2014 FIAT 500X brake

Warning Light” does not come on when the ignition
switch is turned to the ON position, have the light
repaired as soon as possible.
Brake Assist System (BAS)
The BAS is designed to optimize the vehicle’s braking
capability during emergency braking maneuvers. The
system detects an emergency braking situation by sens-
ing the rate and amount of brake application and then
applies optimum pressure to the brakes. This can help
reduce braking distances. The BAS complements the
anti-lock brake system (ABS). Applying the brakes very
quickly results in the best BAS assistance. To receive the
benefit of the system, you must apply continuous
braking pressure during the stopping sequence, (do not
“pump” the brakes). Do not reduce brake pedal pres-
sure unless braking is no longer desired. Once the brake
pedal is released, the BAS is deactivated.
WARNING!
The Brake Assist System (BAS) cannot prevent the
natural laws of physics from acting on the vehicle,
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
nor can it increase the traction afforded by prevail-
ing road conditions. BAS cannot prevent collisions,
including those resulting from excessive speed in
turns, driving on very slippery surfaces, or hydro-
planing. The capabilities of a BAS-equipped ve-
hicle must never be exploited in a reckless or
dangerous manner, which could jeopardize the us-
er’s safety or the safety of others.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
The HSA system is designed to mitigate roll back from
a complete stop while on an incline. If the driver
releases the brake while stopped on an incline, HSA will
continue to hold the brake pressure for a short period. If
the driver does not apply the throttle before this time
expires, the system will release brake pressure and the
vehicle will roll down the hill as normal.
The following conditions must be met in order for HSA
to activate:
•The feature must be enabled.
• The vehicle must be stopped.
• Park brake must be off.
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SAFETY 157

•Driver door must be closed.
• The vehicle must be on a sufficient grade.
• The gear selection must match vehicle uphill direc-
tion (i.e., vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear;
vehicle backing uphill is in REVERSE gear).
• HSA will work in REVERSE gear and all forward
gears. The system will not activate if the transmission
is in PARK or NEUTRAL. For vehicles equipped with
a manual transmission, if the clutch is pressed, HSA
will remain active.
WARNING!
There may be situations where the Hill Start Assist
(HSA) will not activate and slight rolling may occur,
such as on minor hills or with a loaded vehicle, or
while pulling a trailer. HSA is not a substitute for
active driving involvement. It is always the driver ’s
responsibility to be attentive to distance to other
vehicles, people, and objects, and most importantly
brake operation to ensure safe operation of the
vehicle under all road conditions. Your complete
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
attention is always required while driving to main-
tain safe control of your vehicle. Failure to follow
these warnings can result in a collision or serious
personal injury.
Disabling And Enabling HSA
This feature can be turned on or turned off. To change
the current setting, proceed as follows:
•For vehicles equipped with the instrument cluster
display, refer to “Instrument Cluster Display” in
“Getting To Know Your Instrument Panel” for fur-
ther information.
• If disabling HSA using Uconnect Settings, refer to
“Uconnect Settings” in the “Multimedia” section for
further information.
For vehicles not equipped with the instrument cluster
display, perform the following steps:
1. Center the steering wheel (front wheels pointing straight forward).
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Apply the parking brake.
158 SAFETY

4. Start the engine.
5. Rotate the steering wheel slightly more than one-halfturn to the left.
6. Push the “ESC Off” button located in the lower switch bank below the climate control four times
within twenty seconds. The “ESC Off Indicator
Light” should turn on and turn off two times.
7. Rotate the steering wheel back to center and then an additional slightly more than one-half turn to the
right.
8. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position and then back to the ON position. If the sequence was com-
pleted properly, the “ESC Off Indicator Light” will
blink several times to confirm HSA is disabled.
9. Repeat these steps if you want to return this feature to its previous setting.
Traction Control System (TCS)
This system monitors the amount of wheel spin of each
of the driven wheels. If wheel spin is detected, the TCS
may apply brake pressure to the spinning wheel(s)
and/or reduce engine power to provide enhanced
acceleration and stability. A feature of the TCS, Brake Limited Differential (BLD), functions similar to a lim-
ited slip differential and controls the wheel spin across
a driven axle. If one wheel on a driven axle is spinning
faster than the other, the system will apply the brake of
the spinning wheel. This will allow more engine torque
to be applied to the wheel that is not spinning. BLD may
remain enabled even if TCS and ESC are in a reduced
mode.
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
This system enhances directional control and stability of
the vehicle under various driving conditions. ESC cor-
rects for oversteering or understeering of the vehicle by
applying the brake of the appropriate wheel(s) to assist
in counteracting the oversteer or understeer condition.
Engine power may also be reduced to help the vehicle
maintain the desired path.
ESC uses sensors in the vehicle to determine the vehicle
path intended by the driver and compares it to the
actual path of the vehicle. When the actual path does
not match the intended path, ESC applies the brake of
the appropriate wheel to assist in counteracting the
oversteer or understeer condition.
•
Oversteer - when the vehicle is turning more than
appropriate for the steering wheel position.6
SAFETY 159

WARNING!(Continued)
inflated and unevenly worn tires may also de-
grade ESC performance. Any vehicle modifica-
tion or poor vehicle maintenance that reduces the
effectiveness of the ESC system can increase the
risk of loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover,
personal injury and death.
Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM)
This system anticipates the potential for wheel lift by
monitoring the driver ’s steering wheel input and the
speed of the vehicle. When ERM determines that the
rate of change of the steering wheel angle and vehicle’s
speed are sufficient to potentially cause wheel lift, it
then applies the appropriate brake and may also reduce
engine power to lessen the chance that wheel lift will
occur. ERM can only reduce the chance of wheel lift
occurring during severe or evasive driving maneuvers;
it cannot prevent wheel lift due to other factors, such as
road conditions, leaving the roadway, or striking objects
or other vehicles. NOTE:
ERM is disabled anytime the ESC is in “Full
Off” mode (if equipped). Refer to “Electronic Stability
Control (ESC)” in this section for a complete explana-
tion of the available ESC modes.
WARNING!
Many factors, such as vehicle loading, road condi-
tions and driving conditions, influence the chance
that wheel lift or rollover may occur. ERM cannot
prevent all wheel lift or roll overs, especially those
that involve leaving the roadway or striking objects
or other vehicles. The capabilities of an ERM-
equipped vehicle must never be exploited in a
reckless or dangerous manner which could jeopar-
dize the user’s safety or the safety of others.
Dynamic Steering Torque (DST)
Dynamic Steering Torque is a feature of the ESC and
EPS modules that provides torque at the steering wheel
for certain driving conditions in which the ESC module
is detecting vehicle instability. The torque that the
steering wheel receives is only meant to help the driver
realize optimal steering behavior in order to reach/
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SAFETY 161

•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 recorded
by the EDR under normal driving conditions and no
personal data (e.g., name, gender, age, and crash loca-
tion) are recorded. However, other parties, such as law
enforcement, could combine the EDR data with the type
of personally identifying data routinely acquired dur-
ing 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 equip-
ment, can read the information if they have access to the
vehicle or the EDR.Child Restraints
Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times, including babies and children. Every state in the
United States, and every Canadian province, requires
that small children ride in proper restraint systems. This
is the law, and you can be prosecuted for ignoring it.
Children 12 years or younger should ride properly
buckled up in a rear seat, if available. According to
crash statistics, children are safer when properly re-
strained in the rear seats rather than in the front.
WARNING!
In a collision, an unrestrained child can become a
projectile inside the vehicle. The force required to
hold even an infant on your lap could become so
great that you could not hold the child, no matter
how strong you are. The child and others could be
badly injured. Any child riding in your vehicle
should be in a proper restraint for the child’s size.
188 SAFETY

WARNING!
An improperly attached, damaged, folded, or
stacked floor mat, or damaged floor mat fasteners
may cause your floor mat to interfere with the
accelerator, brake, or clutch pedals and cause a loss
of vehicle control. To prevent SERIOUS INJURY or
DEATH:
•ALWAYS securely attach
your floor mat using
the floor mat fasteners. DO NOT install your
floor mat upside down or turn your floor mat
over. Lightly pull to confirm mat is secured
using the floor mat fasteners on a regular basis.
• ALWAYS REMOVE THE EXISTING FLOOR
MAT FROM THE VEHICLE
before installing
any other floor mat. NEVER install or stack an
additional floor mat on top of an existing floor
mat.
• ONLY install floor mats designed to fit your
vehicle. NEVER install a floor mat that cannot be
properly attached and secured to your vehicle. If a
floor mat needs to be replaced, only use a FCA
approved floor mat for the specific make, model,
and year of your vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•ONLY use the driver ’s side floor mat on the
driver ’s side floor area. To check for interference,
with the vehicle properly parked with the engine
off, fully depress the accelerator, the brake, and
the clutch pedal (if present) to check for interfer-
ence. If your floor mat interferes with the opera-
tion of any pedal, or is not secure to the floor,
remove the floor mat from the vehicle and place
the floor mat in your trunk.
• ONLY use the passenger ’s side floor mat on the
passenger ’s side floor area.
• ALWAYS make sure objects cannot fall or slide
into the driver ’s side floor area when the vehicle
is moving. Objects can become trapped under
accelerator, brake, or clutch pedals and could
cause a loss of vehicle control.
• NEVER place any objects under the floor mat
(e.g., towels, keys, etc.). These objects could
change the position of the floor mat and may
cause interference with the accelerator, brake, or
clutch pedals.
(Continued)
208 SAFETY

WARNING!(Continued)
•If the vehicle carpet has been removed and re-
installed, always properly attach carpet to the
floor and check the floor mat fasteners are secure
to the vehicle carpet. Fully depress each pedal to
check for interference with the accelerator, brake,
or clutch pedals then re-install the floor mats.
• It is recommended to only use mild soap and
water to clean your floor mats. After cleaning,
always check your floor mat has been properly
installed and is secured to your vehicle using the
floor mat fasteners by lightly pulling mat.
Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle
Tires
Examine tires for excessive tread wear and uneven wear
patterns. Check for stones, nails, glass, or other objects
lodged in the tread or sidewall. Inspect the tread for
cuts and cracks. Inspect sidewalls for cuts, cracks, and
bulges. Check the wheel nuts for tightness. Check the
tires (including spare) for proper cold inflation pres-
sure.
Lights
Have someone observe the operation of brake lights
and exterior lights while you work the controls. Check
turn signal and high beam indicator lights on the
instrument panel.
Door Latches
Check for proper closing, latching, and locking.
Fluid Leaks
Check area under vehicle after overnight parking for
fuel, engine coolant, oil, or other fluid leaks. Also, if
gasoline fumes are detected, or if fuel or brake fluid
leaks are suspected, the cause should be located and
corrected immediately.
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SAFETY 209

STARTING AND OPERATING
CONTENTS
STARTING THE ENGINE ...............214
▫ Tip Start Feature .....................215
▫ If Engine Fails To Start ................215
▫ Cold Weather Operation ...............216
▫ Extended Park Starting .................216
▫ After Starting — Warming Up The Engine . . .217
▫ Stopping The Engine ..................217
▫ Turbocharger “Cool Down” — If Equipped . .217
 ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS . .217
 ELECTRIC PARK BRAKE (EPB) ...........218
▫ Auto Park Brake .....................221
▫ SafeHold ......................... .222
▫ Brake Service Mode ...................222
 MANUAL TRANSMISSION ..............223 ▫
Shifting ........................... .224
▫ Downshifting ...................... .225
 AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION ...........226
▫ Gear Selector ....................... .228
▫ Gear Ranges ....................... .229
▫ Transmission Limp Home Mode ..........234
▫ Ignition Park Interlock .................235
▫ Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System . . .235
 SPEED CONTROL — IF EQUIPPED ........235
▫ Activation ......................... .236
▫ Setting A Desired Speed ................236
▫ Deactivation ....................... .236
▫ Resume Speed ...................... .236
▫ Varying The Speed ...................236
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