2014 FIAT 500L Owners Manual

Jump-Starting Procedure
WARNING!
Failure to follow this jump-starting procedure could
result in personal injury or property damage due to
battery explosion.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these procedures could result in
damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle
or the discharged vehicle.
NOTE: Before connecting the jumper cables to the dis-
charged battery, the negative (-)battery cable must be
disconnected from the discharged battery. This is the only
way to successfully jump start the vehicle. Follow these steps to disconnect the negative
(-)battery
cable:
1. Pull outward on the negative (-)battery cable terminal
release lever to the open position.
2. Lift up on the negative (-)battery cable terminal and
set aside.
Connecting The Jumper Cables
1. Connect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable to the
positive (+)post of the discharged vehicle.
2. Connect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper
cable to the positive (+)post of the booster battery.
3. Connect the negative (-)end of the jumper cable to the
negative (-)post of the booster battery.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 311

4. Connect the opposite end of the negative(-)jumper
cable to the negative (-)battery cable terminal of the
discharged vehicle.
WARNING!
Do not connect the jumper cable to the negative (-)
post of the discharged battery. The resulting electri-
cal spark could cause the battery to explode and
could result in personal injury. Only use the specific
ground point, do not use any other exposed metal
parts.
5. Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, and then
start the engine in the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
6. Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables in the reverse sequence. Disconnecting The Jumper Cables
1. Disconnect the negative
(-)jumper cable from the
negative (-)battery cable terminal of the vehicle with
the discharged battery.
2. Disconnect the opposite end of the negative (-)jumper
cable from the negative (-)post of the booster battery.
3. Disconnect the positive (+)jumper cable from the
positive (+)post of the booster battery.
4. Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper
cable from the positive (+)post of the discharged
vehicle.
NOTE: The negative (-)battery cable must be connected
to the negative (-)post of the battery.
312 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

Follow these steps to connect the negative(-)battery
cable:
1. Connect the negative (-)battery terminal to the nega-
tive (-)post of the battery.
2. Push inward on the negative (-)battery cable terminal
release lever to the closed position.
If frequent jump-starting is required to start your vehicle,
you should have the battery and charging system in-
spected at your authorized dealer.
CAUTION!
Accessories plugged into the vehicle power outlets
draw power from the vehicle’s battery, even when not
in use (i.e., cellular phones, etc.). Eventually, if plugged
in long enough without engine operation, the vehicle’s
battery will discharge sufficiently to degrade battery
life and/or prevent the engine from starting.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it
can often be moved using a rocking motion. Turn the
steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the
front wheels. Then shift back and forth between DRIVE
and REVERSE (with Euro Twin Clutch Transmission) or
2nd gear and REVERSE (with manual transmission),
while gently pressing the accelerator. Use the least
amount of accelerator pedal pressure that will maintain
the rocking motion, without spinning the wheels, or
racing the engine.
CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead to
transmission overheating and failure. Allow the en-
gine to idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL for at
least one minute after every five rocking-motion
(Continued)
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 313

CAUTION!(Continued)
cycles. This will minimize overheating and reduce
the risk of transmission failure during prolonged
efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
NOTE: Press the ESC Off switch, to place the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system in Partial Offmode,
before rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake
Control” in “Starting And Operating” for further infor-
mation. Once the vehicle has been freed, press the ESC
Off switch again to restore ESC Onmode.
CAUTION!
•When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting be-
tween DRIVE/2nd gear and REVERSE, do not spin
the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drive-
train damage may result.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast
may lead to transmission overheating and failure.
It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no trans-
mission shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated by excessive wheel speeds may cause damage, or
even failure, of the axle and tires. A tire could
explode and injure someone. Do not spin your vehi-
cle’s wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for
longer than 30 seconds continuously without stop-
ping when you are stuck and do not let anyone near
a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
314 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be
moved out of the PARK position, you can use the
following procedure to temporarily move the shift lever:
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Using a screwdriver or similar tool, carefully separatethe shift lever bezel and boot assembly from the center
console.
4. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
5. Insert a small screwdriver or similar tool into the shift lever override access hole (at the right rear corner of
the shift lever assembly) and push and hold the
override release lever down.
6. Move the shift lever to the NEUTRAL position. 7. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
8. Reinstall the shift lever boot.
Shift Lever Override
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 315

TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
NOTE:This section describes procedures for towing a
disabled vehicle using a commercial wrecker service.
Towing Condition Wheels OFF The GroundMANUAL TRANSMIS-
SION EURO TWIN CLUTCH
TRANSMISSION
Flat Tow NONETrans in NEUTRAL NOT ALLOWED
Dolly Tow RearNOT ALLOWED NOT ALLOWED
Front OKOK
Flatbed ALLBEST METHOD BEST METHOD
Proper towing or lifting equipment is required to prevent
damage to your vehicle. Use only tow bars and other
equipment designed for this purpose, following equip-
ment manufacturer ’s instructions. Use of safety chains is mandatory. Attach a tow bar or other towing device to
main structural members of the vehicle, not to bumpers
or associated brackets. State and local laws regarding
vehicles under tow must be observed.
316 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

CAUTION!
•DO NOT use sling-type equipment when towing.
Vehicle damage may occur.
• When securing the vehicle to a flatbed truck, do not
attach to front or rear suspension components.
Damage to your vehicle may result from improper
towing.
If you must use the accessories (wipers, defroster, etc.)
while being towed, the key must be in the ON/RUN
position.
Manual Transmission
• Vehicle can be flat towed (all four wheels on the
ground) with the transmission in NEUTRAL.
• Vehicle can be towed with the front wheels elevated. •
Vehicle can be towed on a flatbed truck (all wheels off
the ground).
CAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of the above require-
ments can cause severe engine and/or transmission
damage. Damage from improper towing is not cov-
ered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
Euro Twin Clutch Transmission
• Vehicle can be towed with the front wheels elevated.
• Vehicle can be towed on a flatbed truck (all wheels off
the ground).
If the ignition key is unavailable, or the vehicle’s battery
is discharged, refer to Shift Lever Overridein this
section for instructions on shifting the transmission out of
PARK for towing.6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 317

CAUTION!
•DO NOT flat tow any vehicle equipped with a
Euro Twin Clutch Transmission. Damage to the
drivetrain will result.
• Towing this vehicle in violation of the above re-
quirements can cause severe transmission damage.
Damage from improper towing is not covered un-
der the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
CAP-LESS FUEL FILL FUNNEL
The funnel for the Cap-Less Fuel System is located on top
of the spare tire. If your vehicle is out of fuel and an
auxiliary fuel can is needed, insert the funnel into the
filler neck and proceed to fill the vehicle.
For more information on the Cap-Less Fuel System refer to
“Adding Fuel” in “Starting And Operating ” in this manual.
318 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES