115KNOW
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TECHNICAL
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CONTAINING RUNNING COSTSSome useful tips are given below for fuel saving and re-
ducing harmful emissions of CO
2and other pollutants
(nitrogen oxides, unburnt hydrocarbons, Particulate
Matter (PM) etc.).
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out in accordance
with the “Scheduled servicing plan.”
Tyres
Check the pressure of the tyres routinely at an interval
of no more than 4 weeks: if the pressure is too low, con-
sumption levels increase as resistance to rolling is higher.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with an overloaded boot. The weight of
the car (especially when driving in town) and its trim great-
ly affects consumption and stability.
Accessories installed on longitudinal bars
Remove accessories like: roof racks, ski racks, luggage con-
tainer, etc. from the roof as soon as they are no longer
used. These accessories lower air penetration and ad-
versely affect consumption levels. When needing to
carry particularly voluminous objects, preferably use
a trailer.
To change gears properly you must push
the clutch pedal fully down. For this rea-
son, there must be no obstacles on the floor un-
der the pedals: ensure that rubber mats (if any)
are lying flat and do not interfere with the pedals.
WARNING
Do not drive with your hand resting on the
shifting lever, because this pressure, even
if light, over time can wear out the gearbox
internal components.
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clutching is absolutely pointless on modern cars and also
increases consumption and pollution.
Gear selection
As soon as the conditions of the traffic and road allow, use
a higher gear. Using a low gear for faster acceleration will
increase consumption.
In the same way improper use of a high gear increases con-
sumption, emissions an engine wear.
Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases with speed.
Avoiding unnecessary braking and acceleration, which cost
in terms of both fuel and emissions.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently increasing the revs will greatly af-
fect consumption and emissions: acceleration should be
gradual.
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts will prevent the en-
gine from reaching optimal running temperature. This re-
sults in a significant increase in consumption levels (from
+15 to +30% on the urban cycle) and emission of harmful
substances. Electric devices
Use electric devices only for the amount of time needed.
Rear heated window, additional headlights, windscreen
wipers and heater fan need a considerable amount of en-
ergy, therefore a higher requirement of current involves
and increase of fuel consumption (up to +25% in the
urban cycle).
Climate control system
The climate control system 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.
Devices for aerodynamic control
The use of non-certified devices for aerodynamic control
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 con-
sumption and emissions. It is therefore advisable to move
off immediately, slowly, avoiding high speeds: in this way
the engine will warm faster.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid accelerating when starting at traffic lights or be-
fore switching off the engine. This and also double de-
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117KNOW
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
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TOWING TRAILERSIMPORTANT NOTES
For towing caravans or trailers the car must be fitted with
a certified tow hook and an adequate electric system. In-
stallation should be carried out by specialised personnel
who will issue the required papers for travelling on roads.
Install any specific and/or additional rear view mirrors as
specified by the Highway Code.
Remember that when towing a trailer, steep hills are hard-
er to climb, braking spaces increase and overtaking takes
longer depending on the overall weight.
Engage a low gear when driving downhill, rather than con-
stantly 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 car registration document) account should
be taken of the fully laden trailer, including accessories and
luggage.
Do not exceed the speed limits specific for each country
you are driving in, in case of vehicles towing trailers. In any
case, the top speed must not exceed 100 km/h. Traffic and road conditions
Rather high consumption levers are tied to situations with
heavy traffic, for instance when travelling in queues with
frequent use of the lower gears or in cities with many traf-
fic lights. Also winding mountain roads and rough road sur-
faces adversely affect consumption.
Traffic hold-ups
During prolonged hold-ups (e.g. level crossings) the engine
should be switched off.
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INSTALLING THE TOW HOOK
The towing device should be fastened to the body by spe-
cialised personnel according to any additional and/or in-
tegrative information supplied by the Manufacturer of the
device.
The towing device must meet current regulations with
reference to 94/20/EEC Directive and subsequent amend-
ments.
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 standard connector should
be used which is generally placed on a special bracket nor-
mally fastened to the towing device, and a special ECU for
external trailer light control must be installed on the car.
For the electric connection, a 7 pin 12V DC connection
is to be used (CUNA/UNI and ISO/DIN Standards). Fol-
low the instructions provided by the car manufacturer
and/or the tow hook manufacturer.
An electric brake (or electric winch) should be supplied
directly by the battery through a cable with a cross sec-
tion of no less than 2.5 mm
2.
IMPORTANT Electric brake or other devices shall be used
with running engine.
In addition to the electrical branches, the car electric sys-
tem can only be connected to the supply cable for an elec-
tric brake and to the cable for an internal light for the trail-
er, not exceeding 15 W.
For connections use the preset control unit with battery
cable not less than 2.5 mm2.
The ABS system with which the vehicle
may be equipped does not control the
braking system of the trailer. Take specific care
when travelling on slippery roads.
WARNING
Under no circumstances should the car
braking system be modified to control the
trailer brake. The trailer braking system must be
fully independent of the car’s hydraulic system.
WARNING
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119KNOW
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Assembly diagram fig. 118
The tow hook structure must be fas-
tened in the points shown by letters
“a-b-c-d” using a total of 4 M10
screws.
The hook should be fastened to the
body avoiding any type of drilling and
trimming of the rear bumper that re-
mains visible when the hook is re-
moved.
IMPORTANT It is compulsory to fas-
ten a label (plainly visible) of suitable size
and material with the following word-
ing:
MAX. LOAD ON BALL 60 kg
After fitting, screw holes shall be
sealed to prevent a exhaust gas inlet.
fig. 118
F0Z0225m
Rear wheel axle
Standard tow ball
Full load
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Assembly diagram fig. 119
The tow hook structure must be fas-
tened in the points shown by the sym-
bol
Ø
using a total of 4 M8 screws and
2 M12 screws.
The internal counterplates 1 are to be
at least 6-mm thick. The hook should
be fastened to the body avoiding any
type of drilling and trimming of the
rear bumper that remains visible when
the hook is removed.
IMPORTANT It is compulsory to fas-
ten a label (plainly visible) of suitable size
and material with the following word-
ing:
MAX. LOAD ON BALL 60 kg
After fitting, screw holes shall be
sealed to prevent a exhaust gas inlet.
fig. 119
F0Z0226m
Existing hole
Existing hole
Existing hole Existing hole
Standard ballExisting screw
Existing screw
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121KNOW
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AND MESSAGES
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SNOW TYRESUse snow tyres of the same size as the normal tyres pro-
vided with the car.
Fiat Dealership will be happy to provide advice concern-
ing the most suitable type of tyres for the customer’s re-
quirements.
For the type of tyre to be used, inflation pressures and the
specifications of snow tyres, follow the instructions given
in paragraph “Wheels” in section “Technical specifica-
tions”.
The winter features of these tyres are reduced consider-
ably when the tread depth is below 4 mm. Replace them
in this case.
Due to snow tyre features, under normal conditions of
use or on long motorway journeys, the performance of
these tyres is much lower than that of standard tyres. Lim-
it performance according to the use for which they were
certified.
IMPORTANT When snow tyres are used with a max.
speed index below the one that can be reached by the
car (increased by 5%), place a notice in the passenger’s
compartment, plainly in the driver’s view which states the
max. permissible speed of the snow tyres (as per EC
Directive).
The max. speed of snow tyres with “Q”
marking is 160 km/h. The Highway Code
speed limits must however be always complied
with.
WARNING
All four tyres should be the same (brand and track) to
ensure greater safety when driving and braking and bet-
ter driveability.
Remember that it is inappropriate to change the rotation
direction of tyres.
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CAR INACTIVITYIf the car is to be left inactive for longer than a month,
the following precautions should be followed:❒
park the car in covered, dry and if possible well-venti-
lated premises;
❒
engage one gear;
❒
check that the handbrake is not engaged;
❒
disconnect the negative battery terminal and check bat-
tery charge. Repeat this check once every three months
during storage. Recharge if the optical indicator shows
a dark colour without the central green area;
❒
clean and protect the painted parts using protective
wax;
❒
clean and protect the shiny metal parts using special
compounds readily available;
❒
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 perforated 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 standard specified pres-
sure and check it at intervals;
❒
if you don’t disconnect the battery from the electric sys-
tem, check its charge every month and recharge it if the
optical indicator shows a dark colour without the central
green area;
❒
do not drain the engine cooling system.
SNOW CHAINSThe use of snow chains should be in compliance with lo-
cal regulations.
The snow chains may be applied only onto the front wheel
tyres (drive wheels).
Check the tension of the snow chains after the first few
metres have been driven.
IMPORTANT Snow chains cannot be fitted to the space-
saver spare wheel. So, if a front (drive) wheel is punctured
and chains are needed, a rear wheel should be fitted to the
front of the car and the space-saving spare wheel should
be fitted to the rear. This way with two normal drive
wheels, snow chains can be fitted to them to solve an
emergency.
Keep your speed down when snow chains
are fitted. Do not exceed 50 km/h. Avoid
potholes, steps and pavements and also
avoid driving long distances on roads not covered
with snow in order to prevent damaging the car and
the roadbed.
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