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W ARNING
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SERVICING AND
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICA
TIONSINDEX
FRONT AIRBAGS
The vehicle is fitted with front airbags for the driver and,
for versions/markets where provided, front airbags for the
passenger.
FRONT AIRBAGS
The front driver/passenger airbags (for versions/markets
where provided) have been designed to protect the front-
seat occupants in the event of head-on crashes of medi-
um-high severity, by placing the bag between the occupant
and the steering wheel or dashboard.
Non-activation in other types of crash (side-on collisions,
rear shunts, roll-overs, etc.) is therefore not a sign of sys-
tem malfunction.
An electronic control unit causes the bag to inflate, if nec-
essary, in the event of a head-on crash.
The bag will inflate instantaneously, placing itself between
the front occupant’s body and the structures which could
cause injury. It will deflate immediately afterwards.
Front driver/passenger airbags (for versions/markets
where provided) are not a replacement for, but rather
a complement to, the seat belts, which should be worn
at all times as specified by law in Europe and most non-Eu-
ropean countries.
In the event of an impact, someone not wearing a seat belt
could move forward and come into contact with a bag
which is still in the opening phase. The protection offered
by the bag is reduced in such a case. The front airbags may not be activated in the following
situations:❒head-on impacts against highly deformable objects that
do not affect the vehicle’s front surface (e.g. front wing
hitting the guard rail);
❒car getting wedged under other vehicles or protective
barriers (e.g. trucks or guard rails);
they could not provide any additional protection compared
with seat belts, so their activation would not be worth-
while. In these cases, non-deployment of the airbag does
not necessarily indicate a system malfunction.
Do not apply stickers or other objects to
the steering wheel, the dashboard in the
passenger side airbag area and the seats. Do not
place objects (e.g. mobile phones) on the passen-
ger side dashboard because these could interfere
with the correct opening of the airbag and cause
severe injury to occupants.
WARNING
The front driver and passenger airbags are designed and
calibrated to best protect front-seat passengers wearing
seat belts.
The volume of the front airbags at maximum inflation fills
most of the space between the steering wheel and the dri-
ver and between the dashboard and the passenger.
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
F0V0024mfig. 123F0V0025mfig. 124
The airbags are not deployed in the event of small head-
on collisions (for which the withholding action of the seat
belts is sufficient). Seat belts must always be worn. In the
event of head-on collisions, they ensure the correct po-
sitioning of the occupant.
FRONT AIRBAG ON DRIVER’S SIDE fig. 123
This consists of an instant-inflating bag contained in a spe-
cial compartment in the centre of the steering wheel.
FRONT AIRBAG ON PASSENGER’S SIDE
fig. 124 (for versions/markets where provided)
This consists of an instant-inflating bag contained in a spe-
cial compartment in the dashboard: this bag has a larger
volume than that of the driver’s.
Do not put cradle seats facing backwardson the front seat if the passenger airbag
is activated. Deployment of the airbag in
an accident could cause fatal injuries to
the child. Always deactivate the passen-
ger airbag when placing a child seat on the front
seat. Also, the passenger seat should be as far back
as possible to avoid contact between the child seat
and the dashboard. Although this is not manda-
tory by law, the airbag should be immediately re-
activated when children are no longer carried to
ensure better protection for adults.
WARNING
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WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
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SERVICING AND
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICA TIONS
INDEX
F0V0069mfig. 127F0V0087mfig. 126
PARKING THE VEHICLE
Proceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the handbrake;
❒engage a gear (first gear if parked uphill or reverse if fac-
ing downhill) and leave the wheels turned.
If the vehicle is parked on a steep slope, it is advisable to
block the wheels with a wedge or stone.
To prevent draining the battery, do not leave the ignition
key turned to MAR. Always remove the key when you
leave the vehicle.
Never leave children unattended in the vehicle. Always re-
move the ignition key when leaving the vehicle, and take
it with you.
USING THE GEARBOX
To engage the gears, depress the clutch pedal fully and shift
the gear lever A-fig. 127 into the required position (the di-
agram is shown on the gear knob fig. 127).
IMPORTANT Reverse may be engaged only when the ve-
hicle is at a standstill. With the engine running, wait for
at least 2 seconds with the clutch pedal fully depressed be-
fore engaging reverse to prevent damage to the gears and
grating.
To engage reverse R from neutral, lift ring B under the
knob and at the same time move the gearstick to the right
and then backwards (as shown in the diagram).
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICA TIONS
INDEX
SNOW TYRES
A Fiat Dealership will be happy to provide advice con-
cerning the most suitable type of tyre for the customer’s
requirements.
For the type, pressures and specifications of the snow tyre
to be used, follow carefully the instructions given in the
“Wheels” paragraph of the “Technical specifications” sec-
tion.
The winter performance of these tyres is considerably re-
duced when the tread thickness is less than 4 mm. If this
is the case, replace them.
Due to their specific features, the performance of snow
tyres is much lower than that of standard tyres in normal
conditions or on long motorway stretches. You should
therefore use them only in the conditions for which they
were designed.
IMPORTANT When using snow tyres with a maximum
speed index below the one that can be reached by the
vehicle (increased by 5%), place a notice in the passenger
compartment, plainly in view, which states the maximum
speed allowed by the snow tyres (as per EC Directive).
All four tyres should be the same (brand and profile) to
ensure greater safety when driving and braking as well as
making the car more responsive.
Remember that you should not change the rotation di-
rection of the tyres.The ABS with which the vehicle may be
equipped will not control the braking sys-
tem of the trailer. Particular caution is therefore
required on slippery roads.
WARNING
Never modify the braking system of the ve-
hicle to control the trailer brake. The trail-
er braking system must be fully independent from
the hydraulic system of the vehicle.
WARNING
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AND
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICA TIONS
INDEX
SNOW CHAINS
The use of snow chains should be in compliance with lo-
cal regulations.
Snow chains may be fitted only to the front wheel tyres
(drive wheels).
Check the tension of the chains after the first few metres
have been driven.You must not exceed 160 km/h on snow
tyres with a “Q” mark; in any case, make
sure you stick to the rules of the highway code.
WARNING
Keep your speed down when snow chains
are fitted – do not exceed 50 km/h. Avoid
potholes, steps and pavements and also
avoid driving for long distances on roads not cov-
ered with snow to avoid damaging the car and the
road surface.
HILL HOLDER FAILURE (amber)(for versions/markets where provided)
Turning the key to the MAR position illuminates
the warning light, but it will switch off after a few
seconds.
The warning light turns on to indicate a Hill Holder sys-
tem fault. In this case, contact a Fiat Dealership as soon
as possible. On some versions, the fault is signalled by
warning light á coming on together with the relevant mes-
sage on the display.
*
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE (amber)
When the ignition key is turned to MAR, the
warning light turns on but should go off after
a few seconds.
The warning light comes on when the system is either not
working properly or not available. Under these circum-
stances, the braking system will work as normal but with-
out the extra performance offered by the ABS system. Dri-
ve carefully and go to a Fiat Dealership as soon as possi-
ble.
A specific message is displayed on certain versions.
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WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICA TIONS
INDEX>
EBD FAULT (red) (amber)
Warning lights
xand >lit at the
same time with the engine running indi-
cates an EBD system failure or that the system is not avail-
able. This may cause premature locking of the rear wheels
in the event of violent braking, causing the vehicle to
swerve. Drive very carefully to a Fiat Dealership to have
the system inspected immediately.
On some versions the display shows the associated mes-
sage.
>
x
ESP SYSTEM FAILURE
(amber)
(for versions/markets where provided)
When the ignition key is turned to MAR, the warn-
ing light turns on but should go off after a few seconds.
If the warning light does not go off, or stays on together
with the LED on the ASR OFF button when travelling, con-
tact a Fiat Dealership.
A specific message is displayed on certain versions.
NB The warning light flashing while driving indicates that
the ESP system is active.
á
156
KNOWYOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING AND
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WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICA TIONS
INDEXStrictly avoid using a rapid battery charg-
er for jump starting: this could damage the
system electronics and the ignition and en-
gine supply control units.
This procedure must be performed by ex-
perts because incorrect actions may cause
considerable electrical discharge. Furthermore,
battery fluid is poisonous and corrosive: avoid con-
tact with skin and eyes. Keep naked flames and
lit cigarettes away from the battery. Do not cre-
ate sparks.
WARNING
BUMP STARTING
Never bump start the engine by pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause fuel to flow into the catalytic
converter and damage it beyond repair.
IMPORTANT Remember that the brake booster and the
power steering system are not active until the engine is
started, so you will need to apply much more force to
the brake pedal or steering wheel.
CHANGING A TYRE
The vehicle is originally equipped with the Fix&Go auto-
matic quick tyre repair kit (see instructions in the next sec-
tion). As an alternative, the vehicle may have a normal-
sized spare wheel.
Wheel changing and correct use of the jack and spare
wheel call for some precautions, as listed below.
The spare wheel (where provided) is
specifically for your vehicle. Therefore, it
must not be used on other models. Do not use
spare wheels of other models on your vehicle. The
spare wheel should be used only in an emergency.
Use it as little as possible.
WARNING
157
KNOW
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND
DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEXUse your hazard lights, warning triangle,
etc to show that your car is stationary.
Passengers should get out of the car, particularly
if it is heavily loaded, and wait for the wheel to be
changed away from the traffic. If you are on a
steep slope or uneven surface, place wedges or
other suitable objects under the wheels to secure
the vehicle. Repair and refit the standard wheel
as soon as possible. Do not grease the bolt threads
before you fit them, because they could sudden-
ly come loose.
WARNING
Use the jack only to replace wheels on the
vehicle with which it is supplied or on oth-
er vehicles of the same model. Never use the jack
for other purposes, such as lifting other models.
Never use the jack to carry out repairs under the
vehicle. Incorrect positioning of the jack may
cause the lifted vehicle to fall. Do not use the jack
for loads higher than the one shown on its label.
WARNING
Incorrect hub cap assembly may cause it
to come off when the car is moving. Nev-
er tamper with the inflation valve. Never intro-
duce tools of any kind between the rim and the
tyre. Check tyre and spare wheel pressures regu-
larly, referring to the values shown in the “Tech-
nical specifications” section.
WARNING
Note for one-way tyres
One-way tyres have a few arrows on the side indicating
the rotation direction. If a wheel is changed (when punc-
tured, for example) the direction of the arrows on the spa-
re wheel tyre may not coincide with the rotation direc-
tion of the wheel to be replaced. In these conditions, too,
the tyre still maintains its safety features.
Anyway, it is recommended to have the wheel repaired
and refitted as soon as possible, as the best performance
is achieved when the rotation direction of all tyres coin-
cides with the one indicated by the arrows.