185
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
TOWING THE CAR
The tow ring provided with the car is
housed in the tool box under the boot
mat.
fig. 46F0M0243m
fig. 47F0M0238m
TOW RING HOOKING fig. 46-47
Proceed as follows:
❒release the cap A;
❒take the tow hook Bfrom the sup-
port;
❒tighten the ring on the rear or front
threaded pin.
When towing, remember that
without the help of the ser-
vobrake and power steering, a greater
effort is required on the pedal and
steering wheel. Do not use flexible ca-
bles for towing and avoid jerks. During
towing operations make sure that fas-
tening the joint to the car does not
damage the components in contact
with it. When towing the car, you must
comply with the specific traffic regu-
lations regarding the tow ring and how
to tow on the road.
WARNING
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WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IINDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
Do not start the engine
when towing the car.
WARNING
Before fitting the hook,
clean accurately its thread-
ed seat. Before starting to tow, make
sure to have tighten the hook.
WARNING
Before starting to tow, disen-
gage the steering lock (see
paragraph “Ignition device” in section
“Dashboard and controls”). When
towing, remember that without the
help of the brake booster and power
steering, a greater effort is required on
the pedal and steering wheel. Do not
use flexible cables for towing and
avoid jerks. During towing operations
make sure that fastening the joint to
the car does not damage the compo-
nents in contact with it. When towing
the car, you must comply with the spe-
cific traffic regulations regarding the
tow ring and how to tow on the road.
WARNING
The front and rear tow hooks
should only be used on the
roads for emergency operations. Tow-
ing is permitted for short journies us-
ing the special device that conforms to
the highway code (rigid bar) to move
the vehicle onto the road in prepara-
tion for towing or transportation on
a special vehicle. The hooks should
NOT be used for recovering the vehi-
cle away from the road or where there
are obstacles and/or for towing using
cables or other non rigid devices. With
regard to the above conditions, tow-
ing should take place with the two ve-
hicles (the one towing and the one be-
ing towed) aligned as closely as possi-
ble along the same centre line axis.
WARNING
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187
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULED SERVICING ................................................ 188
SERVICE SCHEDULE........................................................... 189
PERIODICAL CHECKS........................................................ 193
USE OF THE CAR UNDER HEAVY CONDITIONS ... 193
CHECKING FLUID LEVELS................................................ 194
AIR FILTER ............................................................................ 200
POLLEN FILTER ................................................................... 200
BATTERY................................................................................ 201
WHEELS AND TYRES......................................................... 203
RUBBER HOSES.................................................................... 204
WINDSCREEN/REAR WINDOW WIPERS................... 204
BODYWORK........................................................................ 206
INTERIORS ............................................................................ 210
CC C
A A
R R
M M
A A
I I
N N
T T
E E
N N
A A
N N
C C
E E
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203
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
WHEELS AND TYRES
Check the pressure of each tyre, includ-
ing the spare, every two weeks and before
long journeys. The pressure should be
checked with the tyre rested and cold.
For the correct tyre inflation pressure, see
“Wheels” in “Technical specifications”
section.
Incorrect pressure causes abnormal tyre
wearfig. 14:
Anormal pressure: tread evenly worn.
Blow pressure: tread particularly worn
at the edges.
Chigh pressure: tread particularly worn
in the centre.
Tyres must be replaced when the tread
wears down to 1.6 mm. In any case, com-
ply with the laws in the country where the
car is being driven.
IMPORTANT NOTES
❒As far as possible, avoid sharp braking
and screech starts etc. Be careful not
to hit the kerb, potholes or other ob-
stacles hard. Driving for long stretch-
es over bumpy roads can damage the
tyres;
❒periodically check that the tyres have
no cuts in the side wall, abnormal
swelling or irregular tyre wear. If any of
these occur, have the car seen to at a
Fiat Dealership;
fig. 14F0M0160m
❒avoid overloading the car when travel-
ling: this may cause serious damage to
the wheels and tyres;
❒if a tyre is punctured, stop immediate-
ly and charge it to avoid damage to the
tyre, the rim, suspensions and steering
system;
❒tyres age even if they are not used
much. Cracks in the tread rubber are
a sign of ageing. In any case, if the tyres
have been on the car for over 6 years,
they should be checked by specialised
personnel, to see if they can still be
used. Also remember to check the
spare wheel;
❒ in the case of replacement, always fit
new tyres, avoiding those of dubious
origin;
❒ if a tyre is changed, also change the in-
flation valve;
❒to allow even wear between the front
and rear tyres, it is advisable to change
them over every 10-15 thousand kilo-
metres, keeping them on the same side
of the car so as not to reverse the di-
rection of rotation.
Remember that road holding
depends also on the correct
tyre inflating pressure.
WARNING
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204
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
WINDSCREEN/REAR
WINDOW WIPERS
BLADES
Periodically clean the rubber part using
special products; TUTELA PROFES-
SIONAL SC 35is recommended.
If the rubber blades are bent or worn they
should be replaced. In any case they
should be changed once a year.
A few simple notions can reduce the pos-
sibility of damage to the blades:
❒ if the temperature fall below zero,
make sure that ice has not frozen the
rubber against glass. If necessary, thaw
using an antifreeze product;
❒ remove any snow from the glass: in ad-
dition to protecting the blades, this pre-
vents effort on the motor and over-
heating;
❒do not operate the windscreen wipers
on dry glass.
Driving with worn wiper
blades is a serious hazard,
because visibility is reduced in bad
weather.
WARNING
RUBBER HOSES
As far as the brake system and fuel rubber
hoses are concerned, carefully follow the
“Service schedule” in this section.
Indeed ozone, high temperatures and pro-
longed lack of fluid in the system may
cause hardening and cracking of the hoses,
with possible leaks. Careful control is
therefore necessary.If the pressure is too low the
tyre overheats and this can
cause it serious damage.
WARNING
Do not cross switch the
tyres, moving them from the
right of the car to the left and vice
versa.
WARNING
Never submit alloy rims to
repainting treatments re-
quiring to use temperatures exceed-
ing 150°C. The mechanical properties
of the wheels could be impaired.
WARNING
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WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
❒ 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 mois-
ture from triggering rust inside.
BODY AND UNDERBODY
WARRANTY
Your Fiat Punto is covered by warranty
against perforation due to rust of any orig-
inal element of the structure or body.
For the general terms of this warranty, re-
fer to Fiat Warranty Booklet.
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 touching
up carried out immediately to avoid the for-
mation of rust. For touching up use only
original products (see “Bodywork paint
identification plate” in section “Technical
specifications”).
BODYWORK
PROTECTION FROM
ATMOSPHERIC AGENTS
The main causes of corrosion are the fol-
lowing:
❒ atmospheric pollution;
❒ salty air and humidity (coastal areas, or
hot humid climates);
❒seasonal environment conditions.
Not to be underestimated is also the abra-
sive action of wind-borne atmospheric
dust and sand and mud and gravel raised
by other cars.
On your car, Fiat implemented the best
manufacturing technologies to effectively
protect the bodywork against corrosion.
These include:
❒Painting products and systems which
give the car particular resistance to cor-
rosion and abrasion;
❒Use of galvanised (or pretreated) steel
sheets, with high resistance to corro-
sion;
❒ Spraying the underbody, engine com-
partment, wheelhouse internal parts
and other parts with highly protective
wax products; Rear window wiper fig. 18
Rear window washer jets are fixed.
The nozzle holder is on the rear window.
fig. 18F0M0164m
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WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
CLEANING SEATS AND FABRIC
AND VELVET PARTS
Use a soft brush or vacuum cleaner to re-
move dust. Velvet is cleaned better if the
brush is moistened.
Rub the seats with a sponge moistened
with a solution of water and neutral de-
tergent.
Never use flammable prod-
ucts like oil ether or rectified
petrol for cleaning car interiors. Elec-
trostatic discharges generated by rub-
bing during cleaning operations could
cause fire.
WARNING
Do not keep aerosol cans in
the car: they might explode.
Aerosol cans must never be exposed
to a temperature above 50° C. The
temperature inside the car exposed
to the sun may go well beyond that
figure.
WARNING
INTERIORS
Periodically check that water is not
trapped under the mats (due to water
dripping off shoes, umbrellas, etc.) which
could cause oxidisation of the sheet met-
al.INTERIOR PLASTIC PARTS
For routine cleaning of interior plastic
parts use a soft cloth moistened with wa-
ter and neutral soap. Remove grease or
persisting stains using appropriate solvent-
free products designed to preserve ap-
pearance and colour of plastic compo-
nents.
IMPORTANT Never use spirit or petro-
leum to clean the instrument panel.
STEERING WHEEL/GEAR LEVER
KNOB WITH GENUINE
LEATHER COVERING
These components shall only be cleaned
with water and neutral soap. Never use
spirit or alcohol-based products.
Before using special products for clean-
ing interiors, read carefully label instruc-
tions and indications to make sure they
are free from spirit and/or alcohol-based
substances.
If when cleaning the windscreen with spe-
cial glass products, some drops fall on the
leather covering of the steering wheel/gear
lever knob remove them immediately and
then clean with water and neutral soap.
IMPORTANT Take the utmost care when
engaging the steering lock to prevent
scratching the leather covering. Upholstery of your car has
been designed to withstand
wear deriving from common
use of the car. You are how-
ever recommended to avoid strong
and/or continuous scratching with
clothing accessories such as metallic
buckles, studs, Velcro fastenings and
the like, since these items cause cir-
cumscribed stress of the cover fabric
that could lead to yarn breaking, and
damage the cover as a consequence.
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209
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IDENTIFICATION DATA ................................................. 210
ENGINE CODES - BODYWORK VERSIONS............... 212
ENGINE .................................................................................. 213
FUEL FEED/IGNITION ....................................................... 215
TRANSMISSION .................................................................. 215
BRAKES................................................................................... 216
SUSPENSIONS....................................................................... 216
STEERING............................................................................... 216
WHEELS.................................................................................. 217
DIMENSIONS......................................................................... 223
PERFORMANCE................................................................... 221
WEIGHTS............................................................................... 222
CAPACITIES .......................................................................... 223
FLUIDS AND LUBRICANTS.............................................. 225
FUEL CONSUMPTION....................................................... 226
CO
2EMISSIONS .................................................................. 229
TT T
E E
C C
H H
N N
I I
C C
A A
L L
S S
P P
E E
C C
I I
F F
I I
C C
A A
T T
I I
O O
N N
S S
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