
85
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
FUEL TANK CAP fig. 101
To carry out refuelling, open lid Aand un-
screw cap B; the cap is fitted with a de-
vice Cwhich fastens it to the lid so it can-
not be mislaid.
In some versions, cap Bmay be provided
with a lock and key; use the ignition key
to access the flap A, turn it anti-clockwise
and unscrew the cap itself.
The hermetic seal may cause a slight in-
crease in pressure in the tank. A suction
noise when you release the cap is there-
fore entirely normal.
When refuelling, hook the cap onto the
device inside the lid as shown in fig. 101.
fig. 101F0M0138m
Do not place naked flames
or lit cigarettes near to the
fuel tank opening: fire risk. Keep your
face away from the fuel tank open-
ing to avoid breathing in harmful
vapours.
WARNING
Filling the tank
To fill the tank completely, top up twice
after the first click of the trigger. Further
top ups could cause faults in the fuel sup-
ply system.
PROTECTING
THE ENVIRONMENT
The devices for reducing petrol engine
emissions are the following:
❒three-way catalytic converter;
❒Lambda sensors;
❒fuel evaporation prevention system.
In addition, do not let the engine run, even
for a test, with one or more spark plugs
disconnected.
The following devices are used for reduc-
ing diesel fuel engine emissions:
❒oxidising catalytic converter;
❒exhaust gas recirculation system (E.G.R.);
❒diesel particulate filter (DPF) (for ver-
sions/markets where provided).
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SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
The catalytic converter
reaches high temperatures
during normal operation. Do not
park the on grass, dry leaves, pine
needles or other flammable materi-
al: fire hazard.
WARNING
DIESEL PARTICULATE
FILTER (DPF)
(for versions/markets where provided)
The Diesel Particulate Filter is a mechan-
ical filter, integral with the exhaust system,
that physically traps particulates present
in the exhaust gases of diesel engines.
The diesel particulate filter is needed to
eliminate almost all particulates in com-
pliance with current/future legislation.
During normal use of the vehicle, the en-
gine control unit records a set of data (e.g.
travel time, type of route, temperatures,
etc.) and it will then calculate how much
particulate has been trapped by the filter.
Since this filter physically traps particu-
late, it should be regenerated (cleaned)
at regular intervals by burning the carbon
particles.
The regeneration procedure is handled
automatically by the engine control unit
according to the filter conditions and ve-
hicle use conditions.During regeneration, there may be: a lim-
ited increase in minimum revs, a slight in-
crease in fumes and high exhaust temper-
atures. These are not faults; they do not
impair vehicle performance or damage the
environment.
If the dedicated message is displayed, re-
fer to the “Warning lights and messages”
section.
The diesel particulate filter
(DPF) reaches high temper-
atures during normal operation. Do
not park the vehicle on grass, dry
leaves, pine needles or other flam-
mable material: fire hazard.
WARNING
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103
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
SAFETY
GENERAL WARNINGS
If when turning the key to
MAR the warning light ¬does not turn on or if it stays on when
travelling (together with the message
on the multifunction display, where
provided), there could be a failure in
the safety systems; in this event,
airbags or pretensioners may not trig-
ger in case of impact or, in a minor
number of cases, they could trigger
accidentally. Contact a Fiat Dealer-
ship immediately to have the system
checked.
WARNING
Do not cover the backrest of
front and rear seats with
trims or covers that are not suitable
to be used with side bags.
WARNING
Never travel with objects on
your lap, in front of your
chest or with a pipe, pencil, etc. be-
tween your lips; serious injury may re-
sult in the event of the airbag being
triggered.
WARNING
Always drive with your hands
on the steering wheel rim so
that the airbag can inflate freely if
needed. Do not drive with your body
bent forward. Keep your back straight
against the backrest.
WARNING
If the key is turned to MAR,
even if the engine is switched
off, airbags may be deployed when
the car is stationary and hit by an-
other vehicle. For this reason, children
must never occupy the front seat,
even if the car is not moving. Con-
versely, remember that when the key
is inserted in the STOP position, no
safety device (air bag or pretension-
ers) will activate following an impact;
non-activation of these devices in such
cases cannot therefore be considered
an indicator of system malfunction.
WARNING
If the vehicle has been sub-
ject to theft or a theft at-
tempt, or if it has been affected by
vandalism or flooding, have the airbag
system checked at a Fiat Dealership.
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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