2012 FIAT 500 ABARTH engine

CAUTION!
Never use Non-Detergent Oil or Straight Mineral Oil
in the engine or damage may result.
NOTE: A new engine may consume some oil during its
first few thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This
should be considered a normal part of the break-in and
not interpreted as an indication of difficulty.
SAFETY TIPS
Transporting Passengers
NEVER TRANSPORT PASSENGERS IN THE CARGO
AREA.
WARNING!
•Do not leave children or animals inside parked
vehicles in hot weather. Interior heat build-up may
cause serious injury or death.
•It is extremely dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision, people
riding in these areas are more likely to be seri-
ously injured or killed.
•Do not allow people to ride in any area of your
vehicle that is not equipped with seats and seat
belts.
•Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a seat and
using a seat belt properly.
64 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Exhaust Gas
WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain carbon
monoxide (CO), which is colorless and odorless.
Breathing it can make you unconscious and can
eventually poison you. To avoid breathing (CO),
follow these safety tips:
•Do not run the engine in a closed garage or in
confined areas any longer than needed to move
your vehicle in or out of the area.
•If you are required to drive with the trunk/liftgate
open, make sure that all windows are closed and
the climate control BLOWER switch is set at high
speed. DO NOT use the recirculation mode.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•If it is necessary to sit in a parked vehicle with the
engine running, adjust your heating or cooling
controls to force outside air into the vehicle. Set
the blower at high speed.
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the exhaust
system, when exhaust fumes can be detected inside the
vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is
damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect the com-
plete exhaust system and adjacent body areas for broken,
damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open
seams or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes
to seep into the passenger compartment. In addition,
inspect the exhaust system each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication or oil change. Replace as required.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 65

Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread or sidewall. Inspect the tread for cuts
and cracks. Inspect sidewalls for cuts, cracks and bulges.
Check the wheel bolts for tightness. Check the tires for
proper cold inflation pressure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of exterior lights
while you work the controls. Check turn signal and high
beam indicator lights on the instrument panel.
Door Latches
Check for positive closing, latching, and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for fuel,
engine coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if gasoline
fumes are detected or if fuel, power steering fluid, or
brake fluid leaks are suspected, the cause should be
located and corrected immediately.
68 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

2. Rotate the safety catch under the front edge of the
hood, near the center, and raise the hood.
Lift the hood prop rod that clips to the right side (left side
when standing in front of the hood) of the engine
compartment. Place the hood prop rod in the hole of
hood hinge to secure the hood in the open position.In hot climates, the prop rod may be hot. Pick up the prop
rod at the foam on the end of the prop rod.
Safety Latch Location
Hood Prop Rod
90 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Front Windshield Washer Operation
Pull the windshield wiper/washer lever toward the
steering wheel to activate the washers. The wipers will
activate automatically for three cycles after the lever is
released.
CAUTION!
•Turn the windshield wipers off when driving
through an automatic car wash. Damage to the
windshield wipers may result if the wiper control
is left in any position other than off.
•In cold weather, always turn off the wiper switch
and allow the wipers to return to the “Park”
position before turning off the engine. If the wiper
switch is left on and the wipers freeze to the
windshield, damage to the wiper motor may occur
when the vehicle is restarted.(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Always remove any buildup of snow that prevents
the windshield wiper blades from returning to the
off position. If the windshield wiper control is
turned off and the blades cannot return to the off
position, damage to the wiper motor may occur.
Rear Windshield Wiper
Rotate the end of the windshield wiper/washer lever
upward to the first detent past the intermittent settings
for intermittent wipe operation. With the front wind-
shield wiper active, rotate the end of the windshield
wiper/washer lever upward. The rear wiper will operate
in the same mode as the front windshield wipers, but at
half the frequency. When the transmission is shifted into
REVERSE, the rear wiper will automatically operate at
Low Speed and return to normal operation when the
transmission is shifted out of REVERSE.
98 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

CAUTION!
•Many accessories that can be plugged in draw
power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not in
use (i.e., cellular phones, etc.). Eventually, if
plugged in long enough, the vehicle’s battery will
discharge sufficiently to degrade battery life
and/or prevent the engine from starting.
•Accessories that draw higher power (i.e., coolers,
vacuum cleaners, lights, etc.) will degrade the
battery even more quickly. Only use these inter-
mittently and with great caution.
•After the use of high power draw accessories, or
long periods of the vehicle not being started (with
accessories still plugged in), the vehicle must be
driven a sufficient length of time to allow the
generator to recharge the vehicle’s battery.
CIGAR LIGHTER — IF EQUIPPED
WARNING!
When the cigar lighter is in use it becomes very hot.
To avoid serious injury, handle the cigar lighter with
care. Always check that the cigar lighter has turned
off.
114 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

REAR WINDOW FEATURES
Rear Window Defroster
The rear window defroster button is located in the
center of the instrument panel, below the radio.
Press this button to turn on the rear window defroster.
An indicator in the button will illuminate when the rear
window defroster is on. The rear window defroster
automatically turns off after approximately 20 minutes.
To manually shut the defroster off, push the button a
second time.
NOTE: To prevent excessive battery drain, use the rear
window defroster only when the engine is operating.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these cautions can cause damage to
the heating elements:
•Use care when washing the inside of the rear
window. Do not use abrasive window cleaners on
the interior surface of the window. Use a soft cloth
and a mild washing solution, wiping parallel to
the heating elements. Labels can be peeled off
after soaking with warm water.
•Do not use scrapers, sharp instruments, or abra-
sive window cleaners on the interior surface of the
window.
•Keep all objects a safe distance from the window.
118 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
CONTENTS
Instrument Panel Features ............... 121
 Turbo Boost Gauge .................... 122
 Instrument Cluster .................... 123
 Instrument Cluster Descriptions ........... 124
 Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) . . 135
▫ EVIC Control Buttons ................. 136
▫ Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)
Setup Menu ........................ 136
▫ Change Engine Oil Indicator System ....... 138▫
Trip Computer ...................... 139
▫ Trip Button ........................ 139
▫ Trip Functions ...................... 140
▫ Values Displayed .................... 141
▫ Personal Settings (Customer-Programmable
Features) .......................... 142
 Sales Code (RAB) Radio ................. 151
▫ Introduction ........................ 151
▫ Suggestions ........................ 152
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