2010 FIAT PUNTO EVO servicing and care

154
KNOWING
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AND DRIVING
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AND MESSAGES
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SERVICING
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
SAVING FUEL
Here are some suggestions which may help you to save fu-
el and reduce the amount of toxic emissions released in-
to the atmosphere.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out in accordance
with the “Scheduled Servicing Plan”.
Tyres
Check the tyre pressures at least once every 4 weeks: if
the pressure is too low, consumption levels increase as re-
sistance to rolling is higher.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with an overloaded boot. The weight of
the car (especially when driving in town) and its arrange-
ment greatly affect fuel consumption and stability.
Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or ski rack from the roof after use.
These accessories decrease aerodynamic penetration and
have a negative effect on fuel consumption. It is better to
use a trailer to transport particularly bulky objects.Electrical devices
Use electrical devices only for the amount of time need-
ed. The heated rear window, auxiliary headlights, wind-
screen wipers and fan heater use up a considerable amount
of current, causing increased fuel consumption (up to
+25% in the urban cycle).
Air conditioning
Air conditioning leads to higher fuel consumption (on av-
erage up to +20%). If the temperature outside is not too
extreme, try and use the air vents.
Spoilers
The use of non-certified spoilers may adversely affect aero-
dynamics and fuel consumption.
DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm up the engine at low or high revs when the
vehicle is stationary; this causes the engine to warm up more
slowly, thereby increasing fuel consumption and emissions.
It is advisable to set off immediately and slowly, avoiding high
revs: this allows the engine to warm up more quickly.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid revving up when stationary at traffic lights or before
stopping the engine. The latter action, like double de-
clutching, is entirely unnecessary and causes increased fu-
el consumption and pollution.
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155
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
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EMERGENCY
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AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
Gear selection
Use a higher gear as soon as traffic and road conditions al-
low. Using a low gear for faster acceleration will increase
fuel consumption. In the same way, improper use of a high
gear increases consumption, emissions and engine wear.
Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases as speed in-
creases. Keep your speed as even as possible, avoiding un-
necessary braking and acceleration, which cause excessive
fuel consumption and increased emissions.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently severely affects consumption and
emissions: acceleration should be gradual and should not
exceed the maximum torque.CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short distances and frequent cold start-ups will prevent the
engine from reaching optimal running temperature. Con-
sequently, both fuel consumption (from +15 to +30% on
the urban cycle) and emissions will increase.
Traffic and road conditions
Heavy traffic, for instance when travelling in a queue with
frequent use of low gears or in cities with lots of traffic
lights, causes fairly high fuel consumption. Mountain roads
and uneven surfaces also have a negative effect on con-
sumption.
Traffic hold-ups
During prolonged hold-ups (e.g. at level crossings) the en-
gine should be switched off.
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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.
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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.
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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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158
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Assembly diagram fig. 149
The tow hook structure must be fas-
tened at the points marked by
Øus-
ing a total of 6 M10 screws.
The internal back plates should be at
least 6 mm thick.
The hook should be fastened to the
body avoiding any type of drilling of
the rear bumper that remains visible
when the hook is removed.
IMPORTANT It is compulsory to at-
tach a label (plainly visible) of suitable
size and material at the same level as
the hitch ball, with the following
wording:
MAX LOAD ON BALL 60 kg
After assembly, the screw
holes should be sealed to
prevent exhaust gases getting in.
WARNING
fig. 149F0U0132m
Existing
hole
Existing
screw
Existing screw
Existing
holeExisting
hole
Existing hole
Standard ball
Laden
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159
KNOWING
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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
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❒clean and protect the painted parts using protective
wax;
❒clean and protect the shiny metal parts using special
compounds readily available;
❒sprinkle talcum powder on the rubber windscreen
and rear window wiper blades and lift them off the
glass;
❒open the windows slightly;
❒cover the car with a fabric or perforated plastic sheet.
Do not use compact plastic sheets which do not allow
humidity to evaporate from the surface of the car;
❒inflate tyres to a pressure of +0.5 bar above the nor-
mal specified pressure and check regularly;
❒if you don’t disconnect the battery from the electrical
system, check its charge every month and recharge it
if the indicator shows a dark colour without the cen-
tral green area;
❒do not drain the engine cooling system.
IMPORTANT Where relevant, switch off the car alarm
with the remote control.
CAR INACTIVITY
If the car is to be left inactive for longer than a month,
the following precautions should be observed:
❒park the car in covered, dry and, if possible, well-ven-
tilated premises;
❒engage a gear;
❒check that the handbrake is engaged;
❒disconnect the clip for the negative battery terminal
and check battery charge. Repeat this check once
every three months during storage. Recharge the
battery if the indicator is dark and the middle area is
not green;
160
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
16” and 17” tyres cannot be fitted with
chains.
WARNING
Keep your speed down when snow chains
are fitted: do not exceed 50 km/h. Avoid
potholes, steps and pavements, and do
not drive for long distances on roads not
covered with snow to prevent damaging
the car and the road surface.
WARNING
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161
WARNING LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
GENERAL WARNINGS
Warning lights are accompanied by a specific message
and/or sound when applicable. These indications are brief
and precautionary and as such must not be considered as
exhaustive and/or alternative to the information contained
in the Owner’s Handbook, which you are recommended
to read carefully in all cases. Always refer to the informa-
tion in this chapter in the event of a failure indication.
IMPORTANT The fault indicators appearing on the dis-
play are divided into two categories: very serious and less
serious failures.
Serious failures prompt a prolonged cycle of signals.
Less serious failures prompt a shorter cycle of signals.
Press MENU ESC to stop the warning cycle in both cas-
es. Warning lights on the instrument panel will stay on un-
til the cause of the failure is eliminated.
For messages relevant to the versions equipped with
a Dualogic gearbox, see the attached Supplement.
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
WARNING LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
If the warning light xturns on when trav-
elling (on certain versions together with
the message on the display) stop the car imme-
diately and contact a Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
BRAKE FLUID LOW (red)
HANDBRAKE ENGAGED (red)
When the ignition key is moved to MAR posi-
tion, the warnintg light turns on but should go off
after a few seconds.
Brake fluid low
The warning light turns on when the level of the brake flu-
id in the reservoir falls below the minimum level, possi-
bly due to a leak in the circuit.
On some versions the display shows the associated mes-
sage.
x
Handbrake engaged
The warning light turns on when the handbrake is on.
If the car is moving, an audible warning will also sound on
certain versions.
IMPORTANT If the warning light turns on when travel-
ling, check that the handbrake is not engaged.
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