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46
The pretensioner is located in each front
seat belt retractor. The pretensioner tight-
ens the seat belt so the belt fits the oc-
cupant’s body more snugly in the event of
a frontal crash. The retractors will remain
locked after the pretensioners are acti-
vated. Upon activation, some noise will oc-
cur and some smoke may be released.
These conditions are not harmful and do
not indicate a fire in the vehicle.
The driver and all passengers must be
properly restrained by wearing seat belts
at all times, whether or not a pretension-
er is equipped at their seating position, to
minimize the risk of severe injury or death
in the event of a crash.
Sit fully back in the seat; sit up straight; do
not lean forward or sideways. Adjust the
belt so the lap portion of the belt is worn
low across the pelvis, not across the waist.
Please refer to the “Seat Adjustment” sec-
tion and the instructions and precautions
about the seat belts in this “Seat Belts and
Child Restraint Systems” section for de-
tails on proper seat and seat belt adjust-
ments.
Service on or around the
pretensioner system compo-
nents or wiring must be performed
only by an authorized Fiat Dealership
who is specially trained. Improper ser-
vice could result in unintended acti-
vation of pretensioners or could ren-
der the pretensioner inoperative. Ei-
ther of these two conditions may re-
sult in personal injury.
WARNING
To prevent damage or unintended activa-
tion of the pretensioners, be sure the bat-
tery is disconnected and the ignition switch
has been in the “LOCK” position for at
least 90 seconds before performing any
electrical service work on your Fiat.
Do not touch pretensioner system com-
ponents or wiring. The wires are wrapped
with yellow tape or yellow tubing, and the
couplers are yellow. When scrapping your
Fiat, ask your Fiat Dealership, body repair
shop, or scrap yard for assistance. Please note that the pretensioners along
with the air bags will activate only in se-
vere frontal collisions. They are not de-
signed to activate in rear impacts, side im-
pacts, rollovers, or minor frontal colli-
sions. The pretensioners can be activat-
ed only once. If the pretensioners are ac-
tivated (that is, if the air bags are activat-
ed), have the pretensioner system ser-
viced by an authorized Fiat Dealership as
soon as possible.
If the “AIR BAG” light on the instrument
cluster does not blink or come on briefly
when the ignition switch is turned to the
“ON” position, stays on for more than 10
seconds, or comes on while driving, the
pretensioner system or the air bag system
may not work properly. Have both sys-
tems inspected by an authorized Fiat Deal-
ership as soon as possible.
009-056 Fiat16 New GB 3-09-2008 8:40 Pagina 46
Page 55 of 266

54
Note that even though your vehicle may
be moderately damaged in a collision, the
collision may not have been severe enough
to trigger the front or side air bags to in-
flate. If your vehicle sustains ANY front-
end or side damage, have the air bag sys-
tem inspected by an authorized Fiat Deal-
ership to ensure it is in proper working
order.
Your vehicle is equipped with a diagnostic
module which records information about
the air bag system if the air bags deploy
in a crash. The module records informa-
tion about overall system status, which
sensors activated the deployment.Servicing the air bag system
If the air bags inflate, have the air bags and
related components replaced by an au-
thorized Fiat Dealership as soon as pos-
sible.
If your vehicle ever gets in deep water and
the driver’s floor is submerged, the air bag
controller could be damaged. If it does,
have the air bag system inspected by the
Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
Special procedures are required for ser-
vicing or replacing an air bag. For that rea-
son, only an authorized Fiat Dealership
should be allowed to service or replace
your air bags. Please remind anyone who
services your Fiat that it has air bags.Service on or around air bag components
or wiring must be performed only by an
authorized Fiat Dealership. Improper ser-
vice could result in unintended air bag de-
ployment or could render the air bag in-
operative. Either of these two conditions
may result in severe injury.
To prevent damage or unintended infla-
tion of the air bag system, be sure the bat-
tery is disconnected and the ignition
switch has been in the “LOCK” position
for at least 90 seconds before perform-
ing any electrical service work on your Fi-
at. Do not touch air bag system compo-
nents or wires. The wires are wrapped
with yellow tape or yellow tubing, and the
couplers are yellow for easy identification.
Scrapping a vehicle that has an uninflated
air bag can be hazardous. Ask your Fiat
Dealership, body repair shop or scrap
yard for help with disposal.
009-056 Fiat16 New GB 3-09-2008 8:41 Pagina 54
Page 174 of 266

Never use a tow bar which
attaches to the axle or the
bumper of your vehicle.
WARNING
Never attach safety chains
to the bumper of your vehi-
cle. Secure connections so that they
can’t come loose.
WARNING
Never connect trailer lights
directly into your vehicle’s
electrical system, or electrical system
damage may occur.
WARNING
BRAKES
If trailer brakes are used, you
should follow all instructions
provided by the manufacturer. Nev-
er connect to the brake system of
your vehicle and never take an elec-
trical supply directly from the wiring
harness.
WARNING
173
SAFETY CHAINS
Always attach safety chains between your
vehicle and trailer. Cross safety chains un-
der the nose of the trailer so that the nose
will not drop to the road if the trailer be-
comes separated from the tow bar. Fol-
low the manufacturer’s recommendation
for attaching safety chains. Always leave
just enough slack to permit full turning.
Never allow safety chains to drag on the
road.TRAILER LIGHTS
Make sure your trailer is equipped with
lights which meet local requirements. Al-
ways check for the proper operation of all
trailer lights before you start to tow. IMPORTANT Trailer towing puts addi-
tional stress on the engine, drive train, and
brakes of your vehicle. Never tow a trail-
er during the first 960 km (600 miles) of
vehicle operation.
TOW BARS
Only use a tow bar that is designed to at-
tach to the chassis of your vehicle, and
a hitch that is designed to bolt to this
bracket.
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Page 202 of 266
201
NOTE If your engine is equipped with the
hightension cord type ignition wiring and
you experience some firing problem of
spark plugs, such as, hard engine- starting,
misfire etc., the cause may be located not
only on spark plugs but also on deterio-
rated ignition wirings (generally, used for
more than 80000 km or five years). If
spark plug replacement does not solve the
problem, have the ignition wiring and oth-
er ignition system inspected by your Fiat
Dealership.FUEL FILTER
(Diesel engine)
The fuel filter works as a water sedimen-
tor as well.
Drain water when the fuel filter warning
light comes on. To drain water:
❒Place a pan or ample rag under the fu-
el filter drain nozzle.
❒Loosen the drain knob (1). The water
will be drained.
❒Tighten the drain knob when the water
changes to the diesel fuel.
❒Tighten the drain knob.
(1)
79J147
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