2013 FIAT 500C manual transmission

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
!STARTING PROCEDURES................223
▫Manual Transmission – If Equipped........223
▫Automatic Transmission – If Equipped......223
▫Normal Starting.......................223
▫Cold Weather Operation................224
▫If Engine Fails To Start.................224
▫After Starting........................225
!MANUAL TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED . .226
▫Five-Speed Manual Transmission...........226
▫Recommended Shift Speeds..............228
▫Downshifting........................228
!AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION — IF
EQUIPPED...........................229
▫Key Ignition Park Interlock...............230
▫Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . .231
▫Six-Speed Automatic Transmission.........231
▫Gear Ranges.........................232
!AUTOSTICK® — IF EQUIPPED............237
▫Operation...........................237
!DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES.........239
5

▫Acceleration.........................239
▫Traction............................239
!DRIVING THROUGH WATER.............240
▫Flowing/Rising Water..................240
▫Shallow Standing Water.................240
!POWER STEERING.....................242
!PARKING BRAKE......................244
!SPORT MODE.........................246
▫Manual Transmission – If Equipped........246
▫Automatic Transmission – If Equipped......247
!BRAKE SYSTEM.......................248
▫Four-Wheel Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) . . .248
!ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM . . . .249
▫Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS)............250
▫Brake Assist System (BAS)...............250
▫Traction Control System (TCS)............251
▫Hill Start Assist (HSA).................251
▫Electronic Stability Control (ESC)..........252
▫ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light
And ESC OFF Indicator Light............255
!TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION.............257
▫Tire Markings........................257
▫Tire Identification Number (TIN)...........260
▫Tire Terminology And Definitions..........262
▫Tire Loading And Tire Pressure...........263
!TIRES — GENERAL INFORMATION........268
220 STARTING AND OPERATING

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.
WARNING!
•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 (or
in a location accessible to children), and do not
leave the ignition in the ACC or ON/RUN position.
A child could operate power windows, other con-
trols, or move the vehicle.
Manual Transmission – If Equipped
Apply the parking brake, place the shift lever in NEU-
TRAL, and press the clutch pedal before starting the
vehicle. This vehicle is equipped with a clutch interlock-
ing ignition system. It will not start unless the clutch
pedal is pressed to the floor.
Automatic Transmission – If Equipped
The shift lever must be in the PARK or NEUTRAL
position before you can start the engine. Apply the brakes
before shifting to any driving gear.
NOTE:You must press the brake pedal before shifting
out of PARK.
Normal Starting
NOTE:Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or pressing the
accelerator pedal.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 223

MANUAL TRANSMISSION — IF EQUIPPED
Five-Speed Manual Transmission
WARNING!
You or others could be injured if you leave the
vehicle unattended without having the parking
brake fully applied. The parking brake should al-
ways be applied when the driver is not in the vehicle,
especially on an incline.
Fully press the clutch pedal before you shift gears. As you
release the clutch pedal, lightly press the accelerator
pedal.
Shift Lever
226 STARTING AND OPERATING

Recommended Shift Speeds
To use your manual transmission for optimal fuel
economy, it should be upshifted as listed in the following
table.
Manual Transmission Recommended Shift Speeds
Units In mph (km/h)
Engine
Size
Accel-
eration
Rate
1to2 2to3 3to4 4to5
1.4L/
1.4L
Turbo
Engine
Accel 14
(23)
23
(37)
29
(47)
38
(61)
Cruise 12
(19)
18
(29)
25
(40)
32
(52)
Downshifting
Proper downshifting will improve fuel economy and
prolong engine life.
CAUTION!
If you skip a gear while downshifting or downshift
at too high of a vehicle speed, these conditions may
cause the engine to overspeed if too low of a gear is
selected and the clutch pedal is released. Damage to
the clutch and the transmission can result from
skipping a gear while downshifting or downshifting
at too high of a vehicle speed even if the clutch pedal
is held pressed (i.e., not released).
To maintain a safe speed and prolong brake life, shift
down to second or first gear when descending a steep
grade.
228 STARTING AND OPERATING

Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE when the
accelerator pedal is released and the vehicle is stopped.
Be sure to keep your foot on the brake pedal when
shifting between these gears.
The transmission shift lever has PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, DRIVE, and AutoStick® shift positions. Manual
shifts can be made using the AutoStick® shift control
(refer to “AutoStick®” in “Starting and Operating” for
further information). Moving the shift lever forward or
rearward (–/+) while in the AutoStick® position (beside
the DRIVE position) will manually select the transmis-
sion gear, and will display the current gear in the
instrument cluster as 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.
Gear Ranges
DO NOT race the engine when shifting from PARK or
NEUTRAL into another gear range.
NOTE:After selecting any gear range, wait a moment to
allow the selected gear to engage before accelerating.
This is especially important when the engine is cold.
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 PARK 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 the
transmission locking mechanism may make it difficult to
move the shift lever out of PARK. As an added precau-
tion, turn the front wheels toward the curb on a downhill
grade and away from the curb on an uphill grade.
232 STARTING AND OPERATING

In the event of a momentary problem, the transmission
can be reset to regain all forward gears by performing the
following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the LOCK/OFF position.
4. Wait approximately 10 seconds.
5. Restart the engine.
6. Shift into the desired gear range. If the problem is no
longer detected, the transmission will return to normal
operation.
NOTE:Even if the transmission can be reset, we recom-
mend that you visit your authorized studio at your
earliest possible convenience. Your authorized studio has
diagnostic equipment to determine if the problem could
recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized studio
service is required.
AUTOSTICK® — IF EQUIPPED
AutoStick® is a driver-interactive transmission feature
providing manual shift control, giving you more control
of the vehicle. AutoStick® allows you to maximize en-
gine braking, eliminate undesirable upshifts and down-
shifts, and improve overall vehicle performance. This
system can also provide you with more control during
passing, city driving, cold slippery conditions, mountain
driving, and many other situations.
Operation
When the shift lever is in the AutoStick® position (beside the
Drive position), it can be moved forward and rearward. This
allows the driver to manually select the transmission gear
being used. Moving the shift lever forward (-) triggers a
downshift, and rearward (+) an upshift. The current gear
will be displayed in the instrument cluster.
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 237

NOTE:In AutoStick® mode, the transmission will only
shift up or down when the driver moves the shift lever
rearward (+) or forward (-), except as described below.
•The transmission will automatically downshift as the
vehicle slows (to prevent engine lugging) and will
display the current gear.
•The transmission will automatically downshift to first
gear when coming to a stop. After a stop, the driver
should manually upshift (+) the transmission as the
vehicle is accelerated.
•Starting out in second or third gear can be helpful in
snow or icy conditions. To select second or third gear
after the vehicle is brought to a stop, tap the shift lever
rearward (+) once or twice.
•The transmission will automatically upshift when nec-
essary to prevent engine over-speed.
•The system will ignore shift commands that would
cause engine lugging or overspeed. An audible beep
will sound if an inappropriate gear is requested.
•Avoid using speed control when AutoStick® is en-
gaged because the transmission will not shift auto-
matically.
•Transmission shifting will be more noticeable when
AutoStick® is engaged.
•If the system detects powertrain overheating, the
transmission will revert to a automatic shift mode and
remain in that mode until the powertrain cools off.
•If the system detects a problem, it will disable
AutoStick® mode and the transmission will return to
automatic mode until the problem is corrected.
•To disengage AutoStick® mode, return the shift lever
to the DRIVE position. You can shift in or out of the
238 STARTING AND OPERATING