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197
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CAR
MAINTENANCE
ROUTINE
MAINTENANCE
Every 1,000 km or before long journeys,
check and top up if required:
❒engine coolant fluid level;
❒brake fluid level;
❒windscreen washer fluid level;
❒tyre pressure and conditions;
❒light system operation (headlights, di-
rection indicators, hazard lights, etc.);
❒windscreen wiper/washer operation
and windscreen/rear window blade
position/wear;
Every 3,000 km check and top up if re-
quired: engine oil level.
You are recommended to use FL Sele-
nia, products, designed and produced
specifically for Fiat cars (see table “Ca-
pacities” in section “Technical specifica-
tions”).
HEAVY-DUTY
Should prevailing use of the car be under
one of the following specially heavy con-
ditions:
❒trailer or caravan towing;
❒dusty roads;
❒short distances (less than 7-8 km) re-
peated and with external tempera-
tures below zero;
❒frequently idling engines or long dis-
tance low speed driving (e.g. door-to-
door deliveries) or in case of a long
term inactivity;
❒driving in the city;
carry out the following checks more fre-
quently than required in the Service
Schedule:
❒check front disk brake pad conditions
and wear;
❒check cleanness of locks, bonnet and
boot and lever cleanness and lubrica-
tion;
❒sight inspect the conditions of: engine,
gearbox, transmission, pipes and hoses
(exhaust - fuel - brakes), rubber parts
(boots, sleeves, bushes, etc.);
❒check battery charge and fluid level
(electrolyte) (only to be carried out by
skilled personnel or at Fiat Dealership
– see also paragraph “Battery” in this
section);
❒visual check on various drive belt con-
ditions;
❒check and replace pollen filter, if re-
quired;
❒check and replace air cleaner, if re-
quired.
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209
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CAR
MAINTENANCE
BODYWORK
PROTECTION FROM
ATMOSPHERIC AGENTS
The main causes of corrosion are the fol-
lowing:
❒ atmospheric pollution;
❒ salty air and humidity (coastal areas, or
hot humid climates);
❒ seasonal environment conditions.
Not to be underestimated is also the abra-
sive action of wind-borne atmospheric
dust and sand and mud and gravel raised
by other cars.
On your Fiat Bravo, Fiat implemented the
best manufacturing technologies to effec-
tively protect the bodywork against cor-
rosion.These include:
❒ Painting products and systems which
give the car particular resistance to cor-
rosion and abrasion;
❒ Use of galvanised (or pretreated) steel
sheets, with high resistance to corro-
sion;
❒ Spraying the underbody, engine com-
partment, wheelhouse internal parts
and other parts with highly protective
wax products;
❒ Spraying of plastic parts, with a pro-
tective function, in the more exposed
points: underdoor, inner fender parts,
edges, etc.;
❒Use of “open” boxed sections to pre-
vent condensation and pockets of mois-
ture from triggering rust inside.
BODY AND UNDERBODY
WARRANTY
Your car is covered by warranty against
perforation due to rust of any original el-
ement of the structure or body. For the
general terms of this warranty, refer to
the Fiat Warranty booklet.ADVICE FOR PRESERVING
THE BODYWORK
Paint
Paintwork does not only serve an aesteth-
ic purpose, but also protects the under-
lying sheet metal.
In the case of deep scrapes or scores, you
are advised to have the necessary touch-
ing up carried out immediately to avoid
the formation of rust. Use only original
paint products for touching up (see “Body-
work paint identification plate” in section
“Technical specification”).
Normal paint maintenance consists in
washing at intervals depending on the con-
ditions and environment of use. For ex-
ample, in highly polluted areas, or if the
roads are sprayed with salt, it is wise to
wash the car more frequently.
To wash the car correctly proceed as fol-
lows:
❒soak the body with a low pressure wa-
ter jet;
❒pass on the body a sponge with a light
cleansing solution, frequently rinsing
the sponge;
❒rinse accurately with water and dry
with air jet or suede.
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210
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CAR
MAINTENANCE
If the vehicle is washed in an automatic car
wash, follow these recommendations:
– remove the antenna from the roof to
avoid damages;
– water with a cleansing solution must be
used for washing;
– rinse accurately to avoid cleansing so-
lution residues which may remain on the
body or hidden parts.When drying, take particular care with the
less visible parts like door surrounds, bon-
net and around the headlights where wa-
ter may stagnate. The car should not be
taken to a closed area immediately, but left
in the open so that residual water can
evaporate.
Do not wash the car after it has been left
in the sun or with the bonnet hot: this may
alter the shine of the paintwork.
Exterior plastic parts must be cleaned in
the same way as the rest of the car.
Where possible, do not park under trees;
the resinous substance many species re-
lease give the paint a dull appearance and
increase the possibility of triggering rust
processes.
IMPORTANT Bird droppings must be
washed off immediately and thoroughly as
the acid they contain is particularly ag-
gressive. Some automatic systems pro-
vided with old generation
and/or not correctly main-
tained brushes may damage
the varnish, easing the creation of mi-
cro-scratches, especially on dark
colours. To remove those scratches,
slightly polish with a specific product.
Detergents cause water pol-
lution. Therefore the car
should be washed in areas
equipped for collecting and
purifying the liquid used in the washing
process.
Front headlights
IMPORTANT Never use aromatic sub-
stances (e.g.: petrol) or ketones (e.g.: ace-
tone) for cleaning front headlight plastic
lens.
Windows
Use specific window cleaner product. Use
also clean cloths to avoid scratching the
glass or damaging the transparency.
IMPORTANT The inside of the rearscreen
should be wiped gently with a cloth in the
direction of the filaments to avoid damag-
ing the heating device.
Engine compartment
At the end of the winter the engine com-
partment should be carefully washed,
without directing the jet against electron-
ic control units. Contact a specialised
workshop to have this done.
IMPORTANT The car should be washed
with the engine cold and the ignition key
at STOP. After washing make sure that
the various protections (e.g. rubber caps
and various covers) have not been dam-
aged or removed.
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