2009 FIAT ULYSSE engine

DRIVING YOUR CAR
137
5)Wait for the warning light mto
go out. The hotter the engine is, the
quicker this will happen.
6)Turn the ignition key to Dimme-
diately after the mwarning light
goes out. If you wait too long, you will
lose the benefit of the work done by
the glow plugs. PROCEDURE FOR STARTING
1)Make sure the handbrake is up.
2)Put the gear lever in neutral.
3) Press down the clutch pedal.
4)Turn the ignition key to Mand in-
strument panel warning light mwill
come on.High current absorption electric de-
vices (climate control system, rear
heated window, etc.) are automatical-
ly deactivated during start-up.
If the engine does not start at the
first attempt, return the ignition key
to Sand then again to M. If it is still
impossible to start the engine, try with
the other key provided with the car.
If you are still unable to start the en-
gine, contact a Fiat Dealership.
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DRIVING YOUR CAR
138
HOW TO WARM UP
THE ENGINE AFTER
IT HAS JUST STARTED
– Begin to move forward slowly let-
ting the engine turning at medium revs.
Do not accelerate abruptly.
– Do not push the engine to its lim-
it for the first kilometres. You are rec-
ommended to wait until the water
temperature has reached 50° to 60°C.BUMP STARTING
For versions with a cat-
alytic converter, bump
starting by pushing, tow-
ing or rolling downhill must be
avoided at all costs. This ma-
noeuvre could cause a rush of fu-
el into the catalytic exhaust pipe
and damage it beyond repair.STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to Swhile the
engine is idling.
Remember that as long
as the engine is not run-
ning, the power brakes
and power steering do not work.
You therefore have to use con-
siderably more effort on both the
brake pedal and the steering
wheel than you would do other-
wise.
Gunning the accelerator
before turning off the en-
gine serves absolutely no
practical purpose, wastes fuel and
is damaging, particularly to tur-
bocharged engines.
IMPORTANTAfter a taxing drive,
it is better to allow the engine to
“catch its breath” before turning it off
by letting it idle to allow the temper-
ature in the engine compartment to
fall.
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DRIVING YOUR CAR
139
PARKING
Proceed as follows:
– turn the engine off;
– pull up the handbrake;
– put the vehicle in gear (1
stif the ve-
hicle is pointing uphill, reverse if down-
hill);
– leave the wheels steered to block
the vehicle in the event the handbrake
is released.
For vehicles with automatic elec-
tronic gearbox refer to “Getting to
know your car” chapter.
SAFE DRIVING
In designing the Ulysse, Fiat has made
every effort to come up with a vehicle
able to provide driver and passengers
with top-class levels of safety. Never-
theless it is always the behaviour of the
person at the wheel that determines
road safety.
Below you will find some simple tips
to help you travel in safety under dif-
ferent conditions. You will no doubt
be already familiar with many of them
but it will be useful to read them all
carefully. Do not leave the ignition
key at M to prevent drain-
ing the battery.
Never leave children un-
attended in the car. Al-
ways remove the ignition
key when leaving the car and take
it out with you.
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DRIVING YOUR CAR
140
BEFORE GETTING BEHIND
THE WHEEL
The main suggestions are the fol-
lowing:
– make sure all lights including the
headlights are working properly;
– adjust the position of the seat,
steering wheel, driving and door mir-
rors properly for the best driving po-
sition;
– adjust the head restraints careful-
ly so that they support the head and
not the neck;
– make sure that nothing (mats, etc.)
gets in the way of the pedals when
they are pushed down;
– make sure that any child restraint
systems (child seats, carriers, etc.) are
properly fixed, preferably on the back
seat as this is the safest place in the
event of an accident;– make sure that objects being trans-
ported are carefully arranged so they
will not fly forward if you have to
brake sharply;
– do not eat a heavy meal before
travelling. Light eating will help keep
your reflexes prompt. Above all, do
not have anything alcoholic to drink.
Using certain prescription drugs can
reduce your ability to drive: read in-
structions for use carefully.
Periodically, remember to check:
– tyre pressure and conditions;
– engine oil level;
– coolant level and conditions of the
system;
– brake fluid level;
– power steering fluid level;
– windscreen washer liquid level.WHEN TRAVELLING
The main suggestions are the fol-
lowing:
– the first rule of safe driving is pru-
dence. Prudence also means putting
yourself into a position where you can
predict wrong or imprudent behaviour
from other drivers;
– stick closely to the rules of the
road in the particular country where
the vehicle is being driven and, above
all, do not exceed speed limits;
– ensure that, besides yourself, all the
other passengers in the vehicle have
their seat belts fastened, that children
are sitting in the appropriate child
seats and any animals in the car are
placed in suitable compartments;
– you should be physically fit and
mentally alert before setting out on
long journeys;
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DRIVING YOUR CAR
141
Be careful when fitting
additional spoilers, light
alloy rims and optional
wheel caps: these devices could
reduce brake ventilation and ef-
ficiency in the event of repeated
and sudden braking or long
downhill drives.Never drive with objects
on the floor in front of the
driver’s seat. The objects
could get jammed under the ped-
als making braking or accelerat-
ing impossible.
Driving while drunk or
under the influence of
drugs or certain medi-
cines is dangerous for both you
and other road users.Pay attention to mats: if
you note even a small
problem in braking, the
pedal stroke may need to be ad-
justed.
Always fasten both front
and back seat belts, in-
cluding child restraint sys-
tems. Travelling with the seat
belts unfastened increases the
risk of injury or death if you are
in a collision.
Water, ice and road salt
may deposit on brake
discs making it difficult to
brake the first time this is neces-
sary.– do not drive too many hours at a
time but stop at intervals to stretch
your legs and recoup your energies;
– make sure the air in the vehicle is
being changed continuously;
– never coast downhill (i.e. with the
engine off): if you do, you lose the aid
of the engine brake, power brakes and
power steering, so that braking and
steering require greater effort.
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DRIVING YOUR CAR
143
Remember that fog also means the
tarmac is wet and therefore manoeu-
vres of all kinds are more difficult and
stopping distances are longer:
– keep a good distance from the cars
in front of you;
– when possible, avoid spurts of
speed or sudden deceleration;
– do not overtake other vehicles if
you can help it;
– if you are forced to stop your ve-
hicle (breakdown, limited visibility,
etc.), first try to stop off the road.
Then turn on the hazard lights and, if
possible, the dipped headlights;
– rhythmically sound the horn if you
realise another vehicle is approaching.DRIVING IN
THE MOUNTAINS
The main suggestions are the fol-
lowing:
– when driving downhill use the en-
gine brake by engaging a low gear so
as not to overheat the brakes;
– under no circumstances should you
drive downhill with the engine off or
with the vehicle in neutral, let alone
with the ignition key out;
– drive at moderate speed without
“cutting” corners;
– remember that overtaking while
going uphill is slower and therefore re-
quires more clear road. If you are be-
ing overtaken while driving uphill,
make it easier for the other vehicle
to pass. DRIVING IN FOG
If the fog is thick, do not start out on
a journey unless you absolutely have to.
If driving in mist, blanket fog or when
there is the danger of fog patches:
– keep your speed down;
– turn on the dipped headlights, rear
fog lights and front fog lights, if fitted,
even during the day. Do not drive with
your headlights at full-beam.
IMPORTANTOn stretches of
road with good visibility, switch off
your rear foglights; the brightness of
these lights could annoy the people
travelling in the cars behind.
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144
DRIVING WITH ABS
ABS is a part of the braking system
offering 2 advantages:
1)it prevents wheel lock-up and
consequent skidding in emergency
stops, particularly when the road does
not offer much grip;
2)it makes it possible to brake and
steer at the same time so you can
avoid sudden objects on the road and
direct the vehicle where you want
while braking; this compatibly with the
physical limits of overall tyre grip.To get the most out of ABS:
– during emergency stops or when
grip conditions are poor, you will feel
a slight pulsation on the brake pedal.
This is the sign that the ABS is in ac-
tion. Do not release the brake pedal
but continue to press so as not to in-
terrupt the braking action;
– ABS prevents the wheels from
locking but it does not increase actu-
al grip conditions between tyre and
road. Therefore, even if your vehicle
is fitted with ABS, respect the safety
distance from the vehicle in front of
you and keep your speed down when
driving into bends.
ABS serves to increase the control-
lability of the vehicle, not to enable you
to go faster. DRIVING ON SNOW AND ICE
The main suggestions are the fol-
lowing:
– keep you speed down;
– keep a good distance from the cars
in front of you;
– use chains if the roads are covered
in snow. See “Snow chains” in this
chapter;
– do not keep the engine running for
long periods in deep snow as the snow
could push exhaust gases into the pas-
senger compartment;
– mainly use the engine brake and un-
der all circumstances avoid braking
sharply;
– do not accelerate suddenly and
avoid swerving;
– in the winter, even apparently dry
roads may have icy patches. Be care-
ful therefore when driving over
stretches that do not get much expo-
sure to the sun or that are lined by
trees and rocks, where ice might not
have melted.
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146
DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine when the
vehicle is stationary or at high or low
revs: in this way the engine will warm
up gradually increasing consumption
and emissions. You should drive off
slowly straight away avoiding high revs
so that the engine will warm up more
quickly.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid revving the engine when
stopped at traffic lights or before
switching off the engine and avoid dou-
ble-clutching as these actions have no
purpose on modern vehicles and serve
only to increase consumption and pol-
lution.
Gear selections
As soon as the traffic and road con-
ditions allow it, shift to a higher gear.
Using a lower gear to liven up accel-
eration greatly increases consumption.
In the same way, improper use of the
higher gears will increase consump-
tion, emissions and wear and tear on
the engine.Top speeds
Fuel consumption increases consid-
erably as speed increases. For exam-
ple, when accelerating from 90 to
120 Kph, fuel consumption increases
by about +30%. Your speed should be
kept as even as possible and superflu-
ous braking and acceleration avoided
as this increases both consumption
and emissions. A “soft” way of driving
should be adopted by attempting to
anticipate manoeuvres to avoid immi-
nent danger and to keep a safe dis-
tance from the vehicle in front to
avoid braking sharply.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently increasing the
revs will greatly effect consumption
and emission: acceleration should be
gradual and not exceed the maximum
torque.CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short trips and frequent cold start-
ing will not enable the engine to reach
optimal running temperature (from
+15 to +30% in built up areas) as will
the production of toxic emissions.
Traffic and road conditions
Heavy traffic and higher consumption
are synonymous: for example, when
driving slowly with frequent use of
lower gears or in large towns where
there are numerous traffic lights.
Winding roads, mountain roads and
bumpy roads also have a negative ef-
fect on consumption.
Enforced halts
During prolonged stops (traffic lights,
level crossings, etc.) the engine should
be switched off.
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