DRIVING YOUR CAR
146
DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine when the
vehicle is stationary or at high or low
revs: in this way the engine will warm
up gradually increasing consumption
and emissions. You should drive off
slowly straight away avoiding high revs
so that the engine will warm up more
quickly.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid revving the engine when
stopped at traffic lights or before
switching off the engine and avoid dou-
ble-clutching as these actions have no
purpose on modern vehicles and serve
only to increase consumption and pol-
lution.
Gear selections
As soon as the traffic and road con-
ditions allow it, shift to a higher gear.
Using a lower gear to liven up accel-
eration greatly increases consumption.
In the same way, improper use of the
higher gears will increase consump-
tion, emissions and wear and tear on
the engine.Top speeds
Fuel consumption increases consid-
erably as speed increases. For exam-
ple, when accelerating from 90 to
120 Kph, fuel consumption increases
by about +30%. Your speed should be
kept as even as possible and superflu-
ous braking and acceleration avoided
as this increases both consumption
and emissions. A “soft” way of driving
should be adopted by attempting to
anticipate manoeuvres to avoid immi-
nent danger and to keep a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front to
avoid braking sharply.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently increasing the
revs will greatly effect consumption
and emission: acceleration should be
gradual and not exceed the maximum
torque.CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short trips and frequent cold start-
ing will not enable the engine to reach
optimal running temperature (from
+15 to +30% in built up areas) as will
the production of toxic emissions.
Traffic and road conditions
Heavy traffic and higher consumption
are synonymous: for example, when
driving slowly with frequent use of
lower gears or in large towns where
there are numerous traffic lights.
Winding roads, mountain roads and
bumpy roads also have a negative ef-
fect on consumption.
Enforced halts
During prolonged stops (traffic lights,
level crossings, etc.) the engine should
be switched off.
DRIVING YOUR CAR
147
CHEAP RUNNING THAT RESPECTS
THE ENVIRONMENT
LOOKING AFTER EMISSION
CONTROL DEVICES
The correct use of pollution control
devices not only ensures respect for
the environment but also has an effect
on the car’s performance. Keeping
these devices in good condition is
therefore a fundamental rule for dri-
ving that is easy on your pocket and
on the environment too.
The first step to take is to follow the
Service Schedule to the letter.
Only use diesel for motor vehicles
(EN590 specification). Environmental protection has been
one of the guiding principles in the
production of the Ulysse. It is no ac-
cident that its pollution control equip-
ment is much more effective than that
required by current legislation.
Nonetheless, the environment can-
not get by without a concerted effort
from everyone.
By following a few simple rules the
motorist can avoid harming the envi-
ronment and often cut down fuel con-
sumption at the same time.
On this subject, a number of useful
tips have been given below to supple-
ment those marked by symbol
#, at
various points of the manual.
You are asked to read both the for-
mer and latter carefully.If you have trouble starting, do not
turn the ignition key for long periods.
Be especially careful to avoid bump
starting the vehicle by pushing, towing
or rolling downhill: these are all ma-
noeuvres that can damage the catalyt-
ic exhaust.
For emergency starts only use an
auxiliary battery.
If the engine begins to “lose its
smoothness” when travelling, contin-
ue your journey but reduce the de-
mands you are making on the engine
and have the vehicle checked at a Fi-
at Dealership.
When the instrument panel fuel re-
serve warning light comes on, fill up as
soon as possible. A fuel level that is
too low can cause an uneven supply of
fuel with the inevitable increase in ex-
haust temperature; this would seri-
ously damage the catalytic converter.
DRIVING YOUR CAR
148
Do not warm up the engine by let-
ting it idle for a while before moving
off unless the outside temperature is
very low and, even in this case, only
do so for less than thirty seconds.
Do not install other heat shields and
do not remove those already fitted to
the catalytic converter and exhaust
pipe.Do not spray anything
on the Lambda sensor
and exhaust pipe.TOWING A TRAILER
IMPORTANT
The car must be fitted with a ho-
mologated tow hitch and suitable elec-
trical system for towing a caravan or
trailer.
To prevent damages to the electric
system of the car, it is recommended
to install a dedicated trailer electron-
ic control unit.
Have the tow hitch fitted by an ex-
pert who will issue specific documen-
tation for use on roads.
Fit special and/or additional rearview
mirrors in accordance with the High-
way Code.
Remember that towing a trailer
makes it harder for the car to climb
the maximum gradients specified, in-
creases braking and overtaking dis-
tance, proportionally to the overall
weight of the trailer.
Engage a low gear when driving down-
hill rather than constantly braking. When functioning nor-
mally the catalytic con-
verter develops high tem-
peratures. For this reason, do not
park the vehicle over inflamma-
ble material (grass, dry leaves,
pine needles, etc.): fire hazard.Failure to heed these
precautions could cause a
fire.
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;
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.
IN AN EMERGENCY
153
I I
N N
A A
N N
E E
M M
E E
R R
G G
E E
N N
C C
Y Y
JUMP STARTING
Proceed as follows fig. 1-2:
1)Lift the protective cover A.
2)Connect positive terminals B(+
sign near terminal) of the two batter-
ies with a jump lead.
3)With a second lead, connect the
negative terminal C(–sign near the
terminal) of the auxiliary battery and
to an earthing point DEon the en-
gine or gearbox of the vehicle to be
started. The battery is in the scuttle on the
floor in front of the passenger’s seat.
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.Do not directly connect
the two negative termi-
nals: sparks could ignite
the flammable gas from the bat-
tery. If the other battery is fitted
in a vehicle, prevent accidental
contact between the metal parts
of the two vehicles.
4)Start the engine.
5)When the engine has been start-
ed, remove the leads reversing the or-
der above.
If the engine fails to start after a few
attempts, do not keep turning the key
but have the car seen to at a Fiat
Dealership.
fig. 1
F0B0042b
fig. 2
F0B0117b
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.
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.