2012 FIAT PUNTO ignition

108
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
SAFETY
Do not wash the seats with
water or steam under pres-
sure (by hand or in automatic wash-
ing stations for seats).
WARNING
Front airbag deployment
takes place at a higher level
of impact than the pretensioners. For
collisions in the range between the
two thresholds, it is normal for only
the pretensioners to be activated.
WARNING
Do not hang rigid objects on
the coat hooks and the sup-
port handles.
WARNING
Airbags do not replace seat
belts, but increase their effi-
ciency. Furthermore, since front
airbags are not deployed in low
speed collisions, side-on collisions,
rear-end shunts or roll-overs, the pas-
sengers are protected only by the
seat belts which must therefore be
fastened at all times.
WARNING
When the ignition key is
turned to MAR, the warning
light (with passenger’s front airbag
activated) turns on and flashes for
a few seconds to remind you that the
passenger’s air bag will be deployed
in a crash, after which it should go off.
WARNING
Always drive with your hands
on the steering wheel rim so
that the airbag can inflate freely if
needed. Do not drive with your body
bent forward. Keep your back straight
against the backrest.
WARNING
If the vehicle has been sub-
ject to theft or a theft at-
tempt, or if it has been affected by
vandalism or flooding, have the airbag
system checked at a Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
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110
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
STARTING
AND DRIVING
STARTING THE ENGINE
The car is fitted with an electronic engine
lock device: if the engine fails to start, see
the paragraph on “The Fiat CODE sys-
tem” in the “Dashboard and controls”
section.
The engine may be noisier during the first
few seconds of operation, particularly af-
ter a long period of inactivity. This is a fea-
ture of hydraulic tappets, the timing sys-
tem chosen to reduce the number of
servicing interventions, and effects neither
functionality nor reliability.
We recommend that during
the initial period you do not
drive to full car performance
(e.g. excessive acceleration,
long journeys at top speed, sharp brak-
ing etc.).
When the engine is switched
off, never leave the key in
the ignition switch to prevent
draining the battery.
It is dangerous to have the
engine running indoors. The
engine consumes oxygen and pro-
duces carbon dioxide, carbon monox-
ide and other toxic gases.
WARNING
Remember that the brake
booster and power steering
are not operational until the engine
has been started, therefore you need
to apply much more force than usu-
al to the brake pedal and steering
wheel.
WARNING
STARTING PROCEDURE
FOR PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is on;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒press the clutch pedal all the way down
without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVVand re-
lease it the moment the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating the starting procedure.
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111
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
STARTING
AND DRIVING
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
Yremains
lit together with warning light U, turn the
key to STOP and then back to MAR; if
the warning lights remain on, try using the
other keys provided with the car.
IMPORTANT If the instrument panel
warning light
Ystays on permanently,
contact a Fiat Dealership immediately.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
at MAR when the engine is off. STARTING PROCEDURE
FOR DIESEL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is on;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒turn the ignition key to
MAR: the
warning lights
mand Yon the in-
strument panel will turn on;
❒wait for the warning lights Yand mto turn off. The hotter the engine is, the
quicker this will happen;
❒press the clutch pedal all the way down
without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVV as soon
as the warning light
mturns off. Wait-
ing too long will waste the work done
by the heater plugs. Release the key as
soon as the engine starts. If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to
STOP
before repeating the starting procedure.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the in-
strument panel warning light
Yremains
lit together with warning light
m, turn
the key to STOP and then back to MAR;
if the warning lights remain on, try using
the other keys provided with the car.
IMPORTANT If the instrument panel
warning light
Ystays on permanently,
contact a Fiat Dealership immediately.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key
at MAR when the engine is off.
Warning light
mwill blink
for 60 seconds after starting
or during prolonged cranking
to indicate a fault with the
glow plug system. Use the car as nor-
mal if the engine starts, but go to a Fiat
Dealership as soon as possible.
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112
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
STARTING
AND DRIVING
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOP while the
engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a long drive, you
should allow the engine to “catch its
breath” before turning it off by letting it
idle to allow the temperature in the en-
gine compartment to fall.
A quick burst on the acceler-
ator before turning off the en-
gine serves absolutely no
practical purpose; it wastes
fuel and is especially damaging to tur-
bocharged engines.WARMING UP THE ENGINE
AFTER IT HAS JUST STARTED
(petrol and diesel versions)
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly at medium revs, and ac-
celerate smoothly;
❒do not demand maximum performance
for the first few kilometres. Wait until
the engine coolant gauge starts moving.
Remember that the brake
booster and power steering
are not operational until the
engine has been started, so
you need to apply much more force
than usual to the brake pedal and
steering wheel.
Never jump start the engine
by pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause fu-
el to flow into the catalytic
converter and damage it beyond repair.
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113
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
STARTING
AND DRIVINGHANDBRAKE fig. 1
The handbrake is located between the
two front seats.
Pull the lever upwards to operate the
handbrake. Four or five notches are nor-
mally sufficient to secure the car on flat
terrain, while nine or ten may be neces-
sary on a steep slope with the car loaded.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case, con-
tact a Fiat Dealership to have the hand-
brake adjusted.
When the handbrake is on and the igni-
tion key is at MAR, the instrument panel
warning light
xwill come on.
PARKING THE VEHICLE
Proceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the hand-
brake;
❒engage a gear (first gear if the vehicle
is parked uphill or reverse if it is facing
downhill) and leave the wheels turned.
If the car is parked on a steep slope, it is
also advisable to block the wheels with
a wedge or stone. Do not leave the key in
the ignition switch as this drains the bat-
tery. Always remove the key when you
leave the car.
Never leave children unat-
tended in the car. Always re-
move the ignition key when leaving
the car and take it with you.
WARNING
fig. 1F0M0115m
To release the handbrake, proceed as
follows:
❒pull up slightly on the lever and press
release button A;
❒hold button A down and lower the
lever. The xwarning light on the in-
strument panel will go out.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out
this operation to prevent the car from
moving accidentally.
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122
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
GENERAL WARNINGS
Warning lights are accompanied by a spe-
cific message and/or sound when applica-
ble. These indications are synthetic and
precautionary and, as such, must not be
considered as exhaustive and/or alterna-
tive to the information contained in this
Owner Handbook, which you are rec-
ommended to read carefully in all cases.
Refer to the information in this section if
a fault is signalled .
IMPORTANT The fault indications ap-
pearing on the display are divided into two
categories: very serious and less seri-
ous failures.
Very serious failures are indicated by
a repeated and prolonged warning “cycle”.
Less serious failures are indicated by
a shorter warning “cycle”.
Press MENU ESC to stop the warning
cycle in both cases. Warning lights on the
instrument panel will stay on until the
cause of the failure is eliminated.
For messages relevant to the versions
equipped with a Dualogic gearbox, see the
attached Supplement. LOW BRAKE FLUID
LEVEL (red)
HANDBRAKE ON (red)
When the ignition key is moved to MAR,
the warning light turns on but should go
off after a few seconds.
Low brake fluid level
The warning light comes on when the lev-
el of the brake fluid in the reservoir falls
below the minimum level due to possible
leaks in the circuit.
A specific message is displayed on certain
versions.
x
If the warning light xturns
on when travelling (togeth-
er with the message on the display on
certain versions), stop the car imme-
diately and contact a Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
Handbrake on
The warning light turns on when the hand-
brake is engaged.
If the car is moving, an audible warning will
also sound on certain versions.
IMPORTANT If the warning light comes
on with the vehicle in motion, check that
the handbrake is not engaged.
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123
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
AIRBAG FAULT
(red)
When the ignition key is moved to MAR,
the warning light turns on but should go
off after a few seconds.
The warning light stays on constantly if
there is a failure in the airbag system.
A specific message is displayed on certain
versions.
¬If the warning light ¬does
not turn on when turning the
key to MAR or stays on during car
travel, there may be a failure in the
restraint systems. If this is the case,
the airbags or pretensioners may not
be deployed in an accident or, in a
minor number of cases, they may be
deployed incorrectly. Contact a Fiat
Dealership immediately to have the
system checked before driving off.
WARNING
A problem with the warning
light
¬(light off) is indicat-
ed by the warning light
“, which in-
dicates the front passenger airbag is
deactivated, flashing for more than
the usual four seconds.
WARNING
OVERHEATED ENGINE
COOLANT (red)
When the ignition key is moved to MAR,
the warning light turns on but should go
off after a few seconds.
The warning light turns on when the en-
gine is overheated.
If the warning light comes on, proceed as
follows:
❒ when driving normally: stop the car,
switch off the engine and check that the
water level in the reservoir is not be-
low the MIN mark. If it is not, wait for
a few minutes for the engine to cool
down then slowly and carefully open
the cap, top-up with coolant and check
that the level is between the MIN and
MAX marks. Also visually check for
leaks. Should the warning light turn on
again at the next start-up, contact a Fiat
Dealership.
ç
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124
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
LOW ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE (red)
EXHAUSTED ENGINE
OIL
(only Multijet versions with
DPF - red)
When the ignition key is turned to MAR
(ON), the warning light switches on and
should go out as soon as the engine is
started.
Low engine oil pressure
The warning light turns on and stays on
constantly (for versions/markets, where
provided) along with the message on the
display when the system detects that en-
gine oil pressure is low.
v
If the warning light vturns on when the vehicle is
travelling (on certain versions to-
gether with the message on the dis-
play) stop the engine immediately
and contact a Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
❒ if the vehicle is used under de-
manding conditions (e.g. towing
trailers uphill or fully loaded): slow
down and, if the light stays on, stop the
car. Stop for 2 or 3 minutes with the
engine running and slightly accelerated
to assist better coolant circulation.
Then switch the engine off. Check cor-
rect fluid level as described above.
IMPORTANT On particularly demanding
journeys, it is advisable to keep the engine
on and slightly accelerated for a few min-
utes before switching it off.
A specific message is displayed on certain
versions.
LOW BATTERY
CHARGE (red)
When the ignition key is moved to MAR,
the warning light turns on but should go
out as soon as the engine is started (with
the engine idling, a brief delay can be ex-
pected).
If the warning light comes on, either per-
manently or intermittently, contact a Fiat
Dealership immediately.
w
Exhausted engine oil
(only Multijet versions with DPF)
The warning light will flash and a specific
message will appear on the display (for
versions/markets, where provided). The
warning light may flash in the following
ways, depending on the version:
– for 1 minute every two hours;
– for 3 minute cycles with the warning
light off for intervals of 5 seconds until oil
is changed.
After the initial warning, each time the en-
gine is started up, the warning light will
continue to flash in the above mentioned
modes, until the oil is changed. A specific
message will appear on the display (for
versions/markets, where provided) in ad-
dition to the warning light.
If the warning light flashes, this does not
mean that the car is defective but simply
informs the driver that it is now necessary
to change the oil as a result of regular ve-
hicle use.
Note that engine oil is exhausted faster
under the following circumstances:
– use of the vehicle prevalently for city dri-
ving, requiring more frequent regenera-
tion of DPF
– use of the vehicle for short drives, in
which the engine does not have time to
reach its regular operating temperature
– repeated interruption of the regenera-
tion process, signalled by the DPF warn-
ing light coming on.
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