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SAFETY
TECHNICAL
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DASHBOARDAND CONTROLS
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
Batteries contain substances
that can be very dangerous
for the environment. It is ad-
visable to have the battery re-
placed by a Fiat Dealership where it
will be disposed of according to the
law.
Whenever an operation on
the battery or near it is re-
quired, always protect your eyes with
special goggles.
WARNING
If the vehicle remains unused
for a long time at very low
temperatures, remove the
battery and take it to a warm
place to avoid freezing.
USEFUL ADVICE
TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR
BATTERY
To avoid draining your battery and make
its life longer, observe the following indi-
cations:
❒when you park the vehicle, ensure the
doors, tailgate and bonnet are closed
properly;
❒switch off all lights inside the vehicle: the
vehicle is however equipped with a sys-
tem which switches all internal lights off
automatically;
❒do not keep accessories (e.g. sound sys-
tem, emergnecy lights, etc.) switched
on for a long time when the engine is
not running;
❒before performing any operation on the
electrical system, disconnect the bat-
tery negative cable;
❒battery terminals shall always be per-
fectly tightened.The battery is also more prone to the risk
of freezing (e.g. already at –10°C). Refer
to the paragraph “Vehicle inactivity” in
“Starting and driving” if the vehicle is left
parked for a long time.
If, after buying the vehicle, you want to in-
stall electric accessories which require
permanent electric supply (alarm, etc.)
contact the Fiat Dealership whose quali-
fied personnel, in addition to suggesting
the most suitable devices, will evaluate the
overall electric absorption, checking
whether the vehicle electric system is ca-
pable of withstanding the load required,
or whether it should be integrated with
a more powerful 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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MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
WHEELS AND TYRES
Check the pressure of each tyre, includ-
ing the spare wheel, approximately once
every two weeks and before starting a
long journey: this check must be per-
formed with the tyre rested and cold.
It is normal for pressure to increase when
the vehicle is used. For the correct tyre
inflation pressure, see “Wheels” in “Tech-
nical specifications” section.
Incorrect pressure causes abnormal tyre
wearfig. 9:
Anormal pressure: evenly worn tread;
Blow pressure: tread particularly worn
on the edges;
Cexcessive pressure: tread particularly
worn in the middle.
The tyres must be replaced when the
tread is less than 1.6 mm thick. In all cas-
es, follow the laws in force in the coun-
try where you are driving.IMPORTANT NOTES
❒Avoid braking suddenly, burning starts
and violent knocks against the curb,
potholes or other obstacles if possible.
Long distances on rough roads may
damage the tyres;
❒check the tyres regularly for cuts on the
sides, swelling or irregular tread wear.
Go to a Fiat Dealership if required.
❒Do not overload your vehicle: this may
cause serious damage to wheels and
tyres;
❒if a tyre is punctured, stop the vehicle
immediately and charge it to avoid dam-
age to the tyre, the rim, suspensions
and steering system;❒a tyre will age even if it is not used
much. Cracks in the tread and on the
sidewalls are a sign of ageing. Have the
tyres checked by specialised personnel
if they have been fitted for longer than
6 years. Remember to check the spare
wheel very carefully.
❒In case of replacement, always fit new
tyres, avoiding those with an unknown
origin.
❒If a tyre is replaced, also change the in-
flation valve.
❒To allow even wear between the front
and rear tyres, it is advisable to change
them every 10-15 thousand kilometres,
keeping them on the same side of the
vehicle so as not to reverse the direc-
tion of rotation.
fig. 9F0T0013m
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IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
RUBBER HOSES
As far as the brake system and fuel rubber
hoses are concerned, carefully follow the
instructionsprovided in the “Scheduled
servicing plan” in this section.
Ozone, high temperatures and prolonged
lack of fluid in the system may cause hard-
ening and cracking of the hoses, with pos-
sible leaks. Careful inspections are there-
fore necessary.Remember that road holding
also depends on the correct
tyre inflation pressure.
WARNING
If the pressure is too low the
tyre overheats and this can
cause serious damage.
WARNING
Do not cross switch the
tyres, moving them from the
right of the vehicle to the left and
vice versa.
WARNING
Never submit alloy rims to
repainting treatments re-
quiring the use of temperatures ex-
ceeding 150°C. The mechanical prop-
erties of the wheels could be im-
paired.
WARNING
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SAFETY
TECHNICAL
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DASHBOARDAND CONTROLS
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
WINDSCREEN/
REAR WINDOW WIPER
(where provided)
BLADES
Periodically clean the rubber part using
special products; TUTELA PROFES-
SIONAL SC 35is recommended.
Replace the blades if the rubber edge is de-
formed or worn. In all cases, it is advis-
able to replace them approximately once
a year.
Driving with worn wiper
blades is a serious hazard,
because visibility is reduced in bad
weather.
WARNING
Replacing the
windscreen wiper blades
Proceed as follows:
❒lift the windscreen wiper arm and posi-
tion the blade so that it forms an angle
of 90° with the arm itself;
❒exert pressure on the straps A-fig. 10
and remove the blade arm;
❒install the new blade by inserting the
straps into the supplied housings of the
arm. Make sure that the new blade is
secured in position.
fig. 10
A
A
F0T0087m
A few simple precautions can reduce the
possibility of damage to the blades:
❒make sure that the rubber part is not
stuck to the windscreen at sub-zero
temperatures. Use an antifreeze prod-
uct to release it if required.
❒remove the snow from the window:
this will avoid overstressing the elec-
trical motor in addition to protecting
the blades;
❒do not operate the windscreen and the
rear screen wipers on dry glass.
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SAFETY
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STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
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MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
Replacing the rear window wiper
blade (where provided)
Proceed as follows:
❒lift the cover A-fig. 11and disassemble
the arm from the vehicle by turning the
nut Bsecuring it to the rotation pin;
❒fit the new arm, positioning it correct-
ly, and fully tighten the nut;
❒lower the cover.SPRAY NOZZLES
If the jet of fluid is inadequate, firstly check
that there is fluid in the vessel of the wind-
screen/rear window wiper (where pro-
vided) (see “Checking fluid levels” in this
section).
Then, make sure that the outlet holes are
not clogged. Unclog them using a needle,
if required.
Front window (window washer)
Front window washer jets are fixed. The
nozzle holders are positioned under the
bonnet (see fig. 12).Rear window
(rear window washer)
Rear window washer jets are fixed. The
nozzle holder is on the rear window (see
fig. 13).
fig. 11F0T0213mfig. 12F0T0090mfig. 13F0T0214m
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AND CARE
BODYWORK
PROTECTION FROM
WEATHER CONDITIONS
The main causes of corrosion are the fol-
lowing:
❒atmospheric pollution;
❒salty air and humidity (coastal areas or
hot humid climates);
❒seasonal environment conditions.
Equal importance must be attributed to
the abrasive action of wind-borne atmos-
pheric dust as well as sand and mud and
gravel raised by other vehicles.
On your vehicle Fiat has adopted the best
manufacturing technologies to effectively
protect the bodywork against corrosion.These are the most important technolo-
gies:
❒painting products and systems which
give the vehicle particular resistance to
corrosion and abrasion;
❒use of galvanised (or pre-treated) 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;
❒spraying of plastic parts with a protec-
tive 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.VEHICLE BODY
AND UNDERBODY WARRANTY
Your vehicle 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 the Fiat Warranty Booklet.
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MAINTENANCE
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ADVICE FOR PRESERVING
THE BODYWORK
Paint
Paintwork does not only serve an aes-
thetic purpose, but also protects the un-
derlying sheet metal.
Touch up abrasions and scratches immedi-
ately to prevent the formation of rust. On-
ly use genuine spare paint products for
touch-ups (see “Bodywork paint identifi-
cation plate” in the “Technical Specifica-
tions” section).
Normal maintenance of paintwork con-
sists in washing the vehicle: the frequen-
cy depends on the conditions and envi-
ronment where the vehicle is used.
For example, it is advisable to wash the ve-
hicle more often in areas with a high en-
vironmental pollution or on roads sprin-
kled with salt.To correctly wash the vehicle:
❒remove the aerial from the roof to pre-
vent damage to it if the vehicle is
washed in an automatic system;
❒wash the body using a low pressure jet
of water;
❒wipe a sponge with a slightly soapy so-
lution over the bodywork, frequently
rinsing with the sponge;
❒rinse well with water and dry with a jet
of air or a chamois leather.
If the vehicle is washed in an automatic car
wash, follow these recommendations:
– remove the antenna from the roof to
avoid damages;
– water with a cleansing solution must be
used for washing;
– rinse accurately to avoid cleansing so-
lution residues which may remain on the
body or hidden parts.Dry the less visible parts particularly care-
fully, such as the door frames, bonnet and
the headlight frames, where water may
stagnate more easily. It is a good idea to
leave the vehicle outdoors for a while af-
ter washing it to give water time to evap-
orate.
Do not wash the vehicle after it has been
parked in the sun or when the engine bon-
net is hot: this could take the shine off the
paint.Some automatic systems pro-
vided with old generation
and/or not correctly main-
tained brushes may damage
the varnish, easing the creation of mi-
cro-scratches, especially on dark
colours. To remove those scratches,
slightly polish with a specific product.
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SAFETY
TECHNICAL
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DASHBOARDAND CONTROLS
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
Windows
Use specific window cleaner products.
Use also clean cloths to avoid scratching
the glass or damaging the transparency.
IMPORTANT Wipe the rear window in-
side gently with a cloth in the direction
of the filaments to avoid damaging the
heating device.Engine compartment
At the end of each winter, thoroughly
wash the engine compartment taking care
not to direct the water jet against the elec-
tronic control units and the relay/fuse con-
trol unit on the left side of the engine com-
partment (running direction). Have this
operation performed at a specialised
workshop.
IMPORTANT Perform this operation on
a cold engine and with the key at STOP.
After the washing operation, make sure
that the various protections (e.g. rubber
caps and guards) have not been removed
or damaged.
Front headlights
IMPORTANT Never use aromatic sub-
stances (e.g.: petrol) or ketenes (e.g.: ace-
tone) for cleaning front headlight plastic
lens. Exterior plastic parts must be cleaned in
the same way as the rest of the vehicle.
Where possible, do not park the vehicle
under trees; the resinous substance re-
leased by many species give the paint a dull
appearance and increase the possibility of
triggering rust processes.
IMPORTANT Bird droppings must be
washed off immediately and thoroughly as
the acid they contain is particularly ag-
gressive.
Detergents cause water pol-
lution. The vehicle should be
washed in areas equipped for
collecting and purifying the
liquid used in the washing process.
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