2009 FIAT GRANDE PUNTO fuel type

3
FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
INTRODUCTION
The Fiat Punto Natural Power version fea-
tures two fuel systems, one for petrol and
one for natural gas (methane).
The two systems are independent of one
another and the methane one is the
phased, sequential, multipoint type.
The starting system runs on petrol and is
the only one.
What is natural gas?
Natural gas is a mixture of gas used as a
main source of energy.
Its main component is methane so for this
reason it is usually known as methane in
Italy but it contains small amounts of oth-
er hydrocarbons and inert gases.
It is extracted in a gaseous stage and trans-
ported to where it is used via gas pipelines;
world reserves are plentiful and evenly dis-
tributed. Methane is fuel with a low impact
on the environment because it significantly
reduces the contribution of the exhaust
gases to the greenhouse effect and creat-
ing pollution.The methane multipoint injection
system
It is an original product from Fiat’s re-
search in the field of alternative fuels that
comes from close co-operation with im-
portant suppliers in the methane sector.
By adapting the sophisticated electronic
control technology of petrol engines to
meet the specifications of methane, it has
been possible to achieve important results
in terms of driveability, exhaust emissions
and consumption.
Using the methane multipoint injection
system the engine offers the same driving
conditions as running on petrol.
It should be borne in mind that, in all dri-
ving conditions, methane operation gives
engine power and torque specifications
that are 10% lower than petrol operation.
Petrol operation is therefore rec-
ommended if a lot of power is re-
quired (e.g. driving uphill with a
laden car, setting off on a steep in-
cline).
Selecting the type of fuel supply
The Fiat Punto Natural Power version is
configured to normally run on methane.When the methane is running out and the
pressure in the canister is close to the cor-
rect operating limit, the system automat-
ically switches to petrol operation.
The engine is always started up using
petrol (to keep this fuel supply system ef-
ficient) and, if the engine was running on
petrol before being switched off, when it
is started up again switching to methane
operation will need to be requested man-
ually.
For this reason there always needs
to be petrol in the tank.
The petrol/methane switch A-Fig. 1,
amongst the controls in the dashboard,
makes it possible to select petrol opera-
tion. The system does not switch auto-
matically to methane operation if the
petrol runs out.
fig. 1F0M0450m
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FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
FUEL CUT OFF SWITCH
The safety switch is triggered in the case
of an impact, cutting off the methane sup-
ply and causing the engine to cut out.
For further information, see the “Fuel cut
off switch” paragraph in the “Controls”
chapter in the Owner Handbook.
AT THE
FILLING STATION
METHANE GAS FILLER
The methane filler is located near the
petrol one Fig. 14.
It is comes complete with a “single-acting”
valve: fitted in the actual filler casing.
To access the filler, undo the cap A - Fig.
15turning it anti-clockwise.
The profile of the filler
Bfor refilling is the
universal type compatible with Italia and
NGV1 standards.
In some European countries adaptors are
considered ILLEGAL (e.g. in Germany).
In the case of service stations with m
3(dif-
ferent pressure) nozzles, to measure the
residual pressure in the canister, the sin-
gle-acting valves must be undone supply-
ing a small amount of methane.
fig. 14F0M0463m
The other plates (handed over with the
car documentation) contain the date for
the first canister inspection.
Those responsible for the methane supply
are not authorized to refill the canisters
when the inspection date has expired.
fig. 15F0M0464m
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FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
FUEL SYSTEM (methane)
Dedicated electronic injection for
methane.
Type: Phased, sequential, multipoint.
Injection pressure; about 6 bar.
Stoichiometric metering of the air/
methane gas mixture.
The methane injection system is con-
trolled by the dedicated control unit us-
ing the sensors already on the car, in-
cluding the Lambda sensor for controlling
the fuel metering.
IGNITION
Static advance, electronic, integrated with
the injection.ENGINE COOLING SYSTEM
Engine cooling system with pressure re-
duction unit heating circuit subject to
strong cooling during operation.
PERFORMANCE
Top speed in km/h.
Running on petrol: 162
Running on methane: 156
Modifications or repairs to
the fuel feed system that are
not carried out properly or do not
take the system’s technical specifica-
tions into account can cause mal-
functions leading to the risk of fire.
WARNING
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FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
CAPACITIES
Petrol
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . litres 45
- including a reserve of . . . . litres 5-7
Methane
– Methane (*). . . . . . . . . kg (approx) 13
(*) The amount of methane depends on
the outside temperature, the supply pres-
sure, the quality of the gas and the type
of refuelling system. The total volume of
the canisters is about 84 litres.
IMPORTANT It should be remembered
that when using a fuel such as methane the
range is very variable because as well as
the driving conditions and car maintenance
it also depends on the temperature of the
gas in the canister.
The methane actually heats up during the
refuelling and cools down whilst driving,
undergoing variations in pressure that re-
duce the quantity that can be used.
It should also be pointed out that whilst
the vehicle is being run in (up to around
3000 km) the fuel consumption may be
higher than the figures given.
ENGINE OIL
The engine oil used is SELENIA K P.E.
(Contractual Technical Reference
N° F603.C07): SAE 5W-40 ACEA C3
grade synthetic base lubricant, FIAT
9.55535-S2 certification.
CO2EMISSIONS
The CO2emission figures in the table be-
low refer to combined fuel consumption.
CO2emissions according to 2004/3/
EC Directive (g/km)
Methane . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 115
Petrol . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 149
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FIAT PUNTO NATURAL POWER
FUEL
CONSUMPTION
The fuel consumption figures given in the
table below are determined on the basis
of the homologation tests laid down by
specific European Directives.
The procedures below are followed for
measuring consumption:
– urban cycle: cold starting followed by
driving that simulates urban use of the car;– extra-urban cycle: driving simulating the
use of the vehicle in a non-urban situation
with frequent acceleration in all gears; the
speed varies between 0 and 120 km/h;
– combined consumption: determined
through a weighting of about 37% of the
urban cycle and 63% of the extra-urban
cycle.IMPORTANT The type of route, traffic
conditions, weather conditions, driving
style, state of the car in general, trim lev-
el/equipment/accessories, use of the cli-
mate control, car load, presence of a roof
rack and other situations that adversely af-
fect the aerodynamics, may lead to con-
sumption figures that differ from those
measured (see “Saving fuel” in the “Start-
ing and driving” chapter in the booklet).
Fuel consumption according to Directive 2004/3/EC
Saloon Petrol Methane Methane Range
(litres x 100 km) (m3x100 km) (**) (kg x 100 km) (*) a Methane (km)
Urban 7.9 8.2 5.4 242
Extra-urban 5.4 5.4 3.5 368
Combined 6.3 6.4 4.2 310
(*) Consumption in kg x 100 km in accordance with the calculation of the molecular mass.
(**) Fuel consumption according to Directive 2004/3/EC.
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