2007 FIAT SEICENTO check engine

73DRIVING YOUR CAR
IMPORTANT Reverse gear can
only be engaged when the car is com-
pletely stationary. With the engine
running, before engaging the reverse
gear, wait for at least two seconds
with the clutch pedal pressed fully
down to avoid damaging or grating the
gears. SAFE DRIVING
In designing the Fiat 600, Fiat has
made every effort to come up with a
car able to provide driver and pas-
sengers with top-class levels of safety.
Nevertheless it is always the behav-
iour of the person at the wheel that
determines road safety.
Below you will find some simple tips
to help you travel in safety under dif-
ferent conditions. You will no doubt
be familiar with many of them already
but it will be useful to read them all
carefully.
BEFORE GETTING BEHIND
THE WHEEL
– Make sure all lights including the
headlights are working properly.
– Adjust the position of the seats,
steering wheel, inside and outside rear
view mirrors properly for the best
driving position.
– Carefully adjust the head restraints
so the back of the head and not the
nape of the neck is supported. – Make sure that nothing (mats etc.)
gets in the way of the pedals when
they are pushed down.
– Make sure that any child restraint
systems (child seats, carriers etc.) are
properly fixed preferably on the back
seat.
– Place any objects in the boot in
such a way that they cannot be
thrown forwards in the event of an
accident.
– Do not eat a heavy meal before
travelling. Light eating will help keep
your reflexes prompt. Above all, do
not have anything alcoholic to drink.
Periodically, remember to check:
– tyre pressure and condition
– level of battery electrolyte
– engine oil level
– coolant level and condition of the
system
– brake fluid level
– windscreen washer fluid level. To change the gear
properly (with mechani-
cal clutch) 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.

77DRIVING YOUR CAR
– do not remain stationary in deep
snow with the engine running: the
snow could deviate the exhaust gas
into the passenger compartment.
DRIVING WITH ABS
ABS is a braking system that essen-
tially offers two advantages:
1)it prevents wheel lock-up and
consequent skidding in emergency
stops, particularly when the road does
not offer much grip;
2)it makes it possible to brake and
steer at the same time so you can
avoid unexpected obstacles and direct
the car where you want while braking.
The extent to which this can be done
will depend on the physical limits of
the tyre’s sideways grip.To get the most out of ABS:
– during emergency conditions or
when grip conditions are poor, you
will feel a slight pulsation on the brake
pedal. This is the sign that the ABS is
working. Do not release the brake
pedal but continue to press so as not
to interrupt the braking action;
– ABS prevents the wheels from
locking, but it does not increase actual
grip conditions between tyre and
road. Therefore, even if your car is fit-
ted with ABS, respect the safety dis-
tance from the car in front of you and
keep your speed down when driving
into bends;
– ABS serves to increase the con-
trollability of the car, not to enable
you to go faster.CONTAINING
RUNNING COSTS
AND POLLUTION
Some suggestions which may help
you to keep the running costs of the
vehicle down and lower the amount
of toxic emissions released into the
atmosphere are given below.
GENERAL
CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
The overall state of the car is an im-
portant factor which has a marked in-
fluence over fuel consumption and
driving comfort and on the life span of
your car. For this reason care should
be taken to maintain your car by car-
rying out the necessary checks and
regulations in accordance with the
specifications given in the
SERVICE
SCHEDULE
(see sections: SPARK PLUGS,
IDLING, AIR CLEANERS, TIMING).

78DRIVING YOUR CAR
Tyres
Tyre pressure should be checked at
least once every four weeks: if the
pressure is too low fuel consumption
increases as the resistance to the
rolling movement of the tyre is
greater. In this state, tyre wear is in-
creased and vehicle handling suffers
which will effect safety.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much luggage
stowed in the boot. The weight of the
vehicle and its trim greatly effects con-
sumption and stability.
Roof rack/ski rack
Remove roof racks and ski racks
from the roof of the car as soon as
they are no longer needed. These ac-
cessories reduce the aerodynamic
penetration of the vehicle and will in-
crease consumption. When having to
transport particularly large loads it is
better to use a trailer.Electric devices
Use electric devices for the neces-
sary time only. The heated rear win-
dow, fog lights, windscreen wipers,
heating system blower require large
amounts of electricity, and as a con-
sequence, the fuel consumption in-
creases (up to +25% in town).
Climate control system
The climate control system is a fur-
ther drag on the engine causing higher
fuel consumption (on average, up to
20%). When outside temperatures
permit, use the vents.
Aerodynamic accessories
The use of aerodynamic accessories
not certified for that specific purpose
can diminish the car’s aerodynamic
penetration and increase consump-
tion.BEHIND THE WHEEL
Starting-up
Do not warm up the engine when
the car is stationary, neither by idling
nor revving up. If you do, the engine
will warm up much more slowly and
increase fuel consumption and emis-
sions. It is therefore better to start
slowly and to keep the engine speed
down.
Unnecessary manoeuvres
Do not give quick bursts on the ac-
celerator when waiting at the traffic
lights or before turning off the engine.
This type of action, like the “double
clutch” are absolutely useless on mod-
ern cars. They only increase fuel con-
sumption and pollution.
Gear selection
As soon as traffic conditions allow,
shift up to a higher gear. Using a low
gear to have a sharp acceleration in-
creases the consumption. Likewise,
using a high gear when this is not
called for increases consumption,
emissions and wear on the engine.

86DRIVING YOUR CAR
STORING THE CAR
The following precautions should be
taken if the car will not be used for
several months:
– Park the car in covered, dry and if
possible well-ventilated premises.
– Engage a gear.
– Make sure the handbrake is not
engaged.
– Remove the cables from the bat-
tery terminals (first remove the cable
to the negative terminal), and check
the battery charge. If the car is to be
stored for long periods the charge of
the battery should be checked every
month and recharged if it falls below
12.5V.– Clean and protect the shiny metal
parts using special compounds readily
available.
– Sprinkle talcum powder on the
rubber windscreen and rear window
wiper blades and lift them off the glass.
– Open the windows slightly.– Cover the car with a cloth or per-
forated plastic sheet. Do not use
sheets of non-perforated plastic as
they do not allow moisture on the car
body to evaporate.
– Inflate the tyres to + 0.5 bar above
the normal specified pressure and
check it at intervals.
– Do not drain the engine cooling
system.

111CAR MAINTENANCE
thousands of kilometres
Check anti-evaporation system
Replace air cleaner cartridge
Top up fluids (engine coolant, brakes, windscreen washer, battery, etc.)
Check timing belt conditions
Replace timing belt (*)
Replace spark plugs
Check engine control systems via diagnostic socket
Check mechanical gearbox oil level
Change engine oil
Replace engine oil filter
Change brake fluid (or every two years) 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
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(*) or every 3 years for demanding use (cold climates, prolonged idling in city traffic)
or every 5 years, regardless of distance

112CAR MAINTENANCE
ANNUAL INSPECTION SCHEDULE
– Inspect conditions of. engine, gear-
box, transmission, piping (exhaust -
fuel feed - brakes), rubber parts
(boots - sleeves - bushings - etc.),
brake and fuel line hoses.
– Check for bonnet and boot lock
cleanness, lever cleanness and lubri-
cation.
– Check battery charge status.
– Check conditions of various con-
trol belts.
– Check and top up fluid levels (en-
gine coolant, brakes, windscreen
washer, battery, etc.).
– Change engine oil.
– Replace engine oil filter.
– Replace pollen filter (where fitted). The following annual inspection
schedule is recommended for
cars travelling less than
20,000 km a year (e.g. approxi-
mately 10,000 km). The schedule
includes the following operations:
– Check tyre condition and wear
and adjust pressure, if required (in-
cluding spare wheel).
– Check operation of lights (head-
lights, direction indicators, hazard
lights, boot light, passenger compart-
ment ceiling light, glove compartment
light, instrument panel lights, etc.).
– Check windscreen wiper/washer
and adjust nozzles.
– Check position wear of wind-
screen/rear window wiper blades.
– Check front brake pad conditions
and wear.
ADDITIONAL
CHECKS
Every 1,000 kmor before long
trips, check and top up as necessary:
– engine coolant level, brake fluid
level, windscreen washer liquid level,
tyre pressure and conditions.
Every 3,000 kmcheck and top up
as necessary: engine oil level.
We recommend using FL Selenia
products which were specifically de-
signed and made for use in Fiat vehi-
cles (see
CAPACITIEStable in TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
).

113CAR MAINTENANCE
IMPORTANT - Remote control
If when the remote control button
is pressed the doors are not
locked/unlocked or the performed
operation signal (indicator lights on)
does not appear, change the battery,
using spare batteries of the same kind.
IMPORTANT - Engine oil
Should the prevailing use of the car
be under one of the following specially
heavy conditions:
– trailer towing
– dusty roads
– short distances (less than 7-8 km)
repeated and with external tempera-
tures below zero.
– frequently idling engines or long
distance low speed driving (e.g. taxis
or door-to-door deliveries) or in case
of a long term inactivity replace engine
oil more frequently than required on
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PLAN.IMPORTANT - Air cleaner
Replace the air cleaner more fre-
quently if the car is used on dusty
roads.
If you are in doubt about how often
the engine oil or the air cleaner should
be changed in relation to how you use
the car, contact a Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANT - Battery
The charge in your battery should be
checked, where possible at the start
of the winter, to limit the risk of the
battery electrolyte freezing. This
check should be carried out more fre-
quently if the car is mainly used for
short trips or if it is fitted with acces-
sories that permanently take in elec-
tricity even when the ignition key is
removed, especially in the case of af-
ter market accessories.You should check the battery fluid
(electrolyte) level more frequently
than shown in the
SERVICE SCHEDULEin
this chapter if the vehicle is used in
hot climates or particularly demand-
ing conditions.
Maintenance of your car
should be entrusted to a
Fiat Dealership. For ordi-
nary routine maintenance oper-
ations which you are able to
carry out yourself, ensure that
you have the necessary tools and
original Fiat spare parts and flu-
ids available. Do not carry out
servicing operations if you have
no experience.

114CAR MAINTENANCE
CHECKING FLUID LEVELS
fig. 1
P4Q01038
Do not smoke while
working in the engine
compartment: the pres-
ence of flammable gas and
vapour could cause a fire.
Be very careful: scarves,
ties and other loose arti-
cles of clothing could eas-
ily get caught up in moving parts.
This can be extremely danger-
ous.
1. Engine oil - 2. Battery - 3. Brake fluid - 4. Windscreen washer fluid - 5. Engine
coolant.
Be careful not to mix up
the various types of fluids
when you are topping up:
they are all mutually incompati-
ble and could damage the car. ENGINE OIL
Check engine oil with the car on
level ground and while the engine is
still warm (approximately 5 minutes
after stopping the engine).
The oil level must be between the
MIN and MAX marks on the dipstick
B-fig. 2.The space between MIN and MAX
equals about 1 litre of oil.
If the oil level is near or even below
the MINmark, pour in oil through
the filler hole Auntil it reaches the
MAXmark.
The level of the oil should never ex-
ceed the MAXmark.