Car maintenance should be done at a
FIAT Dealership. For routine and minor
maintenance operations you wish to
carry out yourself, we do recommend you have
the proper equipment , genuine FIAT spare parts
and the necessary fluids; do not however carry out
these operations if you have no experience.
Coolant Checks
Check engine coolant (antifreeze) protection every 12
months (before the onset of freezing weather, where
applicable). If coolant is dirty or rusty in appearance,
the system should be drained, flushed, and refilled with
fresh coolant. Check the front of the A/C condenser
for any accumulation of bugs, leaves, etc. If dirty, clean
by gently spraying water from a garden hose vertically
down the face of the condenser.
Check the coolant recovery bottle tubing for brittle
rubber, cracking, tears, cuts, and tightness of the con-
nection at the bottle and radiator. Inspect the entire
system for leaks.
Cooling System – Drain, Flush, And Refill
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” for the proper
maintenance intervals.
If the solution is dirty or contains a considerable
amount of sediment, clean and flush with a reliable
cooling system cleaner. Follow with a thorough rinsing to remove all deposits and chemicals. Properly dispose
of the old engine coolant (antifreeze) solution.
Selection Of Coolant – Gasoline Engine
Use only the manufacturer's recommended coolant.
Refer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine Parts” in
“Technical Specifications” for further information.
Mixing of engine coolant (antifreeze)
other than specified engine coolant (an-
tifreeze), may result in engine damage
and may decrease corrosion protection. If a non-
specified engine coolant (antifreeze) is intro-
duced into the cooling system in an emergency, it
should be replaced with the specified engine cool-
ant (antifreeze) as soon as possible.
Do not use plain water alone or alcohol-based
engine coolant (antifreeze) products. Do not use
additional rust inhibitors or antirust products, as
they may not be compatible with the radiator
engine coolant (antifreeze) and may plug the
radiator.
This vehicle has not been designed for use with
Propylene Glycol based engine coolant (anti-
freeze). Use of Propylene Glycol based engine
coolant (antifreeze) is not recommended.
304
KNOWING YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING AND
DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTSAND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING AND
C
ARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS
Selection Of Coolant – Diesel Engine
Use only the manufacturer's recommended coolant
(antifreeze). Refer to “Fluids, Lubricants, and Genuine
Parts” in “Technical Specifications” for further informa-
tion.
Do not use HOAT (Hybrid Organic
Additive Technology) products in the Die-
sel Engine.
Do not use OAT (Organic Additive Technology)
products containing 2-EH (2–ethyl hexanol).
Do not use plain water alone or alcohol base
engine coolant (antifreeze) products. Do not use
additional rust inhibitors or antirust products, as
they may not be compatible with the radiator
engine coolant and may plug the radiator.
This vehicle has not been designed for use with
Propylene Glycol based coolants. Use of Propyl-
ene Glycol based coolants is not recommended.
Adding Coolant – Gasoline Engine
Your vehicle has been built with an improved engine
coolant (antifreeze) that allows extended maintenance
intervals. This coolant (antifreeze) can be used up to
ten years or 240 000 km before replacement. To
prevent reducing this extended maintenance period, it
is important that you use the same coolant throughout
the life of your vehicle. Use only high purity water such as distilled or deion-
ized water when mixing the water/engine coolant (an-
tifreeze) solution. The use of lower quality water will
reduce the amount of corrosion protection in the
engine cooling system.
Please note that it is the owner's responsibility to
maintain the proper level of protection against freezing
according to the temperatures occurring in the area
where the vehicle is operated.
NOTE:
Mixing coolant types will decrease the life of
the engine coolant (antifreeze) and will require more
frequent coolant changes.
Adding Coolant – Diesel Engine
Your vehicle has been built with an improved engine
coolant (antifreeze) that allows extended maintenance
intervals. To prevent reducing this extended mainte-
nance period, it is important that you use the same
coolant throughout the life of your vehicle.
Please note that it is the owner's responsibility to
maintain the proper level of protection against freezing
according to the temperatures occurring in the area
where the vehicle is operated.
NOTE: Mixing coolant types will decrease the life of
the engine coolant (antifreeze) and will require more
frequent coolant changes.
305
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND
DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS
AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS
Do not overfill the coolant recovery bottle.
Check coolant freeze point in the radiator and in thecoolant recovery bottle. If antifreeze needs to be
added, contents of coolant recovery bottle must also
be protected against freezing.
If frequent coolant additions are required, or if the level in the coolant recovery bottle does not drop
when the engine cools, the cooling system should be
pressure tested for leaks.
Make sure that the radiator and coolant recovery bottle overflow hoses are not kinked or obstructed.
Keep the front of the radiator clean. If your vehicle is equipped with air conditioning, keep the front of the
condenser clean.
Do not change the thermostat for Summer or Win- ter operation. If replacement is ever necessary, install
ONLY the correct type thermostat. Other designs
may result in unsatisfactory coolant performance,
poor gas mileage, and increased emissions.
BRAKE SYSTEM
In order to assure brake system performance, all brake
system components should be inspected periodically.
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” for the proper
maintenance intervals.
WARNING!
Riding the brakes can lead to brake fail-
ure
and possibly an accident . Driving
with your foot resting or riding on the brake
pedal can result in abnormally high brake tem-
peratures, excessive lining wear, and possible
brake damage.You would not have your full brak-
ing capacity in an emergency.Car maintenance should be done at a
FIAT Dealership. For routine and minor
maintenance operations you wish to
carry out yourself, we do recommend you have
the proper equipment , genuine FIAT spare parts
and the necessary fluids; do not however carry out
these operations if you have no experience.
Master Cylinder – Brake Fluid Level Check
Check the fluid level in the master cylinder immediately
if the “Brake Warning Light” indicates system failure.
Check the fluid level in the master cylinder when
performing underhood services.
Clean the top of the master cylinder area before
removing the cap. If necessary, add fluid to bring the
fluid level up to the requirements described on the
brake fluid reservoir.
307
KNOWING
YOUR
VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND
DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS
AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICING
AND
CARETECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONSCONTENTS