108
KNOW YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
Wash with mild soap and water in the event of exposure.
The expiration date of the explosive charge and the coil
contact wire are shown on a specific label on the door
edge. Contact a Fiat Dealership to have the devices re-
placed when the expiry date approaches.
IMPORTANT Should an accident occur in which any
of the safety devices is activated, take the car to a Fiat
Dealership to have the activated devices replaced and to
have the system checked.
Every control, repair and replacement operations con-
cerning the air bags must only be carried out at a Fiat
Dealership.
If case of car scrapping, have the air bag system deacti-
vated at a Fiat Dealership first. If the car changes owner-
ship, the new owner must be informed of the method of
use of air bags and the above warnings and also be given
this “Owner Handbook”.
Never rest head, arms and elbows on the
door, on the windows and in the window
bag area to prevent possible injuries during infla-
tion phase.
WARNING
Never lean head, arms and elbows out of
window.
WARNING
IMPORTANT Pretensioners, front air bags and side bags
are triggered in a differentiated manner, depending on the
type of crash. Failure to deploy of one of the devices does
not necessarily indicate a system malfunction.
091-110 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 13:46 Pagina 108
109KNOW YOUR
VEHICLESAFETYCORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
GENERAL WARNINGS
If when turning the key to MAR the warn-
ing light
¬
does not turn on or if it stays
on when travelling, there could be a failure in safe-
ty systems; in this event air bags or pretensioners
may not be deployed in case of impact or, in a mi-
nor number of cases, they deploy accidentally.
Contact a Fiat Dealership immediately to have
the system checked.
WARNING
Do not cover the backrest of front 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. between your lips; injury may result in the
event of the air bag being triggered.
WARNING
Always drive keeping your hands on the
steering wheel rim so that the air bag can
inflate freely in the case of need. Do not drive with
your body bent forward. Keep your back straight
against the backrest.
WARNING
Air bags may be deployed if another vehi-
cle crashes into the car, if the key is insert-
ed 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, whenever the key is
positioned on STOP, the safety devices (air bags or
pretensioners) do not deploy after a collision. In
this case non-deployment of these devices does not
indicate a system malfunction.
WARNING
091-110 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 13:46 Pagina 109
110
KNOW YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
The front air bag is triggered in case of
stronger shocks with respect to that of pre-
tensioners. For collisions in the range between the
two thresholds, it is normal for only the preten-
sioners to be activated.
WARNING
Do not hook rigid objects to the coat
hooks and to the support handles.
WARNING
The air bag does not replace seat belts but
increases their efficiency. Furthermore,
since front air bags are not deployed in low speed
collisions, side collisions, rear-end shunts or roll-
overs, the passengers are only protected by the
seat belts which must be fastened at all times.
WARNING
If the car has been stolen or in case of at-
tempt to steal it, if it has been subjected
to vandals or floods, have the air bag system
checked by Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
Do not wash the seats with water or pres-
surized vapour (hand washing or auto-
matic seat washing stations).
WARNING
Turning the ignition key to MAR, the warn-
ing light
F
(airbag on passenger’s side en-
abled) goes on and flashes for a few seconds, thus
reminding the passenger that the airbag on his/her
side will deploy in the event of a collision, then it
switches off.
WARNING
091-110 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 13:46 Pagina 110
111KNOW
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETY
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN
AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR PETROL
VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:❒
engage the handbrake;
❒
place the gearshifting lever in neutral;
❒
press the clutch pedal all the way down without touch-
ing the accelerator;
❒
turn the ignition key to
AVV
and let it go as soon as
the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first attempt, return
the ignition key to
STOP
before repeating starting.
STARTING THE ENGINEThe car is fitted with an electronic engine lock device:
if the engine fails to start, see the paragraph “The Fiat
CODE system” in section “Know your vehicle”.
The engine may be noisier during the first few seconds of
operation, especially after a long period of inactivity. This
characteristic feature of the hydraulic tappet system does
not compromise functionality or reliability: the system de-
vised for your car was designed to limit maintenance
interventions.
It is dangerous to let the engine run in en-
closed spaces. The engine consumes oxy-
gen and engine exhaust contains carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide and other toxic gasses.
WARNING
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
We recommend that during the initial pe-
riod you do not drive to full car perfor-
mance (e.g.: excessive acceleration, long
journeys at top speed, sharp braking, etc.).When the engine is switched off never leave
the key into the ignition switch to prevent
useless current absorption from draining the
battery.
Remember that the servo-brake and pow-
er steering are not operational until the
engine has been started, therefore much effort
than usual is required on the brake pedal
and teering wheel.
WARNING
111-122 PANDA EN 7-10-2009 15:01 Pagina 111
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.
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117KNOW
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETYCORRECT USE
OF THE CARWARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN
AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
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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121KNOW
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETYCORRECT USE
OF THE CARWARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN
AN EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
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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