2012 FIAT 500C engine

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
Starting Procedures .................... 207
▫ Manual Transmission – If Equipped ....... 207
▫ Automatic Transmission – If Equipped ..... 207
▫ Normal Starting ..................... 207
▫ Cold Weather Operation ............... 208
▫ If Engine Fails To Start ................ 208
▫ After Starting ....................... 209
 Manual Transmission — If Equipped ........ 209
▫ Five-Speed Manual Transmission ......... 209▫
Recommended Shift Speeds ............. 210
▫ Downshifting ....................... 211
 Automatic Transmission — If Equipped ...... 211
▫ Key Ignition Park Interlock ............. 212
▫ Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . 212
▫ Six-Speed Automatic Transmission ........ 212
▫ Gear Ranges ........................ 213
 AutoStick — If Equipped ............... 218
▫ Operation ......................... 219
5

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.
WARNING!
Never leave children in the vehicle alone. Leaving
unattended children in a vehicle is dangerous for a
number of reasons. The child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. The child could operate
power windows, other controls or move the vehicle.
Manual Transmission – If Equipped
Apply the parking brake, place the shift lever in NEU-
TRAL, and press the clutch pedal before starting the
vehicle. This vehicle is equipped with a clutch interlock-
ing ignition system. It will not start unless the clutch
pedal is pressed to the floor.
Automatic Transmission – If Equipped
The shift lever must be in the PARK or NEUTRAL
position before you can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting to any driving gear.
NOTE:You must press the brake pedal before shifting
out of PARK.
Normal Starting
NOTE: Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or pressing the
accelerator pedal.
Turn the ignition switch to the AVV (START) position and
release it when the engine starts. If the engine fails to start
within 10 seconds, turn the ignition switch to the STOP
(OFF/LOCK) position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat
the Normal Starting procedure.5
STARTING AND OPERATING 207

Cold Weather Operation
To prevent possible engine damage while starting at low
temperatures, this vehicle will inhibit engine cranking
when the ambient temperature is less than –22° F (–30° C)
and the oil temperature sensor reading indicates an
engine block heater has not been used. An externally-
powered electric engine block heater is available as
optional equipment or from your authorized dealer.
The messageplug in engine heater will be displayed in the
instrument cluster when the ambient temperature is below
5° F (–15° C) at the time the engine is shut off as a reminder
to avoid possible crank delays at the next cold start.
CAUTION!
Use of the recommended SAE 5W-30 oil and adher-
ing to the prescribed oil change intervals is important
to prevent engine damage and ensure satisfactory
starting in cold conditions.
If Engine Fails To Start
WARNING!
Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into the
throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to start
the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire causing
serious personal injury.
CAUTION!
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get
it started. Vehicles equipped with an automatic
transmission cannot be started this way. Unburned
fuel could enter the catalytic converter and once
the engine has started, ignite and damage the
converter and vehicle.
(Continued)
208 STARTING AND OPERATING

CAUTION! (Continued)
•To prevent damage to the starter, do not continu-
ously crank the engine for more than 15 seconds at
a time. Wait 10 to 15 seconds before trying again.
After Starting
The idle speed will automatically decrease as the engine
warms up.
MANUAL TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
Five-Speed Manual Transmission
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the
vehicle unattended without having the parking
brake fully applied. The parking brake should al-
ways be applied when the driver is not in the vehicle,
especially on an incline.Fully press the clutch pedal before you shift gears. As you
release the clutch pedal, lightly press the accelerator
pedal.
NOTE:
To shift into REVERSE from NEUTRAL, lift the
ring under the knob and, at the same time move the
gearshift lever to the right and then backward.
Shift Lever
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 209

Use each gear in numerical order; do not skip a gear. Be
sure the transmission is in first gear, not third, when
starting from a standing position. Damage to the clutch
can result from starting in third gear.
For most city driving, you will find it easier to use only
the lower gears. For steady highway driving with light
accelerations, fifth gear is recommended.
Never drive with your foot resting on the clutch pedal,
and never try to hold the vehicle on a hill with the clutch
pedal partially engaged. This will cause abnormal wear
on the clutch.
REVERSE gear is not synchronized and the vehicle must
be at a complete stop to shift into REVERSE gear. When
selecting REVERSE gear, the driver should pause (ap-
proximately 2 seconds) after pushing in the clutch pedal
and prior to shifting into REVERSE which allows gears to
stop spinning. Should an unwanted clash noise be pro-
duced, the pause length should be increased.NOTE:
•Clashing REVERSE gear, especially if vehicle is mov-
ing, can result in transmission damage.
•During cold weather, until the transmission lubricant
is warm, you may experience slightly higher shift
efforts. This is normal and not harmful to the
transmission.
Recommended Shift Speeds
To use your manual transmission for optimal fuel
economy, it should be upshifted as listed in the following
table.
Manual Transmission Recommended Shift Speeds
Units In mph (km/h)
Engine Size Accel-
eration Rate 1to2 2to3 3to4 4to5
1.4L Accel 14 (23) 23 (37) 29 (47) 38 (61)
Cruise 12 (19) 18 (29) 25 (40) 32 (52)
210 STARTING AND OPERATING

Downshifting
Proper downshifting will improve fuel economy and
prolong engine life.
CAUTION!
If you skip more than one gear while downshifting
or downshift at too high a vehicle speed, you could
damage the engine, transmission, or clutch.
To maintain a safe speed and prolong brake life, shift
down to second or first gear when descending a steep
grade.
When turning a corner or driving up a steep grade,
downshift early so that the engine will not be
overburdened.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
CAUTION!
Damage to the transmission may occur if the follow-
ing precautions are not observed:
•Move the shift lever into PARK only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop.
•Shift into or out of REVERSE only after the
vehicle has come to a complete stop and the engine
is at idle speed.
•Do not move the shift lever between PARK, RE-
VERSE, NEUTRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is
above idle speed.
•Before moving the shift lever into any gear, make
sure your foot is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
NOTE: You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 211

WARNING!
It is dangerous to move the shift lever out of PARK or
NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher than idle
speed. If your foot is not firmly pressing on the brake
pedal, the vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or
in reverse. You could lose control of the vehicle and
hit someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and when your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
Key Ignition Park Interlock
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Inter-
lock which requires the shift lever to be placed in PARK
prior to rotating the key fob to the LOCK/OFF position.
The key fob can only be removed from the ignition when
the ignition is in the LOCK/OFF position, and once
removed, the shift lever is locked in PARK.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock System (BTSI) that holds the shift lever in the
PARK position when the ignition switch is in the LOCK/
OFF position. To move the shift lever out of the PARK
position, the ignition switch must be turned to the
ON/RUN position (engine running or not) and the brake
pedal must be pressed.
Six-Speed Automatic Transmission
The shift lever position display (located in the instrument
panel cluster) indicates the transmission gear range. You
must press the brake pedal to move the shift lever out of
the PARK position (Refer to “Brake/Transmission Shift
Interlock System” in this section). To drive, move the shift
lever from PARK or NEUTRAL to the DRIVE position.
The electronically-controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts on a new
212 STARTING AND OPERATING

vehicle may be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and precision shifts will develop within a few
hundred miles (kilometers).
Shifting from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE should be
done only after the accelerator pedal is released and thevehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep your foot on the brake
pedal when moving the shift lever between these gears.
The transmission shift lever has only PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, and DRIVE shift positions. Manual shifts can
be made using the AutoStick
shift control (refer to
“AutoStick” in “Starting and Operating” for further
information). Moving the shift lever forward or rearward
(–/ +) while in the AutoStick position (beside the
DRIVE position) will manually select the transmission
gear, and will display the current gear in the instrument
cluster as 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Gear Ranges
DO NOT race the engine when shifting from PARK or
NEUTRAL into another gear range.
PARK
This range supplements the parking brake by locking the
transmission. The engine can be started in this range.
Shift Lever
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 213