2013 FIAT FREEMONT ECU

(Continued)
 Do not use accessory seat covers or place
objects between you and the side air bags; the
performance could be adversely affected and/or
objects could be pushed into you, causing serious
injury.
Knee Impact Bolsters
The Knee Impact Bolsters help protect the knees of
the driver and the front passenger, and position front
occupants for the best interaction with the Advanced
Front Air Bags.
Advanced Front Air Bags work with the knee bolsters
to provide improved protection for the driver and
front passenger. Side air bags also work with seat belts
to improve occupant protection.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize
the risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
Children 12 years old and under should always ride
buckled up in a rear seat.
WARNING!
Infants in rear-facing child restraints
sh
ould never ride in the front seat of a
vehicle with a passenger Advanced Front Air Bag.
An air bag deployment can cause severe injury or
death to infants in that position.
Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle
seat belt properly (see Section on Child Restraints)
should be secured in the rear seat in child restraints or
belt-positioning booster seats. Older children who do
not use child restraints or belt-positioning booster
seats should ride properly buckled up in the rear seat.
Never allow children to slide the shoulder belt behind
them or under their arm.
You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it
properly.
All occupants should always wear their lap and shoul-
der belts properly.
The driver and front passenger seats should be moved
back as far as practical to allow the Advanced Front Air
Bags room to inflate.
Do not lean against the door or window. If your vehicle
has side air bags, and deployment occurs, the side air
bags will inflate forcefully into the space between you
and the door.
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KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
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AND
DRIVING
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ARNING
LIGHTS
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EVENT DATA RECORDER (EDR)
 This vehicle is equipped with an Event Data Recorder(EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in
certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as an
air bag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data
that will assist in understanding how a vehicle’s sys-
tems performed. The EDR is designed to record data
related to vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a
short period of time, typically 30 seconds or less.
The EDR in this vehicle is designed to record such
data as:
 How various systems in your vehicle were operating;
 Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts were buckled/fastened;
 How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,
 How fast the vehicle was traveling.
 These data can help provide a better understanding of the circumstances in which crashes and injuries
occur. NOTE:
EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if
a non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data are re-
corded by the EDR under normal driving conditions
and no personal data (e.g. name, gender, age, and crash
location) are recorded. However, other parties, such as
law enforcement, could combine the EDR data with
the type of personally identifying data routinely ac-
quired during a crash investigation.
 To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is
needed. In addition to the vehicle manufacturer,
other parties such as law enforcement, that have the
special equipment, can read the information if they
have access to the vehicle or the EDR.
Transporting Pets
Air Bags deploying in the front seat could harm your
pet. An unrestrained pet will be thrown about and
possibly injured, or injure a passenger during panic
braking or in a collision.
Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in pet har-
nesses or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
197
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND
DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS
AND
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CARETECHNICAL
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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 authorizeddealerfor 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
caus
e 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)(Continued)
 Never place or install floor mats or other floor
coverings in the vehicle that cannot be properly
secured to prevent them from moving and inter-
fering with the pedals or the ability to control the
vehicle.
 Never put floor mats or other floor coverings
on top of already installed floor mats. Additional
floor mats and other coverings will reduce the
size of the pedal area and interfere with the
pedals.
 Check mounting of mats on a regular basis.
Always properly reinstall and secure floor mats
that have been removed for cleaning.
 Always make sure that objects cannot fall into
the driver footwell while the vehicle is moving.
Objects can become trapped under the brake
pedal and accelerator pedal causing a loss of
vehicle control.
 If required, mounting posts must be properly
installed, if not equipped from the factory.
Failure to properly follow floor mat installation
or mounting can cause interference with the
brake pedal and accelerator pedal operation
causing loss of control of the vehicle.
200
KNOWING YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING AND
DRIVING
W
ARNING LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS

WARNING!
 It
is dangerous to shift out of PARK or
NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher
than idle speed. If your foot is not firmly pressing
the brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse.You could lose con-
trol of the vehicle and hit someone or something.
Only shift into gear when the engine is idling
normally and when your foot is firmly pressing
the brake pedal.
 Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always apply
the parking brake, shift the transmission into
PARK, and turn the engine off.When the ignition
is in the OFF position, the shift lever is locked in
PARK, securing the vehicle against unwanted
movement .
 When leaving the vehicle, always lock your
vehicle.
 Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle.
(Continued)(Continued)
 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,
and do not leave Keyless Enter-N-Go™ in the
ACC or ON/RUN mode. A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or move the ve-
hicle.
KEY IGNITION PARK INTERLOCK
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Inter-
lock which requires the shift lever to be placed in PARK
before the engine can be turned off. This helps the
driver avoid inadvertently leaving the vehicle without
placing the transmission in PARK.
This system also locks the shift lever in PARK when-
ever the ignition switch is in the OFF position.
BRAKE/TRANSMISSION SHIFT INTERLOCK
SYSTEM
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake Transmission Shift
Interlock System (BTSI) that holds the shift lever in the
PARK position unless the brakes are applied. To move
the shift lever out of PARK, the ignition switch must be
212
KNOWING YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING AND
DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTSAND
MESSA
GES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS

(Continued)
 Unintended movement of a vehicle could in-
jure those in or near the vehicle. As with all
vehicles, you should never exit a vehicle while the
engine is running. Before exiting a vehicle, always
apply the parking brake, shift the transmission
into PARK, and turn the engine off. When the
ignition is in the OFF position, the shift lever is
locked in the PARK, securing the vehicle against
unwanted movement . Furthermore, you should
never leave unattended children inside a vehicle.
 Never leave children alone in a vehicle. Leav-
ing children in a vehicle unattended is dangerous
for a number of reasons. A child or others could
be seriously or fatally injured. Children 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, and do not leave the
ignition in the in the ACC or RUN position.A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
 Before moving the shift lever out of
PARK, you must turn the ignition switch
from the LOCK/OFF position to the ON/
RUN position, and also press the brake pedal.
Otherwise, damage to the shift lever could result .
 DO NOT race the engine when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range, as
this can damage the drivetrain.
The following indicators should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the shift lever into the PARK posi-
tion:
 When shifting into PARK, firmly move the shift lever all the way forward and to the left until it stops and is
fully seated.
 Look at the shift lever position display and verify that it indicates the PARK position.
 With brake pedal released, verify that the shift lever will not move out of PARK.
REVERSE
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Shift into
REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete
stop.
NEUTRAL
Use this range when the vehicle is standing for pro-
longed periods with the engine running. The engine
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KNOWING YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING AND
DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTSAND
MESSA
GES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS

Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electronically for
abnormal conditions. If a condition is detected that
could result in transmission damage, Transmission
Limp Home Mode is activated. In this mode, the trans-
mission remains in second gear regardless of which
forward gear is selected. PARK, REVERSE, and NEU-
TRAL will continue to operate. The Malfunction Indi-
cator Light (MIL) may be illuminated. Limp Home Mode
allows the vehicle to be driven to an authorized dealer
for service without damaging the transmission.
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 engine OFF.
4. Wait approximately 10 seconds.
5. Restart the engine.
6. Shift into the desired gear range. If the problem is nolonger detected, the transmission will return to
normal operation. NOTE:
Even if the transmission can be reset, we
recommend that you visit your authorized dealer at
your earliest possible convenience. Your authorized
dealer has diagnostic equipment to determine if the
problem could recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required.
Override Operation
The automatic transmission includes an electronically
controlled Overdrive (fourth gear). The transmission
will automatically shift into Overdrive if the following
conditions are present:
 the shift lever is in the DRIVE position,
 the transmission fluid has reached an adequate tem- perature,
 the engine coolant has reached an adequate tem- perature, and
 vehicle speed is sufficiently high, and
 the driver is not heavily pressing the accelerator.
Torque Converter Clutch
A feature designed to improve fuel economy has been
included in the automatic transmission on your vehicle.
A clutch within the torque converter engages auto-
matically at calibrated speeds. This may result in a
slightly different feeling or response during normal
216
KNOWING YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING AND
DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTSAND
MESSA
GES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS

(Continued)
 Unintended movement of a vehicle could in-
jure those in or near the vehicle. As with all
vehicles, you should never exit a vehicle while the
engine is running. Before exiting a vehicle, always
apply the parking brake, shift the transmission
into PARK, and remove the key fob. Once the key
fob is removed, the shift lever is locked in the
PARK position, securing the vehicle against un-
wanted movement . Furthermore, you should
never leave unattended children inside a vehicle.
 Never leave children alone in a vehicle. Leav-
ing unattended children in a vehicle is dangerous
for a number of reasons. A child or others could
be seriously or fatally injured. Do not leave the
key fob in the vehicle. A child could operate
power windows, other controls, or move the ve-
hicle.
 Before moving the shift lever out of
PARK, you must turn the ignition switch
from the LOCK/OFF position to the ON/
RUN position, and also press the brake pedal.
Otherwise, damage to the shift lever could result .
 DO NOT race the engine when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range, as
this can damage the drivetrain. The following indicators should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the shift lever into the PARK posi-
tion:
 When shifting into PARK, firmly move the shift lever
all the way forward and to the left until it stops and is
fully seated.
 Look at the shift lever position display and verify that it indicates the PARK position.
 With brake pedal released, verify that the shift lever will not move out of PARK.
REVERSE
This range is for moving the vehicle backward. Shift into
REVERSE only after the vehicle has come to a complete
stop.
NEUTRAL
Use this range when the vehicle is standing for pro-
longed periods with the engine running. The engine
may be started in this range. Apply the parking brake
and shift the transmission into PARK if you must leave
the vehicle.
219
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND
DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS
AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS

Light (MIL) may be illuminated. Limp Home Mode
allows the vehicle to be driven to an authorized dealer
for service without damaging the transmission.
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 engine OFF.
4. Wait approximately 10 seconds.
5. Restart the engine.
6. Shift into the desired gear range. If the problem is nolonger detected, the transmission will return to
normal operation.
NOTE: Even if the transmission can be reset, we
recommend that you visit your authorized dealer at
your earliest possible convenience. Your authorized
dealer has diagnostic equipment to determine if the
problem could recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required. Overdrive Operation
The automatic transmission includes an electronically
controlled Overdrive (sixth gear). The transmission
will automatically shift into Overdrive if the following
conditions are present:
 the shift lever is in the DRIVE position,
 the transmission fluid has reached an adequate tem-
perature,
 the engine coolant has reached an adequate tem- perature, and
 vehicle speed is sufficiently high.
Torque Converter Clutch
A feature designed to improve fuel economy has been
included in the automatic transmission on your vehicle.
A clutch within the torque converter engages auto-
matically at calibrated speeds. This may result in a
slightly different feeling or response during normal
operation in the upper gears. When the vehicle speed
drops or during some accelerations, the clutch auto-
matically disengages.
221
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND
DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS
AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS