2012 FIAT FREEMONT checking oil

The best protection against carbon monoxide entry
into the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine
exhaust system.
Whenever a change is noticed in the sound of the
exhaust system, when exhaust fumes can be detected
inside the vehicle, or when the underside or rear of the
vehicle is damaged, have a competent mechanic inspect
the complete exhaust system and adjacent body areas
for broken, damaged, deteriorated, or mispositioned
parts. Open seams or loose connections could permit
exhaust fumes to seep into the passenger compart-
ment. In addition, inspect the exhaust system each time
the vehicle is raised for lubrication or oil change.
Replace as required.
SAFETY CHECKS YOU SHOULD MAKE
INSIDE THE VEHICLE
Seat Belts
Inspect the seat belt system periodically, checking for
cuts, frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be
replaced immediately. Do not disassemble or modify
the system.
Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision. Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced
after a collision if they have been damaged (i.e., bent
retractor, torn webbing, etc.). If there is any question
regarding belt or retractor condition, replace the seatbelt.Air Bag Warning Light
The light should turn on and remain on for four to six
seconds as a bulb check when the ignition switch is first
turned ON. If the light is not lit during starting, or if the
light stays on, flickers, or turns on while driving, have
the system checked by an authorized dealer.
Defroster
Check operation by selecting the defrost mode and
place the blower control on high speed. You should be
able to feel the air directed against the windshield. See
your authorized dealer for service if your defroster is
inoperable.
Floor Mat Safety Information
Always use floor mats designed to fit the footwell of
your vehicle. Use only floor mats that leave the pedal
area unobstructed and that are firmly secured so that
they cannot slip out of position and interfere with the
pedals or impair safe operation of your vehicle in other
ways.
WARNING!
Pedals that cannot move freely can
cause loss of vehicle control and increase
the risk of serious personal injury.
 Always make sure that floor mats are properly
attached to the floor mat fasteners.
(Continued)
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KNOWING
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SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS

MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES
The pages that follow contain therequiredmainte-
nance services determined by the engineers who de-
signed your vehicle.
Besides those maintenance items specified in the fixed
maintenance schedule, there are other components
which may require servicing or replacement in the
future.
 Failure to properly maintain your ve-
hicle or perform repairs and service when
necessary could result in more costly re-
pairs, damage to other components or negatively
impact vehicle performance. Immediately have
potential malfunctions examined by an autho-
rized dealership or qualified repair center.
 Your vehicle has been built with improved fluids
that protect the performance and durability of
your vehicle and also allow extended mainte-
nance intervals. Do not use chemical flushes in
these components as the chemicals can damage
your engine, transmission, power steering or air
conditioning. Such damage is not covered by the
New Vehicle Limited Warranty. If a flush is needed
because of component malfunction, use only the
specified fluid for the flushing procedure. ENGINE OIL
Checking Oil Level – Gasoline Engine
To assure proper engine lubrication, the engine oil
must be maintained at the correct level. Check the oil
level at regular intervals, such as every fuel stop.
The best time to check the engine oil level is about five
minutes after a fully warmed engine is shut off. Do not
check oil level before starting the engine after it has sat
overnight. Checking engine oil level when the engine is
cold will give you an incorrect reading.
Checking the oil while the vehicle is on level ground
and only when the engine is hot, will improve the
accuracy of the oil level readings. Maintain the oil level
between the range markings on the dipstick. Either the
range markings consist of a crosshatch zone marked
SAFE or a crosshatch zone marked with MIN at the low
end of the range and MAX at the high end of the range.
Adding 1 Liter of oil when the reading is at the low end
of the range marking will raise the oil level to the high
end of the range marking.
Do not overfill the engine. Overfilling the
engine will cause oil aeration, which can
lead to loss of oil pressure and an in-
crease in oil temperature.This could damage your
engine.Also, be sure the oil fill cap is replaced and
tightened after adding oil.
272
KNOWING YOUR
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WARNING LIGHTSAND
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Checking Oil Level – Diesel Engine
To assure proper engine lubrication, the engine oil
must be maintained at the correct level. Check the oil
level at regular intervals, such as every fuel stop.
The best time to check the engine oil level is about five
minutes after a fully warmed engine is shut off or
before starting the engine after it has sat overnight.
Checking the oil while the vehicle is on level ground will
improve the accuracy of the oil level readings. Maintain
the oil level between the MIN and MAX markings on
the dipstick. Adding 1 Liter of oil when the reading is at
the MIN mark will result in a MAX reading on theseengines.
Change Engine Oil – Gasoline Engine
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” for the proper
maintenance intervals.
Change Engine Oil – Diesel Engine
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” for the proper
maintenance intervals.
Engine Oil Viscosity – 3.6L Gasoline Engine
SAE 5W-30 engine oil is recommended for all operating
temperatures. This engine oil improves low tempera-
ture starting and vehicle fuel economy.The engine oil filler cap also shows the recommended
engine oil viscosity for your vehicle. For information on
engine oil filler cap location, refer to “Engine Compart-
ment” in “Servicing And Care” for further information.
Engine Oil Viscosity – 2.0L Diesel Engine
For best performance and maximum protection under
all types of operating conditions, the manufacturer
recommends Fully Synthetic Low Ash 5W-30 engine
oils that meet the requirements of FIAT 9.55535-S1
spec and ACEA C1/C2.
Materials Added To Engine Oil
Do not add any supplemental materials, other than leak
detection dyes, to the engine oil. Engine oil is an
engineered product and its performance may be im-
paired by supplemental additives.
Disposing Of Used Engine Oil And Oil Filters
Care should be taken in disposing of used engine oil and
oil filters from your vehicle. Used oil and oil filters,
indiscriminately discarded, can present a problem to
the environment. Contact your authorized dealer, ser-
vice station, or governmental agency for advice on how
and where used oil and oil filters can be safely discarded
in your area.
273
KNOWING
YOURVEHICLE SAFETY
STARTING ANDDRIVING
WARNING LIGHTSAND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCYSERVICING AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS

Brake Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113,284Anti-Lock (ABS) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113,114
Fluid Check . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284,303
Master Cylinder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 284
Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Warning Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 228
Brake, Parking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Brake/Transmission Interlock . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 204
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113,284
Break-In Recommendations, New Vehicle . . . . . . . . 195
Brightness, Interior Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Bulb Replacement . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 248,249
Bulbs, Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 194,248
Camera, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Capacities, Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Caps, Filler Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 156
Oil (Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 271,273
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Radiator (Coolant Pressure) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Car Washes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Carbon Monoxide Warning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Cargo (Vehicle Loading) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cargo Area Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Cargo Area Features . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Cargo Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106 Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 106
Luggage Carrier . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 112
Cargo Load Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cargo Management System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107 Rollaway Tonneau Cover . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109 Tri-Fold Load Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 107
Cargo Tie-Downs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 108
Cellular Phone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Changing A Flat Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Checking Your Vehicle For Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Checks, Safety . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 192
Child Booster Seat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 174
Child Restraint . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 170,173,175,177,179
Child Restraint Tether Anchors . . . . . . . . . . . . 176,177
Child Safety Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98
Clean Air Gasoline . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 299Cleaning Wheels . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 288
Windshield Wiper Blades . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 277
Climate Control . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59
Coin Holder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Cold Weather Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 197
Compact Disc (CD) Maintenance . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Compact Spare Tire . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 294
Computer, Trip/Travel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Connector UCI . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 154
Universal Consumer Interface (UCI) . . . . . . . . . . 154
Conserving Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Console, Floor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86
Console, Overhead . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Cool Down, Turbo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 199
Coolant Pressure Cap (Radiator Cap) . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Cooling System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280 Adding Coolant (Antifreeze) . . . . . . . . . . . . 281,282
Coolant Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Coolant Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280,283
Diesel Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
308
KNOWING YOUR
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SAFETY
STARTING AND
DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTSAND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS

Disposal of Used Coolant . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Drain, Flush, and Refill . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 281
Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Points to Remember . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Pressure Cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Radiator Cap . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Selection of Coolant (Antifreeze) . . . . . . 281,301,302
Temperature Gauge . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Corrosion Protection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Cupholders . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92,290
Data Recorder, Event . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Daytime Brightness, Interior Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74
Daytime Running Lights . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72
Defroster, Rear Window . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80
Defroster, Windshield . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64,193
Delay (Intermittent) Wipers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76
Diagnostic System, Onboard . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Diesel Fuel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300,302
Diesel Fuel Requirements . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 300
Dimmer Switch, Headlight . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73Dipsticks Automatic Transmission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Oil (Engine) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272,273
Power Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122
Disabled Vehicle Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262Disposal
Antifreeze (Engine Coolant) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 283
Engine Oil . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 96
Door Locks, Automatic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Downshifting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 203 Driving
On Slippery Surfaces . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 210
Through Flowing, Rising, or Shallow Standing
Water . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 211
Driving to Achieve Maximum Fuel Economy . . . . . . . 24
Electric Remote Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Electrical Outlet, Auxiliary (Power Outlet) . . . . . . . . 89
Electrical Power Outlets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Electronic Brake Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 114 Anti-Lock Brake System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Brake Assist System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Electronic Roll Mitigation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Electronic Stability Program . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Traction Control System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 116
Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Electronic Speed Control (Cruise Control) . . . . . . . . 81
Electronic Stability Program (ESP) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC) . . . 19,134
Emergency, In Case of Freeing Vehicle When Stuck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 259
Hazard Warning Flasher . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85
Jacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Jump Starting . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 231
Towing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 262
Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195,271
Air Cleaner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 274
Break-In Recommendations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Checking Oil Level . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272,273
Compartment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Compartment Identification . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 270
Coolant (Antifreeze) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280,302
Cooling . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 280
309
KNOWING
YOURVEHICLE SAFETY
STARTING ANDDRIVING
WARNING LIGHTSAND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS

Vanity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Mode Fuel Saver . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Modifications/Alterations, Vehicle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Monitor, Tire Pressure System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 123
Multi-Function Control Lever . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Navigation System (Uconnect™ gps) . . . . . . . . 134,136
New Vehicle Break-In Period . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 195
Occupant Restraints . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 158,186,189
Occupant Restraints (Sedan) . . . . . . . . 183,184,186,188
Octane Rating, Gasoline (Fuel) . . . . . . . . . . . . 298,302
Odometer . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 226
Oil Change Indicator . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,226
Oil Change Indicator, Reset . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,226
Oil, Engine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272,302 Capacity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Change Interval . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23,273
Checking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272,273
Dipstick . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 272,273
Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Filter . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 302
Filter Disposal . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Materials Added to . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273
Recommendation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 301
Viscosity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 273,301
Onboard Diagnostic System . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Operating Precautions . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 120
Operator Manual (Owner's Manual) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Outside Rearview Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Overhead Console . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 83
Owner's Manual (Operator Manual) . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4 Paint Care . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Park Sense System, Rear . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129
Parking Brake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 200
Passenger Seat Back Tilt (Easy Entry System) . . . . . . . 52
Passing Light . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 73
Pets . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 191
Power
Brakes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113
Distribution Center (Fuses) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 256
Door Locks . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 97
Mirrors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Outlet (Auxiliary Electrical Outlet) . . . . . . . . . . . 89
Seats . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40
Steering . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121,122
Transfer Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287
Windows . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 103
Power Steering Fluid . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 303
Power Transfer Unit . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 287,303
Pregnant Women and Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 169
Preparation for Jacking . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 234
Pretensioners Seat Belts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 164
Programming Transmitters (Remote Keyless Entry) . . 12
Radial Ply Tires . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 293
Radiator Cap (Coolant Pressure Cap) . . . . . . . . . . . 282
Radio (Sound Systems) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Radio Operation . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 155
Radio Remote Controls . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
Rear Air Conditioning . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 66
Rear Axle (Differential) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 286
Rear Camera . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 134
Rear Cupholder . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92
314
KNOWING YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING AND
DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTSAND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS