2012 FIAT FREEMONT Owner handbook (in English)

DOWNSHIFTING
Proper downshifting will improve fuel economy and
prolong engine life.
If you skip a 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 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 (for
versions/markets, where
provided)
Damage to the transmission may occur if
the following precautions are not ob-
served:
 Shift 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 shift between PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is above idle
speed.
 Before shifting into any gear, make sure your
foot is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
NOTE: You must press and hold the brake pedal
down while shifting out of PARK.
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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 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 en-
gine is idling normally and when your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
 Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply
the parking brake, shift the transmission into
PARK, and turn the engine off.When the ignition
is in the OFF position, the shift lever is locked in
PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement .
 When leaving the vehicle, always lock your
vehicle.
 Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle.
(Continued)(Continued)
 Allowing children to be in a vehicle unattended
is dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the shift lever.
 Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle,
and do not leave Keyless Enter-N-Go in the ACC
or ON/RUN mode. A child could operate power
windows, other controls, or move the vehicle.
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
before the engine can be turned off. This helps the
driver avoid inadvertently leaving the vehicle without
placing the transmission in PARK.
This system also locks the shift lever in PARK when-
ever the ignition switch is in the OFF position.
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 unless the brakes are applied. To move
the shift lever out of the PARK position, the ignition
switch must be turned to the ON/RUN position (en-
gine running or not) and the brake pedal must be
pressed.
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SIX-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
The shift lever position display (located in the instru-
ment 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
vehicle may be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and precision shifts will develop within a few
hundred kilometers.
Shifting from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE should be
done only after the accelerator pedal is released and
the vehicle is stopped. Be sure to keep your foot on the
brake pedal when moving the shift lever between thesegears.
The transmission shift lever has PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, DRIVE, and AutoStick
®
shift positions.
Manual shifts can be made using the AutoStick
®shift
control (refer to “AutoStick
®” in “Starting And Driv-
ing” for further information). Moving the shift lever to
the left or right (-/+) while in the AutoStick
®position
(below 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. (fig. 144) 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. Never attempt to use PARK while the vehicle is
in motion. Apply the parking brake when leaving the
vehicle in this range.
When parking on a level surface, you may place the
shift lever in the PARK position first, and then apply the
parking brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake before
placing the shift lever in PARK, otherwise the load on
(fig. 144)
Shift Lever
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the transmission locking mechanism may make it diffi-
cult to move the shift lever out of PARK. As an added
precaution, turn the front wheels toward the curb on a
downhill grade and away from the curb on an uphill
grade.
WARNING!
 Never use the PARK position as a sub-
stitute for the parking brake. Always ap-
ply the parking brake fully when parked to guard
against vehicle movement and possible injury or
damage.
 Your vehicle could move and injure you and
others if it is not completely in PARK. Check by
trying to move the shift lever rearward (with the
brake pedal released) after you have placed it in
PARK. Make sure the transmission is in PARK
before leaving the vehicle.
 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
the brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse.You could lose con-
trol of the vehicle and hit someone or something.
Only shift into gear when the engine is idling
normally and your foot is firmly pressing the
brake pedal.
(Continued)(Continued)
 Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply
the parking brake, shift the transmission into
PARK, and turn the engine off.When the ignition
is in the OFF position, the shift lever is locked in
PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement .
 When leaving the vehicle, always lock your
vehicle.
 Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle.
 Allowing children to be in a vehicle unattended
is dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the shift lever.
 Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle,
and do not leave Keyless Enter-N-Go in the ACC
or ON/RUN mode. A child could operate power
windows, other controls, or move the vehicle.
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 Before moving the shift lever out of
PARK, you must turn the ignition switch
from the LOCK/OFF position to the ON/
RUN position, and also press the brake pedal.
Otherwise, damage to the shift lever could result .
 DO NOT race the engine when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range, as
this can damage the drivetrain.
The following indicators should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the shift lever into the PARK posi-tion:
• When shifting into PARK, firmly move the shift lever all the way forward and to the left until it stops and is
fully seated.
• Look at the shift lever position display and verify that it indicates the PARK position.
• With brake pedal released, verify that the shift lever will not move out of PARK.
REVERSE
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Shift into
REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete
stop. NEUTRAL
Use this range when the vehicle is standing for pro-
longed periods with the engine running. The engine
may be started in this range. Set the parking brake and shift the transmission into PARK if you must leave the
vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never
turn off the ignition to coast down a hill.
These are unsafe practices that limit your re-
sponse to changing traffic or road conditions.You
might lose control of the vehicle and have a
collision.Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving
for any other reason with the transmis-
sion in NEUTRAL can result in severe
transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational Tow-
ing” in “Starting And Driving” and “Towing A Dis-
abled Vehicle” in “In An Emergency” for further
information.
DRIVE
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and down-
shifts, and the best fuel economy. The transmission
automatically upshifts through underdrive first, second,
third, and fourth gears, direct fifth gear and overdrive
sixth gear. The DRIVE position provides optimum driv-
ing characteristics under all normal operating condi-tions.
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When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as
when operating the vehicle under heavy loading condi-
tions, in hilly terrain, traveling into strong head winds,
or while towing heavy trailers), use the AutoStick
®
mode (refer to “AutoStick
®” in “Starting And Driving”
for further information) to select a lower gear. Under
these conditions, using a lower gear will improve per-
formance and extend transmission life by reducing
excessive shifting and heat buildup.
During cold temperatures, transmission operation may
be modified depending on engine and transmission
temperature as well as vehicle speed. This feature
improves warm up time of the engine and transmission
to achieve maximum efficiency. Engagement of the
torque converter clutch is inhibited until the transmis-
sion fluid is warm (refer to the “Note” under “Torque
Converter Clutch” in this section). During extremely
cold temperatures (

• the transmission fluid has reached an adequate tem-perature,
• the engine coolant has reached an adequate tem- perature, and
• vehicle speed is sufficiently high.
Torque Converter Clutch
A feature designed to improve fuel economy has been
included in the automatic transmission on your vehicle.
A clutch within the torque converter engages auto-
matically at calibrated speeds. This may result in a
slightly different feeling or response during normal
operation in the upper gears. When the vehicle speed
drops or during some accelerations, the clutch auto-
matically disengages.
NOTE: The torque converter clutch will not engage
until the transmission fluid and engine coolant are
warm [usually after 1.6 to 4.8 km of driving]. Because
the engine speed is higher when the torque converter
clutch is not engaged, it may seem as if the transmission
is not shifting into Overdrive when cold. This is normal.
Using the AutoStick
®feature, when the transmission
is sufficiently warm, will demonstrate that the trans-
mission is able to shift into and out of Overdrive. ALL WHEEL DRIVE (AWD) (for
versions/markets, where
provided)
This feature provides on-demand All-Wheel Drive
(AWD). The system is automatic with no driver inputs
or additional driving skills required. Under normal
driving conditions, the front wheels provide most of
the traction. If the front wheels begin to lose traction,
power is shifted automatically to the rear wheels. The
greater the front wheel traction loss, the greater the
power transfer to the rear wheels.
Additionally, on dry pavement under heavy throttle
input (where one may have no wheel spin), torque will
be sent to the rear in a pre-emptive effort to improve
vehicle launch and performance characteristics.
All wheels must have the same size and
type tires. Unequal tire sizes must not be
used. Unequal tire size may cause failure
of the power transfer unit .
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DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES
ACCELERATION
Rapid acceleration on snow covered, wet, or other
slippery surfaces may cause the driving wheels to pull
erratically to the right or left. This phenomenon occurs
when there is a difference in the surface traction under
the front (driving) wheels.
WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery surfaces
is dangerous. Unequal traction can
cause sudden pulling of the front wheels. You
could lose control of the vehicle and possibly
have a collision. Accelerate slowly and carefully
whenever there is likely to be poor traction (ice,
snow, wet , mud, loose sand, etc .). TRACTION
When driving on wet or slushy roads, it is possible for
a wedge of water to build up between the tire and road
surface. This is hydroplaning and may cause partial or
complete loss of vehicle control and stopping ability. To
reduce this possibility, the following precautions should
be observed:
1. Slow down during rainstorms or when the roads are
slushy.
2. Slow down if the road has standing water or puddles.
3. Replace the tires when tread wear indicators first become visible.
4. Keep tires properly inflated.
5. Maintain sufficient distance between your vehicle and the vehicle in front of you to avoid a collision in
a sudden stop.
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