2009 FIAT GRANDE PUNTO Owners Manual

104
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
SAFETY
Do not wash the seats with
water or steam under pres-
sure (by hand or in automatic wash-
ing stations for seats).
WARNING
Front airbag deployment
takes place at a higher level
of impact than the pretensioners. For
collisions in the range between the
two thresholds, it is normal for only
the pretensioners to be activated.
WARNING
Do not hang rigid objects on
the coat hooks and the sup-
port handles.
WARNING
Airbags do not replace seat
belts, but increase their effi-
ciency. Furthermore, since front
airbags are not deployed in low
speed collisions, side-on collisions,
rear-end shunts or roll-overs, the pas-
sengers are protected only by the
seat belts which must therefore be
fastened at all times.
WARNING
When the ignition key is
turned to MAR, the warning
light (with passenger’s front airbag
activated) turns on and flashes for
a few seconds to remind you that the
passenger’s air bag will be deployed
in a crash, after which it should go off.
WARNING
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105
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
STARTING
AND DRIVING
STARTING THE ENGINE ................................................. 106
PARKING THE VEHICLE ................................................... 109
USING THE MANUAL GEARBOX ................................. 110
SAVING FUEL ....................................................................... 111
SNOW TYRES ...................................................................... 115
SNOW CHAINS .................................................................. 115
CAR INACTIVITY ............................................................... 116
S S
T T
A A
R R
T T
I I
N N
G G
A A
N N
D D
D D
R R
I I
V V
I I
N N
G G
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106
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
STARTING
AND DRIVING
STARTING THE ENGINE
The car is fitted with an electronic engine
lock device: if the engine fails to start, see
the paragraph on “The Fiat CODE sys-
tem” in the “Dashboard and controls”
section.
The engine may be noisier during the first
few seconds of operation, particularly af-
ter a long period of inactivity. This is a fea-
ture of hydraulic tappets, the timing sys-
tem chosen to reduce the number of
servicing interventions, and effects neither
functionality nor reliability.
We recommend that during
the initial period you do not
drive to full car performance
(e.g. excessive acceleration,
long journeys at top speed, sharp brak-
ing etc.).
When the engine is switched
off, never leave the key in
the ignition switch to prevent
draining the battery.
It is dangerous to have the
engine running indoors. The
engine consumes oxygen and pro-
duces carbon dioxide, carbon monox-
ide and other toxic gases.
WARNING
Remember that the brake
booster and power steering
are not operational until the engine
has been started, therefore you need
to apply much more force than usu-
al to the brake pedal and steering
wheel.
WARNING
STARTING PROCEDURE
FOR PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is on;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒press the clutch pedal all the way down
without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVVand re-
lease it the moment the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating the starting procedure.
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107
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
STARTING
AND DRIVING
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
Yremains
lit together with warning light U, turn the
key to STOPand then back to MAR; if
the warning lights remain on, try using the
other keys provided with the car.
IMPORTANT If the instrument panel
warning light
Ystays on permanently,
contact a Fiat Dealership immediately.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
at MARwhen the engine is off.STARTING PROCEDURE
FOR DIESEL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is on;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒turn the ignition key to MAR: the
warning lights
mand Yon the in-
strument panel will turn on;
❒wait for the warning lights Yand mto turn off. The hotter the engine is, the
quicker this will happen;
❒press the clutch pedal all the way down
without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVVas soon
as the warning light
mturns off. Wait-
ing too long will waste the work done
by the heater plugs. Release the key as
soon as the engine starts.If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating the starting procedure.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
Yremains
lit together with warning light
m, turn
the key to STOPand then back to MAR;
if the warning lights remain on, try using
the other keys provided with the car.
IMPORTANT If the instrument panel
warning light
Ystays on permanently,
contact a Fiat Dealership immediately.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
at MARwhen the engine is off.
Warning light
mwill blink
for 60 seconds after starting
or during prolonged cranking
to indicate a fault with the
glow plug system. Use the car as nor-
mal if the engine starts, but go to a Fiat
Dealership as soon as possible.
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108
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
STARTING
AND DRIVING
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOPwhile the
engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a long drive, you
should allow the engine to “catch its
breath” before turning it off by letting it
idle to allow the temperature in the en-
gine compartment to fall.
A quick burst on the acceler-
ator before turning off the en-
gine serves absolutely no
practical purpose; it wastes
fuel and is especially damaging to tur-
bocharged engines.WARMING UP THE ENGINE
AFTER IT HAS JUST STARTED
(petrol and diesel versions)
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly at medium revs, and ac-
celerate smoothly;
❒do not demand maximum performance
for the first few kilometres. Wait until
the engine coolant gauge starts moving.
Remember that the brake
booster and power steering
are not operational until the
engine has been started, so
you need to apply much more force
than usual to the brake pedal and
steering wheel.
Never jump start the engine
by pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause fu-
el to flow into the catalytic
converter and damage it beyond repair.
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109
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
STARTING
AND DRIVINGHANDBRAKE fig. 1
The handbrake is located between the
two front seats.
Pull the lever upwards to operate the
handbrake. Four or five notches are nor-
mally sufficient to secure the car on flat
terrain, while nine or ten may be neces-
sary on a steep slope with the car loaded.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case, con-
tact a Fiat Dealership to have the hand-
brake adjusted.
When the handbrake is on and the igni-
tion key is at MAR, the instrument panel
warning light
xwill come on.
PARKING THE VEHICLE
Proceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the hand-
brake;
❒engage a gear (first gear if the vehicle
is parked uphill or reverse if it is facing
downhill) and leave the wheels turned.
If the car is parked on a steep slope, it is
also advisable to block the wheels with
a wedge or stone. Do not leave the key in
the ignition switch as this drains the bat-
tery. Always remove the key when you
leave the car.
Never leave children unat-
tended in the car. Always re-
move the ignition key when leaving
the car and take it with you.
WARNING
fig. 1F0M0115m
To release the handbrake, proceed as
follows:
❒pull up slightly on the lever and press
release button A;
❒hold button Adown and lower the
lever. The xwarning light on the in-
strument panel will go out.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out
this operation to prevent the car from
moving accidentally.
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110
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
STARTING
AND DRIVING
USING THE MANUAL
GEARBOX
To engage the gears, press the clutch ped-
al down fully and shift the gear lever into
one of the required positions (a diagram
is shown on the knob fig. 2).
IMPORTANT Reverse may be engaged
only when the car is at a standstill. With
the engine running, wait for at least 2 sec-
onds with the clutch pedal fully depressed
before engaging reverse to prevent dam-
age to the gears and grating.
fig. 2F0M0503m
Depress the clutch pedal ful-
ly to change gear correctly.
There should be no obstacles on the
floor underneath the pedals; make
sure that mats are always flat and do
not interfere with the pedals.
WARNING
Do not drive with your hand
resting on the gear lever as
the force exerted, even if
slight, could lead over time to
premature wear of the gearbox inter-
nal components.To engage reverse Rfrom neutral, lift ring
Aunder the knob and at the same time
move the gearshift lever to the right and
then backwards fig. 2.
IMPORTANT The clutch pedal should be
used only to change gear. Do not drive
with your foot resting on the clutch ped-
al, however slightly. For versions/markets
where provided, the electronic clutch
control can intervene if it interprets the
incorrect driving style as a fault.
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111
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
STARTING
AND DRIVING
Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or ski rack from the
roof after use. These accessories decrease
aerodynamic penetration and have a neg-
ative effect on fuel consumption. It is bet-
ter to use a trailer to transport particu-
larly bulky objects.
Electrical devices
Use electrical devices only for the amount
of time needed. The heated rear window,
auxiliary headlights, windscreen wipers and
fan heater use up a considerable amount
of current, causing increased fuel con-
sumption (up to +25% in the urban cycle).
Air conditioning
Air conditioning leads to higher fuel con-
sumption (on average up to +20%). If the
temperature outside is not too extreme,
try and use the air vents.
Spoilers
The use of non-certified spoilers may ad-
versely affect aerodynamics and fuel con-
sumption.DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm up the engine at low or high
revs when the vehicle is stationary; this
causes the engine to warm up more slow-
ly, thereby increasing fuel consumption
and emissions. It is advisable to set off im-
mediately and slowly, avoiding high revs:
this allows the engine to warm up more
quickly.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid revving up when stationary at traf-
fic lights or before stopping the engine.
The latter action, like double declutching,
is entirely unnecessary and causes in-
creased fuel consumption and pollution.
Gear selection
Use a higher gear as soon as traffic and
road conditions allow. Using a low gear
for faster acceleration will increase fuel
consumption.
In the same way, improper use of a high
gear increases fuel consumption, emissions
and engine wear.SAVING FUEL
Here are some suggestions which may
help you to save fuel and reduce the
amount of toxic emissions released into
the atmosphere.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out
in accordance with the “Scheduled Service
Plan”.
Tyres
Check the tyre pressure at least once
every 4 weeks: if the pressure is too low,
consumption levels increase as resistance
to rolling is higher.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with an overloaded boot.
The weight of the car (especially when dri-
ving in town) and its arrangement greatly
affect fuel consumption and stability.
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