123
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
DRIVER’S KNEES AIR BAG
(where provided) fig. 16
Knees air bag consists of an instant-inflat-
ing cushion housed into a special com-
partment provided for the purpose under
the steering wheel at driver’s knees lev-
el, designed to give further protection in
the event of frontal crash.MANUAL DEACTIVATION OF
PASSENGER’S FRONT AIR BAG
AND SIDE BAG (where provided)
Should it be absolutely necessary to car-
ry a child on the front seat, the passenger’s
front air bag and the Side Bag (where pro-
vided) can be deactivated.
The instrument panel warning light
Fwill
stay on glowing steadily until reactivating
the passenger’s front air bag and the Side
Bag (where provided).
SERIOUS DANGER: With
passenger’s air bag active
(ON), never place child’s
seats with the cradle facing
backwards since the air bag
activation could cause to
the child serious injuries, even mortal.
In the case of need, always deactivate
the passenger’s air bag when a child’s
seat is placed on the front seat. The
front passenger’s seat shall be ad-
justed in the most backward position
to prevent any contact between
child’s seat and dashboard. Even if
not compulsory by law, you are rec-
ommended to reactivate the air bag
immediately as soon as child trans-
port is no longer necessary.
WARNING
fig. 16F0M0054m
To deactivate the passen-
ger’s front air bag and the
Side Bag (where provided), refer to
paragraphs “Digital display” and
“Multifunction display” in section
“Dashboard and controls”.
WARNING
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SIDE AIR BAGS
The car is fitted with front side bags for
driver and passenger (where provided) for
protecting the chest and window bags
(where provided) for protecting front and
rear passengers’ head.
Side bags (where provided) protect car
occupants from side crashes of medium-
high severity, by placing the cushion be-
tween the occupant and the internal parts
of the side structure of the car.
Non-activation of side bags in other types
of collisions (front collisions, rear shunts,
roll-overs, etc...) is not a system malfunc-
tion.
In case of side crash, an electronic control
unit, when required triggers the inflation
of the cushion. The cushion immediately
inflates, placing itself as a protection, be-
tween the occupant’s body and the struc-
ture that could cause injuries. Immediate-
ly after, the cushion deflates.
Side bags (where provided) are not a re-
placement of but complementary to the
belts, which you are recommended to al-
ways wear, as specified by law in Europe
and most non-European countries.FRONT SIDE BAGS - CHEST
AND PELVIS ZONE
PROTECTION fig. 17
(where provided)
Front side bags are housed in the seat back
rests, they consist of an instant inflation
cushion designed to increase protection
of the occupants’ chest and pelvis zone in
the event of a side crash of medium-high
severity.SIDE WINDOW BAGS - HEAD
PROTECTION fig. 18
(where provided)
They consist of two “curtain” cushions,
one on the right and the other on the left
side of the car, located behind the side
coverings of the roof and covered by
proper finishing.
Window bags have been designed for pro-
tecting the head of front and rear occu-
pants in the event of side crash, thanks to
the wide cushion inflation surface.
IMPORTANT In the event of side crash,
you can obtain the best protection by the
system keeping a correct position on the
seat, allowing thus a correct window bag
unfolding.
124
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IINDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
fig. 17F0M0140mfig. 18F0M0141m
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125
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
IMPORTANT The front air bags and/or
side bags may be deployed if the car is sub-
ject to heavy knocks or accidents involv-
ing the underbody area, such as for ex-
ample violent shocks, against steps, kerbs
or low obstacles, falling of the car in big
holes or sags in the road.
IMPORTANT When the airbag inflates it
emits a small amount of dusts. These dusts
are harmless and is not the beginning of
a fire; then the unfold cushion surface and
the car interiors can be covered by a dusty
remains: this dust can irritate skin and
eyes. In case of contact, wash yourself us-
ing neutral soap and water.
Expiration dates of pyrotechnic charge and
coil contact are indicated on the label in-
side the glovebox. As these dates ap-
proach, contact Fiat Dealership to have
them replaced.
IMPORTANT Should an accident occur in
which any of the safety devices is activat-
ed, take the car to a Fiat Dealership to
have the devices activated replaced and to
have the system checked.
Every control, repair and replacement op-
erations concerning the air bags must on-
ly be carried out c/o Fiat Dealership.If you are having the car scrapped, have
the air bag system deactivated at a Fiat
Dealership first. If the car changes own-
ership, the new owner must be informed
of the method of use of air bags and the
above warnings and also be given this
“Owner Handbook”.
IMPORTANT The triggering of preten-
sioners, front air bags and side bags is de-
cided in a differentiated manner by the
electronic control unit, depending on the
type of crash. The failure to deploy one or
more of them does not mean that the sys-
tem is not working properly.
Never rest head, arms and
elbows on the door, on the
windows and in the window bag area
to prevent possible injuries during in-
flation phase.
WARNING
Never lean head, arms and
elbows out of window.
WARNING
GENERAL WARNINGS
If when turning the key to
MAR the warning light ¬does not turn on or if it stays on when
travelling (together with the message
on the multifunction display, where
provided) there could be a failure in
safety systems; in this event air bags
or pretensioners could not trigger in
case of impact or, in a minor num-
ber of cases, they could trigger acci-
dentally. Contact Fiat Dealership im-
mediately to have the system
checked.
WARNING
Do not cover the backrest of
front and rear seats with
trims or covers that are not suitable
to be used with side bags.
WARNING
Never travel with objects on
your lap, in front of your
chest or with a pipe, pencil, etc. be-
tween your lips; injury may result in
the event of the air bag being trig-
gered.
WARNING
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126
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IINDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
Always keep your hands on
the steering wheel rim when
driving, so that if the air bag is trig-
gered, it can inflate without meeting
any obstacles which could cause seri-
ous harm to you. Do not drive with
the body bent forwards, keep the seat
back rest in the erect position and
lean your back well against it.
WARNING
Remember that with the key
engaged and at MAR, even if
the engine is not running, the air bags
may be triggered on a stationary car
if it is bumped by another moving car.
Therefore, never seat children on the
front seat even when the car is sta-
tionary. On the other hand remember
that if the key is at STOP, no safety
system (air bags or pretensioners) is
triggered in the event of an impact; in
this case, failure to come into action
cannot be considered as a sign that
the system is not working properly.
WARNING
Do not wash the seat back
rest with pressurised water
or steam (by hand or at automatic
seat washing stations).
WARNING
The front air bag is triggered
for shocks greater in magni-
tude that the pretensioners. For im-
pacts between these two thresholds,
it is therefore normal that only the
pretensioners are triggered.
WARNING
Do not hook rigid objects to
the coat hooks and to the
support handles.
WARNING
The air bag does not substi-
tute the seat belts, but only
increases their effectiveness. More-
over, since the front air bags do not
come into operation in the event of
front impact at low speed, side colli-
sions, bumps from behind or over-
turning, in these circumstances the
occupants would only be protected
by the seat belts which must therefore
always be fastened.
WARNING
When the ignition key is
turned to MAR, the warning
light F(with passenger’s front air
bag active) turns on and flashes for
few seconds to remind that passen-
ger’s air bag will be deployed in a
crash, after which it should go off.
WARNING
If the car has been stolen or
an attempt to steal it has
been made, if it has been subjected to
vandals or floods, have the air bag
system checked by Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
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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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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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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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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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