HOW TO WARM UP THE
ENGINE AFTER IT HAS JUST
STARTED (petrol and diesel
engines)
Proceed as follows:
❒Drive off slowly, letting the engine turn
at medium revs. Do not accelerate
abruptly;
❒Do not drive at full performance for
the initial kilometres. Wait until the
coolant temperature gauge starts
moving.
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Never bump start the engine
by pushing, towing or coasting
downhill as this could cause
fuel to flow into the catalytic
exhaust system and damage it beyond
repair.
A quick burst on the acceler-
ator before turning off the en-
gine serves absolutely no prac-
tical purpose, it wastes fuel
and is damaging especially to tur-
bocharged engines.
Remember that the servo-
brake and power steering
are not operational until the engine
has been started, therefore much ef-
fort than usual is required on the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
WARNING
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to OFFwhile the
engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, you
should allow the engine to “catch its
breath” before turning it off by letting it
idle to allow the temperature in the en-
gine compartment to fall.
IMPORTANT If the engine is turned off
while the car is still moving, for safety rea-
sons it will be impossible to remove the
key from the ignition switch. To remove
the key, turn it to ONand then to OFF
with the car stopped without forcing at re-
moval.
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PARKING THE CAR
Proceed as follows:
❒Stop the engine and engage the hand-
brake;
❒Engage a gear (on a slope, engage first
gear if the car is faced uphill or reverse
if it is faced downhill; position P with
automatic transmission) and leave the
wheels steered.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a stone
if the car is parked on a steep slope. Do
not leave the key in the ignition switch to
prevent draining the battery. Always re-
move the key when you leave the car.
Never leave children unattended in the
car. Always remove the ignition key when
leaving the car and take it out with you.HANDBRAKE fig. 3
The handbrake lever is located between
the two front seats.
Pull the handbrake lever upwards until the
car cannot be moved. Four or five clicks
are generally enough when the car is on
level ground while nine or ten may be re-
quired if the car is on a steep slope or
laden.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case, con-
tact Fiat Dealership to have the handbrake
adjusted.
When the handbrake lever is pulled up
and the ignition key is at ONthe instru-
ment panel warning light
xwill come on. IMPORTANT If after turning the engine
off with the car stopped, it is not possi-
ble to remove the key from the ignition
switch, try to turn it to ONand then to
OFF. If the problem persists, remove the
emergency key without forcing and fit it
into the proper slot A-fig. 2in the igni-
tion switch; now it will be possible to turn
the key to OFFand remove it. Contact
Fiat Dealership.
WARNING If you turn the electronic key
to OFFposition, external lights and elec-
tronic safety systems are turned off.
131
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
fig. 2FF0L0207mfig. 3F0L0373m
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MANUAL
TRANSMISSION
To engage the gears, press the clutch ped-
al fully and shift the gear lever into one of
the required positions (the diagram is
shown on the knob).
IMPORTANT The car can only be put in-
to reverse gear when it has stopped mov-
ing completely. With the engine running,
before engaging the reverse, wait at least
2 seconds with the clutch pedal fully down
to prevent damage and grating of the
gears.
To engage reverse (R) from neutral pro-
ceed as follows:
Petrol versions fig. 4
❒shift the lever to the right and then
back;
Multijet versions fig. 5
❒lift the sliding ring Aunder the knob
and shift the lever straight to the left
and then forward. To release the handbrake:
❒slightly lift the handbrake and press re-
lease button A;
❒keep button Apressed and lower the
lever. Warning light xwill turn off.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out
this operation to prevent the car from
moving accidentally.
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
fig. 4FF0L0146m
fig. 5F0L0200m
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Reverse (R)
With gear lever at R, it is not possible to
start the engine.
Idle (N)
This position corresponds to the idle po-
sition of a traditional manual gearbox.
With gear lever at N, it is possible to start
the engine.
Engage idle N in case of long stops.
Drive, automatic forward gear (D)
Engage position D for urban and extra-ur-
ban use of the car. DISPLAY
The display shows:
❒selected gear (P, R, N, D) and word-
ing AUTO, in automatic mode;
❒upshifting or downshifting (through
digits) in sequential mode.
GEAR LEVER POSITIONS
Parking (P)
Select P to stop mechanically the driving
wheels.
Engage this position only with the car sta-
tionary, pull the handbrake if required.
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SAFETY
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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
To shift from P to whatever
position, with ignition key at
ON, press the brake pedal and
press the gear lever button.
Reverse shall only be engaged
with car stationary, engine
idling and accelerator fully re-
leased.
Shifting from R →N or D is free
whereas for shifting R →P you
have to press the gear lever
button.
To shift from N, release the ac-
celerator pedal and make sure
the engine is idling.
Shifting from N →D is free
whereas for shifting from N →R or P you have to press the
gear lever button.
Shifting the lever from P to D
(P →D), from N to D
(N →D) and from R to D (R→D) shall be only performed
with the car stationary and the engine
idling.
127-144 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 16:32 Pagina 134
Proceed as follows:
❒Set gear lever to N and press the
brake pedal
❒Restart the engine by turning the key
to STARTand set the gear lever to
D.IMPORTANT: Take the utmost care in
the following conditions: handbrake and
brake pedal released with engine idling and
gear lever at D, R or sequential since the
car can move also without pressing the ac-
celerator pedal.
The above condition can be used for park-
ing in narrow spaces, taking care to op-
erate the brake pedal only. ENGINE STARTING
❒Handbrake engaged and gear lever at
P or N: engine can be only started with
the gear lever in one of these posi-
tions.
❒With lever at P press the brake pedal
and turn the ignition key to START
without pressing the accelerator ped-
al.
❒With lever at N press the brake ped-
al and turn the ignition key to START
without pressing the accelerator ped-
al.
If the engine fails to start at first attempt,
turn the key to OFFbefore trying to
restart.
IMPORTANT With engine off, never leave
the ignition key at ONto prevent drain-
ing the battery.
IMPORTANT: if when travelling
with gear lever at D or in sequential
mode you turn inadvertently the key
to OFF the engine will turn off and
transmission will fail.
135
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CARRunning the engine in con-
fined areas is extremely dan-
gerous. The engine consumes oxygen
and produces carbon monoxide
which is a highly toxic and lethal gas.
WARNING
MOVING OFF
Proceed as follows:
❒at P position, press the brake pedal;
❒press the gear lever button and move
the gear lever to the required position
(D or R);
❒accelerate gradually; the car moves off
and gearshifting will be automatic.
Never leave children unat-
tended in the car.
WARNING
Shifting from P, with ignition
key at ON, is only possible
with brake pedal pressed.
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PARKING THE CAR
Engage the handbrake and set gear lever to
P. Leave the wheels steered. Block the
wheels with a wedge or a stone if the car
is parked on a steep slope.
Do not leave the ignition key at ONto
prevent draining the battery. Always re-
move the key when you leave the car.TOWING THE CAR
IMPORTANT Comply with current local
regulations to tow the car.
If the car is to be towed, observe the fol-
lowing recommendations:
❒transport the car, if possible, on the
flatbed of a wrecker or maintenance
vehicle;
❒should this not be possible, tow the
car with the front driving wheels
raised from ground.
For towing the car, the gear lever shall be
set to N. FAILURE INDICATIONS
Failures to the electronic automatic trans-
mission is indicated by the turning of warn-
ing light
ton the instrument panel to-
gether with the dedicated message on the
multifunction display (see section “Warn-
ing lights and messages”).
Contact Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble to have the fault removed.
STOPPING THE CAR
To stop the car:
❒release the accelerator pedal;
❒press the brake pedal.
IMPORTANT With the car on a sloping
road and engine running, keep the car
stopped just using the brake pedal, do not
press the accelerator pedal.
With the car parked with engine running
and gear lever at D, R or in sequential
mode, keep the brake pedal pressed to
prevent car moving off by engine idling.
For long stops set gear lever to P.
137
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
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IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Never leave children unat-
tended in the car.
WARNING
BUZZER WARNINGS
The warning buzzer will sound and P po-
sition will flash for a few seconds when the
ignition key is at OFFand the gear lever
is not set at P.
Ignition key can only be removed with
gear lever at P.Do not start the engine when
towing the car.
Failure to observe the above
instructions could seriously
damage the automatic trans-
mission.
Never leave children unat-
tended in the car.
WARNING
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Traffic situations and road
conditions
Rather high consumption levels are tied to
situations with heavy traffic, for example
in queues with frequent use of the lower
gears or in cities with many traffic lights.
Also winding mountain roads and rough
road surfaces adversely affect consump-
tion.
Traffic hold-ups
During prolonged hold-ups (e.g.: level
crossings) the engine should be switched
off.TOWING TRAILERS
IMPORTANT NOTES
For towing caravans or trailers the car
must be fitted with a certified tow hook
and an adequate electric system. Installa-
tion should be carried out by specialised
personnel who release a special document
for circulation on the road.
Install any specific and/or additional rear-
view mirrors as specified by law.
Remember that when towing a trailer,
steep hills are harder to climb, the brak-
ing spaces increase and overtaking takes
longer depending on the overall weight.
Engage a low gear when driving downhill,
rather than constantly using the brake.
The weight the trailer exerts on the car
tow hook reduces by the same amount
the actual car loading capacity. To make
sure the maximum towable weight is not
exceeded (given in the log book) account
should be taken of the fully laden trailer,
including accessories and personal be-
longings. Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases
with speed. Avoid superfluous braking and
accelerating, which cost in terms of both
fuel and emissions.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently increasing the revs
will greatly affect consumption and emis-
sions: acceleration should be gradual and
should not exceed the maximum torque.
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts do
not allow the engine to reach optimum
operating temperature. This results in a
significant increase in consumption levels
(from +15 to +30% on the urban cycle)
and emission of harmful substances.
139
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INSTALLING THE TOW HOOK
The towing device should be fastened to
the body by specialised personnel accord-
ing to any additional and/or integrative in-
formation supplied by the Manufacturer of
the device.
The towing device must meet current reg-
ulations with reference to 94/20/EC Di-
rective and subsequent amendments.
For any version the towing device used
must match the towable weight of the car
on which it is to be installed.
For the electric connection a unified con-
nector should be used which is generally
placed on a special bracket normally fas-
tened to the towing device, and a special
ECU for external trailer light control shall
be installed on the car.
For the electrical connection, 7 or 13 pin
12VDC connection is to be used (CU-
NA/UNI and ISO/DIN Standards). Follow
the instructions provided by the car man-
ufacturer and/or the tow hitch manufac-
turer.An electric brake should be supplied di-
rectly by the battery through a cable with
a cross section of no less than
2.5 mm
2.
IMPORTANT Electric brake or other de-
vice shall be used with running engine.
In addition to the electrical branches, the
car’s electric system can only be con-
nected to the supply cable for an electric
brake and to the cable for an internal light,
though not above 15W.
For connections use the preset control
unit with battery cable no less than 2.5
mm
2. Do not exceed the speed limits of the
country you are driving in. In any case do
not exceed 100 km/h.
It is recommended to use a proper tow-
ing stabiliser on the trailer drawbar.
140
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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
The ABS system with which
the car may be fitted does
not control the trailer braking system.
Drive with extreme care on slippery
roadbeds.
WARNING
Under no circumstances
should the car brake system
be altered to control the trailer brake.
The trailer braking system must be
fully independent of the car hydraulic
system.
WARNING
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