79GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
When using the boot,
make sure the load you
are carrying does not ex-
ceed the permitted weight (see
“Technical specifications”). Also
ensure the items in the boot are
arranged properly to prevent
them being thrown forwards and
injuring passengers should you
brake sharply. Do not travel with
the tailgate open: exhaust gas
could filter into the passenger
compartment.
If you are travelling in
areas where refuelling
can be difficult and you
want to carry a can of petrol, fol-
low the law in force. Use a ho-
mologated can and secure it ad-
equately. Even given these pre-
cautions, the risk of fire in the
event of an accident is increased.
Do not use the key as a
handle to open the tail-
gate. You could damage it.
TAILGATE
Opening/closing the tailgate
To open the tailgate from the out-
side, turn the ignition key in lock
fig. 118and pull handle Ain the di-
rection of the arrow.
The opening of the boot is made eas-
ier by the gas-filed struts on each side.
IMPORTANTFit the key well into
the lock before turning it.
You will be able to open the tailgate
with the key only if you remove the
key from the lock after turning it by 45
degrees.
To close, lower the tailgate until the
lock clicks.
CENTRAL DOOR LOCKING
SYSTEM
From the outside
With the doors closed, fit and turn
the key in one of the front door locks.IMPORTANTAdjust the height of
the dipped headlight beam when trav-
elling at night with a rather heavy load
in the boot (see “Headlights” in this
chapter).
Make sure the load does not exceed
the values shown in “Weights” para-
graph, “Technical specifications” chap-
ter for correct operation of the head-
light adjustment device.
Do not knock the tailgate
into objects on the roof
rack when you open it.
fig. 118
F0A0231b
001-105 Doblo GB 16-12-2008 14:22 Pagina 79
87GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
LOADING RAMPS
Loading ramps are available at Lin-
eaccessori Fiat.
Never move the vehicle
with ramps extracted.
Before restarting the ve-
hicle always check that ramps are
properly secured into their hous-
ings.Loading with ramps
shall be only carried out
with the vehicle station-
ary and handbrake engaged.
fig. 137
F0A0221b
To use the rear ramp fig. 137,
strictly follow the instructions shown
on the plate applied on the left side
of the boot.IMPORTANTMax. rear ramp car-
rying capacity is 250 kg.
001-105 Doblo GB 16-12-2008 14:22 Pagina 87
89GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
ABS
The vehicle can be fitted with an ABS
braking system, which prevents the
wheels from locking when braking,
makes the most of road grip and gives
the best control when emergency
braking under difficult road conditions.
The driver can tell the ABS system
has come into play because the brake
pedal pulsates slightly and the system
gets noisier.
This should not be interpreted as a
fault in the brakes; on the contrary it
is a sign that the ABS system is work-
ing: it tells the driver that the vehicle
is travelling at the limit of its road grip
and that he should alter his speed to
fit the type of road surface.
The ABS system is an addition to the
basic braking system. If there is a mal-
function, the system turns off auto-
matically and only the ordinary brakes
continue to work.If a failure occurs, and consequently
the anti-lock function is not effective,
the braking system will continue to
work as usual.
If you have never driven a vehicle
with ABS before, you should practice
using the system on slippery terrain,
obviously with the necessary safety
precautions and keeping to the High-
way Code of the country you are in.
It is also a good idea to read the fol-
lowing information carefully.
The advantage in using the ABS sys-
tem is that it continues to give you
maximum manoeuvrability even when
braking hard in conditions of poor grip
by preventing the wheels locking.
You should, however, not expect the
braking distance to always decrease:
for example surfaces with gravel or
fresh snow on a slippery road will in
fact increase the braking distance. Correct positions as a function
of the load
0- one or two occupants in the
front seats.
1- five occupants.
2- five occupants + load in boot.
3- driver + maximum permissible
load stowed in boot.
Check the headlight
beam position every time
you change the load to be
carried.
HEADLIGHT ADJUSTMENT
ABROAD
Headlights are orientated as to drive
inside the country of origin before sell-
ing the vehicle. When travelling in
countries with opposite driving direc-
tion, you need to cover the headlight
areas according to the Road Code of
the country you are travelling in.
001-105 Doblo GB 16-12-2008 14:22 Pagina 89
90GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
To exploit the ABS system to the full
in the event of necessity, you should
take heed of the following advice:
Braking while cornering always re-
quires extreme care even when using
ABS.
The most important advice to follow
is this The ABS exploits the
road hold available as
much as possible but can-
not increase it. You should always
drive carefully on slippery sur-
faces and avoid any unnecessary
risks.
If the ABS system cuts in
it is a sign that the grip
between the tyre and the
road surface has reached the lim-
it: you must slow down to match
the speed to the road grip avail-
able.
If there is a fault, the in-
strument panel warning
light >will come on. At
this point, reduce speed and go to
a Fiat Dealership to have your ve-
hicle checked and put right im-
mediately.
When the ABS cuts in,
and you feel the brake
pedal pulsating, do not re-
move your foot, but keep it
pressed. In doing so you will stop
in the shortest amount of space
possible under the current road
conditions.
If you follow these tips you will be
able to brake better in any situation.
IMPORTANTVehicles fitted with
may only be fitted with wheel rims,
tyres and brake pads of the make and
model approved by the vehicle man-
ufacturer.
The system is completed with an
EBD electronic brake force distribu-
tor which increases the brake system
performance and employs the ABS
control unit and sensors.
The vehicle is fitted with
an electronic braking de-
vice (EBD). The >and
xwarning light will come on at
the same time when the engine
is running to indicate that there
is an EBD system failure. In this
case violent braking may be ac-
companied by early rear wheel
locking with the possibility of
skidding. Drive the vehicle ex-
tremely carefully to the nearest
Fiat Dealership to have the sys-
tem checked.
001-105 Doblo GB 16-12-2008 14:22 Pagina 90
91GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
The cushion immediately inflates,
placing itself as a protection between
the body of the front occupants and
the structure that could cause injuries.
Immediately after, the cushion deflates.
The front air bag (driver and pas-
senger) is not a replacement of but
complementary to the use of belts,
which should always be worn, as spec-
ified by law in Europe and most non-
European countries.
In case of crash, a person not wear-
ing the seat belt moves forward and
may come into contact with the cush-
ion while it is still inflating. Under this
circumstance the protection offered
by the airbag is reduced.
Front airbags may not activate in the
following situations:
– in collisions against highly de-
formable objects not affecting the ve-
hicle front surface (e.g. bumper colli-
sion against guard rail); If the xbrake fluid low
warning light comes on,
stop the vehicle immedi-
ately and contact the nearest Fi-
at Dealership. Fluid leaks from
the hydraulic system, in fact, can
compromise brake system oper-
ation, both traditional systems
and systems with ABS.FRONT AND SIDE
AIRBAGS
The vehicle can be fitted with front
air bags for the driver and passenger
and with side bags.
FRONT AIRBAGS
Front airbags (driver and passenger)
have been designed to protect the oc-
cupants in the event of head-on crash-
es of medium-high severity, by plac-
ing the cushion between the occupant
and the steering wheel or dashboard.
Front airbags are designed to protect
vehicle’s occupants in front crashes
and therefore non-activation in other
types of collisions (side collisions, rear
shunts, roll-overs, etc.) is not a system
malfunction.
In case of crash, an electronic con-
trol unit, when required, triggers the
inflation of the cushion according to
the severity of the collision. Warning light >alone,
with the engine running,
normally indicates a fault
in the ABS system only. In this
case, the braking system is still ef-
ficient, though without the anti-
locking device. Under these con-
ditions, performance of the EBD
system may be reduced. Also in
this case, you are advised to go
immediately to the nearest Fiat
Dealership, driving in such a way
to avoid sharp braking to have
the system checked.
001-105 Doblo GB 16-12-2008 14:22 Pagina 91
106DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
ENGINE
STARTING3)Press the clutch pedal fully down,
without pressing the accelerator.
4) Turn the ignition key to AVV
and let it go the moment the engine
starts.
If the engine does not start at the
first attempt, return the ignition key
to STOPbefore trying to start the
engine again.
If the warning lights ¢(Y) and U
stay on when the ignition key is at
MAR, turn the key to STOPand
then to MARagain; if the warning light
stays on, try with the other keys pro-
vided.
If you are still unable to start the en-
gine, perform the emergency start-up
procedure (see section “In an emer-
gency”) and go to a Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANTNever leave the ig-
nition key at MARwhen the engine is
off.HOW TO START DIESEL
VERSIONS
1) Ensure that the handbrake is up.
2)Put the gear lever into neutral.
3)Turn the ignition key to MAR. In-
strument panel warning lights U, m
and ¢(Y) will come on.
4)Wait for warning lights Uand ¢
(Y) to turn off.
5) Wait for the instrument panel
warning light mto go out. The hot-
ter the engine is, the quicker this will
happen.
6)Press the clutch pedal down to
the floor without touching the accel-
erator.
7) Turn the key to AVVimmedi-
ately after the mwarning light goes
out. If you wait to long, you will lose
the benefit of the work done by the
glow plugs.
D D
R R
I I
V V
I I
N N
G G
Y Y
O O
U U
R R
V V
E E
H H
I I
C C
L L
E E
It is dangerous to let the
engine run in a garage or
other closed area. The
engine consumes oxygen and
gives off carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide and other poisonous
fumes.
Do not touch the high
voltage cables (spark plug
leads) when the engine is
running.
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
PETROL VERSIONS
1) Ensure that the handbrake is up.
2)Put the gear lever into neutral.
106-118 Doblo GB 9-05-2008 12:09 Pagina 106
107DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
HOW TO WARM UP THE
ENGINE AFTER IS HAS JUST
STARTED (petrol and diesel
versions)
– Begin to move forward slowly let-
ting the engine turn at medium revs.
Do not accelerate abruptly.
– Do not push the engine to its lim-
it for the first few kilometres. You are
recommended to wait until the
coolant temperature gauge starts
moving.
EMERGENCY START-UP
If the Fiat CODE system fails to
recognise that code transmitted by the
ignition key (instrument panel warning
light ¢(Y) on) the emergency start-
up can be performed by using the
CODE card code.
See section “In an emergency”. The warning light m
will flash (for approxi-
mately 60 seconds) at
start-up or during prolonged
cranking to signal a fault in the
glow plug heating system. You
can use the vehicle as usual if the
engine starts but you should con-
tact a Fiat Dealership as soon as
possible to have problem seen to.
If the engine does not start at the
first attempt, return the ignition key
to STOPbefore trying to start the
engine again.
If with key at MARwarning light ¢
(Y) stays on, turn the key to STOP
and then to MARagain; if the warn-
ing light stays on, try with the other
keys provided.
If you still cannot start the engine, get
in touch with Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANTNever leave the ig-
nition key at MARwhen the engine is
off.Catalysed vehicles must
not be bump started
(pushed, towed or coast-
ed downhill) as this could cause
fuel to flow into the catalytic ex-
haust system and damage it be-
yond repair.
Remember that until
the engine has started the
brake booster and hy-
draulic power steering systems
will not work and a greater effort
will therefore be required to de-
press the brake pedal or turn the
steering wheel.
106-118 Doblo GB 9-05-2008 12:09 Pagina 107
108DRIVING YOUR VEHICLE
IMPORTANTAfter a taxing drive
you should allow the engine to “catch
its breath” before turning it off by let-
ting it idle to allow the temperature in
the engine compartment to fall.
PARKING
Switch off the engine, pull up the
handbrake and engage a gear (1st gear
or reverse, according to whether the
vehicle is facing up or downhill) and
leave the wheels turned. If the vehi-
cle is left on a steep slope, wedges or
a rock should be used to lock the
wheels.
Do not leave the ignition key at
MARto prevent draining the battery.
Always remove the key when you
leave the vehicle.HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever is located be-
tween the two front seats.
Pull the handbrake lever upwards un-
til the vehicle cannot be moved. Four
or five clicks are generally enough
when the vehicle is on level ground
while nine or ten may be required if
the vehicle is on a steep slope or laden.
IMPORTANTIf this is not the
case, take the vehicle to a Fiat Deal-
ership to have the handbrake adjust-
ed.
Instrument panel warning light x
will come on when the handbrake
lever is pulled up and the ignition key
is at MAR.
To release the handbrake:
1)Slightly lift the handbrake and
press release button A-fig.1.
2)Keep the button pressed in and
lower the lever. Warning light xwill
go out.
3)Press the brake pedal when car-
rying out this operation to prevent the
vehicle moving accidentally. STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the key to STOPwhile the
engine is idling.
A quick burst on the ac-
celerator before turning
off the engine serves ab-
solutely no practical purpose and
wastes fuel.
Never leave children un-
supervised in the vehicle.
A
fig. 1
F0A0034b
106-118 Doblo GB 9-05-2008 12:09 Pagina 108