Page 152 of 254

DRIVING YOUR CAR
151
STORING THE CAR
The following precautions should be
taken if the car will not be used for
several months:
– park the vehicle in covered, dry and
if possible well-ventilated premises;
– engage a gear (Pfor versions with
automatic electronic gear);
– make sure the handbrake is not en-
gaged;
– clean and protect the painted parts
using protective wax;
– sprinkle talcum powder on the rub-
ber windscreen and rear window
wiper blades and lift them off the glass;
– slightly open the windows;
– inflate the tyres to 0.5 bar above
the normal specified pressure and
check it at intervals;– switch off the electronic car alarm;
– disconnect the terminals (–) from
the battery poles (negative pole first)
and check the battery charge. When
the vehicle is in storage, this check
should be carried out once a month.
If no-load voltage is less than 12.5V,
recharge the battery;
– do not drain the engine cooling sys-
tem;
– cover the vehicle with a cloth or
perforated plastic sheet. Do not use
sheets of non-perforated plastic as
they do not allow moisture on the car
body to evaporate.RESTARTING THE CAR
AFTER STORAGE
Before restarting the vehicle after a
long storage, make the following op-
erations:
– do not take dust off the bodywork
without water;
– check if there are fluid leakages (oil,
brake and clutch fluid, engine coolant,
etc.);
– have the engine oil and the filter re-
placed;
– check the level of: brake and clutch
fluid, engine coolant;
Page 153 of 254
DRIVING YOUR CAR
152
USEFUL
ACCESSORIES
fig. 1
In addition to the legal requirements
we recommend keeping the following
in the car:
– first-aid kit with non-alcoholic base
disinfectant, sterile gauze, a roll of
gauze bandage, plasters, etc.;
– electric torch;
– round-nosed scissors;
– work gloves;
– fire extinguisher.
These articles are all available from
Lineaccessori Fiat range.
fig. 1
F0B0202b
– check the air cleaner and have it re-
placed, if needed;
– check the tyre pressure and pos-
sible damages, cuts or cracks on their
surfaces. If present, have them re-
placed;
– check the engine belt conditions;
– connect the battery negative (–)
terminal after checking the battery
charge.
Page 155 of 254

IN AN EMERGENCY
154
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 cig-
arettes near the battery and not
to cause sparks.
Remember that until
the engine has started the
brake booster and elec-
trical power steering systems will
not work and a greater effort will
therefore be required to press
the brake pedal or turn the steer-
ing wheel.IF A TYRE
IS PUNCTURED
Certain versions (where provided)
are fitted with wheel identification and
tyre inflation sensors; pressure loss is
signalled to the driver in the follow-
ing way:
pressure loss- the infotelematic
CONNECT system displays the relat-
ed message and a “gong” is emitted by
the system. Contact a Fiat Dealer-
ship;
punctured tyre- warning light
“STOP” comes on and the in-
fotelematic CONNECT system dis-
plays the related message together
with 3 consecutive “gong” sounds.
Change the wheel in the following
way.
The system can also display a dedi-
cated message in the event it should
not be able to detect the tyre pres-
sure. 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.
BUMP STARTING
Do not bump start by
pushing, towing or coast-
ing downhill. This way of
starting could cause a rush of fu-
el into the catalytic converter and
damage it beyond repair.
Page 156 of 254

IN AN EMERGENCY
155
An incorrectly posi-
tioned jack may cause the
vehicle to fall. Do not use
the jack to lift loads exceeding
that indicated on the label at-
tached to the jack itself.Do not lubricate the bolt
threads before fitting
them back: they could
come loose.
Never start the engine when the
vehicle is jacked up.
If you are towing a trailer, re-
move the trailer before jacking
up the vehicle.Never tamper with the
inflation valve. Never
place tools between the
rim and the tyre.
Check the tyre and space-saver
spare wheel pressure regularly.
The tyre inflation pressure is
shown in the “Technical specifi-
cations” chapter.
The jack should only be
used to change a wheel
on the vehicle for which it
was designed. It should not be put
to other uses or employed to
raise other models. Under no cir-
cumstances should it be used
when carrying out repairs under
the vehicle.
Check the inflation pres-
sure of the tyres and the
spare wheel regularly. If
you change the type of wheels (al-
loy rims instead of steel rims) you
will have to change the entire set
of fastening bolts with another
set of suitably sized bolts.
You should keep the bolts in
case you decide to use the origi-
nal type of wheel later on.Signal the presence of
the stopped car according
to the laws in force: haz-
ard lights, reflecting triangle, etc.
Any passengers on board should
leave the car, especially if it is
heavily laden. Passengers should
stay away from oncoming traffic
while the wheel is being changed.
If the wheel is being changed on
a steep or badly surfaced road,
place wedges or other suitable
material under the wheels to
stop the car.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Observe the instructions on this and
the following pages to use the jack and
space-saver spare wheel correctly.
Page 185 of 254

CAR MAINTENANCE
184
C C
A A
R R
M M
A A
I I
N N
T T
E E
N N
A A
N N
C C
E E
SCHEDULED
SERVICING
Correct maintenance of the car is es-
sential for ensuring it stays in tip-top
condition for a long time to come.
This is why Fiat has programmed a
number of service operations every
30,000 km.
Remember, however, that Scheduled
Servicing is not enough. Even before
30,000 km are reached, and also in be-
tween service coupons, you should
still check the level of the various liq-
uids and tyre pressure regularly.IMPORTANTThe Manufacturer
requires the Service Schedule coupons-
related checks to be carried out. Fail-
ure to do so could result in the war-
ranty being cancelled for those defects
that can be attributed to such failure.
Scheduled Servicing is performed at
a Fiat Dealershipand there is a set
time scale for such operations.
If it is seen that further replacements
or repairs are necessary in addition to
the work being carried out, these will
only be done after the customer has
his/her consent.IMPORTANTYou are recom-
mended to get in touch with a Fiat
Dealershipimmediately if any small
running problems crop up without
waiting for the next coupon.
If the vehicle is fre-
quently used to tow trail-
ers, carry out the sched-
uled service operations more fre-
quently than shown.
Page 186 of 254

SERVICE SCHEDULE
30 60 90 120 150 180
●●●●●●
●●●●●●
●●●●●●
●●●●●●
●●●●●●
●●●
●●●●●●
●●●●●●
●●●●●●
●●●
●●●●●●
●●●
●
●●●●●●
CAR MAINTENANCE
185
Thousands of kilometres
Check tyre conditions/wear and adjust pressure if required
Check light system operation
(headlights, direction indicators, hazard lights, boot lights, passenger
compartment lights, glovebox lights, warning lights, horn)
Check windscreen wiper/washer operation, adjust nozzles if required
Check windscreen/rear window blade position/wear
Check front disk brake pad conditions and wear and pad wear
indicator operation
Check rear disk brake pad conditions and wear
Sight inspect the conditions of: body external parts, underbody protection, pipes
and hoses (exhaust - fuel - brakes), rubber parts (boots, sleeves, bushes, etc.)
Check cleanness of locks, bonnet and boot and lever cleanness and lubrication
Check and top up, if required, fluid levels (brakes/hydraulic clutch,
windscreen/rear window washer, battery, engine coolant, etc.)
Check and adjust handbrake lever stroke, if required
Sight inspect accessory drive belt conditions
Check accessory drive belt tension (for engines without automatic belt tightener)
Sight inspect timing belt conditions
Check exhaust emissions/smoke
Page 206 of 254

CAR MAINTENANCE
205
– do not check polarity through
sparking.
– disconnect the electronic units if
you are electrically welding the car
body. Remove the units if tempera-
tures exceed 80°C.WHEELS AND TYRES
TYRE PRESSURE
Check the pressure of each tyre, in-
cluding the spare, every two weeks
and before long journeys.
The pressure should be checked with
the tyre rested and cold.
It is normal for the pressure to rise
when you are driving. If you have to
check or restore the pressure when
the tyres are warm, remember that
the pressure value must be 0.3 bar
above the specified value.
See “Wheels” in “Technical specifi-
cations” chapter for the correct tyre
inflation pressure.Tyre pressure must be
correct to ensure good
road holding.
Wrong pressure causes uneven wear
of the tyres fig. 13:
A- Correct pressure: tyre wears
evenly.
B- Under inflated tyre: shoulder
tread wear.
C- Over-inflated tyre: centre tread
wear. Modifications or repairs
to the electrical system
carried out incorrectly
and without bearing the features
of the system in mind can cause
malfunctions with the risk of fire.
Page 207 of 254

CAR MAINTENANCE
206
If the pressure is too low
the tyre overheats and
this can cause it serious
damage.
Tyres must be replaced when the
tread wears down to 1.6 mm. In any
case, comply with the laws in the
country where the car is being driven.IMPORTANT
As far as possible avoid sharp brak-
ing and screech starts.
Be careful not to hit the kerb, pot-
holes or other obstacles hard. Driving
for long stretches over bumpy roads
can damage the tyres.
Periodically check that the tyres have
no cuts in the sidewall, abnormal
swelling or irregular tyre wear. If any
of these occur, have the car seen to at
a Fiat Dealership.
Avoid overloading your car: this can
seriously damage wheels and tyres.
If you get a flat tyre, stop immediately
and change it so as not to damage the
tyre, the wheel, the suspension and
the steering.Tyres age even if they are not used
very much. Cracking of the tread rub-
ber and the sidewalls are a sign of this
ageing. In any case, if the tyres have
been fitted for more than six years
they should be examined by an expert
who can judge whether they are still
fit for use. Remember to check the
spare tyre particularly carefully too.
If a replacement is necessary, always
use new tyres and avoid using ones the
origin of which you are not certain
about.
The vehicle fits Tubeless tyres. Un-
der no circumstances use an inner
tube with these tyres.
If you replace a tyre it is a good idea
to change the inflation valve, too.
fig. 13
F0B0178b