When stopping the car with a gear high-
er than 1st gear, transmission will set au-
tomatically at 1st gear.
When stopping the car under poor grip
conditions (snow, ice), at next starting the
transmission control unit could engage a
gear higher than 1st gear to prevent wheel
slipping. This shall not be considered as a
fault
IMPORTANT: in the event of excessive
oil temperatures (see section “Warning
lights and messages”), the electronic con-
trol intervenes excluding sequential mode
and activating automatic mode in order to
safeguard transmission life. Sequential
mode will be resumed as soon as regular
operating temperatures are restored.AUTOMATIC MODE
D can be selected from sequential mode
under whatever driving condition.
When passing from sequential mode to D,
the gear to engage is selected by trans-
mission control unit according to engine
rpm and speed (accelerator pedal posi-
tion).
Low engine power demand will result in
long gears engagement and reduced fuel
consumption. Increasing speed by press-
ing the accelerator will automatically en-
gage short gears that will result in im-
proved performance as to pickup and ac-
celeration: in this case fuel consumption
will increase.
For speedy pickup:
❒press the accelerator pedal flat-out,
the kick-down device will cut in to ob-
tain max. performance in terms of
pickup and acceleration. In this case fu-
el consumption will obviously increase.
IMPORTANT When driving under poor
grip conditions (snow, ice, etc.) avoid to
engage the kick-down device. SEQUENTIAL MODE
In sequential mode, the electronic auto-
matic transmission works like a fixed gear
sequential gearbox.
From position D move the gear lever left-
wards:
❒move gear lever to +: to upshift;
❒move gear lever to –: to downshift.
Gears are displayed by digits on the in-
strument panel. Non-stop monitoring car-
ried out by transmission control unit ex-
cludes whatever possibility of error.
Downshifting (or upshifting) is only pos-
sible if engine rpm enables it.
In sequential mode, electronic transmis-
sion control can however intervene in self-
adapting mode by shifting gears automat-
ically when engine rpm exceeds or falls be-
low the admitted rpm limit.
136
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
127-144 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 16:32 Pagina 136
Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack from
the roof as soon as they are no longer
used. These accessories lower air pene-
tration and adversely affect consumption
levels. When needing to carry particular-
ly voluminous objects, preferably use a
trailer.
Electric devices
Use electric devices only for the amount
of time needed. Rear heated window, ad-
ditional headlights, windscreen wipers and
heater fan need a considerable amount of
energy, therefore increasing the require-
ment of current increases fuel consump-
tion (up to +25% in the urban cycle).
Climate control
The air conditioner is an additional load
which greatly affects the engine leading to
higher consumption (on average up to
+20%). When the temperature outside
the car permits it, use the air vents where
possible.
Spoilers
The use of non-certified aerodynamic
items may adversely affect air drag and
consumption levels.DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine with the car at
a standstill or at idle or high speed: under
these conditions the engine warms up
much more slowly, increasing electrical
consumption and emissions. It is therefore
advisable to move off immediately, slow-
ly, avoiding high speeds. This way the en-
gine will warm faster.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid accelerating when waiting at traffic
lights or before switching off the engine.
This and also double declutching is ab-
solutely pointless on modern cars and al-
so increase consumption and pollution.
Gear selection
As soon as the conditions of the traffic and
road allow, use a higher gear. Using a low
gear to obtain brilliant performance in-
creases consumption.
In the same way improper use of a high
gear increases consumption, emissions an
engine wear.CONTAINING
RUNNING COSTS
Here are some suggestions which may
help you to keep the running costs of your
car down and lower the amount of toxic
emissions released into the atmosphere.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out
in accordance with the “Service schedule”.
Tyres
Check the pressure of the tyres routine-
ly at an interval of no more than 4 weeks:
if the pressure is too low, consumption
levels increase as resistance to rolling is
higher.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much luggage
stowed in the boot. The weight of the car
(especially when driving in town) and its
trim greatly affects consumption and sta-
bility.
138
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
127-144 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 16:33 Pagina 138
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
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
127-144 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 16:33 Pagina 139
145
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
GENERAL WARNINGS ...................................................... 146
INSUFFICIENT BRAKE LIQUID ....................................... 146
HAND BRAKE ENGAGED ............................................... 146
AIR BAG FAILURE................................................................ 146
PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AND SIDE CHEST
PROTECTION AIR BAGS (SIDE BAGS) OFF ............... 147
SEAT BELTS NOT FASTENED ......................................... 147
EXCESSIVE ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE ..... 148
INSUFFICIENT BATTERY RECHARGING .................... 148
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE ........................................................ 148
EBD FAILURE......................................................................... 148
INSUFFICIENT ENGINE OIL PRESSURE........................ 149
DEGRADED OIL................................................................... 149
POWER STEERING FAILURE ........................................... 149
INCOMPLETE DOOR CLOSURE .................................... 149
INJECTION SYSTEM FAILURE ......................................... 149
ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE (EOBD) ........ 149
FUEL RESERVE ..................................................................... 150
SPARK PLUG PREHEATING ............................................. 150
SPARK PLUG PREHEATING FAILURE ........................... 150
WATER IN DIESEL FILTER ................................................ 151
FIAT CODE - VEHICLE PROTECTION
SYSTEM FAILURE ................................................................ 151
ALARM FAILURE .................................................................. 151
BREAK-IN ATTEMPT .......................................................... 151
ELECTRONIC KEY NOT RECOGNISED ..................... 151
EXTERIOR LIGHT FAILURE .............................................. 152
REAR FOG LIGHTS ............................................................. 152GENERIC SIGNALLING ..................................................... 152
ESP SYSTEM FAILURE ......................................................... 154
HILL HOLDER FAILURE .................................................... 154
POSITION LIGHTS AND LOW BEAMS ........................ 154
FOLLOW ME HOME ........................................................... 154
FOG LIGHTS ......................................................................... 154
LEFT TURN SIGNAL ........................................................... 154
RIGHT TURN SIGNAL ....................................................... 154
HIGH BEAMS ......................................................................... 155
POSSIBILITY OF ICE ON ROADS ................................... 155
LIMITED RANGE .................................................................. 155
ASR SYSTEM .......................................................................... 155
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE ..................... 155
MAXIMUM AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OIL
TEMPERATURE .................................................................... 155
SET SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDANCE .................................... 156
CONSTANT SPEED REGULATOR
(CRUISE CONTROL) .......................................................... 156
BRAKE PAD WEAR ............................................................. 156
MINIMUM ENGINE OIL LEVEL ....................................... 156
REAR SIDE CHEST PROTECTION AIR BAGS
(REAR SIDE BAGS) OFF ..................................................... 156
TURNING OFF A MOVING VEHICLE ........................... 156
STARTING PROCEDURE DISPLAY INFORMATION
MESSAGES (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION)............... 156
STARTING PROCEDURE DISPLAY INFORMATION
MESSAGES (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) ...................... 156
WW W
A A
R R
N N
I I
N N
G G
L L
I I
G G
H H
T T
S S
A A
N N
D D
M M
E E
S S
S S
A A
G G
E E E
S S
145-156 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 15:18 Pagina 145
150
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
If when turning ignition key at
ON, the warning light Udoes not turn on or if it turns
on with fixed light or flashing
(on certain versions together with the
message on the display) when the car
is travelling, contact Fiat Dealership as
soon as possible. Warning light
Uop-
eration can by checked by traffic
agents by proper equipment therefore,
comply with laws and regulations in
force in the country where you are dri-
ving.
ç
FUEL RESERVE
(amber)
Turning the ignition key to ON
the warning light comes on but shall go off
after few seconds.
The warning light turns on when about 5
litres fuel are left in the tank.
IMPORTANT The warning light flashes to
indicate a failure, contact Fiat Dealership
as soon as possible to have the system
checked.GLOW PLUG
WARMING
(Multijet versions -
amber)
GLOW PLUG WARMING
FAILURE
(Multijet versions - amber)
Glow plug warming
Turning the ignition key to ONthe warn-
ing light turns on and it will go off when
glow plugs reach the preset temperature.
Start the engine immediately after warn-
ing light turning off.
IMPORTANT With hot ambient temper-
ature, warning light stays on for very short
time.
Glow plug warming failure
The warning light turns on when there is
a failure in the glow plug warming system.
Contact Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
m
warning light stays on or turns on when
travelling:
❒glowing steadily: means a fault in the
supply/ignition system which could
cause high emissions at the exhaust,
possible lack of performance, poor
handling and high consumption levels.
On certain versions the dedicated mes-
sage is displayed.
In these conditions it is possible to con-
tinue driving without however requiring
heavy effort or high speed from the en-
gine. Prolonged use of the car with the
warning light on may cause damages. Con-
tact Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
The warning light goes off if the fault dis-
appears, but it is still stored by the system.
❒flashing: indicates the possibility of
damage to the catalyst (see “EOBD
system” in section “Dashboard and
controls”).
If the light flashes, it is necessary to release
the accelerator pedal to lower the speed
of the engine until the warning light stops
flashing; continue the journey at moder-
ate speed, trying to avoid driving condi-
tions that may cause further flashing and
contact Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble.
145-156 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 15:18 Pagina 150
151
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
WATER IN DIESEL
FUEL FILTER
(Multijet versions -
amber)
Turning the ignition key to ONthe warn-
ing light turns on, but it should go off af-
ter few seconds.
The warning light
cturns on when there
is water in the diesel fuel filter. On certain
versions warning light
èwill turn on.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
c
The presence of water in the
fuel circuit may cause serious
damage to the entire injec-
tion system and cause irreg-
ular engine operation. If the warning
light
cturns on (on certain versions to-
gether with the message on the display)
contact Fiat Dealership as soon as pos-
sible to have the system relieved. If the
above indications come on immedi-
ately after refuelling, water has prob-
ably been poured into the tank: turn
the engine off immediately and contact
Fiat Dealership.
CAR PROTECTION
SYSTEM FAILURE -
FIAT CODE
(amber)
(where provided)
Turning the key to ONthe warning
light shall flash only once and then go
off.
If with the ignition key at ONthe warn-
ing light comes on with fixed light, this in-
dicates a possible failure (see “The Fiat
Code system” in section “Dashboard and
controls”).
IMPORTANT The turning on at the same
time of the
Uand Ywarning lights in-
dicates a failure of the Fiat CODE system.
If with the engine running the warning light
Yflashes, this means that the car is not
protected by the engine inhibitor device
(see “Fiat Code system” in section “Dash-
board and controls”).
Contact Fiat Dealership to have all the
keys memorised.ALARM FAILURE
(where provided)
The turning on of the warning
light (together with the message
on the display and the buzzer) indicates
that there is a failure in the electronic
alarm system. Contact Fiat Dealership as
soon as possible.
YY
BREAK-IN ATTEMPT
(where provided)
The turning on of the warning
light (together with the message
on the display), indicates an attempt of
break-in.
ELECTRONIC KEY NOT
RECOGNISED
(where provided)
The turning on of the warning
light (together with the message on the
display and the buzzer) indicates that the
electronic key being used is not enabled.Y
Y
145-156 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 15:18 Pagina 151
Warning light vturns on
together with the dedicated
message on the display to in-
dicate that the cleaning pro-
cedure cannot be performed, contact
Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
152
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
GENERIC FAILURE
INDICATION
(amber)
The warning light turns on in the follow-
ing circumstances.
Engine oil pressure
sensor failure
The warning light comes on when the en-
gine oil pressure sensor is faulty. Contact
Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
è
EXTERNAL LIGHT
FAILURE (amber)
The warning light turns on
when one of the following lights is failing:
– side/taillights
– brake lights (third brake light excluded)
– rear fog lights
– direction indicators
– number plate lights.
The failure referring to these lights could
be: one or more blown bulbs, a blown
protection fuse or an electric connection
cut-off.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
W
REAR FOG LIGHTS
(amber)
The warning light turns on
when the rear fog lights are turned on.
4
Diesel particulate filter clogged
(Multijet versions)
The warning light turns on together with
the message on the display and the buzzer
when the diesel particulate filter is clogged
and the driving conditions do not enable
to activate automatically the reclaiming
procedure.
To enable the cleaning procedure, keep
the car running until the warning light
turns off.
Inertial fuel cut-off switch
intervened
The warning light turns on together with
the message on the display, when the in-
ertial fuel cut-off switch is triggered.
To reset the fuel cut-off switch, see para-
graph “Power and fuel cut-off switch” in
section “Dashboard and controls”.
Rain sensor failure
The warning light on the dial turns on (on
certain versions together with the mes-
sage on the display) when the rain sensor
is faulty. Contact Fiat Dealership.
145-156 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 15:18 Pagina 152
159
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
IF A TYRE IS
PUNCTURED
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Wheel changing and correct use of the
jack and space-saver spare wheel call for
some precautions as listed below.
BUMP STARTING
Never bump start the engine (by pushing,
towing, or coasting downhill) as this could
cause fuel to flow into the catalytic ex-
haust system and damage it beyond repair.
Remember that the brake booster and the
power steering system are not operating
until the engine is started, a greater effort
will therefore be required to press the
brake pedal or to turn the steering wheel.
Alert other drivers that the
car is stationary in compli-
ance with local regulations: hazard
warning lights, warning triangle etc.
Any passengers on board should leave
the car, especially if it is heavily laden.
Passengers should stay away from on-
coming traffic while the wheel is be-
ing changed on. If the wheel is being
changed on a steep or badly surfaced
road, place the wedges or other suit-
able material under the wheel to stop
the car.
WARNING
The space-saver spare wheel
is specific to your car, do not
use it on other models, or use the
spare wheel of other models on your
car. The space-saver spare wheel
shall only be used in an emergency.
It shall only be used for the distance
necessary to reach a service point and
the car speed shall not exceed 80
Km/h. The spare wheel has an orange
sticker that summarises the main cau-
tions for use and limitations. The
sticker should never be removed or
covered.
Never fit a wheel cap on a space-
saver spare wheel. The sticker gives
the following information in four lan-
guages: caution! For temporary use
only! 80 km/h max! Replace by nor-
mal wheel as soon as possible. Do not
cover this label.
WARNING
157-192 Croma TRW GB 10-11-2008 13:15 Pagina 159