2012 FIAT 500C spare tire

Life Of Tire
The service life of a tire is dependent upon varying
factors including, but not limited to:
•Driving style
•Tire pressure
•Distance driven
WARNING!
Tires and the spare tire should be replaced after six
years, regardless of the remaining tread. Failure to
follow this warning can result in sudden tire failure.
You could lose control and have an accident resulting
in serious injury or death.
Keep dismounted tires in a cool, dry place with as little
exposure to light as possible. Protect tires from contact
with oil, grease, and gasoline.
Replacement Tires
The tires on your new vehicle provide a balance of many
characteristics. They should be inspected regularly for
wear and correct cold tire inflation pressure. The manu-
facturer strongly recommends that you use tires equiva-
lent to the originals in size, quality and performance
when replacement is needed. (Refer to the paragraph on
“Tread Wear Indicators”). Refer to the Tire and Loading
Information placard for the size designation of your tire.
The service description and load identification will be
found on the original equipment tire. Failure to use
equivalent replacement tires may adversely affect the
safety, handling, and ride of your vehicle. We recommend
that you contact your original equipment or an autho-
rized tire dealer with any questions you may have on tire
specifications or capability.
252 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
•Do not use a tire, wheel size or rating other than
that specified for your vehicle. Some combinations
of unapproved tires and wheels may change sus-
pension dimensions and performance characteris-
tics, resulting in changes to steering, handling, and
braking of your vehicle. This can cause unpredict-
able handling and stress to steering and suspen-
sion components. You could lose control and have
an accident resulting in serious injury or death.
Use only the tire and wheel sizes with load ratings
approved for your vehicle.
•Never use a tire with a smaller load index or
capacity other than what was originally equipped
on your vehicle. Using a tire with a smaller load
index could result in tire overloading and failure.
You could lose control and have an accident.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Failure to equip your vehicle with tires having
adequate speed capability can result in sudden tire
failure and loss of vehicle control.
CAUTION!
Replacing original tires with tires of a different size
may result in false speedometer and odometer read-
ings.
TIRE CHAINS
Use only compact chains, or other traction aids that meet
SAE type “Class S” specifications. Chains must be the
proper size for the vehicle, as recommended by the chain
manufacturer.
NOTE:Do not use tire chains on a compact spare tire.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 253

5. Using wheels/tires not equipped with TPM sensors.
NOTE:Your vehicle is equipped with a compact spare
wheel and tire assembly.
1. The compact spare tire does not have a tire pressure
monitoring sensor. Therefore, the TPMS will not monitor
the tire pressure in the compact spare tire.
2. If you install the compact spare tire in place of a road
tire that has a pressure below the low-pressure warning
limit, upon the next ignition key cycle, a chime will
sound and the Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light
will still turn ON due to the low tire.
3. However, after driving the vehicle for up to 20 min-
utes above 15 mph (24 km/h), the Tire Pressure Moni-
toring Telltale Light will flash on and off for 75 seconds
and then remain on solid. 4. For each subsequent ignition key cycle, a chime will
sound and the Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light
will flash on and off for 75 seconds and then remain on
solid.
5. Once you repair or replace the original road tire and
reinstall it on the vehicle in place of the compact spare
tire, the TPMS will update automatically and the Tire
Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light will turn OFF, as long
as no tire pressure is below the low-pressure warning
limit in any of the four active road tires. The vehicle may
need to be driven for up to 20 minutes above 15 mph
(24 km/h) in order for the TPMS to receive this
information.
General Information
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules and
RSS 210 of Industry Canada. Operation is subject to the
following conditions:
•This device may not cause harmful interference.
260 STARTING AND OPERATING

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
CONTENTS
Hazard Warning Flashers ................ 271
 If Your Engine Overheats ................ 271
 TIREFIT Kit ......................... 272
▫ TIREFIT Storage ..................... 273
▫ TIREFIT Kit Components And Operation . . . 273
▫ TIREFIT Usage Precautions ............. 274
▫ Sealing A Tire With TIREFIT ............ 277
 Jacking And Tire Changing — If Equipped . . . 282
▫ Jack Location ....................... 283 ▫
Spare Tire Removal ................... 284
▫ Preparations For Jacking ............... 287
▫ Jacking Instructions ................... 287
▫ Spare Tire Stowage ................... 293
 Jump-Starting Procedure ................ 293
▫ Preparations For Jump-Start ............. 294
▫ Jump-Starting Procedure ............... 295
 Freeing A Stuck Vehicle ................. 297
 Shift Lever Override ................... 298
6

Spare Tire Removal
The spare tire is stowed to the underbody below the
cargo area.
1. Remove the plug located in the rear cargo area.2. Fit the wrench tool over the drive nut. Use the wrench
to rotate the nut counterclockwise until the spare is on
the ground with enough slack in the cable to allow you to
pull the tire out from under the vehicle.
Winch Access PlugLowering/Raising Spare Tire
284 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

CAUTION!
The winch mechanism is designed for use with the
jack wrench tool only. Use of an air wrench or other
power tools is not recommended and they can dam-
age the winch.
3. Pull the spare tire out from under the vehicle.
Spare Tire6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 285

WARNING! (Continued)
•Turn on the Hazard Warning flashers.
•Block the wheel diagonally opposite the wheel to
be raised.
•Set the parking brake firmly and set an automatic
transmission in PARK; a manual transmission in
REVERSE.
•Never start or run the engine with the vehicle on a
jack.
•Do not let anyone sit in the vehicle when it is on a
jack.
•Do not get under the vehicle when it is on a jack.
•Only use the jack in the positions indicated and
for lifting this vehicle during a tire change.
•If working on or near a roadway, be extremely
careful of motor traffic.(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•To assure that spare tires, flat or inflated, are
securely stowed, spares must be stowed with the
valve stem facing the ground.
NOTE: Refer to the “Compact Spare Tire” section of the
“Tires-General Information” under “Starting And Oper-
ating” for information about the spare tire, it s use, and
operation.
Jack Warning Label
288 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING!
Raising the vehicle higher than necessary can make
the vehicle less stable. It could slip off the jack and
hurt someone near it. Raise the vehicle only enough
to remove the tire.
4. Using the swivel wrench, raise the vehicle by turning
the jack screw to the right. Raise the vehicle only until the
tire just clears the surface and enough clearance is
obtained to install the spare tire. Minimum tire lift
provides maximum stability.
5. Remove the wheel bolts and pull the wheel off the
hub. For vehicles equipped with aluminum wheels, the
center caps must be removed to remove the wheel bolts.
WARNING!
To avoid the risk of forcing the vehicle off the jack,
do not fully tighten the wheel bolts until the vehicle
has been lowered. Failure to follow this warning may
result in personal injury.
CAUTION!
Be sure to mount the spare tire with the valve stem
facing outward. The vehicle could be damaged if the
spare tire is mounted incorrectly.
WARNING!
To avoid possible personal injury, handle the wheel
covers with care to avoid contact with any sharp
edges.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 291