2009 FIAT SEDICI Owners Manual

176
MIRRORS
Check to see if your vehicle’s mirrors
meet local requirements for mirrors used
on towing vehicles. If they do not, you
must install the required mirrors before
you tow.
VEHICLE/TRAILER LOADING
To load your vehicle and trailer proper-
ly, you must know how to measure gross
trailer weight and trailer nose weight.
Gross Trailer Weight is the weight of the
trailer plus all the cargo in it. You can mea-
sure gross trailer weight by putting the ful-
ly loaded trailer on a vehicle scale.
Nose Weight is the downward force ex-
erted on the tow bar by the trailer cou-
pler, with the trailer fully loaded and the
coupler at its normal towing height. This
weight can be measured using a bathroom
scales.
The weight of your loaded trailer (Gross
Trailer Weight) should never exceed the
“Towing capacity”.Distribute cargo in your trailer so that
nose weight is about 10% of gross trailer
weight, but does not exceed “Maximum
vertical load on trailer hitch point”. You
should measure gross trailer weight and
nose weight before towing to make sure
that your load is properly distributed. TIRES
When towing a trailer, it is
very important for your ve-
hicle and trailer to have properly in-
flated tires. Your vehicle’s tires should
be inflated to the pressures listed on
your vehicles Tire Information label.
If laden pressures are listed on the la-
bel, the tires should be inflated to the
laden pressures. Inflate trailer tires
according to the specifications pro-
vided by the trailer manufacturer.
WARNING
Improper weight distribution
of your trailer may result in
poor vehicle handling and swaying of
the trailer. Always make sure that
trailer nose weight is about 10% of
gross trailer weight, but does not ex-
ceed “Maximum vertical load on
trailer hitch point”. Also make sure
that the cargo is properly secured.
Failure to observe this requirement
may result in an accident.
WARNING
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177
ADDITIONAL TRAILER
TOWING WARNINGS
Never overload your trailer
or your vehicle. Gross trail-
er weight must never exceed the
“Towing capacity”. Gross vehicle
weight (sum of the weights of the ve-
hicle, all the occupants, accessories
including tow bars and a trailer hitch,
cargo and trailer nose weight) must
never exceed the Gross Vehicle
Weight Rating (GVWR) listed in the
“SPECIFICATIONS” section.
WARNING
Connect trailer lights and
hook up safety chains every
time you tow.
WARNING
IMPORTANT Because towing a trailer
puts additional stress on your vehicle,
more frequent maintenance will be re-
quired than under normal driving condi-
tions. Follow the schedule for “Mainte-
nance Recommended under Severe Dri-
ving Conditions”.
Your vehicle will handle dif-
ferently when towing a trail-
er. For your safety and the safety of
others, you should observe the fol-
lowing precautions:
– Practice turning, stopping, and re-
versing before you begin towing in
traffic. Do not tow in traffic until you
are confident that you can handle the
vehicle and trailer safely.
– Never exceed towing speed limits or
80 km/h (50 mph), whichever is low-
er.
– Never drive at a speed that causes
shaking or swaying of the trailer. If
you notice even the slightest sign of
shaking or swaying, slow down.
– When roads are wet, slippery or
rough, drive at a slower speed than
you would on dry, smooth roads.
Failure to slow down when road con-
ditions are bad can result in loss of
control.
– Always have someone guide you
when reversing.
– Allow adequate stopping distance.
Stopping distance is increased when
you tow a trailer. For each 16 km/h
(10 mph) of speed, allow at least one
vehicle and trailer length between
you and the vehicle ahead. Follow at
a greater distance if roads are wet or
slippery.
WARNING
– If the trailer has over-run
brakes, apply the brakes
gradually to avoid snatching caused
by the trailer wheels locking.
– Slow down before corners and
maintain a steady speed while cor-
nering. Deceleration or acceleration
while cornering can result in loss of
control. Remember that a larger than
normal turning radius is needed be-
cause the trailer wheels will be clos-
er than vehicle wheels to the inside of
the turn.
– Avoid sudden acceleration and
stopping of the vehicle. Do not make
quick maneuvers unless they are nec-
essary.
– Slow down in cross winds and be
prepared for gusts of wind from large
passing vehicles.
– Be careful when overtaking other
vehicles. Be sure to allow enough
room for your trailer before you
change lanes, and signal well in ad-
vance.
– Slow down and shift into a lower
gear before you reach long or steep
downhill grades. It is hazardous to at-
tempt downshifting while you are de-
scending a hill.
WARNING
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178
– Avoid “riding” the brakes.
This could cause the brakes
to overheat resulting in reduced brak-
ing efficiency. Use engine braking as
much as possible.
– Because of the added trailer weight,
your engine may overheat on hot
days when going up long or steep
hills. Pay attention to your engine
temperature gauge. If it indicates
overheating, pull off the road and
stop in a safe place. Refer to “If the
Engine Overheats” in “EMERGENCY
SERVICE” section.
WARNING
60A186
When parking your vehicle
and connected trailer, al-
ways use the following procedure:
– Apply the vehicle’s brakes firmly.
– Have another person place wheel
chocks under the wheels of the vehi-
cle and the trailer while you are hold-
ing the brakes.
– Slowly release the brakes until the
wheel chocks absorb the load.
– Fully engage the parking brake.
– Manual Transaxle – Shift into Re-
verse or first gear and turn off the en-
gine.
– Automatic Transaxle – Shift into
Park and turn off the engine.
WARNING
When starting out after
parking:
– Depress the clutch and start the en-
gine.
– Shift into gear, release the parking
brake, and slowly pull away from the
chocks.
– Stop, apply the brakes firmly and
hold them.
– Have another person remove the
chocks.
WARNING
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179
TOWING YOUR
VEHICLE
(RECREATIONAL
TOWING)
Your vehicle may be towed behind an-
other vehicle (such as a motorhome), pro-
vided you use the proper towing method
specified for your vehicle. The towing
method you must use depends on the
specifications of your vehicle: whether it
is a 2-wheel drive (2WD) vehicle or a 4-
wheel drive (4WD) vehicle.
Use the towing instruction table to select
the proper towing method for your vehi-
cle, and carefully follow the correspond-
ing instructions. Be sure to use proper
towing equipment designed for recre-
ational towing and make sure that tow-
ing speed does not exceed 90 km/h (55
mph). Registered maximum vertical load
on trailer hitch point (EU)
50 kg (110 lbs)
Maximum permissible overhang “a”
810 mm (31.9 in.)
When you tow your vehicle,
follow the instructions below
to avoid accidents and damage to
your vehicle. In addition, be sure to
observe government and local re-
quirements regarding vehicle lighting
and trailer hitches or tow bars.
WARNING
A safety chain should always
be used when you tow your
vehicle.
WARNING
79J158
IMPORTANT Towing an automatic
transaxle vehicle with four wheels on the
ground can result in damage to the auto-
matic transaxle.
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180
A: 2WD (EXCEPT 2WD MODE
OF 4WD) VEHICLES WITH
MANUAL TRANSAXLE OR
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE
❒Secure the front wheels on a towing
dolly according to the instructions pro-
vided by the dolly manufacturer.
❒Release the parking brake.
54G212
TOWING METHOD A
FROM THE FRONT:
FRONT WHEELS ON A DOLLY
AND REAR WHEELS ON THE GROUND
TOWING INSTRUCTION TABLE
DRIVE TRAIN
2WD
4WD
including
2WD modeTOWING
METHOD
A
A B
B TRANSAXLE
A/T
M/T
M/T
54G641
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181
79J130
TOWING METHOD B
FROM THE FRONT:
FOUR WHEELS ON THE GROUND
B: 2WD (EXCEPT 2WD MODE
OF 4WD) VEHICLES WITH
MANUAL TRANSAXLE
❒Shift the manual transaxle lever into
neutral.
❒Turn the ignition key to the “ACC” po-
sition to unlock the steering wheel.
❒Release the parking brake.
IMPORTANT The steering column is not
strong enough to withstand shocks trans-
mitted from the front wheels during tow-
ing. Always unlock the steering wheel be-
fore towing.
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182
B: 4WD (INCLUDING 2WD
MODE OF 4WD) VEHICLES
WITH MANUAL TRANSAXLE
IMPORTANT Do not tow the 4WD vehi-
cle with either front wheels or rear wheels
directly on the ground (and the transaxle
in neutral). If you do, the transaxle will be
damaged fatally.
❒Shift the 2WD/4WD switch to the
“2WD” mode.
❒Shift the manual transaxle lever into
neutral.
❒Turn the ignition key to the “ACC”
position to unlock the steering wheel.
❒Release the parking brake.
IMPORTANT The steering column is
not strong enough to withstand shocks
transmitted from the front wheels dur-
ing towing. Always unlock the steering
wheel before towing.
79J175
79J176
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183
I I
N N
S S
P P
E E
C C
T T
I I
O O
N N
A A
N N
D D
M M
A A
I I
N N
T T
E E
N N
A A
N N
C C
E E
60G410
MAINTENANCE SCHEDULE................................................. 185
SERVICE SCHEDULE – PETROL VERSIONS ..................... 186
SERVICE SCHEDULE – DIESEL VERSIONS........................ 188
MAINTENANCE RECOMMENDED UNDER SEVERE
DRIVING CONDITIONS......................................................... 190
DRIVE BELT.................................................................................. 191
ENGINE OIL AND FILTER...................................................... 191
GEAR OIL...................................................................................... 195
AUTOMATIC TRANSAXLE (AT) FLUID ........................... 196
ENGINE COOLANT................................................................. 198
WINDSHIELD WASHER FLUID............................................ 201
AIR CLEANER.............................................................................. 201
SPARK PLUGS (Gasoline engine)........................................... 202
FUEL FILTER (Diesel engine).................................................... 204
BRAKES.......................................................................................... 205
STEERING ..................................................................................... 207
CLUTCH PEDAL........................................................................ 208
TIRES ............................................................................................... 208
BATTERY....................................................................................... 213
FUSES .............................................................................................. 215
BULB REPLACEMENT............................................................... 221
WINDSCREEN - REAR WINDOW WASHER/WIPERS 227
AIR CONDITIONING SYSTEM............................................. 230
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