▫Power Window Switches.................24
!LIFTGATE............................25
!OCCUPANT RESTRAINTS................26
▫Lap/Shoulder Belts....................29
▫Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure.....34
▫Seat Belts In Passenger Seating Positions......34
▫Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) — If
Equipped............................35
▫Energy Management Feature..............36
▫Seat Belt Pretensioners..................37
▫Enhanced Seat Belt Use Reminder System
(BeltAlert®)..........................37
▫Seat Belt Extender.....................38
▫Seat Belts And Pregnant Women...........39
▫Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) — Air
Bags................................39
▫Advanced Front Air Bag Features...........41
▫Air Bag Deployment Sensors And Controls....45
▫Event Data Recorder (EDR)...............55
▫Child Restraints.......................56
▫Transporting Pets......................77
!ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS....78
!SAFETY TIPS..........................78
▫Transporting Passengers..................78
▫Exhaust Gas.........................79
▫Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle.............................80
▫Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make Outside
The Vehicle..........................83
10 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Restraints” section. The chart below defines the type of
feature for each seating position.
Driver Passenger
First RowN/AALR
Second Row ALRALR
•N/A — Not Applicable
•ALR — Automatic Locking Retractor
If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage:
Only pull the belt webbing out far enough to comfortably
wrap around the occupant’s mid-section so as to not
activate the ALR. If the ALR is activated, you will hear a
ratcheting sound as the belt retracts. Allow the webbing
to retract completely in this case and then carefully pull
out only the amount of webbing necessary to comfort-
ably wrap around the occupant’s mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear a#click.#
Automatic Locking Retractor Mode (ALR) — If
Equipped
In this mode, the shoulder belt is automatically pre-
locked. The belt will still retract to remove any slack in
the shoulder belt. The Automatic Locking Mode is avail-
able on all passenger-seating positions with a combina-
tion lap/shoulder belt. Use the Automatic Locking Mode
anytime a child safety seat is installed in a seating
position that has a belt with this feature. Children 12
years old and under should always be properly re-
strained in a vehicle with a rear seat.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 35
Installing A Child Restraint with a Switchable
Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
1. Place the child seat in the center of the seating
position. For some second row seats, you may need to
recline the seat and/or raise the head restraint to get a
better fit.
2. Pull enough of the seat belt webbing from the retractor
to pass it through the belt path of the child restraint.
Do not twist the belt webbing in the belt path.
3. Slide the latch plate into the buckle until you hear a
“click.”
4. Pull on the webbing to make the lap portion tight
against the child seat.
5. To lock the seat belt, pull down on the shoulder part of
the belt until you have pulled all the seat belt webbing
out of the retractor. Then, allow the webbing to retract
back into the retractor. As the webbing retracts, you
will hear a clicking sound. This means the seat belt is
now in the Automatic Locking mode.
6. Try to pull the webbing out of the retractor. If it is
locked, you should not be able to pull out any web-
bing. If the retractor is not locked, repeat step 5.
7. Finally, pull up on any excess webbing to tighten the
lap portion around the child restraint while you push
the child restraint rearward and downward into the
vehicle seat.
8. If the child restraint has a top tether strap and the
seating position has a top tether anchorage, connect
the tether strap to the anchorage and tighten the tether
strap. Refer to “Lower Anchors and Tethers for Chil-
dren (LATCH) Restraint System” for directions to
attach a tether anchor.
74 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in pet harnesses
or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine and
drivetrain (transmission and axle) in your vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or
55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within the
limits of local traffic laws contributes to a good break-in.
Wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detri-
mental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high-quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil
changes should be consistent with anticipated climate
conditions under which vehicle operations will occur. For
the recommended viscosity and quality grades, refer to
“Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your Ve-
hicle”.
CAUTION!
Never use Non-Detergent Oil or Straight Mineral Oil
in the engine or damage may result.
NOTE:A new engine may consume some oil during its
first few thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This
should be considered a normal part of the break-in and
not interpreted as an indication of difficulty.
SAFETY TIPS
Transporting Passengers
NEVER TRANSPORT PASSENGERS IN THE CARGO
AREA.
78 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Air Bag Warning Light
The light should come on and remain on for
four to eight seconds as a bulb check when the
ignition switch is first turned ON. If the light is
not lit during starting, see your authorized
studio. If the light stays on, flickers, or comes on while
driving, have the system checked by an authorized
studio.
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 studio for service if your defroster is inoper-
able.
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.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 81
NOTE:Vertical movement only operates in auto open/
close mode.
Raising The Power Top
Auto Close
From the convertible top fully open position, push the
top close button for approximately one second for the
three-quarter open/spoiler position. Push the top close
button for approximately one second a second time for
the one-quarter open position. Push and hold close
button to fully close convertible top.
Manual Close
For manual close, push and hold the close button until
desired position until one-quarter open position. Push
and hold again for full close position.
NOTE:Rail lubrication is recommended every 2000
cycles, or if scratching noises due to dust are present.
Refer to “Fluids, Lubes, and Genuine Part” in “Maintain-
ing Your Vehicle” for information.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these cautions may cause interior
water damage, stains or mildew on the top material:
•Avoid high-pressure car washes, as they can dam-
age the top material. Also, increased water pressure
may force water past the weather strips.
•Remove any standing water from the top and dry
the surface before opening it. Operating the top,
opening a door or lowering a window while the top
is wet may allow water to drip into the vehicles
interior.
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 89
CAUTION!(Continued)
•Use care when washing the vehicle, water pressure
directed at the weather strip seals may cause water
to leak into the vehicles interior.
WARNING!
The convertible top does not provide the structural
protection that a reinforced metal roof does and the
fabric top cannot be expected to prevent the ejection
of the occupants in a collision. Therefore, it is impor-
tant that all occupants wear their seat belts at all
times. Death or serious injuries could occur if you are
ejected from the vehicle during a collision.
Power Convertible Top Relearn Procedure
If your power convertible top does not operate in the
Auto Opening/Closing mode (automatically opening/
closing to the one-quarter open and three-quarter open
comfort stops), or if the remote keyless power top
function is inoperable, or if the trunk lid does not open -
the following relearn procedure may be necessary.
1. Confirm that the door/trunk lid are closed.
2. Begin with the top in the fully closed position (using
manual mode).
3. Hold the OPEN button to move the top to the fully
open position.
4. CONTINUE to hold the OPEN button for an addi-
tional three seconds.
5. Release the OPEN button.
6. Hold the CLOSED button to move the top to the fully
closed position.
90 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
BLUE&ME™ HANDS-FREE COMMUNICATION —
IF EQUIPPED
Overview
Windows Mobile™-based FIAT BLUE&ME™ is a per-
sonal telematic system enabling you to use communica-
tion and entertainment applications expressly designed
for use in the car.
The BLUE&ME™ system installed on your car is
equipped with a hands-free kit, message reader and
media player, and it is preset for future installation of
additional services.
The BLUE&ME™ system, fully integrated with voice
commands, buttons on the steering wheel and multifunc-
tion display messages, gives you the possibility of inter-
acting with your Bluetooth® wireless technology mobile
phone (even if you keep it in your pocket or bag) without
having to take your eyes off the road or remove your
hands from the steering wheel. To use voice commands
you are not required to train the voice recognition system
to recognize your voice. This implies that the system is
nearly equally performing with different persons, i.e.: the
voice recognition system is of the “speaker independent”
type.
With this system you can also play your favorite music
stored on USB device and select tracks and playback
modes with both voice commands or buttons on the
steering wheel.
This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC rules
subject to the following two conditions:
•This device may not cause harmful interference.
•This device must accept all interference received, in-
cluding interference that may cause undesired opera-
tion.
96 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE