GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING
THE SEAT BELTS
The driver is responsible for respecting, and
ensuring that all the other occupants of the car also
respect, the local laws in force in relation to the
use of the seat belts. Always fasten the seat belts
before starting.
Seat belts are also to be worn by expectant
mothers: the risk of injury in the case of accident is
greatly reduced for them and the unborn child if
they are wearing a seat belt. Pregnant women must
position the lower part of the belt very low down
so that it passes over the pelvis and under the
abdomen (see ). fig. 121
WARNING
For maximum safety, keep the back of
your seat upright , lean back into it
and make sure the seat belt fits closely across
your chest and pelvis. Always fasten the seat
belts on both the front and the rear seats!
Travelling without wearing seat belts will
increase the risk of serious injur y or
even death in the event of an accident . Under
no circumstances should the components of
the seat belts and pretensioners be tampered
with or removed. Any operations must be
carried out by qualified and authorised
personnel only. Always go to a Fiat
Dealership.
IMPORTANT The belt must not be twisted. The
upper part must pass over the shoulder and cross
the chest diagonally. The lower part must adhere to
the pelvis (as shown in ) rather than the abdomen
of the passenger. Never use devices (clips, pegs,
etc.) to hold the seat belt away from your body.
fig. 122
IMPORTANT Each seat belt must be used by only
one person. Never travel with a child sitting on the
passenger's lap and a single belt to protect them
both . In general, do not place any objects between
the person and belt. fig. 123
fig. 121
F0Q0015
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GROUP 0 and 0+
Babies up to 13 kg must be carried facing
backwards on a cradle seat, which, supporting the
head, does not induce stress on the neck in the
event of sharp decelerations.
The cradle is restrained by the car seat belts, as
shown in and in turn it must restrain the child with
its own belts. fig. 124
GROUP 1
From 9 to 18 kg of weight, children may be carried
facing forward . fig. 125
WARNING
The figures are only examples for
fitting purposes. Install the child seat
according to the instructions, which are
mandatorily included with this type of
restraint system. Child seats with Isofix
attachments are available for a safe anchoring
to the seat without using the car seat belts.
GROUP 2
Children from 15 to 25 kg may use the car seat
belts directly . fig. 126
The child seat is now needed only to position the
child correctly with respect to the belts so that the
diagonal section crosses the child's chest and
never the neck, and the lower part is snug on the
pelvis not the abdomen.
fig. 124
F0Q0429
fig. 125
F0Q0772
140GETTING TO KNOW
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STARTING AND DRIVING
STARTING THE ENGINEThe car is fitted with an electronic engine lock
device: if the engine fails to start, see the paragraph
“The Fiat CODE system” in the section “Knowing
your car”.
The engine may be noisier during the first few
seconds of operation, especially after a long period
of inactivity. This characteristic feature of the
hydraulic tappet system does not compromise
functionality or reliability: the system chosen for
your car was designed to limit maintenance
interventions.
Engine starting is guaranteed to -18°C (Italy and
central Europe) and -20°C (Northern Europe).
We recommend that during the initial
period you do not demand to full
performance from the car (e.g. excessive
acceleration, long journeys at top speed, sharp
braking etc .).When the engine is switched off never
leave the key turned to MAR to prevent
useless current absorption from draining
the battery.
WARNING
It is dangerous to have the engine
running indoors.The engine consumes
oxygen and engine exhaust contains carbon
dioxide, carbon monoxide and other toxic
gasses.
WARNING
Remember that the brake servo and
power steering are not operational
until the engine has been started, therefore
much effort than usual is required on the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR PETROL
VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒press the clutch pedal down to the floor without
touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVV and release it as
soon as the engine starts.
154GETTING TO KNOW
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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 demand full performance at first. Wait
until the engine coolant temperature gauge
starts moving.
Never jump start the engine by pushing,
towing or coasting downhill.This could
cause fuel to flow into the catalytic
conver ter and damage it beyond repair.
EMERGENCY START-UP
Contact a Fiat Dealership if instrument panel
warning light
(or the symbol on the display)
stays on constantly.STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOP while the engine 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
engine compartment to fall.
A quick burst on the accelerator before
turning off the engine serves absolutely
no practical purpose, it wastes fuel and is
damaging especially to turbocharged engines.
156GETTING TO KNOW
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WARNING
Press the clutch pedal fully to change
gears correctly. It is therefore essential
that there is nothing under the pedals: make
sure the mats are lying flat and do not get
in the way of the pedals.Do not drive with your hand resting on
the gear lever as the force exerted,
even if slight , could lead over time to
premature wear on the gearbox internal
components
FUEL SAVINGSHere are some useful tips to save fuel and minimise
harmful emissions of CO
2and other pollutants
(nitric oxides, unburnt hydrocarbons, fine dusts
etc…).
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
The general factors that affect fuel consumption are
listed below.
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out in
accordance with the “Scheduled Servicing Plan”.
Ty r e s
Check the pressure of the tyres routinely at an
interval of no more than 4 weeks: if the pressure is
too low, consumption levels increase as resistance
to rolling is higher.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with an overloaded boot. The weight
of the car (especially when driving in town) and
its ride greatly affects consumption and stability.
Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack from the roof
after use. These accessories lower aerodynamic
penetration and adversely affect consumption
159GETTING TO KNOW
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CONDITIONS OF USE
The main usage conditions that negatively affect
fuel consumption are listed below.
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts do not
allow the engine to reach optimum operating
temperature. This results in a significant increase in
consumption levels (from +15 to +30% on the
urban cycle) and emissions.
Traffic and road conditions
Rather high consumption levels are linked to
situations with heavy traffic, for instance when
travelling in queues with frequent use of the lower
gears or in cities with many traffic lights. Winding
mountain roads and rough road surfaces also
adversely affect consumption.
Traffic hold-ups
During prolonged hold-ups (e.g. level crossings) the
engine should be switched off.
TOWING TRAILERSIMPORTANT NOTES
For towing caravans or trailers the car must be
fitted with a certified tow hook and an adequate
electric system. Installation should be carried
out by specialised personnel who will issue the
required papers for travelling on roads.
Install any specific and/or additional rear view
mirrors as specified by the Highway Code.
Remember that when towing a trailer, steep hills
are harder to climb, braking distances increase and
overtaking takes longer depending on the overall
weight.
Engage a low gear when driving downhill, rather
than constantly using the brake.
The weight the trailer exerts on the car tow hook
reduces the car's loading capacity by the same
amount. To make sure that the maximum towable
weight is not exceeded (given in the car registration
document) account should be taken of the fully
laden trailer, including accessories and luggage.
Respect the speed limits specific to each country
for vehicles towing trailers.
In any case, the maximum speed must not exceed
80 km/h.
161GETTING TO KNOW
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EOBD/INJECTION SYSTEM
FAILURE (amber)
In normal conditions, when the ignition key is
turned to MAR-ON the warning light switches on,
but should switch off as soon as the engine is
started.
If the warning light remains on or comes on whilst
driving, it means that the injection system is not
working properly; in particular, if the warning light
comes on constantly, this indicates a malfunction in
the supply/ignition system that could cause
excessive exhaust emissions, a possible loss of
performance, poor driveability and high fuel
consumption.
The display will show the dedicated message.
Under these conditions, you may continue travelling
at moderate speed without demanding excessive
effort from the engine. Prolonged use of the car
with the warning light on may cause damage:
contact a Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
The warning light goes out after the fault
disappears, but the notification is stored in the
system.
Petrol engines only
If the warning light flashes, this indicates potential
catalytic converter damage.If the light flashes, it is necessary to release the
accelerator pedal to lower the speed of the engine
until the warning light stops flashing; continue
the journey at moderate speed, trying to avoid
driving conditions that may cause further flashing
and contact a Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
Contact a Fiat Dealership as soon as
possible if the
warning light either
does not switch on when the key is
turned to MAR-ON or if while driving the
warning light switches on either constantly or
flashing (along with a message and a symbol on
the display on some versions).The operation
of warning light
may be checked by the
traffic police using specific devices. Comply with
the laws and regulations of the country where
you are driving.
ESP SYSTEM (amber)
Turning the key to the MAR-ON position the
warning light switches on, but it should switch off
after a few seconds. If the warning light does not go
off or stays on together with the LED on the ASR
button when travelling, contact a Fiat Dealership.
On some versions the display shows the dedicated
message. Flashing of the warning light while driving
indicates the intervention of the ESP system.
174GETTING TO KNOW
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TPMS FAILURE
(for versions/markets, where provided)
On some versions, the display shows a message and
an amber symbol when a tyre pressure monitoring
system (TPMS) fault is detected: in this case,
contact a Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
Should one or more wheels be fitted without
sensors, the display will show a warning message
until initial conditions are restored.INSUFFICIENT TYRE PRESSURE
(amber-red) / CHECK TYRE
PRESSURE (amber) / TYRE
PRESSURE UNSUITABLE FOR
SPEED (amber)
(for versions/markets, where provided)
This warning light switches on when the ignition
key is turned to MAR-ON, but it should switch off
after a few seconds.
Insufficient tyre pressure
The warning light (amber), or symbol in the display
(red), switch on when the inflation pressure of
one or more tyres falls below a preset level. In this
way the TPMS warns the driver that one or more
tyres may be dangerously flat and liable to
puncture.IMPORTANT Do not continue driving with one or
more flat tyres as handling may be compromised.
Stop the car, avoiding harsh braking and steering
manoeuvres. Replace the wheel immediately with
the space-saver wheel (for versions/markets, where
provided) or carry out a repair using the dedicated
kit (see “Changing a wheel” in the "In an
emergency" chapter) and contact a Fiat Dealership
as soon as possible.
Check tyre pressure
This warning light (or symbol in the display)
switches on in the instrument panel to indicate that
the tyre pressure is below the value recommended
to guarantee long tyre life and low fuel
consumption. It may also indicate a slow loss of
pressure.
Should two or more tyres be flat, the display will
show the indications corresponding to each tyre in
sequence.
Restore correct tyre pressures as soon as possible
(see “Cold tyre pressures” in the “Technical data”
chapter).
Tyre pressure unsuitable for speed
Should you need to travel at a speed higher than
160 km/h, inflate the tyres to the pressures
specified in “Tyre pressures” paragraph.
If the TPMS system (for versions/markets where
provided) detects that the pressure of one or more
tyres is unsuitable for the current speed, the
177GETTING TO KNOW
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SAFETY
STARTING AND
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TECHNICAL
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INDEX