Page 121 of 234

120
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IINDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
Always drive holding your
hands on the steering wheel
rim so that the airbag can inflate
freely in the case of need. Do not dri-
ve with your body bent forward. Keep
your back straight against the back
rest.
WARNING
Airbags may be deployed if
another vehicle crashes if the
key is inserted and at MAR also if the
engine is not running and the car is
stationary. For this reason, children
must never sit on the front seat, even
if the car is not moving. On the oth-
er hand, if the key is inserted and at
STOP, none of the safety devices
(airbag or pretensioners) will be de-
ployed in a collision. Non deployment
of the devices in this case does not in-
dicate a system fault.
WARNING
Do not wash the seats with
pressurised water or steam
(by hand or in automatic seat wash-
ing stations).
WARNING
The airbag deployment
threshold is higher than that
of the pretensioners. For collisions in
the range between the two thresh-
olds, it is normal for only the preten-
sioners to be activated.
WARNING
Do not hook rigid objects to
the coat hooks and to the
support handles.
WARNING
Airbags do not replace seat
belts but increase their effi-
ciency. Furthermore, since front
airbags are not deployed in low speed
collisions, side collisions, rear-end
shunts or roll-overs, the occupants are
only protected by the seat belts which
must be fastened at all times.
WARNING
When the key is turned to
MAR warning light F(with
passenger front airbag activate) will
blink for a few seconds to remind you
that the airbag will be deployed in the
event of a collision after which it
should go out.
WARNING
Have the airbag system
checked by a Fiat Dealership
if the car was stolen, if theft was at-
tempted, or if the car was subjected
to vandalism or flooding.
WARNING
103-120 LINEA 1ed GB 3-09-2008 17:30 Pagina 120
Page 122 of 234
121
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
ENGINE STARTING ........................................................... 122
PARKING................................................................................ 125
USING THE MANUAL GEARBOX ................................. 126
CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS................................. 127
SNOW TYRES....................................................................... 131
SNOW CHAINS................................................................... 131
CAR INACTIVITY ............................................................... 132
CC C
O O
R R
R R
E E
C C
T T
U U
S S
E E
O O
F F
T T
H H
E E
C C
A A
R R
121-132 LINEA 1ed GB 3-09-2008 17:30 Pagina 121
Page 123 of 234

122
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
ENGINE STARTING
The car is provided with an electronic en-
gine lock device: refer to “The Fiat CODE
system” paragraph in “Dashboard and
controls” if you cannot start the engine.
The engine may be noisier during the first
seconds of operation, particularly after a
long period of inactivity. This is charac-
teristic of hydraulic tappets, the timing sys-
tem chosen to reduce the number of ser-
vicing interventions and does effects nei-
ther functionality nor reliability.
It is advisable not to demand
maximum performance from
your car (e.g. excessive accel-
erations, long distances at top
rpm, excessive intense braking, etc.) as
soon as the engine is started.
Do not leave the key in the ig-
nition switch with the engine
off to avoid unnecessary con-
sumption of electricity which
could drain the battery. It is dangerous
to run the engine in closed environ-
ments.
Running 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
Remember that the brake
booster 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
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒press the clutch pedal down to the
floor without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVVand let
it go the moment the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating starting.
121-132 LINEA 1ed GB 3-09-2008 17:30 Pagina 122
Page 124 of 234

123
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
Yremains
lit together with warning light Uturn the
key to STOPand then back to MAR; re-
main on, try with the other keys provid-
ed with the car.
IMPORTANT if
Yon the instrument
panel remains on and steady, go to a Fiat
Dealership immediately.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
to MARwhen the engine is off.STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
DIESEL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒turn the ignition key to MAR; instru-
ment panel warning lights
mand Ywill light up;
❒wait for the warning light Ye mto
turn off. The hotter the engine is, the
quicker this will happen;
❒press the clutch pedal down to the
floor without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVVas soon
as warning light
mgoes out. Waiting
too long will waste the work done by
the glow plugs. Release the key as soon
as the engine starts.If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating starting.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the
instrument panel warning light
Yre-
mains lit together with warning light
mturn the key to STOPand then back to
MAR; if the warning lights remain on, try
with the other keys provided with the car.
IMPORTANT If the instrument panel
warning light
Ystays on glowing
steadily, contact immediately Fiat Deal-
ership.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
to MARwhen the engine is off.
Warning light
mwill blink
for 60 seconds after starting
or during prolonged cranking
to indicate a fault to the glow
plug heating system. Use the car nor-
mally if the engine starts and go to a
Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
121-132 LINEA 1ed GB 3-09-2008 17:30 Pagina 123
Page 125 of 234

124
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOPwhile the en-
gine 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.
A quick burst on the acceler-
ator before turning off the en-
gine serves absolutely no
practical purpose, it wastes
fuel and is damaging especially to tur-
bocharged engines.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 demand to performance for the
first few kilometres. Wait until the en-
gine coolant gauge starts moving.
Remember that the brake
booster and power steering
are not operational until the
engine has been started,
therefore much effort than usual is re-
quired on the brake pedal and steering
wheel.
Never jump start the engine
by pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause a
flow of fuel into the catalyt-
ic converter and damage it beyond re-
pair.
121-132 LINEA 1ed GB 3-09-2008 17:30 Pagina 124
Page 126 of 234

125
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 lever upwards to operate the
handbrake. Four or five notches are nor-
mally sufficient to lock the car on flat ter-
rain, while nine or ten may be necessary
on a steep slope with the car loaded.
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 atMAR, 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.
If the car is parked on a steep slope, it is
further advisable to block the wheels with
a wedge or stone. Do not leave the key in
the ignition switch to prevent draining the
battery. Always remove 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. 1F0R0103m
Proceed as followed to release the hand-
brake:
❒slightly lift the handbrake and press re-
lease button A;
❒hold button Apressed and lower the
lever. Warning light xon the instru-
ment panel will go out.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out
this operation to prevent the car from
moving accidentally.
121-132 LINEA 1ed GB 3-09-2008 17:30 Pagina 125
Page 127 of 234

126
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
USING THE MANUAL
GEARBOX
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 fig. 2-3).
IMPORTANT Reverse may only be en-
gaged when the car is at a standstill. With
the engine running, wait for at least 2 sec-
onds with the clutch pedal fully pressed
before engaging reverse to prevent dam-
age to the gears and grating.
Version 1.4: to engage reverse Rfrom neu-
tral position, lift the sliding ring Aunder
the knob and shift the lever rightwards and
then back fig. 2.
Version 1.3 Multijet: to engage reverse R
from neutral position, shift the lever right-
wards and then back fig. 2.
fig. 2 - 1.4 version F0R0154m
Press the clutch pedal fully
to change gears correctly.
For this reason, there must be no ob-
stacles on the floor under the pedals:
make sure that mat are always flat
and do not interfere with the pedals.
WARNING
Do not drive with your hand
resting on the gear lever as
the force exerted, even if
slight, could lead over time to
premature wear on the gearbox inter-
nal components.
IMPORTANT The clutch pedal must be
used for gear shift only. Never drive with
the foot resting, even if slightly, on the
clutch pedal. For versions / markets where
applicable, the clutch pedal control elec-
tronics can intervene interpreting the
wrong drive style as a fault.
fig. 3 - 1.3 Multijet version F0R0105m
121-132 LINEA 1ed GB 3-09-2008 17:30 Pagina 126
Page 128 of 234

127
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack from
the roof after use. These accessories de-
crease aerodynamic penetration of the car
and have a negative effect on consumption.
It is better to use a trailer to transport
particularly bulky objects.
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 climate control system requires high-
er fuel consumption (up to +20% in av-
erage): use the air vents when the exter-
nal temperature allows to.
Spoilers
The use of non-certified aerodynamic
items may adversely affect air drag and
consumption levels.DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine up with the car
standing: the engine warms up very slow-
ly in these conditions, increasing con-
sumption and emissions. It is advisable to
start off immediately and slowly keeping
the engine speed down: the engine will
warm up much faster this way.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid revving up when starting at traffic
lights or before stopping the engine. The
latter action, like doubling the clutch, is un-
necessary and causes increase of con-
sumption and pollution.
Gear selection
Use a higher gear as soon as traffic and
road conditions allow. Using a low gear
for faster acceleration will increase con-
sumption.
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 tyre pressure regularly at least
once every four weeks: excessively low
pressure will increase consumption be-
cause rolling resistance will be 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.
121-132 LINEA 1ed GB 3-09-2008 17:30 Pagina 127