2009 FIAT PUNTO EVO towing

151
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOP while the engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a long drive, you should allow the en-
gine to “catch its breath” before turning it off by letting it
idle to allow the temperature in the engine compartment
to fall. WARMING UP THE ENGINE AFTER IT HAS
JUST STARTED (petrol and diesel versions)
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly at medium revs, and accelerate
smoothly;
❒do not demand maximum performance for the first few
kilometres. Wait until the engine coolant gauge starts
moving.
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
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AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTSRemember that the brake booster and pow-
er steering are not operational until the en-
gine 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
fuel to flow into the catalytic converter 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 es-
pecially damaging to turbocharged engines.
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156
TOWING TRAILERS
IMPORTANT NOTES
The car must be equipped with an approved tow hook and
adequate electrical system to tow caravans or trailers. In-
stallation must be performed by specialised personnel who
will issue the required papers for travelling on roads.
Install any specific and/or additional rear-view mirrors in
accordance with the highway code of the country in which
you are travelling.
Remember that, when towing a trailer, steep hills are hard-
er to climb, braking distances increase and overtaking takes
longer relative to the overall weight of the trailer.
Engage a low gear when driving downhill, rather than con-
stantly using the brake.
The weight of the trailer on the car’s tow hook will re-
duce the load capacity of the car by the same amount. Con-
sider the weight of the trailer fully laden, including acces-
sories and luggage, to make sure you do not exceed the
maximum towable weight (shown on the vehicle regis-
tration document).
Respect each country’s speed limits for vehicles towing
trailers. The top speed must not exceed 100 km/h at any
time.
You should fit a suitable stabiliser to the trailer.
KNOWING
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VEHICLE
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AND DRIVING
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AND MESSAGES
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TECHNICAL
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CONTENTS
The ABS with which the car may be
equipped will not control the braking sys-
tem of the trailer. Particular caution is therefore
required on slippery roads.
WARNING
Never modify the braking system of the
car to control the trailer brake. The trail-
er braking system must be fully independent from
the hydraulic system of the car.
WARNING
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157
An electric brake or winch should be powered directly by
the battery through a cable with a cross-section of no less
than 2.5 mm
2.
IMPORTANT The engine must be running to use the elec-
tric brake or winch.
In addition to the electrical branches, the vehicle’s elec-
trical system can be connected only to the supply cable for
an electric brake and to the cable for an internal trailer
light, though not above 15W.
For connections, use the preset control unit with a bat-
tery cable no less than 2.5 mm
2.
KNOWING
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INSTALLING THE TOW HOOK
The towing device should be fastened to the body by spe-
cialised personnel in accordance with any additional infor-
mation supplied by the manufacturer of the device.
The towing device must meet current regulations with ref-
erence to Directive 94/20/EC and subsequent amendments.
For any version, the towing device used must be right for
the towable weight of the car on which it is to be installed.
For the electric connection a unified connector should be
used, which is generally placed on a special bracket fastened
to the towing device, and a special ECU should be installed
on the car to control the trailer’s exterior lights. 7 or 13-
pin 12VDC connections should be used (CUNA/UNI and
ISO/DIN Standards). Follow any instructions provided by
the car manufacturer and/or the towing device manufac-
turer.
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162
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
AIRBAG FAILURE (red)
When the ignition key is moved to MAR position,
the warnintg light turns on but should go off af-
ter a few seconds.
The warning light stays on constantly if there is a failure
in the airbag system. A specific message is displayed on cer-
tain versions.
¬
If the warning light ¬does not come on
when turning the key to MAR or stays on
during car travel, a failure may be present in the
restraint systems. If this is the case, the airbags
or pretensioners may not be deployed after an im-
pact or, in a minor number of cases, they may be
deployed accidentally. Contact a Fiat Dealership
immediately to have the system checked before
driving off.
WARNING
A problem with the warning light ¬(light
off) is indicated by the warning light “,
which indicates the front passenger airbag is de-
activated, flashing for more than the usual four
seconds.
WARNING
OVERHEATED ENGINE COOLANT
(red)
When the ignition key is moved to MAR position,
the warnintg light turns on but should go off after a few
seconds. The warning light turns on when the engine is
overheated. If the warning light comes on, proceed as fol-
lows:
❒when driving normally: stop the car, switch off the en-
gine and check that the water level in the reservoir is
not below the MIN mark. If it is not, wait for a few min-
utes for the engine to cool down then slowly and care-
fully open the cap, top-up with coolant and check that
the level is between the MIN and MAX marks. Also
visually check for leaks. Go to a Fiat Dealership if the
warning light comes on again when the engine is next
started.
❒if the vehicle is used under demanding conditions (e.g.
towing trailers uphill or fully loaded): slow down and,
if the light stays on, stop the car. Stop for 2 or 3 min-
utes with the engine running and slightly accelerated to
assist better coolant circulation. Then switch the en-
gine off. Check correct fluid level as described above.
IMPORTANT On particularly demanding journeys, it is ad-
visable to keep the engine on and slightly accelerated for
a few minutes before switching it off.
A specific message is displayed on certain versions.
ç
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Use your hazard lights, warning triangle,
etc to show that your car is stationary.
Passengers should get out of the car, particularly
if it is heavily loaded, and wait for the wheel to be
changed away from the traffic. Apply the hand-
brake.
WARNING
The spare wheel provided is specifically for
your vehicle. Therefore, it must not be
used on different models and you should not use
spare wheels from other models on your vehicle.
The wheel bolts are specific for your vehicle: do
not use them on different models and do not use
bolts from other models on your car.
WARNING
IMPORTANT Do not directly connect the negative ter-
minals of the two batteries: sparks could ignite explosive
gas released from the battery. If the auxiliary battery is
installed on another vehicle, prevent accidental contact be-
tween metallic parts of the two vehicles.
BUMP STARTING
Never bump start the engine by pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause fuel to flow into the catalytic
converter and damage it beyond repair.
IMPORTANT Remember that the brake booster and the
power steering system are not active until the engine is
started, so you will need to apply much more force to
the brake pedal or steering wheel.CHANGING A TYRE
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Wheel changing and correct use of the jack and spare
wheel call for some precautions, as listed below.
176
KNOWING
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AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
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AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
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208
TOWING THE CAR
The tow ring provided with the car is housed in the tool
box under the boot carpet.
fig. 196F0U0179m
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F0U0180mfig. 197
FASTENING THE TOW RING fig. 196-197
Proceed as follows:
❒release the cap A;
❒take the tow ring B from its support;
❒fully tighten the ring on the rear or front threaded pin.
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209
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
The brake booster and power steering will
not work while the vehicle is being towed.
You will therefore need to apply more force to the
brake pedal and steering wheel. Do not use bendy
cables for towing and avoid jerking. Make sure not
to damage parts in contact with the car while tow-
ing. When towing the vehicle, be sure to respect
the specific rules of the highway code specifical-
ly in relation to the towing device and the be-
haviour to maintain on the road.
WARNING
Clean the threaded housing throughly be-
fore fastening the tow ring. Make sure that
the ring is securely fastened before towing the car.
WARNING
During towing, do not start up the engine.
WARNING
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210
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
Before towing, switch off the steering lock
(see “Ignition” in the “Dashboard and con-
trols” section). The brake booster and power
steering will not work while the vehicle is being
towed. You will therefore need to apply more
force to the brake pedal and steering wheel. Do
not use bendy cables for towing and avoid jerking.
Make sure not to damage parts in contact with
the car while towing. Respect the rules of the high-
way code when towing the car, specifically in re-
lation to the towing device and road conduct.
WARNING
The front and rear tow hooks should be
used only for emergency operations on the
road. You are allowed to tow the car for short dis-
tances using an appropriate device in accordance
with the highway code (a rigid bar), to move the
vehicle on the road in readiness for towing or
transporting via a breakdown vehicle. Tow hooks
MUST NOT be used to tow vehicles off the road
or where there are obstacles and/or for towing op-
erations using cables or other non-rigid devices.
Respecting the above conditions, towing must
take place with the two vehicles (one towing, the
other towed) aligned as much as possible along
the same centre line.
WARNING
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