Page 78 of 426

WARNING!
•An incorrectly anchored tether strap could lead to
increased head motion and possible injury to the
child. Use only the anchorage position directly
behind the child seat to secure a child restraint top
tether strap.
•If your vehicle is equipped with a split rear seat,
make sure the tether strap does not slip into the
opening between the seatbacks as you remove
slack in the strap.
Transporting Pets
Air Bags deploying in the front seat could harm your pet.
An unrestrained pet will be thrown about and possibly
injured, or could injure a passenger during panic braking
or in a collision.
Pets should be restrained in the rear seat in pet harnesses
or pet carriers that are secured by seat belts.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine and
drivetrain (transmission and axle) in your vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles (500 km).
After the initial 60 miles (100 km), speeds up to 50 or
55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within the
limits of local traffic laws contributes to a good break-in.
Wide-open throttle acceleration in low gear can be detri-
mental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory is a
high-quality energy conserving type lubricant. Oil
changes should be consistent with anticipated climate
conditions under which vehicle operations will occur. For
the recommended viscosity and quality grades, refer to
“Maintenance Procedures” in “Maintaining Your Ve-
hicle.”
76 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 81 of 426

Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle
Seat Belts
Inspect the seat belt system periodically, checking for
cuts, frays, and loose parts. Damaged parts must be
replaced immediately. Do not disassemble or modify the
system.
Front seat belt assemblies must be replaced after a
collision. Rear seat belt assemblies must be replaced after
a collision if they have been damaged (i.e., bent retractor,
torn webbing, etc.). If there is any question regarding seat
belt or retractor condition, replace the seat belt.
Air Bag Warning Light
The light should come on and remain on for
four to eight seconds as a bulb check when the
ignition switch is first turned ON. If the light is
not lit during starting, see your authorized dealer. If the
light stays on, flickers, or comes 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
authorized dealer for service if your defroster is inoper-
able.
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.
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 79
Page 82 of 426

WARNING!
Pedals that cannot move freely can cause loss of
vehicle control and increase the risk of serious per-
sonal injury.
•Always make sure that floor mats are properly
attached to the floor mat fasteners.
•Never place or install floor mats or other floor
coverings in the vehicle that cannot be properly
secured to prevent them from moving and interfer-
ing 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.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•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. Ob-
jects can become trapped under the brake pedal
and accelerator pedal causing a loss of vehicle
control.
•If required, mounting posts must be properly in-
stalled, 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.
80 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE
Page 97 of 426

The Hands-Free Kit
The basic characteristic of this hands-free kit is voice
recognition with Bluetooth® wireless technology. With
this system you can make and receive calls safely and
securely by using either voice commands or buttons on
the steering wheel. This can be done under any driving
condition without ever having to take your eyes off the
road or remove your hands from the steering wheel, as
required by current laws.
Bluetooth® wireless technology enables wireless connec-
tion between your mobile phone and the hands-free kit
installed on your car.
To use the hands-free kit, you need a Bluetooth® wireless
technology enabled mobile phone. This hands-free kit
gives you the possibility of interacting vocally with your
mobile phone while driving, even if your mobile device
does not feature Voice Recognition. You can also interact
with your mobile phone manually and visually using the
steering wheel controls and the instrument panel multi-
function display. Please refer to the Fiat Blue & Me Radio
Supplement for further information.
Steering Wheel Hands Free Buttons
1—Mute/ESC3—PhoneHangUp2—Phone/Menu4—VoiceRecognition(VR)
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 95
Page 110 of 426
3. Lift the hood prop rod that clips to the right side (left
side when standing in front of the hood) of the engine
compartment. Place the hood prop rod in the hole of
hood hinge to secure the hood in the open position.
In hot climates, the prop rod may be hot. Pick up the prop
rod at the foam on the end of the prop rod.
CAUTION!
To prevent possible damage, do not slam the hood to
close it. Lower the hood until it is open approxi-
mately 6 in (15 cm), and then drop it. This should
secure both latches. Never drive your vehicle unless
the hood is fully closed, with both latches engaged.
WARNING!
Be sure the hood is fully latched before driving your
vehicle. If the hood is not fully latched, it could open
when the vehicle is in motion and block your vision.
Failure to follow this warning could result in serious
injury or death.Hood Prop Rod
108 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE
Page 131 of 426
POWER SUNROOF — IF EQUIPPED
The power sunroof roof switch is located in the overhead
console.
WARNING!
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Never leave the Key
Fob in or near the vehicle, or in a location acces-
sible to children. Occupants, particularly unat-
tended children, can become entrapped by the
power sunroof while operating the power sunroof
switch. Such entrapment may result in serious
injury or death.
•In a collision, there is a greater risk of being thrown
from a vehicle with an open sunroof. You could
also be seriously injured or killed. Always fasten
your seat belt properly and make sure all passen-
gers are properly secured.
•Do not allow small children to operate the sunroof.
Never allow your fingers, other body parts, or any
object to project through the sunroof opening.
Injury may result.
Power Sunroof Switch
3
UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 129
Page 206 of 426

If the track has been played for more than 3 seconds,
pushing thebutton, starts the track again from the
beginning. In this case, if you want to play the
previous track, push thebutton twice consecu-
tively.
Track Fast Forward/Rewind
Keep thebutton pushed down to fast forward the
selected track and keep thebutton pushed down to
fast rewind the track. The fast forward/rewind will
stop once the button is released.
Pause Function
To pause the CD player, push thebutton. The word-
ing “CD Pause” appears on the display.
To resume listening to the track, push thebutton
again.
CD MP3 Player
Introduction
This chapter describes the operation of the CD MP3
player.
NOTE:Layer-3 audio decoding technology is licensed
from Fraunhofer IIS and Thomson multimedia.
MP3 Mode
In addition to playing regular audio CDs, the radio is also
enabled to play CDROMs on which compressed audio
files have been recorded in an MP3 format.
To guarantee optimal reproduction, it is advisable to use
good quality CDs burned at the lowest speed possible.
The files on an MP3 CD are structured in folders that
create lists of all the folders containing MP3 tracks
(folders or subfolders are all on the same level). The
folders that do not contain MP3 tracks cannot be selected.
204 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL
Page 236 of 426

WARNING!(Continued)
•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,
turn the engine OFF, and remove the ignition key.
Once the key is removed, the transmission is
locked in PARK, securing the vehicle against un-
wanted movement.
•When leaving the vehicle, always remove the igni-
tion key from the vehicle and lock the vehicle.
(Continued)
WARNING!(Continued)
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. 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. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal
or the transmission gear selector.
•Do not leave the ignition key in or near the vehicle
(or in a location accessible to children). A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
234 STARTING AND OPERATING