Page 309 of 352

WARNING!
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They
c
ontain carbon monoxide (CO), which is
colorless and odorless. Breathing it can make you
unconscious and can eventually poison you. To
avoid breathing CO, refer to “Safety Tips/Exhaust
Gas” in “Safety” for further information.
NOTE: Intentional tampering with emissions control
systems can result in civil penalties being assessed
against you.
WARNING!
A hot exhaust system can start a fire if
y
ou park over materials that can burn.
Such materials might be grass or leaves coming
into contact with your exhaust system. Do not
park or operate your vehicle in areas where your
exhaust system can contact anything that can
burn.
In unusual situations involving grossly malfunctioning
engine operation, a scorching odor may indicate severe
and abnormal catalyst overheating. If this occurs, safely
bring the vehicle to a complete stop, shut the engine
OFF, and allow the vehicle to cool. Thereafter, obtain
service, including a tune-up to manufacturer’s specifi-
cations immediately. To minimize the possibility of catalyst damage:
Do not shut OFF the engine or interrupt the ignition
when the transmission is in gear and the vehicle is in
motion.
Do not try to start the engine by pushing or towing the vehicle.
Do not idle the engine with any ignition coil connec- tors disconnected for prolonged periods.
COOLING SYSTEM
WARNING!
Wh
en working near the radiator cool-
ing fan, disconnect the fan motor lead or
turn the ignition switch to the LOCK position.The
fan is temperature controlled and can start at
any time the ignition switch is in the ON position.
You or others can be badly burned by hot
engine coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your
radiator. If you see or hear steam coming from
under the hood, do not open the hood until the
radiator has had time to cool. Never try to open a
cooling system pressure cap when the radiator is
hot .
303
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND
DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS
AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS
Page 312 of 352

Cooling System Pressure Cap
The cap must be fully tightened to prevent loss of
engine coolant (antifreeze), and to ensure that engine
coolant (antifreeze) will return to the radiator from the
coolant recovery tank.
The cap should be inspected and cleaned if there is any
accumulation of foreign material on the sealing sur-
faces.
WARNING!
Th
e warning words “DO NOT OPEN
HOT” on the cooling system pressure
cap are a safety precaution. Never add engine
coolant (antifreeze) when the engine is over-
heated. Do not loosen or remove the cap to cool
an overheated engine. Heat causes pressure to
build up in the cooling system.To prevent scalding
or injury, do not remove the pressure cap while
the system is hot or under pressure.
Do not use a pressure cap other than the one
specified for your vehicle. Personal injury or en-
gine damage may result .
Disposal Of Used Coolant
Used ethylene glycol-based engine coolant is a regu-
lated substance requiring proper disposal. Check with
your local authorities to determine the disposal rules
for your community. To prevent ingestion by animals or children, do not store ethylene glycol-based engine
coolant in open containers or allow it to remain in
puddles on the ground. If ingested by a child, contact a
physician immediately. Clean up any ground spills im-
mediately.
Coolant Level
The radiator normally remains completely full, so there
is no need to remove the radiator cap unless checking
for coolant freeze point or replacing coolant. Advise
your service attendant of this. As long as the engine
operating temperature is satisfactory, the coolant
bottle need only be checked once a month. When
additional coolant is needed to maintain the proper
level, it should be added to the coolant bottle. Do not
overfill.
Points To Remember
NOTE:
When the vehicle is stopped after a few
kilometers of operation, you may observe vapor com-
ing from the front of the engine compartment. This is
normally a result of moisture from rain, snow, or high
humidity accumulating on the radiator and being vapor-
ized when the thermostat opens, allowing hot coolant
to enter the radiator.
If an examination of your engine compartment shows
no evidence of radiator or hose leaks, the vehicle may
be safely driven. The vapor will soon dissipate.
306
KNOWING YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING AND
DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTSAND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND
C
ARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS
Page 327 of 352

TIRE SPINNING
When stuck in mud, sand, snow, or icy conditions, do
not spin your vehicle's wheels faster than 48 km/h or
for longer than 30 seconds continuously without stop-
ping.
Refer to “Freeing A Stuck Vehicle” in “In An Emer-
gency” for further information.
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous.
F
orces generated by excessive wheel
speeds may cause tire damage or failure. A tire
could explode and injure someone. Do not spin
your vehicle's wheels faster than 48 km/h or for
more than 30 seconds continuously when you are
stuck, and do not let anyone near a spinning
wheel, no matter what the speed.
TREAD WEAR INDICATORS
Tread wear indicators are in the original equipment
tires to help you in determining when your tires should
be replaced. (fig. 183)
These indicators are molded into the bottom of the
tread grooves. They will appear as bands when the
tread depth becomes 2 mm. When the tread is worn to
the tread wear indicators, the tire should be replaced. LIFE OF TIRE
The service life of a tire is dependent upon varying
factors including but not limited to:
Driving style
Tire pressure
Distance driven
(fig. 183)1 — Worn Tire
2 — New Tire
321
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND
DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS
AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS
Page 329 of 352

(Continued)
Never use a tire with a smaller load index or
capacity, other than what was originally
equipped on your vehicle. Using a tire with a
smaller load index could result in tire overloading
and failure. You could lose control and have a
collision.
Failure to equip your vehicle with tires having
adequate speed capability can result in sudden
tire failure and loss of vehicle control.
Replacing original tires with tires of a
different size may result in false speed-
ometer and odometer readings. TIRE CHAINS
Use of Security Chain Company (SCC) Super Z6
SZ143 or Iceman Z6 IZ-643 cables or equivalent are
recommended on 225/65R17 tires.
NOTE:
These chains can be found referring to an authorized
FIAT Dealership.
Do not use tire chains on a compact spare tire.
To avoid damage to your vehicle or tires,
observe the following precautions:
Use chains on 225/65R17 tires only.
Because of restricted chain clearance between
tires and other suspension components, it is im-
portant that only chains in good condition are
used. Broken chains can cause serious damage.
Stop the vehicle immediately if noise occurs that
could indicate chain breakage. Remove the dam-
aged parts of the chain before further use.
Install chains on the front wheels as tightly as
possible and then retighten after driving about
0.8 km.
(Continued)
323
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND
DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS
AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS
Page 332 of 352

ask your gasoline retailer whether or not his/her gaso-
line contains MMT.
Materials Added To Fuel
Besides using unleaded gasoline with the proper octane
rating, gasolines that contain detergents, corrosion and
stability additives are recommended. Using gasolines
that have these additives will help improve fuel
economy, reduce emissions, and maintain vehicle per-
formance.
Indiscriminate use of fuel system cleaning agents should
be avoided. Many of these materials intended for gum
and varnish removal may contain active solvents or
similar ingredients. These can harm fuel system gasket
and diaphragm materials.
WARNING!
Carbon monoxide (CO) in exhaust gases
is
deadly. Follow the precautions below
to prevent carbon monoxide poisoning:
Do not inhale exhaust gases. They contain
carbon monoxide, a colorless and odorless gas
which can kill. Never run the engine in a closed
area, such as a garage, and never sit in a parked
vehicle with the engine running for an extended
period. If the vehicle is stopped in an open area
with the engine running for more than a short
period, adjust the ventilation system to force
fresh, outside air into the vehicle.
Guard against carbon monoxide with proper
maintenance. Have the exhaust system inspected
every time the vehicle is raised. Have any abnor-
mal conditions repaired promptly. Until re-
paired, drive with all side windows fully open.
Keep the liftgate closed when driving your
vehicle to prevent carbon monoxide and other
poisonous exhaust gases from entering the ve-
hicle.
326
KNOWING YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING AND
DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTSAND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS