
F0Z0145m
fig. 90
F0Z0162m
fig. 91
When the CITY function is on, the steering wheel effort
is lighter and thus parking operations are easier: there-
fore this function is particularly useful for driving in city
centres.
FAILURE INDICATIONS fig. 92
Possible power steering system failures are indicated by
the
g
warning light on the instrument panel – together
with the dedicated message in the reconfigurable multi-
function display (for versions/markets, where provided)
– coming on (see “Warning lights and messages” chapter).
In the event of electric power steering system failure,
the car can be driven with mechanical steering.
IMPORTANT In some circumstances, factors independent
of the electric power steering could cause the warning light
g
on the instrument panel to come on.
“DUALDRIVE” ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING SYSTEM (for versions/markets, where provided)
Some versions feature an electric power steering system
which only works with the key at MAR and the engine run-
ning; this system, system called “Dualdrive” can be cus-
tomised by the driver according to the driving conditions.
IMPORTANT When turning quickly the ignition key,
power steering full functionality can be achieved after
1-2 seconds.
ENGAGEMENT/RELEASE OF CITY
function fig. 90 and 91
Press button A to engage/release the function.
When the function is engaged, the warning light CITY on
the instrument panel comes on.
80
KNOW YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN
AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
065-090 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 13:45 Pagina 80

F0Z0071m
fig. 94
SOUND SYSTEMWhen the sound system has not been requested, the car
is provided with two oddment compartments on the
instrument panel.
STANDARD EQUIPMENT fig. 94
The system consists of:❒
sound system power wires;
❒
sound system compartment;
❒
housings for front and rear speakers in the doors.
Remove door panels to install the speakers. Have this
operation carried out at a Fiat Dealership.
The sound system must be fitted in the dedicated seat
inside the oddment compartment, which can beremoved
by pressing the two retaining tabs A. Here, you can find
the power supply wires.SOUND SYSTEM PRESETTING
(for versions/markets where provided)
In addition to the standard equipment the car also features:
❒
two 165 mm full range 40 W speakers in the front
doors;
❒
two 130 mm full range 350 W speakers in the rear
doors;
❒
aerial power cable;
❒
front and rear speaker power wires;
❒
sound system power wires;
❒
aerial on the car roof.
If you wish to have a sound system installed
after purchasing the car, first contact
a Fiat Dealership whose qualified person-
nel will give you advise about a sound system that
does not damage the battery charge. Excessive ab-
sorption will drain and damage the battery and may
invalidate the battery warranty.
84
KNOW YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN
AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
065-090 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 13:45 Pagina 84

91KNOW YOUR
VEHICLESAFETYCORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
SAFETY
F0Z0053m
fig. 98
The reel may lock when the car is parked on a steep slope:
this is perfectly normal. Furthermore, the reel mechanism
locks the belt if it is pulled and in the event of sudden brak-
ing, collisions and on high speed bends.
The rear side seats have inertia reel seat belts with three
anchor points. Upon demand (optional for 5-seat approved
cars) the central seat belt can be supplied with three an-
chor points reel belt or static two-point lap belt (for ver-
sions/markets where provided).
IMPORTANT Remember that in the event of a violent col-
lision, back seat passengers not wearing seat belts also
represent a serious danger for the front seat passengers.
SAFETY BELTSUSING THE SEAT BELTS fig. 98
The belt should be worn keeping the chest straight and
rested against the backrest.
To fasten the seat belts, hold the tongue A and insert it in-
to the buckle B, until hearing the locking click. On removal,
if it jams, let it rewind for a short stretch, then pull it out
again without jerking.
To unfasten seat belts, press button C. Guide the belt while
it is rewinding to prevent it from twisting. Through the
reel, the belt automatically adapts to the body of the pas-
senger wearing it, allowing freedom of movement.
Never press button C when travelling.
WARNING
S.B.R. SYSTEMThe car is equipped with an S.B.R. system (Seat Belt Re-
minder) made up of a buzzer which, together with the seat
belt warning light
<
on the instrument panel switching
on, warns the driver that the seat belt is not fastened.
091-110 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 13:46 Pagina 91

102
KNOW YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
Below is a summary of the safety rules to be followed for
carrying children.❒
Install the child seats on the rear seat, which is the most
protected position in the event of an accident.
❒
If the passenger’s air bag is deactivated always check the
amber warning light
F
on the instrument panel to
make sure that it has actually been deactivated.
❒
Carefully follow the instructions supplied with the child
restraint system which are mandatory by law. Keep the
instructions in the car along with the other papers and
this handbook. Do not use second-hand child seats with-
out instructions.
❒
Always check the seat belt is well fastened by pulling the
webbing.
❒
Only one child is to be strapped to each retaining system.
❒
Always check the seat belts do not fit around the child’s
throat.
❒
While travelling, do not let the child sit incorrectly or
release the belts.
❒
Never carry children on your lap, even newborns. No-one
can hold a child in the event of an accident.
❒
In case of an accident, replace the child seat with a new
one.
In cars fitted with passenger’s air bag nev-
er place child restraint systems on the front
seat, since children must never travel on the
front seat.
WARNING
091-110 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 13:46 Pagina 102

106
KNOW YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
F0Z0170m
fig. 113
IMPORTANT Only operate the switch with the engine off
and the ignition key removed.
The key-operated switch has two positions, fig. 113:❒
passenger’s front air bag activated (position ON
P):
warning light
F
on instrument panel off; it is absolutely
forbidden to carry a child on the front seat.
❒
front passenger air bag deactivated, warning light on (po-
sition OFF
F
): warning light
F
on instrument panel
on; child protected by special restraint system can be
carried on the front seat.
The warning
F
light on the instrument panel remains
on constantly until the passenger’s air bag is reactivated.
Deactivation of the passenger’s front air bag does not in-
hibit operation of the side air bag.
SERIOUS DANGER: never place cradle
child seats facing backwards on the front
passenger’s seat of cars fitted with pas-
senger’s air bag. Deployment of the airbag
in an accident could cause fatal injuries
to the baby. Always deactivate the passenger air
bag when placing a child seat on the front seat.
Move the passenger’s seat as far back as possi-
ble to avoid contact between the child seat and
the dashboard. Although this is not mandatory by
law, the air bag should be immediately reactivat-
ed when children are no longer carried to ensure
better protection for adults.
WARNING
MANUALLY DEACTIVATING
THE PASSENGER’S FRONT AIR BAG
Should it be absolutely necessary to carry a child on the
front seat, the passenger’s front air bag on the car can be
deactivated.
Deactivation/reactivation takes place with ignition key at
STOP and operating it in the special key switch in the glove
compartment.
The key can be fitted and removed in both positions.
091-110 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 13:46 Pagina 106

112
KNOW YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETYCORRECT USE
OF THE CARWARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGESI
IN
AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, warning light
Y
re-
mains lit together with warning light
U
turn the key to
STOP and then back to MAR; if the warning light remains
on, try with the other keys provided with the car.
If you are still unable to start the engine, perform the emer-
gency start-up procedure (see “Emergency start-up” in “In
an emergency” chapter) and contact a Fiat Dealership.
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR DIESEL
VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒
engage the handbrake;
❒
put the gearshifting lever into neutral;
❒
turn the ignition key at MAR: the warning lights
m
and
Y
on the instrument panel will turn on;
❒
wait for the warning lights
Y
and
m
to turn off.
The hotter the engine is, the quicker this will happen;
❒
press the clutch pedal all the way down without touch-
ing the accelerator;
❒
turn the ignition key to AVV as soon as the warning lightm
turns off. Waiting too long will waste the work
done by the glow plugs.
Release the key as soon as the engine starts.
IMPORTANT With cold engine, the accelerator must
be entirely released when turning the ignition key to
position AVV.If the engine does not start at the first attempt, return
the ignition key to STOP before repeating starting.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the instrument panel
warning light
Y
remains lit, turn the key to STOP
and then back to MAR; if the warning lights remain on,
try with the other keys provided with the car.
If you still cannot start the engine, contact a Fiat Dealership.
Warning light
m
will flash for 60 seconds
after starting or during prolonged cranking
to indicate a fault to the glow plug heating
system. You can use the car as usual if the engine
starts but you should contact a Fiat Dealership as
soon as possible.
HOW TO WARM UP THE ENGINE AFTER IT
HAS JUST STARTED
Proceed as follows:❒
drive off slowly, letting the engine turn at medium speed.
Do not accelerate abruptly;
❒
do not demand maximum performance for the first few
kilometres. Wait until the engine temperature coolant
gauge starts moving.
111-122 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 15:01 Pagina 112

113KNOW
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETYCORRECT USE
OF THE CARWARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN
AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
F0Z0037m
fig. 116
PARKING THE VEHICLEProceed as follows:❒
stop the engine and engage the handbrake;
❒
engage a gear (on a slope, engage first gear if the vehi-
cle is parked uphill or reverse if it is parked downhill)
and leave the wheels steered.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a stone if the car is
parked on a steep slope.
Do not leave the key in the ignition switch at MAR to pre-
vent draining the battery. Always remove the key when
leaving the car. Never leave children unattended in the car.
Always remove the ignition key when leaving the car
and take it out with you.
HANDBRAKE fig. 116
The handbrake lever is located between the two front
seats. Pull the handbrake lever upwards until the car can-
not be moved. STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOP while the engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, you should allow the
engine to “catch its breath” before turning it off by let-
ting it idle to allow the temperature in the engine com-
partment to fall.
Never bump start the engine by pushing,
towing or coasting downhill. This could
cause a flow of fuel into the catalytic con-
verter and damage it beyond repair.A quick burst on the accelerator before
turning off the engine serves absolutely no
practical purpose, it wastes fuel and is dam-
aging especially to turbocharged engines.
EMERGENCY START-UP
If the instrument panel warning light
Y
stays on with fixed
light, the emergency start-up can be performed by using
the CODE card code (see chapter “In an emergency”).
111-122 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 15:01 Pagina 113

114
KNOW YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETYCORRECT USE
OF THE CARWARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGESI
IN
AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
F0Z0060m
fig. 117
USING THE MANUAL GEARBOXTo engage the gears, press the clutch pedal fully and shift
the gearshifting lever into one of the required positions
(the diagram for gear engagement is shown on the knob,
fig. 117).
IMPORTANT The car can only be put into reverse gear
when it has stopped moving completely. With the engine
running, wait for at least 2 seconds with the clutch pedal
fully pressed before engaging reverse to prevent damage
to the gears and grating.
To engage reverse R from neutral, lift the sliding ring A un-
der the knob and shift the lever to the right and back. Four or five clicks are generally enough when the car is on
level ground while nine or ten may be required if the car
is on a steep slope or laden.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case, contact a Fiat
Dealership to have the handbrake adjusted.
When the handbrake lever is pulled up and the ignition key
is at MAR, the instrument panel warning light
x
will
turn on.
Proceed as follows to release the handbrake:
❒
slightly lift the handbrake and press the release button
A;
❒
keep button A pressed and lower the lever. The warn-
ing light
x
on the instrument panel will turn off.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out this operation
to prevent the car from moving accidentally.
111-122 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 15:01 Pagina 114