REFUELLING
Petrol engines: only refuel the car with unleaded
petrol with an octane rating (RON) of no less than 95
conforming to the European specification EN 228.
The use of petrol that does not conform to the above-
mentioned specification may cause the EOBD warning light
to switch on and the irregular operation of the engine.
Diesel engines: only refuel the car using diesel fuel that
conforms to European specification EN590.
STARTING THE ENGINE
Make sure that the handbrake is properly applied; place the
gear lever in neutral; fully depress the clutch pedal, with-
out pressing the accelerator, then turn the ignition key to
the MAR position and wait for the
Yand mwarning
lights to switch off (diesel versions); turn the ignition key to
the AVV position and release it as soon as the engine starts.
PARKING ON FLAMMABLE MATERIAL
The catalytic converter reaches high temperatures dur-
ing operation. Do not park the on grass, dry leaves, pine
needles or other flammable material: fire hazard.
RESPECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
The car is fitted with a system that carries out a con-
tinuous diagnosis of the emission-related components
in order to help protect the environment.ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES
If, after buying the car, you decide to add electrical ac-
cessories (with the risk of gradually draining the bat-
tery), visit a Fiat Dealership. They can calculate the over-
all electrical requirement and check that the car’s elec-
trical system can support the required load.
CODE card
Keep this in a safe place, not in the car. You should have
the electronic code from the CODE card with you at
all times.
SCHEDULED SERVICING
Correct maintenance of the car is essential for ensuring it
stays in tip-top condition and safeguards its safety features,
its environmental friendliness and low running costs for
a long time to come.
THE OWNER’S HANDBOOK CONTAINS…
... information, tips and important warnings on the cor-
rect use and maintenance of your car over time as
well as safe driving tips. Pay special attention to the sym-
bols
"(personal safety) #(environmental protection)
!(the car’s wellbeing).
READ THIS CAREFULLY!
K
001-036 PUNTO FL EN 4ed 18-01-2010 12:21 Pagina 2
THE FIAT CODE SYSTEM
This is an electrical engine locking system which increases
protection against an attempted theft of the car. It is auto-
matically activated when the ignition key is extracted.
Each key contains an electronic device which modulates
the signal emitted during ignition by an antenna built into
the ignition device. This signal is the ‘password’ which
changes at each ignition and which the control unit uses
to recognise the key and enable ignition.
OPERATION
Each time the vehicle is started by turning the ignition key
to MAR, the Fiat CODE system control unit sends a recog-
nition code to the engine control unit to deactivate the
immobiliser.
The code is sent only if the Fiat CODE system control unit
has recognised the code transmitted from the key.
Each time the ignition key is turned to STOP, the Fiat
CODE system deactivates the functions of the engine con-
trol unit.
If the code is not recognised correctly during ignition, the
Ywarning light comes on in the instrument panel.
SYMBOLS
Special coloured labels have been attached near or actu-
ally on some of the components of your Fiat Punto. These
labels bear symbols that remind you of the precautions
to be taken as regards that particular component.
A plate summarising the symbols used can be found under
the bonnet fig. 2.
F0U0002mfig. 2
CONTENTS TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSSERVICING
AND CAREIN AN
EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGESSTARTING
AND DRIVINGSAFETY
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
4
001-036 PUNTO FL EN 4ed 18-01-2010 12:21 Pagina 4
THE KEYS
CODE CARD fig. 3
(available on request for versions/markets where pro-
vided)
The car is delivered with two copies of the ignition key
and with the CODE card, which bears the following:
A the electronic code;
B the mechanical key code to be given to the Fiat Deal-
ership when ordering duplicate keys.
You should have the electronic code A-fig. 3 with you at
all times.
IMPORTANT In order to ensure complete efficiency of
the electronic devices inside the keys, they should never
be exposed to direct sunlight. In this case turn the key to STOP and then to MAR; if the
lock persists try again with the spare set of keys. Contact
a Fiat Dealership if you still cannot start the engine.
Warning light
Ycomes on when driving
❒If the warning light Yturns on, this means that the
system is running a self-test (for example for a voltage
drop).
❒If the warning light Ystays on, contact a Fiat Dealer-
ship.
The electronic components inside the key
may be damaged if the key is subjected to
sharp knocks.
F0U0003mfig. 3
CONTENTS TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS SERVICING
AND CARE IN AN
EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES STARTING
AND DRIVING SAFETY
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
5
001-036 PUNTO FL EN 4ed 18-01-2010 12:21 Pagina 5
Used batteries are harmful to the environ-
ment. You can dispose of them either in the
correct containers as specified by law or by
taking them to a Fiat Dealership, which will deal
with their disposal.REPLACING THE REMOTE CONTROL COVER
fig. 7
To replace the remote control cover, follow the proce-
dure shown in the diagram.
Requesting additional remote controls
The system acknowledges up to 8 remote controls. Should
a new remote control be necessary, contact a Fiat Deal-
ership, taking with you the CODE card, a personal iden-
tity document and the car’s ownership documents.
fig. 7F0U0007m
CONTENTS TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSSERVICING
AND CAREIN AN
EMERGENCY WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGESSTARTING
AND DRIVINGSAFETY
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
8
001-036 PUNTO FL EN 4ed 18-01-2010 12:21 Pagina 8
103
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
SYSTEM INTERVENTION
The driver can tell the ABS system has come into action
because the brake pedal pulsates slightly and the system
gets noisier: it means that the vehicle speed should be al-
tered to suit the type of road surface.ABS SYSTEM
If you have never driven a vehicle with ABS before, it is ad-
visable to perform a few tests on slippery ground, always
in safe conditions and respecting the highway code of the
country where you are driving. Read the following infor-
mation carefully.
This system, which is an integral part of the braking sys-
tem, prevents one or more wheels from locking and skid-
ding on all road surface conditions, irrespective of the in-
tensity of the braking action, ensuring that the vehicle can
be controlled even during emergency braking.
The system is completed by EBD (Electronic Braking Force
Distribution), which distributes the braking action between
the front and rear wheels.
IMPORTANT For the maximum efficiency of the braking
system, a bedding-in period of about 500 km is needed (for
a new vehicle or after having replaced the brake
pads/discs): during this period it is better to avoid sharp,
repeated and prolonged braking.
The ABS system gets the most out of the
available grip but it cannot improve it.
Therefore, you should take great care when
driving on slippery surfaces: don’t take unneces-
sary risks.
WARNING
If the ABS cuts in, it is a sign that the grip
between tyre and the road surface has
reached the limit: you must slow down to match
the speed to the road grip available.
WARNING
FAILURE INDICATIONS
ABS failure
ABS failure is indicated by warning light >coming on on
the instrument panel together with the dedicated message
on the multifunction display (where provided), (see “Warn-
ing lights and messages”).
In this case, the braking system will work as normal, but
without the extra capacity offered by the ABS system. Dri-
ve carefully to the nearest Fiat Dealership to have the sys-
tem checked.
EBD failure
EBD failure is indicated by warning lights >and xcom-
ing on on the instrument panel together with the dedicated
message on the multifunction display (where provided),
(see section “Warning lights and messages”).
082-128 PUNTO FL EN 4ed 20-01-2010 15:06 Pagina 103
109
EOBD SYSTEM
The EOBD system (European On Board Diagnosis) pro-
vides a continuous diagnosis of the car’s emission-related
components.
It also alerts the driver, by way of warning light Ulight-
ing up on the instrument panel (together with the relevant
message on the multifunction display, where provided) (see
section “Warning lights and messages”), when these com-
ponents are no longer in peak condition.
The goal of the system is to:
❒keep the system efficiency under control;
❒warn when a fault causes emissions levels to increase;
❒warn of the need to replace non-performing compo-
nents.
The system also has a connector that can be interfaced
with appropriate equipment, which makes it possible to
read the error codes stored in the control unit, together
with a series of specific parameters for engine operation
and diagnosis. This check can also be carried out by traf-
fic police.
IMPORTANT After eliminating the problem, to check the
system completely, Fiat Dealerships run a bench test and,
if necessary, road tests which may also call for a long jour-
ney.
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
Go to a Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble if warning light
Ueither does not light
up when the key is turned to MAR or comes
on permanently or flashes while travelling (along
with a message on the multifunction display, where
provided). The operation of the
Uwarning light
may be checked by traffic police using appropriate
equipment. Respect the regulations in force in the
country where you are driving.
082-128 PUNTO FL EN 4ed 20-01-2010 15:06 Pagina 109
149
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR PETROL
VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is on;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒fully depress the clutch pedal without touching the ac-
celerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVV and let it go the moment
the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first attempt, return
the ignition key to STOP before repeating the procedure.
STARTING THE ENGINE
The car is fitted with an electronic engine lock device: if
the engine fails to start, see the paragraph on “The Fiat
CODE system” in the “Dashboard and controls” section.
The engine may be noisier during the first few seconds of
operation, particularly after a long period of inactivity. This
is a feature of hydraulic tappets, the timing system cho-
sen to reduce the number of servicing interventions, and
effects neither functionality nor reliability.
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
STARTING AND DRIVING
It is dangerous to let the engine run in en-
closed spaces. The engine consumes oxy-
gen and produces carbon dioxide, carbon monox-
ide and other toxic gases.
WARNING
In the first period of use, we recommend
that you do not demand maximum perfor-
mance from the car (e.g. excessive accel-
eration, extended travel at maximum revs, heavy
braking etc.).
With the engine off, do not leave the
key in the ignition to prevent draining the
battery.
Remember that the brake booster and
power steering are not operational until
the engine has been started, therefore you need
to apply much more force than usual to the brake
pedal and steering wheel.
WARNING
149-160 PUNTO FL EN 4ed 20-01-2010 14:37 Pagina 149
159
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
SNOW TYRES
Use snow tyres of the same size as the normal tyres pro-
vided with the car.
A Fiat Dealership will be happy to provide advice con-
cerning the most suitable type of tyre for the customer’s
requirements.
For the type, pressures and specifications of the snow tyre
to be used, follow carefully the instructions given in the
“Wheels” paragraph of the “Technical specifications” sec-
tion.
The performance of these tyres is considerably reduced
when the tread depth is less than 4 mm. If this is the case,
replace them.
Due to their specific features, the performance of snow
tyres is much lower than that of standard tyres in normal
conditions or on long motorway stretches. You should
therefore use them only in the conditions for which they
were designed.
IMPORTANT When using snow tyres with a maximum
speed index below the one that can be reached by the
car (increased by 5%), place a notice in the passenger com-
partment, plainly in view, which states the maximum speed
allowed by the snow tyres (as per EC Directive).
All four tyres should be the same (brand and profile) to
ensure greater safety when driving and braking as well as
making the car more responsive.
Remember that you should not change the rotation di-
rection of the tyres.
SNOW CHAINS
The use of snow chains should be in compliance with lo-
cal regulations. Snow chains may be fitted only to the front
wheel tyres (drive wheels). Use of Lineaccessori Fiat snow
chains is recommended. Check the tension of the chains
after the first few metres have been driven.
IMPORTANT When the snow chains are on, use the ac-
celerator with extreme care to prevent, or to limit as much
as possible, the driving wheels from skidding. This could
cause the chains to break, resulting in damage to the ve-
hicle body or mechanical components.
IMPORTANT Snow chains can only be fitted on 15”
tyres. Use compact 9-mm snow chains.
The maximum speed for snow tyres
marked “Q” is 160 km/h, while it is 190
km/h for “T” tyres and 210 km/h for “H” tyres.
You should, however, always stick to the speed
limits of the highway code.
WARNING
149-160 PUNTO FL EN 4ed 20-01-2010 14:37 Pagina 159