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197
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
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.
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
Selenia, products, designed and pro-
duced specifically for Fiat cars (see table
“Capacities” in section “Technical speci-
fications”).
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209
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
USEFUL ADVICE FOR
LENGTHENING THE LIFE OF
YOUR BATTERY
To avoid draining your battery and length-
en its life, observe the following indica-
tions:
❒when you park the car, ensure the
doors, tailgate and bonnet are closed
properly;
❒the ceiling lights must be off. The car
is however provided with an auto-
matic system for switching off internal
lights;
❒do not keep accessories (e.g.: sound
system, hazard lights, etc.) switched on
for a long time when the engine is not
running;
❒before performing any operation on
the electrical system, disconnect the
battery negative cable;
❒battery terminals shall always be per-
fectly tightened. Incorrect fitting of electrical
and electronic accessories can
seriously damage the car. If af-
ter buying the car, you want
to install electric accessories which re-
quire permanent electric supply
(alarm, free-hand phone kit, etc.) con-
tact Fiat Dealership whose qualified
personnel, in addition to suggesting the
most suitable devices, will evaluate the
overall electric absorption, checking
whether the car electric system is ca-
pable of withstanding the load re-
quired, or whether it should be inte-
grated with a more powerful battery.
Batteries contain substances
that are very harmful for the
environment. You are advised
to have the battery changed
at a Fiat Dealership, which is properly
equipped for disposing of used batter-
ies respecting nature and the law.
If the car is left inactive for
long periods at cold, remove
the battery and store it in a warm
place to prevent freezing.
WARNING
When working on the bat-
tery or near it, always wear
the proper goggles.
WARNINGIMPORTANT A battery which is kept at
a charge of less than 50% (optical indica-
tor with dark colour without green area
in the middle) for any length of time will
be damaged by sulphation leading to a re-
duction in cranking power.
Moreover, this might lead to a higher risk
of the battery electrolyte freezing (this
may even occur at -10°C). If the car is in-
active for a long period of time, refer to
“Car inactivity”, in section “Correct use
of the car”.
If after buying the car, you want to install
electric accessories which require per-
manent electric supply (alarm, etc.) con-
tact Fiat Dealership whose qualified per-
sonnel, in addition to suggesting the most
suitable devices, will evaluate the overall
electric absorption, checking whether the
car’s electric system is capable of with-
standing the load required, or whether it
should be integrated with a more power-
ful battery.
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214
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
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 inter-
vals depending on the conditions and en-
vironment of use. For example, in highly
polluted areas, or if the roads are sprayed
with salt, it is wise to wash the car more
frequently.
For a correct wash of the vehicle proceed
as follows:
❒soak the body with a low pressure wa-
ter jet;
❒pass on the body a sponge with a li-
ght cleansing solution, frequently rin-
sing the sponge;
❒rinse accurately with water and dry
with air jet or suede.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.
❒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
moisture 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.
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 eva-
porate. 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.Some automatic systems pro-
vided with old generation
and/or not correctly maintai-
ned brushes may damage the
varnish, easing the creation of micro-
scratches, especially on dark colours.
To remove those scratches, slightly po-
lish with a specific product.
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Page 220 of 258
CHASSIS MARKING fig. 2
It is printed on the passenger compart-
ment floor, near the right-hand front seat.
It can be reached by lifting the special flap
in the carpeting and includes the following
data:
❒car model;
❒chassis number.ENGINE MARKING
Engine marking is stamped on the cylinder
block and includes the model and the
chassis number.
BODYWORK PAINT
IDENTIFICATION PLATE fig. 3
The plate is applied inside the bonnet and
it bears the following data:
APaint manufacturer.
BColour name.
CFiat colour code.
DRespray and touch up code.
219
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
fig. 2F0L0204mfig. 3F0L0161m
217-242 Croma TRW GB 10-11-2008 13:16 Pagina 219