
86
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IINDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
IMPORTANT Each belt shall be used by
one person only: never travel with a child
sitting on the passenger’s lap with a sin-
gle belt to protect them both fig. 8. Do
not fasten other objects to the body.HOW TO KEEP THE SEAT
BELTS ALWAYS IN EFFICIENT
CONDITIONS
Observe the following:
❒always use the belt with the tap taut and
never twisted; make sure that it is free
to run without impediments;
❒after a serious accident, replace the belt
being worn at that time, even if it does
not appear damaged. Always replace
the seat belt if pretensioners have been
activated;
❒to clean the belts, wash by hand with
neutral soap, rinse and leave to dry in
the shade. Never use strong deter-
gents, bleach or dyes or other chemi-
cal substance that might weaken the fi-
bres;
❒prevent the reels from getting wet:
their correct operation is only guaran-
teed if water does not get inside;
❒replace the seat belt when showing sig-
nificant wear or cut signs. IMPORTANT The belt should not be
twisted. The upper part should pass over
the shoulder and cross the chest diago-
nally. The lower part should adhere to the
pelvis (as illustrated in fig. 7) and not to
the abdomen of the passenger. Do not use
any objects (pegs, stoppers, etc.) to keep
the belts away from the body.
fig. 7F0G0044mfig. 8F0G0045m
If the belt has been subject-
ed to heavy stress, for ex-
ample after and accident, it should be
changed completely together with
the anchors, anchor fastening screws
and the pretensioners. In fact, even if
the belt has no visible defects, it could
have lost its resilience.
WARNING
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95
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
MANUALLY DEACTIVATING
THE PASSENGER’S FRONT
AIR BAG
Should it be absolutely necessary to car-
ry a child on the front seat, the passenger’s
air bag on the car can be deactivated.
Deactivation/reactivation takes place with
ignition key at STOPand operating it in
the special key switch in the glovebox.
The key can be fitted and extracted in
both positions.
IMPORTANT Operate the switch only
when the engine is not running and the ig-
nition key is removed. PASSENGER’S FRONT AIR BAG
fig. 17
It consists of an instant-inflating cushion
contained in a special recess in the dash-
board; its volume is bigger than the dri-
ver’s one.
fig. 17F0G0057m
SERIOUS DANGER: Never
place cradle child’s seats on
the front passenger seat of
cars fitted with passenger
air bag. Air bag activation
could cause serious injuries,
even mortal. In the case of need, al-
ways deactivate the passenger’s air
bag when a child’s seat is placed on
the front seat. The front passenger’s
seat shall be adjusted in the most
backward position to prevent any
contact between child’s seat and
dashboard. Even if not compulsory by
law, you are recommended to reacti-
vate the air bag immediately as soon
as child transport is no longer neces-
sary.
WARNING
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98
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IINDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
GENERAL WARNINGS
If when turning the key to
MAR the warning light ¬
does not turn on or if it stays on when
travelling 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 seats with trims or cov-
ers 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
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 remem-
ber that if the key is at STOP, no safe-
ty system (air bags or pretensioners)
is triggered in the event of an impact;
in this case, failure to come into ac-
tion cannot be considered as a sign
that the system is not working prop-
erly.
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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STARTING PROCEDURE
FOR PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒put the gear lever in 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.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, warn-
ing light
Yremains lit together with
warning light Uturn the key to STOP
STOP and then back to MAR; if the warn-
ing 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 proce-
dure (see “Emergency start-up” in “In an
emergency” chapter) and contact Fiat
Dealership.
STARTING
THE ENGINE
The car is fitted with an electronic engine
lock device: if the engine fails to start, see
the paragraph “The Fiat CODE system” in
section “Dashboard and controls”.
The engine may be noisier than usual dur-
ing the first seconds of operation, espe-
cially after it has not been used for a while.
This characteristic feature of the hydraulic
tappet system does not compromise func-
tionality or reliability: the system devised
for the Fiat Panda was designed to limit
maintenance interventions.
102
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
We recommend that during
the initial period you do not
drive to full car performance
(e.g.: excessive acceleration,
long journeys at top speed, sharp brak-
ing, etc.).
When the engine is switched
off never leave the ignition
key in the MAR position to
prevent pointless current ab-
sorption from draining the battery.
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 servo-
brake 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
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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, warn-
ing light
Yremains lit, turn the key to
STOPand then back to MAR; if the
warning light remains on, try with the oth-
er keys provided with the car.
If you still cannot start the engine, contact
Fiat Dealership.HOW TO WARM UP THE
ENGINE AFTER IT HAS JUST
STARTED
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.
EMERGENCY START-UP
If the instrument panel warning light
Ystays on with fixed light, the emergency
start-up can be performed by using the
CODE card code (see section “In an
emergency”). 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: the
warning lights
mand Yon the in-
strument panel will turn on;
❒Wait for the warning lights Yand
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. 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.
IMPORTANT With cold engine, the ac-
celerator pedal shall be completely re-
leased while turning the ignition key to
AVV.
103
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
The warning light mwill
flash for 60 seconds at start-
up or during prolonged crank-
ing to indicate a fault in the
glow plug heating system. You can use
the car as usual if the engine starts but
you should contact Fiat Dealership as
soon as possible.
Never bump start the engine
by pushing, towing or coast-
ing downhill. These opera-
tions could cause fuel to flow
into the catalytic exhaust system and
damage it beyond repair.
101-112 Panda New GB 21-06-2007 13:50 Pagina 103

PARKING
Proceed as follows:
❒ Stop the engine and engage the hand-
brake;
❒engage a gear (1stif the car is faced up-
hill 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 MARto
prevent draining the battery, always re-
move the ignition key when leaving the
car.
Never leave children unattended in the
car. Always remove the ignition key when
leaving the car and take it out with you.HANDBRAKE fig. 1
The handbrake lever is located between
the two front seats.
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, con-
tact Fiat Dealership to have the handbrake
adjusted.
When the handbrake lever is pulled up
and the ignition key is at MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light xwill turn
on. STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOPwhile the en-
gine is idling.
IMPORTANT After 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.
fig. 1F0G0037m
104
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
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.
101-112 Panda New GB 21-06-2007 13:50 Pagina 104

USING THE MANUAL
GEARBOX
To engage the gears, press the clutch ped-
al fully and shift the gear lever into one of
the required positions (the diagram is
shown on the knob fig. 2).
IMPORTANT The car can only be put in-
to reverse gear when it has stopped mov-
ing completely. With the engine running,
before engaging the reverse, wait at least
2 seconds with the clutch pedal fully down
to prevent damage and grating of the
gears.
To engage reverse Rfrom neutral, lift the
sliding ring Aunder the knob and shift the
lever to the right and back. To release the handbrake:
❒slightly lift the handbrake and press re-
lease button A;
❒keep button Apressed and lower the
lever. Warning light xwill turn off.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out
this operation to prevent the car from
moving accidentally.
fig. 2F0G0060m
105
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
To change gears properly
you must push the clutch
pedal fully down. It is therefore es-
sential that there is nothing under the
pedals: make sure the mats are lying
flat and do not get in the way of the
pedals.
WARNING
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 inter-
nal components.
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114
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
Turning on of warning light is accompa-
nied by specific message and/or by buzzer
sound where provided by instrument pan-
el. These indications are concise and
cautionaryand shall not be considered
as exhaustive and/or as an alternative to
the specifications contained in this Own-
er Handbook which shall always be read
through carefully and thoroughly. In case
of failure indication always refer to the
specifications contained in this sec-
tion.
IMPORTANT Failure indications displayed
are divided into two categories: very se-
riousand less seriousfailures.
Very seriousfailures are indicated by a
repeated and prolonged warning “cycle”.
Less seriousfailures are indicated by a lim-
ited warning “cycle”.
The warning cycle of both failure classes
can be stopped by pressing button
MODE. The instrument panel warning
light will stay on until eliminating the fault.
As concerns messages relevant to the ver-
sions equipped with Dualogic gearbox, see
the attached Supplement.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.
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.
¬
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