning light
Yflashes, this means that the car is not
protected by the engine inhibitor device
(see “Fiat Code system” in section “Dash-
board and controls”).
Contact Fiat Dealership to have all the key
memorised.
Y
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147
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
GENERIC FAILURE
INDICATION
(amber)
The warning light turns on in the follow-
ing circumstances.
Engine oil pressure
sensor failure
The warning light comes on when the en-
gine oil pressure sensor is faulty. Contact
Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
External lights failure
See what described for warning light
6.
Inertial fuel cut-off switch
intervened
The warning light comes on when the in-
ertial fuel cut-off switch is triggered.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
è
EXTERNAL LIGHT
FAILURE (amber)
The warning light turns on
when one of the following lights
is failing:
– sidelights
– brake lights
– rear fog guards
– direction indicators
– number plate lights.
The failure referring to these lights could
be: one or more blown bulbs, a blown
protection fuse or an electric connection
cut-off.
On certain versions warning light èturns
on as an alternative.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
W
REAR FOG LIGHTS
(amber)
The warning light turns on
when the rear fog lights are turned on.
4
Rain sensor failure
The warning light on the dial turns on
when the rain sensor is faulty. Contact Fi-
at Dealership.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
Parking sensor failure
(where provided)
See what described for warning light
t.
Tyre pressure monitoring system
failure (where provided)
The warning light turns on when a failure
is detected in the T.P.M.S. system (where
provided).
Contact Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble.
Should one or more wheels without sen-
sor be fitted, the instrument panel warn-
ing light will come on and stay on until
restoring initial conditions.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
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155
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
IMPORTANT Do not directly connect the
negative terminals of the two batteries:
sparks could ignite the flammable gas from
the battery. If the other battery is fitted in
another car, prevent accidental contacts
between the metal parts of the two cars.BUMP STARTING
Never bump start the engine (by pushing,
towing, or coasting downhill) as this could
cause fuel to flow into the catalytic ex-
haust system and damage it beyond repair.
IMPORTANT Remember that the brake
booster and the power steering system
are not operating until the engine is start-
ed, a greater effort will therefore be re-
quired to press the brake pedal or turn
the steering wheel.IF A TYRE
IS PUNCTURED
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Wheel changing and correct use of the
jack and spare wheel call for some pre-
cautions as listed below.
Alert other drivers that the
car is stationary in compli-
ance with the regulations in force:
hazard warning lights, warning trian-
gle etc. Any passengers on board
should leave the car, especially if it
is heavily laden. Passengers should
stay away from oncoming traffic
while the wheel is being changed on.
Pull the handbrake.
WARNING
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