2007 FIAT MULTIPLA Owners Manual

136
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
CC C
O O
R R
R R
E E
C C
T T
U U
S S
E E
O O
F F
T T
H H
E E
C C
A A
R R
ENGINE STARTING ........................................................... 137
PARKING .............................................................................. 140
USING THE MANUAL GEARBOX ................................ 142
CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS ............................... 143
TOWING TRAILERS .......................................................... 145
SNOW TYRES ...................................................................... 149
SNOW CHAINS .................................................................. 150
STORING THE CAR .......................................................... 151

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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
ENGINE STARTING
The car is fitted with an electronic engine lock device.
If the engine fails to start, see paragraph “Fiat CODE
system” in section “Dashboard and controls”.
During the initial seconds after the engine has been
started, above all after the vehicle has not been driven
for a while, the engine may be slightly noisier than
usual.
This characteristic feature of the hydraulic tappet
system does not compromise functionality or
reliability. The system devised for Fiat Multipla was
designed to limit servicing.STARTING PROCEDURE FOR PETROL
VERSIONS
IMPORTANT Do not press the accelerator before the
engine is started.
❒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 AVV and let it go the
moment the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first attempt, return
the ignition key to STOP before repeating starting.
WARNINGRunning the engine in confined areas is extremely dangerous. The engine consumes
oxygen and produces carbon monoxide which is a highly toxic and lethal gas.
We recommend that during the initial period you do not drive to full vehicle performance (e.g.:
excessive acceleration, long journeys at top speed, sharp braking, etc.).
When the engine is switched off never leave the ignition key in the MAR position to prevent
pointless current absorption from draining the battery.

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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, warning light ¢
remains lit together with warning light U, turn the
key to STOP and then back to MAR; if the warning
light remains on, try with the other keys provided with
the car.
If you are still unable to start the engine, perform the
emergency start-up procedure (see “Emergency start-
up” in section “In an emergency”) and contact Fiat
Dealership.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key at MAR
when the engine is off.STARTING PROCEDURE FOR DIESEL
VERSIONS
IMPORTANT When starting up, the accelerator pedal
must be completely released.
❒Ensure that the handbrake is up.
❒Put the gear lever into neutral.
❒Turn the ignition key to MAR. The warning lights
mand ¢will light up on the instrument panel.
❒Wait for the warning lights
mand ¢to go out.
The hotter the engine is, the quicker this will
happen.
❒Press the clutch pedal down to the floor.
❒Turn the ignition key to AVV as soon as warning
light
mgoes out. If you wait too long you will lose
the benefit of the work done by the glow plugs.
Release the key as soon as the engine starts.
The warning light mwill flash for 60 seconds at start-up or during prolonged cranking to signal a
fault in the glow plug heating system. You can use the car as usual if the engine starts but you
should contact a Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.

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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
If the engine does not start at the first attempt, return
the ignition key to STOP before trying to start the
engine again.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, warning light
¢
remains lit, turn the key to STOP and then back to
MAR; if the warning light remains on, try with the
other keys provided with the car.
If you still cannot start the engine, contact Fiat
Dealership.
IMPORTANT When the outside temperature is very
low, the use of a fluid oil facilitates cold starting.
During winter it is therefore recommended to
observe the specifications contained in section
“Technical specifications” at paragraph “Fluids and
lubricants”.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key at MAR
when the engine is off.
HOW TO WARM UP THE ENGINE
AFTER IT HAS JUST STARTED
(petrol and diesel versions)
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.
EMERGENCY START-UP
If the Fiat CODE system fails to recognise the code
transmitted by the ignition key (warning light
¢on
instrument panel lit with fixed light) you can start the
engine by following the emergency procedure using
the code written on the CODE card.
See section “In an emergency”.
Never bump start the engine by pushing, towing or coasting downhill as this could cause fuel to
flow into the catalytic exhaust system and damage it beyond repair.
Remember that the servobrake and power steering are not operational until the
engine has been started, therefore much effort than usual is required on the brake
pedal and steering wheel.WARNING

140
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EMERGENCY
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AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOP while the engine 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 engine
compartment to fall.PARKING
Proceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the handbrake;
❒engage a gear (first if the car is faced uphill or
reverse if it is faced downhill) and leave the wheels
steered.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a stone if the car is
parked on a steep slope.
Do not leave the ignition key at MAR to prevent
draining the battery. Always remove the key when you
leave the car.
Never leave children unattended in the car. Always
remove the ignition key when leaving the car and take
it out with you.
A quick burst on the accelerator before turning off the engine does not serve any practical purpose at
all. It wastes fuel and is damaging, particularly to turbo-charged engines.

141
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HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever is located on the left of the front seat.
Pull the handbrake lever upwards until the car cannot be moved. Four or
five clicks are generally enough when the car is on level ground while
nine or ten may be required if the car is on a steep slope or laden.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case, contact Fiat Dealership to have the
handbrake adjusted.
When the handbrake lever is pulled up and the ignition key is at MAR the
instrument panel warning light
xwill come on.
To release the handbrake:
❒Slightly lift the handbrake and press release button (A).
❒Keep button pressed in and lower the lever. Warning light
xwill go
out.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out this operation to prevent the
car from moving accidentally.
F0E0669m

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USING THE MANUAL GEARBOX
To engage gears, press down the clutch and shift the gear lever into one
of the positions shown (the diagram is also shown on the gear lever
knob).
To engage reverse (R), wait until the car has stopped and, from neutral
move the gear lever to the right and back.
IMPORTANT The car can only be put into reverse gear when it has
stopped moving completely. With the engine running, before engaging the
reverse, wait at least 2 seconds with the clutch pedal fully down to
prevent damaging and grating the gears.
P0E0243m
Do not drive with your hand resting on the gear lever as the force exerted, even if slight, could lead
over time to premature wear on the gearbox internal components.
To change gears properly you must push the clutch pedal fully down. It is therefore
essential that there is nothing under the pedals: make sure mats are lying flat and
do not get in the way of the pedals.WARNING

143
WARNING
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EMERGENCY
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DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
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 routinely 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
stability.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 penetration and adversely affect
consumption levels. When needing to carry
particularly voluminous objects, preferably use a
trailer.
Electric devices
Use electric devices only for the amount of time
needed. Rear heated window, additional headlights,
windscreen wipers and heater fan need a considerable
amount of energy, therefore increasing the
requirement of current increases fuel consumption (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 vehicle permits it, use the air vents where possible.
Aerodynamic accessories
The use of non-certified aerodynamic items may
adversely affect air drag and consumption levels.