107
CORRECT USE
OF THE
VEHICLE
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
PASSENGER’S FRONT AIR BAG
fig. 17
(for versions/markets, where provided)
It consists of an instant-inflating cushion
contained into a special recess in the
dashboard, this cushion has a volume big-
ger than that of the driver.
fig. 16F0P0606m
fig. 17F0P0114m
In minor crashes (for which the restrain-
ing action of the seat belts is sufficient),
the air bags are not deployed. Also in this
case it is of vital importance to wear the
seat belts since in case of side crash they
guarantee proper positioning of the oc-
cupant and prevent the occupants to be
pitched out of the vehicle in case of vio-
lent crashes.
DRIVER’S FRONT AIR BAG fig. 16
It consists of an instant-inflating cushion
contained in a special recess in the cen-
tre of the steering wheel.
Do not apply stickers or oth-
er objects to the steering
wheel or to the air bag cover on the
passenger’s side or on the side roof
lining. Never put objects (e.g. mobile
phones) on the dashboard on pas-
senger side since they could interfere
with proper air bag inflation and al-
so cause serious injury.
WARNINGAt their maximum inflation, the front air
bags volume fills most of the space be-
tween driver and steering wheel and be-
tween dashboard and passenger.
In case of crash, a person not wearing the
seat belt moves forward and may come in-
to contact with the cushion while it is still
inflating. Under this circumstance the pro-
tection offered by the air bag is reduced.
Front air bag may not be activated in the
following situations:
❒ in collisions against highly deformable
objects not affecting the vehicle front
surface (e.g. bumper collision against
guard rail, heaps of gravel, etc.);
❒in case of wedging under other vehicles
or protective barriers (for example un-
der a truck or guard rail), the air bag
is not triggered as it offers no additional
protection compared with the seat
belts, consequently it would be point-
less. Therefore, failure to come into ac-
tion in the above circumstance does
not mean that the system is not work-
ing properly.
111
CORRECT USE
OF THE
VEHICLE
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
Never rest head, arms and
elbows on the door, on the
windows and in the window bag area
to prevent possible injuries during in-
flation phase.
WARNING
Never lean head, arms and
elbows out of window.
WARNING
GENERAL WARNINGS
If when turning the key to M
the warning light ¬does not
turn on or if it stays on when travel-
ling there could be a failure in safety
systems; in this event air bags or pre-
tensioners could not trigger in case of
impact or, in a minor number of cas-
es, they could trigger accidentally.
Contact Fiat Dealership immediately
to have the system checked.
WARNING
Do not cover the backrest of
front and rear seats with
trims or covers that are not suitable
to be used with side bags.
WARNING
Never travel with objects on
your lap, in front of your
chest or with a pipe, pencil, etc. be-
tween your lips; injury may result in
the event of the air bag being trig-
gered.
WARNINGIMPORTANT The triggering of preten-
sioners, front air bags and side bags is de-
cided in a differentiated manner by the
electronic control unit, depending on the
type of crash. The failure to deploy one or
more of them does not mean that the sys-
tem is not working properly.
Always keep your hands on
the steering wheel rim when
driving, so that if the air bag is trig-
gered, it can inflate without meeting
any obstacles which could cause seri-
ous harm to you. Do not drive with
the body bent forwards, keep the seat
back rest in the erect position and
lean your back well against it.
WARNING
114
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE VEHICLE
ENGINE STARTING
The vehicle is fitted with an electronic en-
gine lock device: if the engine fails to start,
see the paragraph “The Fiat CODE sys-
tem” in section “Dashboard and controls”.
The engine may be noisier than usual dur-
ing the first seconds of operation, espe-
cially after it has not been used for a while.
This characteristic feature does not com-
promise functionality or reliability of the
hydraulic tappets: the timing system de-
vised to limit servicing.
We recommend that during
the initial period you do not
drive to full vehicle perfor-
mance (e.g.: excessive accel-
eration, long journeys at top speed,
sharp braking, etc.).
When the engine is switched
off never leave the key into
the ignition switch to prevent
pointless current absorption
from draining the battery.
Running the engine in con-
fined areas is extremely dan-
gerous. The engine consumes oxygen
and produces carbon monoxide
which is a highly toxic and lethal gas.
WARNING
Remember that the servo-
brake and power steering
are not operational until the engine
has been started, therefore much ef-
fort than usual is required on the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
WARNING
Dashboard and controls
Proceed as follows:
❒Ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒Put the gear lever into neutral;
❒Turn the ignition key to M: the warn-
ing light
mon the instrument panel
display will turn on;
❒Wait for the warning light mto turn
off. The hotter the engine is, the quick-
er this will happen;
❒Press the clutch pedal down to the
floor without touching the accelerator;
❒Turn the ignition key to Das soon as
warning light
mgoes out. If you wait
too long you will lose the benefit of the
work done by the glow plugs. Release
the key as soon as the engine starts.
115
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE VEHICLE
If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to Sbefore
repeating starting.
If, when the ignition key is at M, the dis-
play warning light
mremains lit, turn the
key to Sand then back to M; if the warn-
ing lights remain on, try with the other
keys provided with the vehicle.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
to Mwhen the engine is off.
The warning light m will flash
for 60 seconds at start-up or
during prolonged cranking to
indicate a fault in the glow
plug heating system. You can use the
vehicle as usual if the engine starts but
you should contact Fiat Dealership as
soon as possible.
HOW TO WARM UP THE
ENGINE AFTER IT HAS JUST
STARTED
Proceed as follows:
❒Drive off slowly, letting the engine turn
at medium revs. Do not accelerate
abruptly;
❒Do not drive at full performance for the
initial kilometres. Wait until the coolant
temperature gauge starts moving.
Remember that the servo-
brake and power steering are
not operational until the en-
gine has been started, there-
fore much effort than usual is required
on the brake pedal and steering wheel.
Never bump start the engine
by pushing, towing or coast-
ing downhill as this could
cause fuel to flow into the
catalytic exhaust system and damage
it beyond repair.
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to Swhile 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 en-
gine compartment to fall.
A quick burst on the acceler-
ator before turning off the en-
gine serves absolutely no
practical purpose, it wastes
fuel and is damaging especially to tur-
bocharged engines.
127
IN AN
EMERGENCY
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
VEHICLE
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING FAILURE
(amber)
Turning the ignition key to Mthe warn-
ing light turns on, but it should go off
after few seconds.
If the warning light stays on, you will not
have the steering assistance and the
effort on the steering wheel will be
increased, steering is however possible.
Contact Fiat Dealership.
If warning light vflashes,
contact Fiat Dealership im-
mediately to have oil changed and in-
strument panel warning light turned
off.
WARNING
»
INCOMPLETE DOOR
LOCKING (red)
The warning light lights up, on
some versions, when one or more
doors are not perfectly closed.
If the warning light lights up; check that
the passenger compartment, the side,
rear and the engine casing doors are
closed.
A buzzer will sound when doors are
open and the vehicle is moving.
9
ENGINE STARTING
JUMP STARTING fig. 1
If the battery is flat, it is possible to start
the engine using an auxiliary battery with
the same capacity or a little higher than
the flat one.
134
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
VEHICLE
IN AN
EMERGENCY
Proceed as follows:
❒Connect positive terminals (+near the
terminal) of the two batteries with a
jump lead;
❒With a second lead, connect the negative
terminal (–) of the auxiliary battery to an
earthing point
Eon the engine or the
gearbox of the vehicle to be started;
❒ Start the engine;
❒ When the engine has been started, re-
move the leads reversing the order
above.
If after a few attempts the engine does not
start, do not insist but contact the near-
est Fiat Dealership.IMPORTANT Do not directly connect the
negative terminals of the two batteries:
sparks could ignite the flammable gas from
the battery. If the other battery is fitted in
another vehicle, prevent accidental con-
tacts between the metal parts of the two
vehicles.
BUMP STARTING
Never bump start the engine (by pushing,
towing, or coasting downhill) as this could
cause fuel to flow into the catalytic ex-
haust system and damage it beyond repair.
IMPORTANT Remember that the brake
booster and the power steering system
are not operating until the engine is start-
ed, a greater effort will therefore be re-
quired to press the brake pedal or to turn
the steering wheel.
fig. 1F0P0186m
The starting procedure must
be carried out by qualified
personnel because incorrect opera-
tions may cause electrical discharge of
considerable intensity. The liquid con-
tained in the battery is poisonous and
corrosive. Avoid contact with the skin
and eyes. Keep naked flames and light-
ed cigarettes away from the battery
and do not cause sparks.
WARNING
152
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
VEHICLE
IN AN
EMERGENCY
fig. 26
A
F0P0243m
Do not start the engine
when towing the vehicle.
WARNING
Before screwing the drawbar
eye, carefully clean the rela-
tive threaded part. Before starting to
tow the vehicle, take care also to
have completely tightened the draw-
bar eye onto the threaded pin.
WARNING
Before starting to tow, disen-
gage the steering lock (see
paragraph “Ignition device” in section
“Dashboard and controls”).
When towing, remember that without
the help of the brake booster and
power steering, a greater effort is re-
quired on the pedal and steering
wheel. Do not use flexible cables for
towing and avoid jerks. During tow-
ing operations make sure that fasten-
ing the joint to the vehicle does not
damage the components in contact
with it. When towing the vehicle, you
must comply with the specific traffic
regulations regarding the tow ring and
how to tow on the road.
WARNING
fig. 27F0P0608m
TOWING THE VEHICLE
The tow ring provided with the vehicle is
housed in the engine compartment as
shown in fig. 26.
TOW RING HOOKING
Proceed as follows:
❒open the bonnet and release the tow
ring A-fig. 26from its seat;
❒take away the front or rear door B-
fig. 27using the supplied screwdriver;
❒completely undo the drawbar eye on
the relative threaded pin.
167
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
VEHICLE
IN AN
EMERGENCY
VEHICLE
MAINTENANCE
WHEELS AND TYRES
Check the pressure of each tyre, includ-
ing the spare, every two weeks and before
long journeys. The pressure should be
checked with the tyre rested and cold.
It is normal for pressure to rise when you
are driving. For the correct tyre inflation
pressure, see “Wheels” in section “Tech-
nical specifications”.
Incorrect pressure causes abnormal tyre
wearfig. 12:
Anormal pressure: tread evenly worn.
Blow pressure: tread particularly worn
at the edges.
Chigh pressure: tread particularly worn
in the centre.
Tyres must be replaced when the tread
wears down to 1.6 mm. In any case, com-
ply with the laws in the country where the
vehicle is being driven.
fig. 12F0P0191m
IMPORTANT NOTES
❒As far as possible, avoid sharp braking
and screech starts etc. Be careful not
to hit the kerb, potholes or other ob-
stacles hard. Driving for long stretch-
es over bumpy roads can damage the
tyres;
❒periodically check that the tyres have
no cuts in the side wall, abnormal
swelling or irregular tyre wear. If any of
these occur, have the vehicle seen to at
a Fiat Dealership;
❒avoid overloading the vehicle when
travelling: this may cause serious dam-
age to the wheels and tyres;
❒if a tyre is punctured, stop immediate-
ly and charge it to avoid damage to the
tyre, the rim, suspensions and steering
system;
❒tyres age even if they are not used
much. Cracks in the tread rubber are
a sign of ageing. In any case, if the tyres
have been on the vehicle for over 6
years, they should be checked by spe-
cialised personnel, to see if they can still
be used. Also remember to check the
spare wheel;
❒ In the case of replacement, always fit
new tyres, avoiding those of dubious
origin;
❒ If a tyre is changed, also change the in-
flation valve;
❒To allow even wear between the front
and rear tyres, it is advisable to change
them over every 10-15 thousand kilo-
metres, keeping them on the same side
of the vehicle so as to not reverse the
direction of rotation.
Remember that road holding
depends also on the correct
tyre inflating pressure.
WARNING