92
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
ABS SYSTEM
If you have never driven a car with ABS be-
fore, it is advisable to perform a few tests
on slippery ground, naturally in conditions
of safety and respecting the Highway Code
of the country where you are driving. Read
the following information carefully.
The car is fitted with an ABS braking sys-
tem, which prevents the wheels from lock-
ing when braking, makes the most of road
grip and gives the best control when emer-
gency braking under difficulty road condi-
tions.
System is completed by EBD (Electronic
Braking force Distribution), which dis-
tributes the braking action between front
and rear wheels.
IMPORTANT Maximum efficiency of the
braking system is obtained after approxi-
mately 500 km (when the car is new or af-
ter replacing the brake pads/discs): during
this time, avoid sudden, repeated and pro-
longed braking.The ABS exploits the tyre-
road grip at the best, but it
cannot improve it; you should there-
fore take every care when driving on
slippery surfaces without taking un-
necessary risks.
WARNING
ABS SYSTEM INTERVENTION
Intervention of the ABS is detected by a
slight pulsing of the brake pedal accompa-
nied by noise: such an event indicates that
you need to adjust your speed to the type
of road on which you are travelling.
When the ABS intervenes it
means that you are ap-
proaching the grip limit between tyres
and road: slow down to exploit all the
available grip.
WARNING
FAILURE INDICATIONS
ABS failure
ABS failure is indicated by the turning on
of warning light
>on the instrument pan-
el together with the dedicated message on
the multifunctional display (where pro-
vided), (see section “Warning lights and
messages”).
In the case, the braking system will work
as normal without the extra potentials of-
fered by the ABS system. Drive carefully
to the nearest Fiat Dealership to have the
system checked.
93
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
BRAKE ASSIST
(integrated ESP emergency
braking assistance)
(where provided)
This system (which cannot be deactivat-
ed) recognises emergency braking condi-
tions according to the speed of operation
of the brake pedal and provides an addi-
tional hydraulic braking pressure to sup-
port that provided by the driver. This al-
lows faster and more power operation of
the braking system.
Brake Assist is deactivated on the versions
equipped with ESP, in the event of ESP sys-
tem failure (indicated by warning light
áswitching on together with the message
on the multifunctional display, where pro-
vided).
ESP SYSTEM
(Electronic Stability
Program)
(where provided)
The ESP system is an electronic system
controlling the car stability in the event of
tyre grip loss.
The ESP system is therefore particularly
useful when grip conditions of the road sur-
faces changes.
In addition to the ESP system, ASR system
and Hill Holder, (where provided) also the
MSR system (adjusting the engine braking
torque) and the HBA system (improving
the braking force during emergency brak-
ing) are provided.
ABS SYSTEM INTERVENTION
It is signalled by the blinking of the warn-
ing light
áon the instrument panel, to
inform the driver that the car is in criti-
cal stability and grip conditions.When the ABS cuts in, and
you feel the brake pedal pul-
sating, do not remove your foot, but
keep it pressed; in doing so you will
stop in the shortest amount of space
possible under the current road con-
ditions.
WARNING
EBD failure
ABS failure is indicated by the turning on
warning lights
>and xon the instru-
ment panel together with the dedicated
message on the multifunctional display
(where provided), (see section “Warning
lights and messages”).
In this case, the rear wheels may sudden-
ly lock and the car may swerve. Drive
carefully to the nearest Fiat Dealership to
have the system checked.
If warning light xonly lights
up on the instrument panel
(with a message on the multifunc-
tional display, where provided), stop
the car immediate and go to the
nearest Fiat Dealership. Leakage of
hydraulic fluid from the braking sys-
tem will compromise functionality of
the braking system, either of the con-
ventional type or with ABS.
WARNING
102
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
FUEL FILLER CAP fig. 100
To carry out fuelling, if your car fits a cen-
tralised door locking system, unlock the
doors, open lid Aand unscrew cap B; the
cap is fitted with a special device Cwhich
fastens it to the lid so it cannot be mislaid.
If your car does not fit a centralised lock-
ing system, operate lever A-fig. 101to
release the flap.
In some versions, cap Bmay be provided
with a lock and key; use the ignition key
to access the flap A-fig. 100, turn it an-
ticlockwise and loosen the cap itself.
The airtight closing may determine a slight
increase of pressure in the tank. A suction
noise when you release the cap is there-
fore entirely normal.
PROTECTING THE
ENVIRONMENT
The devices for curtailing petrol engine
emissions are the following:
❒three-way catalytic converter;
❒lambda sensors;
❒fuel evaporation system.
In addition, do not let the engine run, even
for a test, with one or more spark plugs
disconnected.
The devices for curtailing diesel fuel en-
gine emissions are the following:
❒oxidising catalytic converter;
❒exhaust gas recirculation system
(E.G.R.).
fig. 100F0M0203m
Do not approach naked
flames or lit sigarettes to the
fuel filler: fire risk. Keep your face
away from the fuel filler to prevent
breathing in harmful vapours.
WARNING
fig. 101F0R0210m
When refuelling, position the cap on the
device inside the lid as shown in fig. 100.
The catalytic converter de-
velops high temperature dur-
ing operation. Do not park on grass,
dry leaves, pine needles or other flam-
mable material: fire risk.
WARNING
104
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IINDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
The rear seat belts must be used as shown
in the diagram in fig. 2.
SEAT BELTS
USING THE SEAT BELTS fig. 1
The belt should be worn keeping the chest
straight and rested against the seat back.
To fasten the seat belts, take hold the
tongue Aand insert it into the buckle B,
until hearing the locking click.
At removal, if it jams, let it rewind for a
short stretch, then pull it out again with-
out jerking.
Press button Cto release the belt. Ac-
company the belt while it is being re-
wound to prevent twisting.
Through the reel, the belt automatically
adapts to the body of the passenger wear-
ing it, allowing freedom of movement.
The reel may lock when the car is parked
on a steep slope: this is perfectly normal.
Furthermore, the reel mechanism locks
the belt if it is pulled and in the event of
sudden braking, collisions and on high
speed bends.
The rear seat is fitted with inertial seat
belts with three anchor points and reel.
fig. 1F0R0150m
fig. 2F0R0088m
Never press button C-fig. 1
when travelling.
WARNING
fig. 3
A
B
F0R0151m
ADJUSTING THE FRONT SEAT
BELT HEIGHT
Always adjust the seat belt height to the
passenger’s body: this precaution may
considerably reduce the risk of injury in
the event of a collision.
Correct regulation is obtained when the
belt passes approximately half way be-
tween the shoulder and the neck.
To adjust, move the grip A-fig. 3of the
locking mechanism either up or down and
at the same time move the ring B-fig. 3
to the most suitable of the allowed posi-
tions.
106
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IINDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
PRETENSIONERS
To increase the efficiency of the seat belts,
the car is fitted with pretensioners. These
devices, in the event of a violent crash,
rewind the seat belts a few centimetres.
In this way they ensure that the seat belt
adheres perfectly to the wearer before the
restraining action begins.
The seat belt locks to indicate that the de-
vice has intervened; the seat belt cannot
be drawn back up even when guiding it
manually.
IMPORTANT To obtain the highest de-
gree of protection from the action of the
pretensioner, wear the seat belt keeping
it firmly close to the chest and pelvis.
A slight amount of smoke may be detect-
ed during operation of the pretensioners.
This smoke is not harmful and does not
indicate a fire.
The pretensioner does not require any
maintenance or greasing.
Anything that modifies its original condi-
tions invalidates its efficiency.
If due to unusual natural events (floods,
seas storm, etc.) the device has been af-
fected by water and mud, it must neces-
sarily be replaced.LOAD LIMITERS
To increase passenger’s safety, the front
seat belt reels contain a load limiter which
allows controlled sag in such a way as to
dose the force acting on the chest and
shoulders during the belt restraining ac-
tion in case of front crash.The pretensioner can only
be used once. Go to a Fiat
Dealership to have it replaced after
is has been deployed. The expiration
date is shown on the label in the odd-
ment compartment: go to a Fiat
Dealership to have the device re-
placed when the expiration date ap-
proaches.
WARNING
Operations which lead to
knocks, vibrations or localised
heating (over 100°C for a
maximum of 6 hours) in the
area around the pretensioners may
cause damage or trigger them. These
devices are not affected by vibrations
caused by irregularities of the road sur-
face or low obstacles such as kerbs, etc.
Contact a Fiat Dealership for any as-
sistance.
119
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 A small amount of dust will
be released when the airbags are de-
ployed. The dust is not harmful and does
not indicate the beginning of a fire. Fur-
thermore, the surface of the deployed bag
and the interior of the car may be covered
in a dusty residue: this dust may irritate
the skin and the eyes. Wash with mild
soap and water in the event of exposure.
The expiration date of the explosive
charge and the clock wire are shown on a
specific label contained in the oddment
compartment. Go to a Fiat Dealership
to have the devices replaced when the ex-
piration date approaches.
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.
All inspection, 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’s Handbook”.
IMPORTANT Pretensioners, front airbags
and front side bags are deployed accord-
ing to different logics on the basic of the
type of collision. Non deployment of one
of the devices does not therefore indicate
a system fault.
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 multifunctional 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 number
of cases, they could trigger acciden-
tally. Contact Fiat Dealership imme-
diately 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
122
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 provided with an electronic en-
gine lock device: refer to “The Fiat CODE
system” paragraph in “Dashboard and
controls” if you cannot start the engine.
The engine may be noisier during the first
seconds of operation, particularly after a
long period of inactivity. This is charac-
teristic of hydraulic tappets, the timing sys-
tem chosen to reduce the number of ser-
vicing interventions and does effects nei-
ther functionality nor reliability.
It is advisable not to demand
maximum performance from
your car (e.g. excessive accel-
erations, long distances at top
rpm, excessive intense braking, etc.) as
soon as the engine is started.
Do not leave the key in the ig-
nition switch with the engine
off to avoid unnecessary con-
sumption of electricity which
could drain the battery. It is dangerous
to run the engine in closed environ-
ments.
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 brake
booster 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.
125
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CARHANDBRAKE fig. 1
The handbrake lever is located between
the two front seats.
Pull the lever upwards to operate the
handbrake. Four or five notches are nor-
mally sufficient to lock the car on flat ter-
rain, while nine or ten may be necessary
on a steep slope with the car loaded.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case, con-
tact Fiat Dealership to have the handbrake
adjusted.
When the handbrake lever is pulled up
and the ignition key is atMAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
xwill turn
on.
PARKING THE CAR
Proceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the hand-
brake;
❒engage a gear (on a slope, engage first
gear if the car is faced uphill or reverse
if it is faced downhill) and leave the
wheels steered.
If the car is parked on a steep slope, it is
further advisable to block the wheels with
a wedge or stone. Do not leave the key in
the ignition switch to prevent draining the
battery. Always remove the key when you
leave the car.
Never leave children unat-
tended in the car. Always re-
move the ignition key when leaving
the car and take it out with you.
WARNING
fig. 1F0R0103m
Proceed as followed to release the hand-
brake:
❒slightly lift the handbrake and press re-
lease button A;
❒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 car from
moving accidentally.