2012 FIAT 500 ABARTH Owners Manual

F I AT 5 0 0 A B A R T H
O W N E R ’ S M A N U A L
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VEHICLES SOLD IN CANADA
With respect to any Vehicles Sold in Canada, the name
Chrysler Group LLC shall be deemed to be deleted and the
name Chrysler Canada Inc. used in substitution therefore.
DRIVING AND ALCOHOL
Drunken driving is one of the most frequent causes of
accidents.
Your driving ability can be seriously impaired with blood
alcohol levels far below the legal minimum. If you are drink-
ing, don’t drive. Ride with a designated non-drinking driver,
call a cab, a friend, or use public transportation.
WARNING!
Driving after drinking can lead to an accident. Your
perceptions are less sharp, your reflexes are slower,
and your judgment is impaired when you have been
drinking. Never drink and then drive.
This manual illustrates and describes the operation of fea-
tures and equipment that are either standard or optional on
this vehicle. This manual may also include a description of
features and equipment that are no longer available or were
not ordered on this vehicle. Please disregard any features
and equipment described in this manual that are not on this
vehicle.
Chrysler Group LLC reserves the right to make changes in
design and specifications, and/or make additions to or
improvements to its products without imposing any obliga-
tion upon itself to install them on products previously manu-
factured.
FIAT is a registered trademark of FIAT Group Marketing &
Corporate Communication SpA, used under license by
Chrysler Group LLC.
Copyright © 2011 Chrysler Group LLC
VEHICLES SOLD IN CANADA
With respect to any Vehicles Sold in Canada, the name
Chrysler Group LLC shall be deemed to be deleted and the
name Chrysler Canada Inc. used in substitution therefore.
DRIVING AND ALCOHOL
Drunken driving is one of the most frequent causes of
accidents.
Your driving ability can be seriously impaired with blood
alcohol levels far below the legal minimum. If you are drink-
ing, don’t drive. Ride with a designated non-drinking driver,
call a cab, a friend, or use public transportation.
WARNING!
Driving after drinking can lead to an accident. Your
perceptions are less sharp, your reflexes are slower,
and your judgment is impaired when you have been
drinking. Never drink and then drive.
This manual illustrates and describes the operation of fea-
tures and equipment that are either standard or optional on
this vehicle. This manual may also include a description of
features and equipment that are no longer available or were
not ordered on this vehicle. Please disregard any features
and equipment described in this manual that are not on this
vehicle.
Chrysler Group LLC reserves the right to make changes in
design and specifications, and/or make additions to or
improvements to its products without imposing any obliga-
tion upon itself to install them on products previously manu-
factured.
FIAT is a registered trademark of FIAT Group Marketing &
Corporate Communication SpA, used under license by
Chrysler Group LLC.
Copyright © 2011 Chrysler Group LLC
INSTALLATION OF RADIO TRANSMITTING
EQUIPMENT
Special design considerations are incorporated into this
vehicle’s electronic system to provide immunity to radio
frequency signals. Mobile two-way radios and telephone
equipment must be installed properly by trained person-
nel. The following must be observed during installation.
The positive power connection should be made directly
to the battery and fused as close to the battery as possible.
The negative power connection should be made to body
sheet metal adjacent to the negative battery connection.
This connection should not be fused.
Antennas for two-way radios should be mounted on the
roof or the rear area of the vehicle. Care should be used
in mounting antennas with magnet bases. Magnets may
affect the accuracy or operation of the compass on
vehicles so equipped.The antenna cable should be as short as practical and
routed away from the vehicle wiring when possible. Use
only fully shielded coaxial cable.
Carefully match the antenna and cable to the radio to
ensure a low Standing Wave Ratio (SWR).
Mobile radio equipment with output power greater than
normal may require special precautions.
All installations should be checked for possible interfer-
ence between the communications equipment and the
vehicle’s electronic systems.
INSTALLATION OF RADIO TRANSMITTING
EQUIPMENT
Special design considerations are incorporated into this
vehicle’s electronic system to provide immunity to radio
frequency signals. Mobile two-way radios and telephone
equipment must be installed properly by trained person-
nel. The following must be observed during installation.
The positive power connection should be made directly
to the battery and fused as close to the battery as possible.
The negative power connection should be made to body
sheet metal adjacent to the negative battery connection.
This connection should not be fused.
Antennas for two-way radios should be mounted on the
roof or the rear area of the vehicle. Care should be used
in mounting antennas with magnet bases. Magnets may
affect the accuracy or operation of the compass on
vehicles so equipped.The antenna cable should be as short as practical and
routed away from the vehicle wiring when possible. Use
only fully shielded coaxial cable.
Carefully match the antenna and cable to the radio to
ensure a low Standing Wave Ratio (SWR).
Mobile radio equipment with output power greater than
normal may require special precautions.
All installations should be checked for possible interfer-
ence between the communications equipment and the
vehicle’s electronic systems.

TABLE OF CONTENTSSECTIONPAGE
1INTRODUCTION............................................................3
2THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE..............................9
3UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE............................. 69
4UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL.................................. 119
5STARTING AND OPERATING................................................193
6WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES............................................. 247
7MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE..............................................273
8MAINTENANCE SCHEDULES.................................................317
9IF YOU NEED CONSUMER ASSISTANCE........................................ 331
10INDEX...................................................................341
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INTRODUCTION
CONTENTS
Introduction ........................... 4
 How To Use This Manual .................. 4
 Warnings And Cautions ................... 6 
Vehicle Identification Number .............. 6
 Vehicle Modifications/Alterations ............ 7
1

INTRODUCTION
Congratulations on selecting your new vehicle. Be as-
sured that it represents precision workmanship, distinc-
tive styling, and high quality - all essentials that are
traditional to our vehicles.
This Owner’s Manual has been prepared with the assis-
tance of service and engineering specialists to acquaint
you with the operation and maintenance of your vehicle.
It is supplemented by Warranty Information, and various
customer-oriented documents. Please take the time to
read these publications carefully. Following the instruc-
tions and recommendations in this manual will help
assure safe and enjoyable operation of your vehicle.
The enclosed Warranty Information lists the services that
FIAT Group Automobiles offers to its customers:
•the Warranty Certificate with terms and conditions for
maintaining its validity
•the range of additional services available to FIAT
Group Automobiles customersNOTE: After reviewing the owner information, it
should be stored in the vehicle for convenient referenc-
ing and remain with the vehicle when sold.
When it comes to service, remember that your authorized
dealer knows your vehicle best, has factory-trained techni-
cians and genuine parts, and cares about your satisfaction.
HOW TO USE THIS MANUAL
Consult the Table of Contents to determine which section
contains the information you desire.
Since the specification of your vehicle depends on the
items of equipment ordered, certain descriptions and
illustrations may differ from your vehicle’s equipment.
The detailed Index at the back of this Owner’s Manual
contains a complete listing of all subjects.
Consult the following table for a description of the
symbols that may be used on your vehicle or throughout
this Owner’s Manual:
4 INTRODUCTION

1
INTRODUCTION 5

WARNINGS AND CAUTIONS
This Owner’s Manual containsWARNINGSagainst op-
erating procedures that could result in a collision or
bodily injury. It also contains CAUTIONSagainst proce-
dures that could result in damage to your vehicle. If you
do not read this entire manual, you may miss important
information. Observe all Warnings and Cautions.
VEHICLE IDENTIFICATION NUMBER
The Vehicle Identification Number (VIN) is found on the
left front corner of the instrument panel, visible through
the windshield. This number also appears engraved on
the right front door sill under the sill scuff plate, on an
adhesive label applied to the right door opening on the
B-Pillar, on the vehicle registration and title.
Vehicle Identification Number
6 INTRODUCTION