2013 FIAT 500 ABARTH engine

CAUTION!(Continued)
•Getting water inside your vehicle’s engine can
cause it to lock up and stall out, and cause serious
internal damage to the engine. Such damage is not
covered by the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
WARNING!
•Driving through standing water limits your vehi-
cle’s traction capabilities. Do not exceed 5 mph
(8 km/h) when driving through standing water.
•Driving through standing water limits your vehi-
cle’s braking capabilities, which increases stopping
distances. Therefore, after driving through stand-
ing water, drive slowly and lightly press on the
brake pedal several times to dry the brakes.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Getting water inside your vehicle’s engine can
cause it to lock up and stall out, and leave you
stranded.
•Failure to follow these warnings may result in
injuries that are serious or fatal to you, your pas-
sengers, and others around you.
POWER STEERING
The electric power steering system will give you good
vehicle response and increased ease of maneuverability
in tight spaces. The system will vary its assist to provide
light efforts while parking and good feel while driving. If
the electric steering system experiences a fault that
prevents it from providing assist, you will still have the
ability to steer the vehicle manually.
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SPORT MODE
In Sport mode, the engine is more responsive to the
throttle pedal, and provides more maximum torque by
increasing turbo boost pressure. Steering feedback is
improved, and steering effort is slightly higher. This
driving mode is useful for spirited driving.
1. To activate the Sport mode, press the SPORT button.
Once activated, a SPORT message will be displayed in
the instrument cluster.
2. Momentarily release the accelerator pedal.
3. Press the accelerator pedal again to activate.
SPORT Button
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BRAKE SYSTEM
In the event power assist is lost for any reason (for
example; repeated brake applications with the engine
off), the brakes will still function. The effort required to
brake the vehicle will be significantly more than that
required with the power system operating.
If either of the two hydraulic systems loses normal
capability, the remaining system will still function with
some loss of braking effectiveness. This will be evident by
increased pedal travel during application, greater pedal
force required to slow or stop, and activation of the Brake
Warning Light and the ABS Warning Light during brake
use.
Four-Wheel Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)
The Four-Wheel ABS is designed to aid the driver in
maintaining vehicle control under adverse braking con-
ditions. The system operates with a separate computer to
modulate hydraulic pressure, to prevent wheel lock-up
and to help avoid skidding on slippery surfaces.
The system’s pump motor runs during an ABS stop to
provide regulated hydraulic pressure. The pump motor
makes a low humming noise during operation, which is
normal.
The ABS includes an amber ABS Warning Light. When
the light is illuminated, the ABS is not functioning. The
system reverts to standard non-anti-lock brakes. Turning
the ignition Off and On again may reset the ABS if the
fault detected was only momentary.
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Traction Control System (TCS)
This system monitors the amount of wheel spin of each of
the driven wheels. If wheel spin is detected, brake
pressure is applied to the slipping wheel(s) and engine
power is reduced to provide enhanced acceleration and
stability. A feature of the TCS system functions similar to
a limited-slip differential and controls the wheel spin
across a driven axle. If one wheel on a driven axle is
spinning faster than the other, the system will apply the
brake of the spinning wheel. This will allow more engine
torque to be applied to the wheel that is not spinning.
This feature remains active even if TCS and ESC are in
the Partial Off mode. Refer to “Electronic Stability Con-
trol (ESC)” in this section for further information.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The HSA system is designed to assist the driver when
starting a vehicle from a stop on a hill. HSA will maintain
the level of brake pressure the driver applied for a short
period of time after the driver takes his foot off the brake
pedal. If the driver does not apply the throttle during this
short period of time, the system will release brake
pressure and the vehicle will roll down the hill. The
system will release brake pressure in proportion to the
amount of throttle applied as the vehicle starts to move in
the intended direction of travel.
HSA Activation Criteria
The following criteria must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
•Vehicle must be stopped.
•Vehicle must be on a 2.5% (manual transmission)
grade hill.
•Gear selection matches vehicle uphill direction (i.e.,
vehicle in NEUTRAL (manual transmission), vehicle
facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle backing uphill
is in REVERSE gear).
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WARNING!
There may be situations on minor hills (i.e., less than
2.5%), with a loaded vehicle, or while pulling a
trailer, when the system will not activate and slight
rolling may occur. This could cause a collision with
another vehicle or object. Always remember the
driver is responsible for braking the vehicle.
Disabling/Enabling HSA
If you wish to turn the HSA system on or off, it can be
done using the Customer Programmable Features in the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC). Refer to
“Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in “Un-
derstanding Your Instrument Panel” for further informa-
tion.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
This system enhances directional control and stability of
the vehicle under various driving conditions. ESC cor-
rects for oversteering or understeering of the vehicle by
applying the brake of the appropriate wheel to assist in
counteracting the oversteering or understeering condi-
tion. Engine power may also be reduced to help the
vehicle maintain the desired path. ESC uses sensors in
the vehicle to determine the vehicle path intended by the
driver and compares it to the actual path of the vehicle.
When the actual path does not match the intended path,
ESC applies the brake of the appropriate wheel to assist
in counteracting the oversteer or understeer condition.
•Oversteer - when the vehicle is turning more than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
•Understeer - when the vehicle is turning less than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 241

ESC Operating Modes
The ESC system has three available operating modes.
Full On
This is the normal operating mode for ESC. Whenever
the vehicle is started, the ESC system will be in On mode.
This mode should be used for most driving situations.
ESC should only be turned to Partial Off for specific
reasons as noted below.
Partial Off
This mode is entered by momentarily pressing the ESC
Off switch. This mode is intended for times when a more
spirited driving experience is desired. It is also intended
for driving in deep snow, sand or gravel conditions,
when more wheel spin than ESC would normally allow is
required to gain traction.
To turn ESC on again, momentarily press the switch
again. This will restore the normal ESC On mode of
operation.
WARNING!
When in “Partial Off” mode, the TCS functionality of
ESC (except for the limited slip feature described in
the TCS section) has been disabled and the “ESC Off
Indicator Light” will be illuminated. When in “Par-
tial Off” mode, the engine power reduction of TCS is
disabled, and the enhanced vehicle stability offered
by the ECS system is reduced.
Full Off
This mode is intended for off-highway or off-road use
only and should not be used on public roadways. In this
mode, all TCS and ESC stability features are turned OFF.
To enter the “Full Off” mode, depress and hold the ESC
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STARTING AND OPERATING 243

OFF switch for five seconds. After five seconds, the ESC
OFF Indicator Light will illuminate, and the “ESC OFF”
message will display in the EVIC. To turn ESC ON again,
momentarily press the ESC OFF switch.
WARNING!
In the ESC “Full Off” mode, the engine torque
reduction and stability features are cancelled. There-
fore, the enhanced vehicle stability offered by ESC is
unavailable. The “Full Off” ESC mode is intended
for off-highway or offroad use only.
ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light And
ESC OFF Indicator Light
The ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator
Light in the instrument cluster will come on
when the ignition switch is turned to the MAR
(ACC/ON/RUN) position for four seconds. If the ESC
Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light comes on con-
tinuously with the engine running, a malfunction has
been detected in the ESC system. If this light remains on
after several ignition cycles, and the vehicle has been
driven several miles (kilometers) at speeds greater than
30 mph (48 km/h), see your authorized studio as soon as
possible to have the problem diagnosed and corrected.
The ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light (located
in the instrument cluster) starts to flash as soon as the
tires lose traction and the ESC system becomes active.
The ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light also
flashes when TCS is active. If the ESC Activation/
Malfunction Indicator Light begins to flash during accel-
eration, ease up on the accelerator and apply as little
throttle as possible. Be sure to adapt your speed and
driving to the prevailing road conditions.
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The tire pressure sensors are covered under one of the
following licenses:
United StatesMRXC4W4MA4
Canada2546A-C4W4MA4
(Single)
FUEL REQUIREMENTS
This engine is designed to meet all emis-
sion regulations and provide satisfactory
fuel economy and performance when us-
ing high-quality unleaded “regular” gaso-
line having an octane rating of 87. For
optimum performance and fuel economy the use of 91
octane or higher is recommended.
Light spark knock at low engine speeds is not harmful to
your engine. However, continued heavy spark knock at
high speeds can cause damage and immediate service is
required.
Poor quality gasoline can cause problems such as hard
starting, stalling and hesitations. If you experience these
symptoms, try another brand of gasoline (with the ap-
propriate octane rating for your engine) before consider-
ing service for the vehicle.
Reformulated Gasoline
Many areas of the country require the use of cleaner
burning gasoline referred to as “Reformulated Gasoline.”
Reformulated gasolines contain oxygenates and are spe-
cifically blended to reduce vehicle emissions and im-
prove air quality.
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