120
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IINDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
Always drive holding your
hands on the steering wheel
rim so that the airbag can inflate
freely in the case of need. Do not dri-
ve with your body bent forward. Keep
your back straight against the back
rest.
WARNING
Airbags may be deployed if
another vehicle crashes if the
key is inserted and at MAR also if the
engine is not running and the car is
stationary. For this reason, children
must never sit on the front seat, even
if the car is not moving. On the oth-
er hand, if the key is inserted and at
STOP, none of the safety devices
(airbag or pretensioners) will be de-
ployed in a collision. Non deployment
of the devices in this case does not in-
dicate a system fault.
WARNING
Do not wash the seats with
pressurised water or steam
(by hand or in automatic seat wash-
ing stations).
WARNING
The airbag deployment
threshold is higher than that
of the pretensioners. For collisions in
the range between the two thresh-
olds, it is normal for only the preten-
sioners to be activated.
WARNING
Do not hook rigid objects to
the coat hooks and to the
support handles.
WARNING
Airbags do not replace seat
belts but increase their effi-
ciency. Furthermore, since front
airbags are not deployed in low speed
collisions, side collisions, rear-end
shunts or roll-overs, the occupants are
only protected by the seat belts which
must be fastened at all times.
WARNING
When the key is turned to
MAR warning light F(with
passenger front airbag activate) will
blink for a few seconds to remind you
that the airbag will be deployed in the
event of a collision after which it
should go out.
WARNING
Have the airbag system
checked by a Fiat Dealership
if the car was stolen, if theft was at-
tempted, or if the car was subjected
to vandalism or flooding.
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.
123
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, the in-
strument panel warning light
Yremains
lit together with warning light Uturn the
key to STOPand then back to MAR; re-
main on, try with the other keys provid-
ed with the car.
IMPORTANT if
Yon the instrument
panel remains on and steady, go to a Fiat
Dealership immediately.
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; instru-
ment panel warning lights
mand Ywill light up;
❒wait for the warning light Ye 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. Waiting
too long will waste the work done by
the glow plugs. Release 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
instrument panel warning light
Yre-
mains 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
steadily, contact immediately Fiat Deal-
ership.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
to MARwhen the engine is off.
Warning light
mwill blink
for 60 seconds after starting
or during prolonged cranking
to indicate a fault to the glow
plug heating system. Use the car nor-
mally if the engine starts and go to a
Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
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.
134
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
GENERAL WARNINGS
Lighting of a warning light is associated to
a specific message and/or buzzer when ap-
plicable. These indications are brief and
precautionary and as such must non be
considered as exhaustive and/or alterna-
tive to the information contained in the
Owner’s Handbook, which you are rec-
ommended to read carefully in all cases.
Refer to the information in this chap-
ter in the event of a failure indication.
IMPORTANT Failure indications on the
display fall into either of two categories:
seriousfaults and less seriousfaults.
Very seriousfailures are indicated by a
repeated and prolonged warning “cycle”.
Less seriousfailures are indicated by a lim-
ited warning “cycle”.
Press MENU ESCto stop the warning
cycle in both cases. The warning light on
the instrument panel will stay on until the
cause of the fault is eliminated.LOW BRAKE FLUID
LEVEL (red)
HANDBRAKE ON (red)
Turning the ignition key to MARthe
warning light turns on, but it should go off
after few seconds.
Low brake fluid level
The warning light turns on when the lev-
el of the brake fluid in the reservoir falls
below the minimum level, due to possi-
ble leak in the circuit.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
x
If the warning light xturns
on when travelling (on cer-
tain versions together with the mes-
sage on the display) stop the car im-
mediately and contact Fiat Dealer-
ship.
WARNING
Handbrake on
The warning light turns on when the hand-
brake is on.
On certain versions, if the car is moving
the buzzer will also sound.
IMPORTANT If the warning light turns on
when travelling, check that the handbrake
is not engaged.
135
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
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 steady if there
is a failure in the airbag system.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
¬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 may not be deployed
in case of impact or, in a minor num-
ber of cases, they be deployed acci-
dentally. Contact Fiat Dealership im-
mediately to have the system checked.
WARNING
Failure of warning light ¬(warning light off) is indicat-
ed by warning light
Fwhich will
blink for longer than the normal 4
seconds indicating that the front pas-
senger airbag is off.
WARNING
HOT ENGINE
COOLANT (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:
❒during normal travel: stop the car,
stop the engine and check that the wa-
ter level in the vessel is not under the
MINline. In this case, wait for a few
minutes for the engine to cool down
when slowly and carefully open the
cap, top-up with coolant and check
that the level is between the MINand
MAXreferences on the vessel itself.
Also check for leakages. Go to a Fiat
Dealership if the warning should come
on when the engine is started again.
ç
136
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
LOW ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE (red)
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
❒In the case of demanding use (e.g.
towing trailers uphill or car at full
load): slow down and stop the car if
the warning light stays on. Stand for
2 or 3 minutes with the engine running
and slightly accelerated to promote a
better circulation of coolant. Then
stop the engine. Check correct liquid
level as described above.
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).
Go to a Fiat Dealership immediately if the
warning light stays on either steady or
blinking.
w
138
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
Go to a Fiat Dealership as
soon as possible if warning
light
Ueither does not light
up when the key is turned to
MAR to if while travelling the warning
lights comes on either steady or blink-
ing (along with a message on the dis-
play). The operation of warning light
Umay be checked by the traffic po-
lice using specific devices. Follow the
laws in force in the country where you
are driving.
If the light flashes, release the accelerator
pedal to lower the speed of the engine un-
til the warning light stops flashing; contin-
ue the journey at moderate speed, trying
to avoid driving conditions that may cause
further flashing and contact Fiat Dealer-
ship as soon as possible. EOBD ENGINE CONTROL
SYSTEM FAILURE
Under normal conditions, turning the ig-
nition key to MAR, the warning light turns
on but it should go off after engine starting.
This indicates that the warning light is
working correctly. If the warning light ei-
ther stays on or comes on while travelling:
❒steady light: a fault in the supply/ignition
system which could cause high emis-
sions 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, you may continue
travelling at moderate speed without de-
manding excessive effort from the engine.
Prolonged use of the car with the warn-
ing light on may cause damage. Go to a
Fiat Dealership as soon as possible. If
warning light will go out after the fault
goes away but it will be stored in the sys-
tem.
❒blinking: indicates the possibility of
damage to the catalyser (see “EOBD
system” in section “Dashboard and
controls”). 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, you may continue
travelling at moderate speed without de-
manding excessive effort from the engine.
Go to a Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble.
U