2009 FIAT IDEA technical specifications

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SAFETY
To deactivate the passen-
ger’s front air bag and the si-
de bag (where provided), refer to
“”Multifunctional display” paragraph
in the “Dashboard and controls”
chapter.
WARNING
MANUAL DEACTIVATION OF
PASSENGER’S FRONT AIRBAG
AND SIDE BAG
(where provided)
Should it be absolutely necessary to carry
a child on the front seat, the passenger’s
front air bag and the Side Bag (where pro-
vided) can be deactivated.
The instrument panel warning light
“ill
stay on glowing steadily until reactiva-
ting the passenger’s front air bag and the
Side Bag (where provided).
SIDE AIRBAGS (Side
bags - Window bags)
(where provided)
SIDE BAGS fig. 19
The side bags are arranged in the front
seat backrests and inflate instantly to pro-
tect the chest of occupants in case of me-
dium-to-high severity crashes.
Side bags are not a replacement of but
complementary to the belts, which you
are recommended to always wear, as spe-
cified by law in Europe and most non-Eu-
ropean countries.
IMPORTANT In the event of side crash,
you can obtain the best protection by the
system keeping a correct position on the
seat, allowing thus a correct window bag
unfolding.
Do not cover the backrest of
the front seats with covers
which are not suitable for use with si-
de bags.
WARNING
Lineaccessori Fiat has covers suitable for
seats with side bags.
WINDOW BAGS fig. 20
The window bags are accommodated in
the side roof upholstery and are covered
by special trimming. They protect the head
of front and rear occupants in case of si-
de collisions. The bags are very large.
fig. 19F0H0147m
fig. 20F0H0148m

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SAFETY
IMPORTANT The front air bags and/or si-
de bags may be deployed if the car is
subject to heavy knocks or accidents in-
volving the underbody area, such as for
example violent shocks, against steps,
kerbs or low obstacles, falling of the car in
big holes or sags in the road.
IMPORTANT A small amount of dust will
be released when the airbags are de-
ployed. The dust is not harmful and does
not indicate the beginning of a fire.
Furthermore, the surface of the deployed
bag and the interior of the car may be co-
vered in a dusty residue: This dust may ir-
ritate the skin and the eyes. Wash with
mild soap and water in the event of ex-
posure.
The airbag system expires after 14 years
(charge) and 10 years (clock contact). Go
to a Fiat Dealership to have the devices
replaced when the expiration date ap-
proaches.
IMPORTANT Should an accident occur in
which any of the safety devices is activa-
ted, take the car to a Fiat Dealership to
have the devices activated replaced and to
have the system checked.
Every control, repair and replacement
operations concerning the air bags must
only be carried out c/o Fiat Dealership.If you are having the car scrapped, have
the air bag system deactivated at a Fiat
Dealership first. If the car changes ow-
nership, the new owner must be informed
of the method of use of air bags and the
above warnings and also be given this
“Owner‘s Handbook”.
IMPORTANT Pretensioners, front airbags
and front side bags are deployed differen-
tly according to the type of collision. Non
deployment of one of the devices does not
therefore indicate a system fault.
Do not rest your head, arms
or elbows on the door, on
the windows and in the window bag
area to prevent injury in case of de-
ployment.
WARNING
Never lean head, arms and
elbows out of window.
WARNING
If when turning the key to
MAR the warning light
¬does not turn on or stays on whilst
driving (together with the message in
the multifunctional display, where
provided), a failure may have occur-
red in the restraint systems. In this ca-
se the air bags or pretensioners may
not be deployed after an impact or,
in a minor number of cases, they may
be deployed accidentally. Contact a
Fiat Dealership immediately to have
the system checked.
WARNING
GENERAL WARNINGS
Do not cover the backrest of
the front seats with covers
which are not suitable for use with si-
de bags.
WARNING
Always drive holding your
hands on the steering wheel
rim so that the airbag can inflate
freely in the case of need. Do not dri-
ve with your body bent forward. Keep
your back straight against the back
rest.
WARNING

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DASHBOARD
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CONTROLS
SAFETY
Have the airbag system
checked by a Fiat Dealership
if the car was stolen, if theft was at-
tempted, or if the car was subjected
to vandalism or flooding.
WARNING
Airbags may be deployed if
another vehicle crashes if the
key is inserted and at MAR also if the
engine is not running and the car is
stationary. For this reason, children
must never sit on the front seat, even
if the car is not moving. On the other
hand, if the key is inserted and at
STOP, none of the safety devices (air-
bag or pretensioners) will be deployed
in a collision. Non deployment of the
devices in this case does not indicate
a system fault.
WARNING
Do not travel carrying
objects in your lap, in front
of your chest or between your lips (pi-
pe, pencils, etc.): they could cause se-
vere injury if the airbag is deployed.
WARNING
When the ignition key is tur-
ned to MAR, the warning li-
ght
“(with passenger’s front air bag
active) turns on and flashes for few
seconds to remind that passenger’s air
bag will be deployed in a crash, af-
ter which it should go off.
WARNING
Do not wash the seats with
water or steam under pres-
sure (by hand or in automatic wa-
shing station for seats).
WARNING
Front air bag 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 attach rigid objects
to the coat hooks and sup-
port handles.
WARNING
An airbag is not a replace-
ment for the seat belts but
increases their efficiency. Furthermo-
re, since front air bags are not de-
ployed in low speed collisions, side
collisions, rear-end shunts or roll-
overs, the passengers are only pro-
tected by the seat belts which must
be fastened at all times.
WARNING

111
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STARTING
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STARTING THE ENGINE ................................................. 112
PARKING THE VEHICLE .................................................. 114
USING THE GEARBOX .................................................... 115
CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS ............................... 116
TOWING TRAILERS .......................................................... 117
SNOW TYRES ...................................................................... 120
SNOW CHAINS .................................................................. 121
STORING THE CAR .......................................................... 122
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

112
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STARTING
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STARTING THE ENGINE
The car is provided with an electronic en-
gine lock device: refer to “The Fiat CO-
DE system” paragraph in “Dashboard and
controls” if you cannot start the engine.
The engine may be noisier during the fir-
st seconds of operation, particularly after
a long period of inactivity. This is charac-
teristic of hydraulic tappets, the timing sy-
stem chosen for petrol engine versions to
reduce the number of servicing interven-
tions and does effects neither functiona-
lity nor reliability.
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒apply the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒press the clutch pedal all the way
down without touching the accelera-
tor;
❒turn the ignition key to AVVand let
it go the moment the engine starts.
It is dangerous to run the en-
gine in closed environments.
The engine consumes oxygen and en-
gine exhaust contains carbon dioxi-
de, carbon oxide and other toxic gas-
ses.
WARNINGIf the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating starting.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
Yremains
lit together with warning light Uturn the
key to STOPand then back to MAR; if
the warning light remains on, try with the
other keys provided with the car.
If you still cannot start the engine, use the
emergency procedure (see “Emergency
starting” in the “In an emergency” chap-
ter) and go to a Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
to MARwhen the engine is off.
PROCEDURE FOR MULTIJET
VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒apply the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒turn the ignition key to MAR; instru-
ment panel warning lights m,
Uand
Ywill light up;
❒Wait for the warning lights Yand
mto turn off. The hotter the engi-
ne is, the quicker this will happen;
❒press the clutch pedal all the way
down without touching the accelera-
tor; It is advisable not to demand
maximum performance from
your car (e.g. excessive acce-
lerations, long distances at
top rpm, excessive intense braking,
etc.) as soon as the engine is started.
Do not leave the key in the
ignition switch in the MAR
position with the engine off to
avoid unnecessary consump-
tion of electricity which could drain the
battery.

113
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STARTING
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❒turn the ignition key to AVVas soon
as the warning light mturns off.
Waiting too long will waste the work
done by the heater plugs. Release the
key as soon as the engine starts.
IMPORTANT With the engine cold, the
accelerator must be entirely released
when turning the ignition key to position
AVV.
If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating starting.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the
instrument panel warning light
Yre-
mains lit, turn the key to STOPand then
back to MAR; if the warning lights remain
on, try with the other keys provided with
the car.
Contact a Fiat Dealership if you still can-
not start the engine.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
to MARwhen the engine is off. Warning light
mwill blink
for 60 seconds after starting
or during prolonged cranking
to indicate a fault to the glow
plug heating system. Use the car nor-
mally if the engine starts and go to a
Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
HOW TO WARM UP THE
ENGINE AFTER IT HAS JUST
STARTED (petrol and Multijet
engines)
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly, letting the engine turn
at medium speed. Do not accelerate
abruptly;
❒do not demand maximum performan-
ce for the first few kilometres. Wait
until the engine coolant gauge starts
moving.
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOPwhile the en-
gine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, you
should allow the engine to “catch its
breath” before turning it off by letting it
idle to allow the temperature in the engi-
ne compartment to fall. Never jump start the engine
by pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause a
flow of fuel into the catalytic
converter and damage it beyond re-
pair.
A quick burst on the accele-
rator before turning off the
engine serves absolutely no
practical purpose, it wastes
fuel and is damaging especially to tur-
bocharged engines.
Remember that the brake
booster and power steering
are not operational until the engine
has been started, therefore much
effort than usual is required on the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
WARNING

114
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STARTING
AND DRIVING
PARKING THE VEHICLE
Proceed as follows:
❒Stop the engine and engage the hand-
brake;
❒Engage a gear (on a slope, engage fir-
st gear if the vehicle is faced uphill or
reverse if it is faced downhill) and lea-
ve the wheels steered.
If the car is parked on a steep slope, it is
further advisable to block the wheels with
a wedge or stone. Avoid parking for a long
time with one wheel on the pavement or
steered against the kerb. Do not leave the
key in the ignition switch at MARto pre-
vent draining the battery. Always remo-
ve the key when you leave the car.
HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever is located between
the two front seats.
Pull the lever upwards to operate the
handbrake.
Four or five notches are normally suffi-
cient to lock the car on flat terrain, while
nine or ten may be necessary on a steep
slope with the car loaded.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case, con-
tact Fiat Dealership to have the handbrake
adjusted.When the handbrake lever is pulled up
and the ignition key is at MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
xwill turn
on.
Proceed as follows to release the hand-
brake:
❒slightly lift the handbrake and press re-
lease button A-fig. 1;
❒hold the button Apressed and lower
the lever; the warning light
xon the
instrument panel will go out.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out
this operation to prevent the car from
moving accidentally.
IMPORTANT if the handbrake lever tends
to reach end of stroke (groove on the
central tunnel), go to a Fiat dealership to
have the handbrake adjusted correctly.fig. 1F0H0149m
Never leave children unat-
tended in the car. Always re-
move the ignition key when leaving
the car and take it out with you.
WARNING

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STARTING
AND DRIVING
USING THE GEARBOX
To engage the gears, press the clutch pe-
dal fully and shift the gear lever into one
of the required positions (the diagram is
shown on the knob).
IMPORTANT Reverse may only be enga-
ged when the car is at a standstill. With
the engine running, wait for at least 2 se-
conds with the clutch pedal fully pressed
before engaging reverse to prevent da-
mage to the gears and grating.
To engage 6th gear (where provided),
operate the lever by pressing it towards
the right in order to avoid engaging 4th
gear by mistake. The same applies to shif-
ting from 6th to 5th gear.
To engage reverse Rfrom idle position,
lift the sliding ring A-fig. 2-3under the
knob and at the same time shift the lever
rightwards and then backwards (petrol
versions only).
For Multijet versions, simply move the le-
ver rightwards and then backwards.
fig. 2F0H0150mfig. 3F0H0353m
Press the clutch pedal fully
to change gears correctly.
For this reason, there must be no ob-
stacles on the floor under the pedals:
ensure that rubber mats (if any) are
correctly positioned, not interfering
with the pedals.
WARNINGDo not drive with your hand
resting on the gear lever, be-
cause this pressure, even if li-
ght, over time can wear out
the gearbox inner components.