2011 Abarth 500 Owner handbook (in English)

80
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒press the clutch pedal down to the
floor without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVVand let
it go the moment the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating starting.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, war-
ning light
Yremains lit together with
warning light Uturn the key to STOP
and then back to MAR; if the warning li-
ght remains on, try with the other keys
provided with the car.
If you still do not manage to start the en-
gine, go to an Abarth Dealership.
STARTING THE
ENGINE
The car is provided with an electronic en-
gine lock device: refer to “The Fiat CO-
DE system” paragraph in “Your car” if you
cannot start the engine.
The engine may be noisier during the first
seconds of operation, particularly after a
long period of inactivity. This does not im-
pair functionality and reliability and is typ-
ical of hydraulic tappets: the distribution
system selected for the petrol engines of
your car in order to limit the maintenance
required.
In the first period of use, we
recommend to avoid excessi-
ve stress for the car (for in-
stance excessive accelera-
tions, extended travel at maximum
speed, sudden braking etc.).
With engine off, do not leave
the key in the ignition switch
on MAR to prevent draining
the battery.
It is dangerous to have the
engine running in closed en-
vironments. The engine depletes the
oxygen and discharges carbon dioxi-
de, carbon monoxide and other toxic
gases.
WARNING
Remember that the servo-
brake and electric power
steering are not operational until the
engine has been started, therefore
more effort than usual is required on
the brake pedal and steering wheel.
WARNING
Never jump start the engine
by pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause a
flow of fuel into the catalytic
converter and damage it beyond re-
pair.

81
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever is located between
the two front seats.
Pull the lever upwards to operate the
handbrake.
PARKING THE CAR
Proceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the hand-
brake;
❒engage a gear (on a slope, engage first
gear if the car is faced uphill or rever-
se if it is faced downhill) and leave the
wheels steered.
If the car is parked on a steep slope, it is
further advisable to block the wheels with
a wedge or stone.
Do not leave the ignition key on MARto
prevent draining the battery. Always re-
move the key when you leave the car.
Never leave children unattended in the
car. Always remove the ignition key when
leaving the car and take it out with you. HOW TO WARM UP THE
ENGINE AFTER IT HAS JUST
STARTED
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly, letting the engine turn
at medium speed. Do not accelerate
abruptly;
❒do not demand maximum performan-
ce for the first few kilometres. Wait un-
til the engine coolant temperature gau-
ge starts moving.
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOPwhile the en-
gine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, you
should allow the engine to “catch its
breath” before turning it off by letting it
idle to allow the temperature in the engi-
ne compartment to fall.
A quick burst on the accele-
rator before turning off the
engine serves absolutely no
practical purpose, it wastes
fuel and is damaging especially to tur-
bocharged engines.The car must be braked after
a few snaps of the lever,
otherwise, contact the Abarth Dea-
lership for regulation.
WARNING
When the handbrake lever is pulled up
and the ignition key is on MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
xwill turn
on.
Proceed as follows to release the hand-
brake:
❒slightly lift the handbrake and press re-
lease button A-fig. 1;
❒hold button Apressed and lower the
lever. Warning light xon the instru-
ment panel will go out.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out
this operation to prevent the car from
moving accidentally.
fig. 1
A
F0S076Ab

82
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
CONTAINING
RUNNING COSTS
Here are some useful tips to save fuel and
minimize polluting emissions of CO
2and
other pollutants (nitric oxide, unburnt hy-
drocarbons, fine dusts etc…).
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out
in accordance with the “Service schedule”.
Tyres
Check tyre pressure regularly at least on-
ce every four weeks: excessively low pres-
sure will increase consumption because
rolling resistance will be higher.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with an overloaded boot.
Do not travel with too much luggage
stowed in the boot. The weight of the car
(especially when driving in town) and its
trim greatly affect consumption and stabi-
lity.
USING THE MANUAL
GEARBOX
To engage the gears, press the clutch pe-
dal fully and shift the gear lever into one
of the required positions (the diagram is
shown on the knob fig. 2).
IMPORTANT Reverse may only be enga-
ged when the car is at a standstill. With
the engine running, wait for at least 2 se-
conds with the clutch pedal fully pressed
before engaging reverse to prevent da-
mage to the gears and grating.
In addition, to assist the transmission of the
drive torque, a limit on the engine revs du-
ring take off at 2700 rpm can be noticed.
When the clutch pedal is released and the
vehicle is being driven, the engine revs re-
striction is disabled.
To engage reverse gear Rfrom neutral,
move the lever to the right and then
backwards.
IMPORTANT The clutch pedal must be
used for gear shift only. Never drive with
the foot resting, even if slightly, on the
clutch pedal. For versions/markets, whe-
re provided, the clutch pedal control elec-
tronics can intervene interpreting the
wrong drive style as a faultPress the clutch pedal fully to
change gears correctly. For
this reason, there must be no
obstacles on the floor under
the pedals: ensure that rubber mats (if
any) are correctly positioned, not in-
terfering with the pedals.
Do not drive with the hand
resting on the gear lever, be-
cause this pressure, even if light, over
time can wear gear inner compo-
nents.
WARNING
fig. 2
1
23
45
R
24R351
A
F0S077Ab

83
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Accessories fitted on
longitudinal bars
If not used, remove from the roof acces-
sories such as: longitudinal bars, ski rack,
luggage rack, etc. These accessories de-
crease aerodynamic penetration of the car
and have a negative effect on consumption.
It is better to use a trailer to transport
particularly bulky objects.
Electric devices
Use electric devices only for the amount
of time needed. Rear heated window, ad-
ditional headlights, windscreen wipers and
heater fan need a considerable amount of
energy, therefore increasing the require-
ment of current increases fuel consump-
tion (up to +25% in the urban cycle).Climate control
The climate control system leads to higher
fuel consumption (up to +20% on avera-
ge): use air vents only when the external
temperature allows to.
Spoilers
The use of non-certified aerodynamic
items may adversely affect air drag and
consumption levels.DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine up with the car
standing: the engine warms up very slowly
in these conditions, increasing consump-
tion and emissions. It is advisable to start
off immediately and slowly keeping the en-
gine speed down: the engine will warm up
much faster this way.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid revving up when starting at traffic
lights or before stopping the engine. The
latter action, like doubling the clutch, is un-
necessary and causes increase of con-
sumption and pollution.
Gear selection
Use a higher gear as soon as traffic and
road conditions allow. Using a low gear
for faster acceleration will increase con-
sumption.
In the same way improper use of a high
gear increases consumption, emissions an
engine wear.

84
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short distances and frequent cold start-ups
will prevent the engine from reaching op-
timal running temperature. Consequently,
both consumption (from +15 to +30% on
urban cycle ) and emissions will increase.
Traffic and road conditions
Rather high consumption is caused by
heavy traffic, for instance when travelling
in a queue with frequent use of low gears
or in cities with many traffic lights. Moun-
tain and rough roads also have a negative
effect on consumption.
Traffic hold-ups
During prolonged hold-ups (level crossings)
the engine should be switched off.SNOW TYRES
Use snow tyres of the same size as the
normal tyres provided with the car.
Abarth Dealership will be happy to pro-
vide advice concerning the most suitable
type of tyre for the customer’s require-
ments.
For the type of tyre to be used, inflation
pressures and the specifications of snow
tyres, follow the instructions given in pa-
ragraph “Wheels” in section “Technical
specifications”.
The performance of these tyres is consi-
derably reduced when the tread thickness
is less than 4 mm. Replace them in this ca-
se.
Due to their specific features, the perfor-
mance of snow tyres is much lower than
that of normal types in normal conditions
or long motorway stretches. Limit perfor-
mance according to the use for which they
were approved. Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases
as speed increases. Keep your speed as
even as possible, avoiding unnecessary
braking and acceleration which cause ex-
cessive fuel consumption and increase
emissions.
Acceleration
Sudden acceleration has a very negative
effect on consumptions and emissions: ac-
celerate gradually.

85
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
SNOW CHAINS
Use of snow chains should be in com-
pliance with local regulations.
The snow chains may be applied only on-
to the front wheel tyres (drive wheels).
Check the tension of the chains after the
first few metres have been driven. IMPORTANT When snow tyres are used
with a max speed index below the one
that can be reached by the car (increased
by 5%), place a notice in the passenger’s
compartment, plainly in the driver’s view
which states the max permissible speed of
the snow tyres (as per EC Directive).
All four tyres should be the same (brand
and track) to ensure greater safety when
driving and braking and better driveability.
Remember that it is inappropriate to chan-
ge the direction of rotation of tyres.
EXTENDED
CAR INACTIVITY
If the car is to be left inactive for longer
than a month, the following precautions
should be noted:
❒park the car in covered, dry and if pos-
sible well-ventilated premises;
❒engage a gear;
❒check that the handbrake is not enga-
ged;
❒disconnect battery negative terminal
and check charge (see paragraph “Bat-
tery - Charge and electrolyte level
check” in chapter “Maintenance and ca-
re”)
❒clean and protect the painted parts
using protective wax;
Snow tyre maximum speed
with “Q” mark must not ex-
ceed 160 km/h, respecting however
the applicable rules of the Highway
Code.
WARNINGKeep your speed down when
snow chains are fitted. Do
not exceed 50 km/h. Avoid potholes,
steps and pavements and avoid also
to drive for long distances on roads
not covered with snow to prevent da-
maging the car and the roadbed.
WARNING

86
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
❒inflate tyres to +0.5 bar above the nor-
mal specified pressure and check it at
intervals;
❒do not drain the engine cooling system.
❒clean and protect the shiny metal parts
using special compounds readily avai-
lable;
❒sprinkle talcum powder on the rubber
windscreen and rear window wiper bla-
des and lift them off the glass;
❒slightly open the windows;
❒cover the car with a fabric or perfora-
ted plastic sheet. Do not use compact
plastic sheets which do not allow hu-
midity to evaporate from the surface of
the car.

87
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
GENERAL WARNINGS ..................................................... 88
LOW BRAKE FLUID............................................................ 88
HANDBRAKE ON................................................................ 88
AIR BAG FAILURE................................................................ 88
FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG DEACTIVATED........... 89
HOT ENGINE COOLANT................................................ 89
LOW BATTERY CHARGE................................................. 90
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE......................................................... 90
EBD SYSTEM FAILURE........................................................ 90
LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE.......................................... 90
“DUALDRIVE” ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING FAILURE ............................................................ 91
INCOMPLETE DOOR LOCKING.................................... 91
ENGINE EOBD / INJECTION
CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE ......................................... 91
FUEL RESERVE....................................................................... 92
FIAT CODE PROTECTION
SYSTEM FAILURE.................................................................. 92
REAR FOG LIGHTS.............................................................. 92
GENERIC FAILURE INDICATION ................................. 93
ENGINE OIL PRESSURE SENSOR FAILURE.................. 93
FUEL CUT-OFF INERTIAL SWITCH
INTERVENTION................................................................... 93
EXTERNAL LIGHTS FAILURE .......................................... 93ESP SYSTEM FAILURE ........................................................ 93
HILL HOLDER FAILURE .................................................... 93
SIDELIGHTS AND LOW BEAMS..................................... 93
FOLLOW ME HOME........................................................... 93
FRONT FOG LIGHTS ........................................................ 94
LEFT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR........................ 94
RIGHT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR.................... 94
SPORT FUNCTION ACTIVATION................................. 94
MAIN BEAM HEADLIGHTS............................................... 94
POSSIBLE ICE ON THE ROAD.........................................94
SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED .................................................. 94
LIMITED RANGE ................................................................. 94
BRAKE PAD WEAR ............................................................ 94
SEAT BELTS NOT FASTENED.......................................... 94
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