2015 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 335

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.
336 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
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
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 Automatic or 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.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 337

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
cycles. This will minimize overheating and reduce
the risk of clutch or 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 Off#mode,
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 On#mode.
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.
•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
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338 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

WARNING!(Continued)
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.
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 separate
the 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.6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 339

TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
NOTE:This section describes procedures for towing a
disabled vehicle using a commercial towing service.
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.
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.
Shift Lever Override
340 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

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 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).
If the ignition key is unavailable, or the vehicle’s battery
is discharged, refer to#Shift Lever Override#in this
section for instructions on shifting the transmission out of
PARK for towing.
CAUTION!
•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.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 341

Automatic 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 battery is
discharged, refer to “Shift Lever Override” in this section
for instructions on shifting the transmission out of PARK
in order to move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
•DO NOT flat tow any vehicle equipped with a
conventional automatic transmission. Damage to
the drivetrain will result. If these vehicles require
towing, make sure all drive wheels are OFF the
ground.
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CAUTION!(Continued)
•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.
IGNITION KEY REMOVAL OVERRIDE
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park Inter-
lock which requires the transmission to be in PARK
before the ignition switch can be turned to the LOCK/
OFF (key removal) position. To remove the key manually,
proceed as follows:
1. Firmly apply the parking brake
2. Remove the Allen Key located in the rear cargo area, in
the tool bag (if equipped) or on the left side in the
cargo box.
342 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES