131
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CARHANDBRAKE fig. 1
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 MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
xwill turn
on.
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) 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 unat-
tended in the car. Always re-
move the ignition key when leaving
the car and take it out with you.
WARNING
fig. 1F0M0115m
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.
127-138 Punto GDX GB 31-07-2008 17:27 Pagina 131
LOW ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE (red)
EXHAUSTED OIL (red)
(Multijet versions with
DPF)
Low engine oil pressure
Turning the ignition key to MARthe
warning light turns on, but it should go out
as soon as the engine is started.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
v
If the warning light vturns on when the car is trav-
elling (on certain versions together
with the message on the display) stop
the engine immediately and contact
a Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
“DUALDRIVE” ELEC-
TRIC POWER STEERING
FAILURE (red)
Turning the ignition key to MARthe
warning light turns on, but it should go off
after few seconds.
If the warning light stays on, you will not
have the steering assistance and the effort
on the steering wheel will be increased,
steering is however possible. Contact Fi-
at Dealership.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
g
142
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
❒Car heavy duty(e.g.: towing trailer
uphill of fully laden car): decrease
speed, if the warning light stays on,
stop the car. Wait for 2 or 3 minutes
leaving the engine on and slightly ac-
celerated to further activate the cir-
culation of the coolant fluid, then
switch the engine off. Check proper
coolant level as described previously.
IMPORTANT Under severe use of the
car, keep the engine on and slightly accel-
erated for few minutes before switching it
off.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
LOW BATTERY
CHARGE (red)
Turning the ignition key to
MARthe warning light turns on, but it
should go out as soon as the engine is
started (with the engine running at idle
speed a brief delay in going out is allowed).
If the warning light stays on glowing steadi-
ly or flashing: contact immediately Fiat
Dealership.
w
Exhausted oil
The warning light with turn on flashing to-
gether with the message on the display
when the system detects that the engine
oil is exhausted.
After the first indication, at each engine
starting the warning light
vwill go on
flashing for about 60 seconds and then
every 2 hours until oil is changed.
If warning light vflash-
es, contact Fiat Dealership
immediately to have oil changed and
instrument panel warning light turned
off. To prevent serious damage to the
engine the oil must be changed with-
in 1000 km from when this warning
light first starts flashing. Failure to
do so may adversely affect the valid-
ity of the warranty.
WARNING
139-152 Punto GDX GB 31-07-2008 17:27 Pagina 142
202
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
Incorrect assembly of electric
and electronic devices may
cause severe damage to your
car. Go to a Fiat Dealership if
you want to install accessories (alarms,
mobile phone, etc.): they will suggest
the most suitable devices and advise
you if a higher capacity battery needs
to be installed.
Batteries contain substances
that can be very dangerous
for the environment. t is ad-
visable to have the battery
changed by a Fiat Dealership where it
will be disposed of according to the
law.
If the vehicle must remain
unused for a long time at
very low temperature, remove the
battery and carry it to a warm place,
to avoid freezing.
WARNING
When you must perform any
operation on the battery or
near it, always protect your eyes with
the special goggles.
WARNING
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;
❒switch off all lights inside the car: the
car is however equipped with a system
which switches all internal lights off au-
tomatically;
❒do not keep accessories (e.g. sound sys-
tem, hazard lights, etc.) switched on for
a long time when the engine is not run-
ning;
❒before performing any operation on the
electrical system, disconnect the bat-
tery negative cable;
❒battery terminals shall always be per-
fectly tightened.IMPORTANT If the charge level remains
for a long time under 50%, the battery is
damaged by sulphation, reducing its ca-
pacity and starting attitude.
The battery will also be more at risk of
freezing (e.g. already at -10°C). Refer to
the paragraph “Car inactivity” in “Starting
and driving” if the car is left parked for a
long time.
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.
Since these devices continue absorbing en-
ergy even when the ignition key is off, they
gradually run down the battery.
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