107
SYSTEM OPERATING
INSTRUCTIONS
Automatic operation
You can let the climate control system
work automatically. To set the system in
fullyautomatic operation, follow the pro-
cedure below.
❒Set the desired temperature by turning
the temperature selector (1).
❒Turn the blower speed selector (2) to
the “AUTO” position.
❒Turn the air flow selector (3) to the
“AUTO” position.
Then the blower speed selector/ air intake
selector (2) and air flow selector (3) are
controlled automatically to maintain the
set temperature.
The air conditioning switch (1) is to be se-
lected manually according to your taste.
When you turn the air conditioning switch
off, the climate control system cannot
lower the inside temperature below out-
side temperature.
To turn the climate control system off,
turn the blower speed selector (2) to the
“OFF” position.NOTE❒To find your comfortable zone, start
with the 22°C (72°F) setting.
❒If you turn the temperature selector (1)
to the highest or lowest limit, the cli-
mate control system will operate at the
maximum cooling or heating and the
blower will run at nearly full speed.
❒To avoid blowing cold air in cold weath-
er or hot air in hot weather, the system
will delay turning on the blower until
warmed or chilled air is available.
79J069
Defrost (g)
Temperature- controlled air comes out of
the windshield defroster outlets, the side
defroster outlets and the side outlets.
NOTE When the air flow selector (3) is
turned either to “Heat & defrost (f)” or
“Defrost (g)”, the air conditioning system
will come on and the “FRESH AIR” mode
will be selected automatically. But in very
cold weather, the air conditioning system
will not turn on.
79J098
069-128 Fiat16 New GB 3-09-2008 8:20 Pagina 107
130
PARKING BRAKE
LEVER
1.To set
2.To release
3.To release
The parking brake lever is located be-
tween the seats. To set the parking brake,
hold the brake pedal down and pull the
parking brake lever all the way up. To re-
lease the parking brake, hold the brake
pedal down, pull up slightly on the parking
brake lever, push the button on the end
of the lever with your thumb, and lower
the lever to its original position.(2)
(3)(1)
54G039
Never drive your vehicle with
the parking brake on: rear
brake effectiveness can be reduced
from overheating, brake life may be
shortened, or permanent brake dam-
age may result.
If the parking brake does not hold
the vehicle securely or does not ful-
ly release, have your vehicle in-
spected immediately by an autho-
rized Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
Always set the parking brake
fully before leaving your ve-
hicle or it may move, causing injury
or damage. When parking, make sure
the gearshift lever for manual
transaxle vehicles is in 1st gear or “R”
(Reverse) and the gearshift lever for
automatic transaxle vehicles is in “P”
(Park). Remember, even though the
transaxle is in gear or in Park, you
must set the parking brake fully.
WARNING
129-148 Fiat16 New GB 3-09-2008 8:16 Pagina 130
131
PEDAL
Clutch Pedal (1)
The clutch pedal is used to disengage the
drive to the wheels when starting the en-
gine, stopping, or shifting the gearshift
lever. Depressing the pedal disengages the
clutch.
IMPORTANT Do not drive with your
foot resting on the clutch pedal. It could
result in excessive clutch wear, clutch
damage, or unexpected loss of engine
braking.
Brake Pedal (2)
Your Fiat vehicle is equipped with either
front and rear disc brakes or front disc
brakes and rear drum brakes. Depress-
ing the brake pedal applies both sets of
brakes.
You may hear occasional brake squeal
when you apply the brakes. This is a nor-
mal condition caused by environmental
factors such as cold, wet, snow, etc.Accelerator Pedal (3)
This pedal controls the speed of the en-
gine. Depressing the accelerator pedal in-
creases power output and speed.
When parking the vehicle in
extremely cold weather, the
following procedure should be used:
1) Set the parking brake.
2) Shift the manual transaxle into re-
verse or first gear, or the automatic
transaxle into “P” (Park).
3) With the engine off, get out of the
vehicle and put chocks under the
wheels.
4) Release the parking brake.
When you return to your vehicle,
you must remember to first set the
parking brake, then remove the
wheel chocks.
WARNING
(1) (2) (3)
79J072
If brake squeal is excessive
and occurs each time the
brakes are applied, you should have
the brakes checked by your Fiat
Dealership.
WARNING
Do not “ride” the brakes by
applying them continuously
or resting your foot on the pedal. This
will result in overheating of the brakes
which could cause unpredictable
braking action, longer stopping dis-
tances, or permanent brake damage.
WARNING
129-148 Fiat16 New GB 3-09-2008 8:16 Pagina 131
139
FRONT SEAT HEATER
(if equipped)
With the ignition switch in the “ON” po-
sition, push in one or both of the seat
heater switches to warm the correspond-
ing seat(s). The indicator light below the
switch will also come on. To turn off the
seat heater, push in the switch again. The
indicator light below the switch will go off.
IMPORTANT To avoid damaging the
heater element:
❒Do not subject the front seats to heavy
impacts, such as children jumping on
them.
❒Do not cover the seat with any insu-
lating materials such as blankets or
cushions.
79J074
79J076
Improperly using the seat
heater can be hazardous. An
occupant can suffer burns even if the
heating temperature is fairly low, if the
occupant is wearing thin pants, a thin
skirt or shorts and leaves the heater on
for long periods.
Avoid using the seat heater for these
occupants:
– People who have reduced feeling in
their legs, including the elderly or
those with certain disabilities.
– Small children, or anyone with sen-
sitive skin.
– People who are asleep or under the
influence of alcohol or other drugs
which make them tired.
WARNING
86G064
129-148 Fiat16 New GB 3-09-2008 8:16 Pagina 139
165
IMPORTANT To minimize the possibili-
ty of catalyst or other vehicle damage:
❒Maintain the engine in the proper op-
erating condition.
❒In the event of an engine malfunction,
particularly one involving engine misfire
or other apparent loss of performance,
have the vehicle serviced promptly.
❒Do not turn off the engine or interrupt
the ignition when the transaxle is in
gear and the vehicle is in motion.
❒Do not try to start the engine by push-
ing or towing the vehicle, or coasting
down a hill.
CATALYTIC CONVERTER
(if equipped - Petrol
Engine Model)
The purpose of the catalytic converter is
to minimize the amount of harmful pollu-
tants in your vehicle’s exhaust. Use of
leaded fuel in vehicles equipped with cat-
alytic converters is prohibited, because
lead deactivates the pollutant- reducing
components of the catalyst system.
The converter is designed to last the life
of the vehicle under normal usage and
when unleaded fuel is used. No special
maintenance is required on the convert-
er. However, it is very important to keep
the engine properly tuned. Engine misfir-
ing, which can result from an improperly
tuned engine, may cause overheating of
the catalyst. This may result in permanent
heat damage to the catalyst and other ve-
hicle components.
54G236
RUNNING-IN
IMPORTANT The future performance
and reliability of the engine depends on the
care and restraint exercised during its ear-
ly life. It is especially important to observe
the following precautions during the initial
960 km (600 miles) of vehicle operation.
❒After starting, do not race the engine.
Warm it up gradually.
❒Avoid prolonged vehicle operation at a
constant speed. Moving parts will break
in better if you vary your speed.
❒Start off from a stop slowly. Avoid full
throttle starts.
❒Avoid hard braking, especially during
the first 300 km (200 miles) of driving.
❒Do not drive slowly with the transaxle
in a high gear.
❒Drive the vehicle at moderate engine
speeds.
❒Do not tow a trailer during the first
960 km (600 miles) of vehicle opera-
tion.
149-166 Fiat16 New GB 3-09-2008 8:15 Pagina 165
170
IMPORTANT Do not continue rocking
the vehicle for more than a few minutes.
Prolonged rocking can cause engine over-
heating or transaxle damage. IF YOUR VEHICLE GETS STUCK
If your vehicle gets stuck in snow, mud, or
sand, follow the directions below:
❒Shift the transaxle back and forth be-
tween first gear and reverse. This will
create a rocking motion which may give
you enough momentum to free the ve-
hicle. Press gently on the accelerator to
keep wheel spin to a minimum.
Remove your foot from the accelera-
tor while shifting.
Do not race the engine. Excessive
wheel spin will cause the tires to dig
deeper, making it more difficult to free
the vehicle.
❒If your vehicle remains stuck after a few
minutes of rocking, get another vehicle
to pull you out.
Do not allow anyone to
stand near the vehicle when
you are rocking it, and do not spin the
wheels faster than an indicated
40 km/h (25 mph) on the speedome-
ter. Personal injury and/ or vehicle
damage may result from spinning the
wheels too fast.
WARNING
54G074S
In addition to following the
driving tips in this section, it
is important to observe the following
precautions.
Make sure your tires are in good con-
dition and always maintain the spec-
ified tire pressure. Refer to “Tires” in
the “INSPECTION AND MAINTE-
NANCE” section for details.
WARNING
Do not use tires other than
those specified by Fiat. Nev-
er use different sizes or types of tires
on the front and rear wheels. For in-
formation regarding the specified
tires, refer to the Tire Information La-
bel located on the driver’s door lock
pillar.
Never use oversized tires or special
shock absorbers and springs to raise
(jack up) your vehicle. This will
change the handling characteristics.
Oversized tires may also rub against
the fender over bumps, causing vehi-
cle damage or tire failure.
After driving through water, test the
brakes while driving at a slow speed
to see if they have maintained their
normal effectiveness. If the brakes are
less effective than normal, dry them
by repeatedly applying the brakes
while driving slowly until the brakes
have regained their normal effective-
ness.
WARNING
167-170 Fiat16 New GB 3-09-2008 8:15 Pagina 170
176
– Avoid “riding” the brakes.
This could cause the brakes
to overheat resulting in reduced brak-
ing efficiency. Use engine braking as
much as possible.
– Because of the added trailer weight,
your engine may overheat on hot
days when going up long or steep
hills. Pay attention to your engine
temperature gauge. If it indicates
overheating, pull off the road and
stop in a safe place. Refer to “If the
Engine Overheats” in “EMERGENCY
SERVICE” section.
WARNING
60A186
When parking your vehicle
and connected trailer, al-
ways use the following procedure:
– Apply the vehicle’s brakes firmly.
– Have another person place wheel
chocks under the wheels of the vehi-
cle and the trailer while you are hold-
ing the brakes.
– Slowly release the brakes until the
wheel chocks absorb the load.
– Fully engage the parking brake.
– Manual Transaxle – Shift into Re-
verse or first gear and turn off the en-
gine.
WARNING
When starting out after
parking:
– Depress the clutch and start the en-
gine.
– Shift into gear, release the parking
brake, and slowly pull away from the
chocks.
– Stop, apply the brakes firmly and
hold them.
– Have another person remove the
chocks.
WARNING
171-180 Fiat16 New GB 3-09-2008 8:42 Pagina 176
183
IMPORTANT Whenever it becomes nec-
essary to replace parts on your vehicle,
it is recommended that you use genuine
Fiat replacement parts.
MAINTENANCE
SCHEDULE
The following table shows the times when
you should perform regular maintenance
on your vehicle. This table shows in miles,
kilometers and months when you should
perform inspections, adjustments, lubri-
cation and other services. These intervals
should be shortened if driving is usually
done under severe conditions (refer to
“Maintenance Recommended under Se-
vere Driving Conditions”).
IMPORTANT The Programmed Mainte-
nance coupons are specified by the Man-
ufacturer. The failure to have them car-
ried out may invalidate the warranty.
79J004
Vehicle maintenance should
be entrusted to Fiat Dealer-
ship. For routine and minor mainte-
nance operations you wish to carry
out yourself, always make sure you
have the proper equipment, genuine
Fiat spare parts and the necessary flu-
ids; do not however carry out these
operations if you have no experience.
WARNING
54G088
(1) Oxygen sensor
The shock absorbers are
filled with high pressure gas.
Never attempt to disassemble it or
throw it into a fire. Avoid storing it
near a heater or heating device.
When scrapping the absorber, the gas
must be released from the absorber
safely. Ask your Fiat Dealershipfor as-
sistance.
WARNING
181-224 Fiat16 New GB 3-09-2008 8:17 Pagina 183