2008 Abarth 500 ESP

Dear Customer,
Thank you for choosing Abarth and congratulations on your choice of a Abarth.
We prepared this booklet to enable you to know each detail of your Abarth and use it correctly. Please, read it carefully
before driving your car. You will find information, tips and important warnings regarding the driving of your car to help you derive
the maximum from the technological features of your Abarth.
You are recommended to read carefully the warnings and indications, marked with the respective symbols:
personal safety;
the car’s wellbeing;
environmental protection.
The enclosed Warranty Booklet lists the services that Abarth offers to its Customers:
❒the Warranty Certificate with terms and conditions for maintaining its validity
❒the range of additional services available to Abarth Customers.
Best regards and happy motoring!
The special features of the new 500 Abarth make the car captivating through its unmistakeable appearance,
stylish yet traditional and, at the same time, practical in terms of performance and safety thanks to the new
elements that have been introduced. The miniskirts, the rear spoiler and the inclined connector to the underbody
improve the drag coefficient, the geometry and road holding at speed. The twin exhaust pipes are fitted at the
sides of the incline at the specular outlets of a single transversely mounted silencer. The front and rear
symmetrical air intakes are practical and the first ones allow the flow of air for cooling the two specular
intercoolers, while the second ones permit the outlet of the flow at the rear. The introduction of the TTC
system (Torque Transfer Control), which improves the transfer of engine torque to the wheels, makes the
vehicle safer and more pleasant to drive, especially when cornering. Comfort is improved thanks to the introduction
of the anti-roll bar which involves a reduction in shock absorber pressure thereby making the vehicle less rigid.
Every feature of the 500 Abarth passenger compartment, from the turbo analogue pressure gauge, the
steering wheel with three spokes and shaped grips, the aluminium pedal assembly, the gear lever with an
ergonimically designed grip and the seats with head restraints built-into the backrest,
is designed to give the car a sporty appearance.
This Owner Handbook contains descriptions of the various new 500 Abarth trim levels therefore you should find
the information that relates to the version you have purchased.
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2
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CARDASHBOARD ...................................................................... 3
SYMBOLS ............................................................................... 4
THE FIAT CODE SYSTEM.................................................. 4
THE KEYS .............................................................................. 5
INSTRUMENT PANEL AND ONBOARD
INSTRUMENTS..................................................................... 9
MULTIFUNCTIONAL DISPLAY AND
RECONFIGURABLE MULTIFUNCTIONAL DISPLAY 12
TRIP COMPUTER ................................................................ 21
SEATS ...................................................................................... 23
HEAD RESTRAINTS.............................................................24
STEERING WHEEL .............................................................. 25
REARVIEW MIRRORS......................................................... 26
CLIMATE COMFORT.......................................................... 27
HEATING AND VENTILATION...................................... 28
MANUAL CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM .................... 29
AUTOMATIC CLIMATE CONTROL SYSTEM............. 31
EXTERNAL LIGHTS............................................................. 34
WINDOW WASHING....................................................... 35CEILING LIGHTS ................................................................. 36
CONTROLS........................................................................... 37
INTERIOR FITTINGS........................................................... 39
SUNROOF.............................................................................. 41
DOORS .................................................................................. 43
POWER WINDOWS........................................................... 45
BOOT ......................................................................................46
BONNET................................................................................. 49
ROOF RACK/SKI RACK .................................................... 51
HEADLIGHTS........................................................................ 51
ABS SYSTEM ......................................................................... 53
ESP SYSTEM ........................................................................... 54
EOBD SYSTEM ..................................................................... 57
“DUALDRIVE” ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING SYSTEM ............................................................. 58
SOUND SYSTEM.................................................................. 59
AT THE FILLING STATION ............................................. 61
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT............................. 62
Y
Y Y Y
O O O O
U U U U
R R R R

C C C C
A A A A
R R R R
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7
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
REPLACEMENT OF REMOTE
CONTROL COVER fig. 6
To replace the remote control cover, fol-
low the procedure shown in figure. REQUEST FOR ADDITIONAL
REMOTE CONTROLS
The system may recognise up to 8 remote
controls. Should a new remote control be
necessary, contact a Abarth Dealership,
taking with you the CODE card, a per-
sonal identity document and the car’s
ownership documents.
REPLACING THE BATTERY OF
THE KEY WITH REMOTE
CONTROL fig. 5
Battery replacement:
❒press button Aand open the metal in-
sert B;
❒rotate the screw Cto :using a small
point screwdriver;
❒take out the battery case Dand replace
the battery Erespecting its polarity;
❒refit the battery case Dinside the key
and lock it turning the screw Cto Á.
fig. 5F0S0005Ab
fig. 6F0S0006Ab
Used batteries are harmful to
the environment. They should
be disposed of as specified by
law in the special containers
provided, or take them to the Abarth
Dealership, which will deal with their
disposal.
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24
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
Driver side and passenger side where
position memory is provided
To return the seat to its initial position,
slide the seat backward pushing the back-
rest until the seat locks (movement d)
operate the lever D(movement e) and
lift the backrest (movement f) until you
hear it snapping in position.
WARNING Using the lever Dbefore
locking the seat in the initial position caus-
es the loss of the seat initial position. In
that case, it is necessary to adjust the seat
position by means of the longitudinal ad-
justment fig. 16.
Passenger side where position
memory is not provided
To return the seat to its initial position,
slide the seat backward pushing the back-
rest to the desired position (movement
d); operate the lever D(movement e)
and lift the backrest (movement f) until
you hear it snapping in position.
All adjustments must be
made with the car stationary.
WARNING
fig. 20F0S020Ab
The type of reattachment manoeuvre has
been chosen to guarantee the safety of the
occupant. In effect, if the mechanism de-
tects an obstacle (e.g. a bag) and cannot
restore the seat to its original position, it
allows the reattachment of the actual seat,
positioning the backrest only, ensuring
that the guides are attached.
REAR SEATS fig. 20
Backrest release
❒For versions with joint seat, lift handles A
and Band guide the backrest onto the
cushion.
❒For versions with separate seats, lift han-
dle Aor Bto release respectively the left
or right part of the backrest and guide the
backrest onto the cushion.
HEAD RESTRAINTS
REAR fig. 21
(for versions/markets, where provided)
To lift out rear head restraints: press at
the same time buttons Be Cset on both
sides and take them out. Rear head re-
straints must be lifted out with backrest
released and tilted toward the passenger
compartment or with the tailgate open.
To bring the head restraint in correct po-
sition, lift it until you hear it click.
To lower the head restraint, press button
B. The specific shape of the head restraint
interferes with the correct rest of the
back of the rear passenger on the back-
rest; the shape is useful to force the pas-
senger to lift the headrest for its correct
use.
IMPORTANT Rear seat passengers shall
always set the head restraints in “fully
drawn out” position.
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
❒it is not possible to supply into the pas-
senger compartment air with a tem-
perature lower than external air tem-
perature (the temperature indicated on
the display blinks when the system does
not ensure the achievement of the re-
quired comfort conditions);
❒it is possible to manually reset the fan
speed (with compressor enabled, ven-
tilation cannot go below a bar shown
on the display).
Button OFF - C
System switch off
Pressing the button OFFthe system is
switched off.
The following climate control conditions
will be established when the system is off:
❒all LEDs off;
❒set temperature display off;
❒air recycle off;
❒compressor off;
❒fan off.
In this condition, it is possible to enable or
disable air recycle without system activa-
tion.Button
…- D
Air recycle on/off button
It is advisable to activate air recycle in
queues or in tunnels to prevent the in-
troduction of polluted air.
Led on button ON = recycle ON.
Led on button OFF = recycle OFF.
For low temperatures or if the compres-
sor is off, the recycle is forced to off to
avoid misting.
IMPORTANT It is advisable not to use the
air recycle function when the outside tem-
perature is low, to prevent the windows
from rapidly misting up.
Buttons
ÕÔ- E
Temperature setting
Pressing the button
Õthe temperature
in the passenger compartment rises until
the value HI is reached (maximum heat-
ing).
Pressing the button
Ôthe temperature
in the passenger compartment decreases
until the value LO is reached (maximum
cooling).
IMPORTANTSpecifically, if the heating flu-
id is not sufficiently warm, the fan will not
start up at the maximum speed immedi-
ately to limit introducing excessively cool
air into the passenger compartment.Buttons
ÕÔ- F
Fan speed setting
Pressing the buttons
Õor Ôrespective-
ly, the fan speed displayed on the display
bars increases or decreases.
The fan can be cut off only if the com-
pressor has been switched off (button B).
To restore automatic fan speed control,
press button AUTO.
Buttons
´μ∂- G H I
Manual selection
of air distribution
Pressing the buttons, it is possible to set
one of 5 different air flow options:
´to the windscreen and front side win-
dow vents to demist or defrost them.
μto central and side dashboard vents to
ventilate the chest and the face during
the hot season.
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
CONTROLS
SPORT FUNCTION CONTROL
fig. 33
When the SPORT button A-fig. 33is
pressed the sports driving setting is turned
on featuring more responsiveness during
acceleration, an increase in drive torque
and more precise steering with greater ef-
fort required on the steering wheel.
When the function is active, the message
SPORT is displayed on the instrument
panel. Press again the button to deactivate
the function and return to the standard
driving mode.
IMPORTANT Pressing SPORT, the func-
tion is active after about 5 seconds.
IMPORTANT When in SPORT mode, ac-
celeration may be abrupt, This is typical of
this mode.FRONT/REAR FOG LIGHTS
(where provided) fig. 33
To turn on the front/rear fog lights, use
the button Cas follows:
1° Pressure: front fog lights on
2° Pressure: rear fog lights on
3° Pressure: lights off
When the front fog lights are on, the
warning light
5turns on on the instru-
ment panel; when the rear fog lights are
on, the warning light
4turns on on the
instrument panel.
Front fog lights are turned on with low
beams on.
CD
MENU
FM ASAM 1 2 3 4 5 6 AUD
MP3 RND RPT TPM CD-IN EQ
LOUD AF LOC PTY TP TA RMB PBCD
BCA
F0S033Abfig. 33
HAZARD LIGHTS fig. 33
They turn on pressing the button B, re-
gardless of the position of the ignition key.
When the function is active, warning lights
Îand ¥on the panel blink.
To switch off, press again the button B.
The use of hazard lights is governed by the
Highway Code of the country you are in.
Keep to the rules.
Emergency braking
In the event of emergency braking the
emergency lights automatically turn on and
at the same time the lights
Îend ¥turn
on on the dashboard.
The function automatically turns off when
the emergency braking stops.
This function complies with the current ap-
plicable laws.
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47
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
TAILGATE CLOSING fig. 47
To close, lower the tailgate pressing near
the lock until you hear it click.
Inside the tailgate there is a ribbon B
which provides an easy handhold to close
the tailgate.
fig. 47F0S047Ab
Never exceed the maximum
allowed load in the boot (see
“Technical Specifications”). Make
sure that the objects are well
arranged in the boot so that they will
not be projected forwards following
sudden braking.
Do not travel with the tailgate open:
exhaust gas may enter the passenger
compartment.
WARNING
If you travel in areas with
few filling stations and you
want to transport fuel in a spare tank,
respect applicable laws, using only an
homologated, suitably secured tank.
However, the risks in case of collision
increase.
Take care not to knock objects on the
roof rack when opening the tailgate.
WARNING
fig. 48F0S0135m
TAILGATE EMERGENCY
OPENING fig. 48
To open the tailgate from the passenger’s
compartment if the car battery is flat or
the electric tailgate lock is faulty, proceed
as follows (see “Extending the boot” in
this chapter):
❒remove the rear head restraints (where
provided);
❒tilt the backrests;
❒to achieve tailgate automatic unlock,
from inside the boot, operate lever A.
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48
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
EXTENDING THE BOOT
Partial extension (50/50) fig. 49-50
(for versions/markets, where provided)
The separate rear seats allow partial or
total boot extension.
Proceed as follows:
❒Lift out rear seat head restraints (for
versions/markets, where provided)
with backrest released and tilted to-
ward the passenger compartment or
with the tailgate open.
❒check that the seat belt is not twisted;
❒operate levers Aor B-fig. 49 to re-
lease respectively the left or right part
of the backrest and guide the backrest
onto the cushion.IMPORTANT To return the backrest to
its correct position, we recommend to
operate from the external doors.
Maximum extension fig. 51
Tilt the rear seat completely to obtain
maximum boot extension.
fig. 49F0S049Abfig. 50F0S050Ab
fig. 51F0S051Ab
Proceed as follows:
❒remove the rear seat head restraints
(for versions/markets, where provid-
ed);
❒check that the seat belt is not twisted;
❒operate levers Aand B-fig. 49to re-
lease the backrests and guide them on-
to the cushion.
IMPORTANT To return the backrest to
its correct position, we recommend to
operate from the external doors.
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