47GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
BOOT
OPENING/CLOSING
THE TAILGATE
For sedan versions, the boot tailgate
can only be opened from the passen-
ger compartment using lever A-
fig. 66.
To open the boot from the outside
(VAN versions only), unlock it with
the ignition key fig. 64.
fig. 64
P4Q00066
Do not unlock the boot
while the car is in motion.
To open it from inside the car, pull
lever A-fig. 66at the side of the dri-
ver’s seat.
The opening of the boot is made
easier by the gas-filed struts on each
side.
To close the boot, lower it and press
the lock or the Fiat logo until it clicks.
A hole fig. 65in the inside of the
tailgate is provided to offer an easy
grip for closing the tailgate. When using the boot,
make sure that the load
you are carrying does not
exceed the permitted weight
(see
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS).
Also ensure that the items in the
boot are arranged properly to
prevent them being thrown for-
wards and injuring passengers
should you brake sharply.
Never travel with the
boot open: the exhaust
fumes could enter the
passenger compartment.
fig. 65
P4Q01048
fig. 66
P4Q00024
53GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
After travelling a few
kilometres, check that
the screws securing the
attachments are tight.
Never exceed the per-
mitted weight (see
TECH-
NICAL SPECIFICATIONS). SLANT COMPENSATION
When the car is loaded, it slopes
backwards. This means that the head-
light beam rises. In this case, it is nec-
essary to return it to the correct po-
sition.
The headlight beam adjuster is lo-
cated inside the car on the right side
of the steering column fig. 78.
Position 0- one or two occupants in
the front seats.
Position 1- five occupants.
Position 2- five occupants + load in
boot.
Position 3- driver + maximum per-
missible load stowed in boot.
Be careful not to knock
objects on the roof rack
when opening the tail-
gate.
HEADLIGHTS
ADJUSTING THE
HEADLIGHT BEAM
The correct positioning of the head-
light beams is very important for the
comfort and safety, not only of the
person driving the car but also all
other road users.
This is also covered by a specific law.
To ensure you and other drivers
have the best visibility conditions
when travelling with the headlights on,
the headlights must be set properly.
Have the headlight positioning
checked at a Fiat Dealershipand
adjusted if necessary.
fig. 78
P4Q01016Check the positioning of
the headlight beams
every time you change
the load to be carried.
67GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
AT THE FILLING
STATION
The Fiat 600’s pollution control de-
vices make it essential to use unleaded
petrol only.
However, to avoid mistakes, the fuel
filler is too small for the leaded petrol
pump. Octane rating (R.O.N.) must
not be lower than 95.
fig. 89
P4Q01020
INSTALLATION OF
ELECTRIC/ELECTRONIC
DEVICES
Electric/electronic devices installed
after buying the car or in aftermarket
shall bear the and marking:
Fiat Auto S.p.A. authorizes the in-
stallation of transceivers provided that
installation is carried out at a special-
ized shop, workmanlike performed
and in compliance with manufacturer’s
specifications.
IMPORTANTInstallation of de-
vices resulting in modifications of car
characteristics may cause driving li-
cense seizing by traffic agents and al-
so the lapse of the warranty as con-
cerns defects due to the abovemen-
tioned modification or traceable back
to it directly or indirectly.
Fiat Auto S.p.A. declines all respon-
sibility for damages caused by the in-
stallation of non-genuine accessories
or not recommended by Fiat Auto
S.p.A. and installed not in compliance
with the specified requirements. RADIO TRANSMITTERS AND
CELLULAR TELEPHONES
Mobile phones and other radio trans-
ceiver equipment (e.g.: HAM radio sys-
tems and the like) shall not be used in-
side the car unless a separate aerial is
mounted.
IMPORTANTThe use of mobile
phones, HAM radio systems or other
similar devices inside the passenger
compartment (without separate aeri-
al) may cause electronic systems
equipping the car to malfunction. This
could compromise safety in addition
to constituting a potential hazard for
the passengers.
In addition, transmission and recep-
tion of these devices may be affected
by the shielding effect of the car body.
As concerns EC-approved mobile
phones (GSM, GPRS, UMTS), strictly
comply with the instructions , for
use provided by the mobile phone’s
manufacturer.
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).
84DRIVING YOUR CAR
WINTER TYRES
These are tyres which have been
specifically designed for use on snow
and ice and should be fitted in place of
the existing tyres.
Use winter tyres of the same size as
the tyres provided with the car.
Fiat Dealerships will be glad to of-
fer advice on the right type of tyres
according to your needs.
For information on the tyres to be
fitted, inflation pressure and winter
tyre specifications, follow the pre-
scriptions given in
WHEELS, TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
.The performance of winter tyres is
greatly reduced when the depth of the
tread is less than 4 mm. In this situa-
tion it would be safer to have them
replaced.
The specific characteristics of the
winter tyres mean that under normal
driving conditions or when driving
long distances on motorways, their
performance is greatly reduced in
comparison to those normally fitted
to the car.
The use of these tyres should there-
fore be limited to the conditions for
which they were designed.
IMPORTANTWhen using winter
tyres with a maximum speed rating
lower than the speed which can be
reached by the car (plus 5%), place a
suitable notice is the passenger com-
partment to inform the driver of the
top speed which the winter tyre can
run at (as per EC Directive).All four tyres should be the same
(brand and track) to ensure greater
safety when driving, braking and cor-
nering.
Remember not to invert the tyre di-
rection of rotation.
The maximum speed
for winter tyres with “Q”
marking is 160 km/h. Re-
spect the highway code speed
limits.
88IN AN EMERGENCY
JUMP STARTING
If the battery is flat, you can use an-
other battery to start the engine. Its
capacity must be the same or slightly
greater than the flat battery (see the
chapter
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS).
Proceed as follows:
1)connect positive terminals Aand
B-fig. 1of the two batteries with a
jump lead.
2)With a second lead, connect the
negative terminal Cof the auxiliary
battery to an earth point Dof the car.IMPORTANTDo not directly
connect the two negative terminals:
sparks could ignite the flammable gas
from the battery.
If the auxiliary battery is fitted in an-
other vehicle, prevent accidental con-
tact of metallic parts.
3)Start the engine.
4)When the engine has been
started, remove the leads in the re-
verse order: D, C, Band finally A.
If the engine fails to start after a few
attempts, do not keep on but have the
car seen to at a Fiat Dealership. Do not carry out this
procedure if you lack ex-
perience; if it is not done
correctly it can cause very in-
tense electrical discharges. In ad-
dition, the fluid contained in the
battery is poisonous and corro-
sive. Avoid contact with skin and
eyes.
You are also advised not to put
naked flames or lighted ciga-
rettes near the battery and not
to cause sparks.
fig. 1
P4Q00087
Under no circumstances
should a battery charger
be used to start the en-
gine: it could damage the elec-
tronic systems and in particular
the ignition and injection control
units.
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
).
115CAR MAINTENANCE
Be very careful under
the bonnet: you risk
burning yourself. Re-
member that when the engine is
hot, the fan can start up and
cause injuries.
ENGINE OIL CONSUMPTION
Max. engine oil consumption is usu-
ally 400 grams every 1000 km.
During the beginning of the car’s use,
the engine is being run in. Engine oil
consumption can be considered sta-
bilised only after the first five-six thou-
sand kilometres.
IMPORTANTOil consumption
depends on the driving style and the
conditions of use. IMPORTANT After topping up or
changing the oil, let the engine turn
for a few seconds and wait a few min-
utes after stopping it before you check
the level. Do not add oil with dif-
ferent specifications from
the oil already in the en-
gine.
fig. 2
P4Q01039
Used engine oil and re-
placed oil filters contain
substances which can
harm the environment. We rec-
ommend you have the car seen
to at a Fiat Dealership for the oil
and filter change. It is suitably
equipped for disposing of used oil
and filters in an environmentally-
friendly way that complies with
the law.
ENGINE COOLANT fig. 3
Do not take the cap A of
the reservoir off when the
engine is very hot as you
run the risk of scalding yourself.
The coolant system is
under pressure. If the cap
A requires changing, use
only an original spare part, oth-
erwise the system efficiency
could be affected.
fig. 3
P4Q01040