Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack from
the roof as soon as they are no longer
used. These accessories lower air pene-
tration and adversely affect consumption
levels. When needing to carry particular-
ly voluminous objects, preferably use a
trailer.
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 air conditioner is an additional load
which greatly affects the engine leading to
higher consumption (on average up to
+20%). When the temperature outside
the car permits it, use the air vents where
possible.
Spoilers
The use of non-certified aerodynamic
items may adversely affect air drag and
consumption levels.DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine with the car at
a standstill or at idle or high speed: under
these conditions the engine warms up
much more slowly, increasing electrical
consumption and emissions. It is therefore
advisable to move off immediately, slow-
ly, avoiding high speeds. This way the en-
gine will warm faster.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid accelerating when waiting at traffic
lights or before switching off the engine.
This and also double declutching is ab-
solutely pointless on modern cars and al-
so increase consumption and pollution.
Gear selection
As soon as the conditions of the traffic and
road allow, use a higher gear. Using a low
gear to obtain brilliant performance in-
creases consumption.
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 the pressure of the tyres routine-
ly at an interval of no more than 4 weeks:
if the pressure is too low, consumption
levels increase as resistance to rolling is
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.
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WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
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MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
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DASHBOARD
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SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
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127-144 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 16:33 Pagina 138
Traffic situations and road
conditions
Rather high consumption levels are tied to
situations with heavy traffic, for example
in queues with frequent use of the lower
gears or in cities with many traffic lights.
Also winding mountain roads and rough
road surfaces adversely affect consump-
tion.
Traffic hold-ups
During prolonged hold-ups (e.g.: level
crossings) the engine should be switched
off.TOWING TRAILERS
IMPORTANT NOTES
For towing caravans or trailers the car
must be fitted with a certified tow hook
and an adequate electric system. Installa-
tion should be carried out by specialised
personnel who release a special document
for circulation on the road.
Install any specific and/or additional rear-
view mirrors as specified by law.
Remember that when towing a trailer,
steep hills are harder to climb, the brak-
ing spaces increase and overtaking takes
longer depending on the overall weight.
Engage a low gear when driving downhill,
rather than constantly using the brake.
The weight the trailer exerts on the car
tow hook reduces by the same amount
the actual car loading capacity. To make
sure the maximum towable weight is not
exceeded (given in the log book) account
should be taken of the fully laden trailer,
including accessories and personal be-
longings. Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases
with speed. Avoid superfluous braking and
accelerating, which cost in terms of both
fuel and emissions.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently increasing the revs
will greatly affect consumption and emis-
sions: acceleration should be gradual and
should not exceed the maximum torque.
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts do
not allow the engine to reach optimum
operating temperature. This results in a
significant increase in consumption levels
(from +15 to +30% on the urban cycle)
and emission of harmful substances.
139
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
127-144 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 16:33 Pagina 139
INSTALLING THE TOW HOOK
The towing device should be fastened to
the body by specialised personnel accord-
ing to any additional and/or integrative in-
formation supplied by the Manufacturer of
the device.
The towing device must meet current reg-
ulations with reference to 94/20/EC Di-
rective and subsequent amendments.
For any version the towing device used
must match the towable weight of the car
on which it is to be installed.
For the electric connection a unified con-
nector should be used which is generally
placed on a special bracket normally fas-
tened to the towing device, and a special
ECU for external trailer light control shall
be installed on the car.
For the electrical connection, 7 or 13 pin
12VDC connection is to be used (CU-
NA/UNI and ISO/DIN Standards). Follow
the instructions provided by the car man-
ufacturer and/or the tow hitch manufac-
turer.An electric brake should be supplied di-
rectly by the battery through a cable with
a cross section of no less than
2.5 mm
2.
IMPORTANT Electric brake or other de-
vice shall be used with running engine.
In addition to the electrical branches, the
car’s electric system can only be con-
nected to the supply cable for an electric
brake and to the cable for an internal light,
though not above 15W.
For connections use the preset control
unit with battery cable no less than 2.5
mm
2. Do not exceed the speed limits of the
country you are driving in. In any case do
not exceed 100 km/h.
It is recommended to use a proper tow-
ing stabiliser on the trailer drawbar.
140
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
The ABS system with which
the car may be fitted does
not control the trailer braking system.
Drive with extreme care on slippery
roadbeds.
WARNING
Under no circumstances
should the car brake system
be altered to control the trailer brake.
The trailer braking system must be
fully independent of the car hydraulic
system.
WARNING
127-144 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 16:33 Pagina 140
❒clean and protect the painted parts us-
ing protective wax;
❒clean and protect the shiny metal parts
using special compounds readily avail-
able;
❒sprinkle talcum powder on the rubber
windscreen and rear window wiper
blades and lift them off the glass;
❒slightly open the windows;
❒cover the car with a cloth or perfo-
rated plastic sheet. Do not use sheets
of non-perforated plastic as they do
not allow moisture on the car body to
evaporate;
❒inflate tyres to +0,5 bar above the
normal specified pressure and check it
at intervals;
❒when the battery is not disconnected
from the electric system, if the vehicle
is equipped with a battery with an op-
tical indicator, control its charge sta-
tus every 30 days and if the optical in-
dicator shows a dark colour without
the central green zone, recharge it;
❒do not drain the engine cooling sys-
tem.
IMPORTANT Where relevant, switch off
the car alarm with the remote control.
CAR INACTIVITY
If the car is to be left inactive for longer
than a month, the following precautions
should be noted:
❒park the car in covered, dry and if pos-
sible well-ventilated premises;
❒engage a gear (position P with auto-
matic transmission);
❒check that the handbrake is not en-
gaged;
❒disconnect battery terminals (first dis-
connect the negative terminal);
❒if the vehicle is equipped with a bat-
tery with an optical indicator, control
its charge status. This check is to be
repeated every three months when
the car is left inactive. Recharge if the
optical indicator shows a dark colour
without the central green area;
144
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
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145
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
GENERAL WARNINGS ...................................................... 146
INSUFFICIENT BRAKE LIQUID ....................................... 146
HAND BRAKE ENGAGED ............................................... 146
AIR BAG FAILURE................................................................ 146
PASSENGER SIDE FRONT AND SIDE CHEST
PROTECTION AIR BAGS (SIDE BAGS) OFF ............... 147
SEAT BELTS NOT FASTENED ......................................... 147
EXCESSIVE ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE ..... 148
INSUFFICIENT BATTERY RECHARGING .................... 148
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE ........................................................ 148
EBD FAILURE......................................................................... 148
INSUFFICIENT ENGINE OIL PRESSURE........................ 149
DEGRADED OIL................................................................... 149
POWER STEERING FAILURE ........................................... 149
INCOMPLETE DOOR CLOSURE .................................... 149
INJECTION SYSTEM FAILURE ......................................... 149
ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE (EOBD) ........ 149
FUEL RESERVE ..................................................................... 150
SPARK PLUG PREHEATING ............................................. 150
SPARK PLUG PREHEATING FAILURE ........................... 150
WATER IN DIESEL FILTER ................................................ 151
FIAT CODE - VEHICLE PROTECTION
SYSTEM FAILURE ................................................................ 151
ALARM FAILURE .................................................................. 151
BREAK-IN ATTEMPT .......................................................... 151
ELECTRONIC KEY NOT RECOGNISED ..................... 151
EXTERIOR LIGHT FAILURE .............................................. 152
REAR FOG LIGHTS ............................................................. 152GENERIC SIGNALLING ..................................................... 152
ESP SYSTEM FAILURE ......................................................... 154
HILL HOLDER FAILURE .................................................... 154
POSITION LIGHTS AND LOW BEAMS ........................ 154
FOLLOW ME HOME ........................................................... 154
FOG LIGHTS ......................................................................... 154
LEFT TURN SIGNAL ........................................................... 154
RIGHT TURN SIGNAL ....................................................... 154
HIGH BEAMS ......................................................................... 155
POSSIBILITY OF ICE ON ROADS ................................... 155
LIMITED RANGE .................................................................. 155
ASR SYSTEM .......................................................................... 155
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FAILURE ..................... 155
MAXIMUM AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION OIL
TEMPERATURE .................................................................... 155
SET SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDANCE .................................... 156
CONSTANT SPEED REGULATOR
(CRUISE CONTROL) .......................................................... 156
BRAKE PAD WEAR ............................................................. 156
MINIMUM ENGINE OIL LEVEL ....................................... 156
REAR SIDE CHEST PROTECTION AIR BAGS
(REAR SIDE BAGS) OFF ..................................................... 156
TURNING OFF A MOVING VEHICLE ........................... 156
STARTING PROCEDURE DISPLAY INFORMATION
MESSAGES (AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION)............... 156
STARTING PROCEDURE DISPLAY INFORMATION
MESSAGES (MANUAL TRANSMISSION) ...................... 156
WW W
A A
R R
N N
I I
N N
G G
L L
I I
G G
H H
T T
S S
A A
N N
D D
M M
E E
S S
S S
A A
G G
E E E
S S
145-156 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 15:18 Pagina 145
148
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
❒Car heavy duty(e.g.: towing trailer
uphill of fully laden car): decrease
speed, if the warning light stays on,
stop the car. Wait for 2 or 3 minutes
leaving the engine on and slightly ac-
celerated to further activate the cir-
culation of the coolant fluid, then
switch the engine off. Check proper
coolant level as described previously.
IMPORTANT Under severe use of the
car, keep the engine on and slightly accel-
erated for few minutes before switching it
off.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
LOW BATTERY
CHARGE (red)
(where provided)
Turning the key to ONthe warning
light turns on, but it should go out as
soon as the engine is started (with the
engine running at idle speed a brief
delay in going out is allowed).
If the warning light stays on contact im-
mediately Fiat Dealership.
w
INEFFICIENT ABS
SYSTEM (amber)
Turning the key to ONthe
warning light turns on, but it should go off
after few seconds.
The warning light turns on when the sys-
tem is inefficient or unavailable. In this case
the braking system keeps its effectiveness
unchanged, but without the potential of-
fered by the ABS system. Caution is ad-
visable and it is necessary to contact Fiat
Dealership.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
>
INEFFICIENT
EBD
ELECTRONIC
BRAKING
DISTRIBUTOR (red) (amber)
The turning on at the same time of warn-
ing lights
xand >with the engine run-
ning indicates an EBD system failure or
that the system is unavailable; in this case
heavy braking may cause the rear wheels
to lock before time, with the possibility of
skidding. Drive with the utmost care to
the nearest Fiat Dealership to have the
system checked.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
x>
HIGH TEMPERATURE
ENGINE COOLANT
FLUID (red)
Turning the ignition key to ONthe warn-
ing light turns on, but it should go off af-
ter few seconds.
The warning light turns on when the en-
gine is overheated.
If the warning light comes on when dri-
ving, proceed as follows:
❒normal driving conditions: stop
the car, switch off the engine and
check whether the water level in the
reservoir is not below the MIN mark.
Otherwise wait for few seconds to al-
low the engine cooling, then open
slowly and carefully the cap, top up
coolant and check whether its level is
falling between MIN and MAX marks
in the reservoir. Check visually any
leak. If, when restarting, the warning
light comes on again, contact a Fiat
Dealership.
ç
145-156 Croma TRW GB 28-05-2008 15:18 Pagina 148
EXHAUST OIL
(Multijet versions)
The warning light with turn on
flashing together with the mes-
sage on the display when the system de-
tects that the engine oil is exhaust.
After the first indication, at each engine
starting the warning light
vwill go on
flashing for 60 seconds and then for 2
hours until oil is changed.If warning light
vflashes,
contact Fiat Dealership im-
mediately to have oil changed
and instrument panel warning light
turned off.
149
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
LOW ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE (red)
Turning the ignition key to ON
the warning light turns on, but it
should go off after few seconds.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
v
v
If the warning light vturns on when travelling to-
gether with the message on the dis-
play, stop the engine immediately
and contact a Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
INJECTION SYSTEM
FAILURE
(Multijet versions - red)
EOBD ENGINE
CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE
(petrol versions - amber)
Injection system failure
Turning the ignition key to ONthe warn-
ing light turns on, but it should go off af-
ter few seconds.
If the warning light stays on or turns on
when travelling, means a fault in the sup-
ply/ignition system which could cause high
emissions at the exhaust, possible lack of
performance, poor handling and high con-
sumption levels.
On certain versions the dedicated message
is displayed.
In these conditions it is possible to con-
tinue driving without however requiring
heavy effort or high speed from the en-
gine. In any case, contact Fiat Dealership
as soon as possible.
EOBD ENGINE CONTROL
SYSTEM FAILURE
Under normal conditions, turning the ig-
nition key to ON, the warning light turns
on, but it should go off when the engine has
started. In this case, turning on indicates
proper working of the warning light. If the
U
INCOMPLETE DOOR
LOCKING (red)
(where provided)
The warning light turns on when
one or more doors, the boot or the bon-
net are not properly shut. The dedicated
message will be displayed.
When travelling with door/doors, boot or
bonnet open also a buzzer will sound.
´
POWER STEERING
FAILURE (red)
(where provided)
Turning the ignition key to ONthe warn-
ing light turns on, but it should go off af-
ter few seconds. If the warning light stays
on, you will not have steering assistance
and the effort on the steering wheel will
be increased, steering is however possi-
ble. Contact Fiat Dealership. The dedicat-
ed message will be displayed.
g
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150
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
If when turning ignition key at
ON, the warning light Udoes not turn on or if it turns
on with fixed light or flashing
(on certain versions together with the
message on the display) when the car
is travelling, contact Fiat Dealership as
soon as possible. Warning light
Uop-
eration can by checked by traffic
agents by proper equipment therefore,
comply with laws and regulations in
force in the country where you are dri-
ving.
ç
FUEL RESERVE
(amber)
Turning the ignition key to ON
the warning light comes on but shall go off
after few seconds.
The warning light turns on when about 5
litres fuel are left in the tank.
IMPORTANT The warning light flashes to
indicate a failure, contact Fiat Dealership
as soon as possible to have the system
checked.GLOW PLUG
WARMING
(Multijet versions -
amber)
GLOW PLUG WARMING
FAILURE
(Multijet versions - amber)
Glow plug warming
Turning the ignition key to ONthe warn-
ing light turns on and it will go off when
glow plugs reach the preset temperature.
Start the engine immediately after warn-
ing light turning off.
IMPORTANT With hot ambient temper-
ature, warning light stays on for very short
time.
Glow plug warming failure
The warning light turns on when there is
a failure in the glow plug warming system.
Contact Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble.
The display will show the dedicated mes-
sage.
m
warning light stays on or turns on when
travelling:
❒glowing steadily: means a fault in the
supply/ignition system which could
cause high emissions at the exhaust,
possible lack of performance, poor
handling and high consumption levels.
On certain versions the dedicated mes-
sage is displayed.
In these conditions it is possible to con-
tinue driving without however requiring
heavy effort or high speed from the en-
gine. Prolonged use of the car with the
warning light on may cause damages. Con-
tact Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
The warning light goes off if the fault dis-
appears, but it is still stored by the system.
❒flashing: indicates the possibility of
damage to the catalyst (see “EOBD
system” in section “Dashboard and
controls”).
If the light flashes, it is necessary to release
the accelerator pedal to lower the speed
of the engine until the warning light stops
flashing; continue the journey at moder-
ate speed, trying to avoid driving condi-
tions that may cause further flashing and
contact Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble.
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