2015 FIAT 500L flat tire

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 bolts for tightness. Check the tires
(including spare) for proper cold inflation pressure.
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 positive 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, power steering fluid (if
equipped), or brake fluid leaks are suspected. The cause
should be located and corrected immediately.
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THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 87

bulb does not come on when turning the key from
OFF/LOCK to ON/RUN, have the condition checked
promptly.
Certain conditions, such as poor fuel quality, etc., may
illuminate the MIL after engine start. The vehicle should
be serviced if the light stays on through several of your
typical driving cycles. In most situations, the vehicle will
drive normally and will not require towing.
CAUTION!
Prolonged driving with the Malfunction Indicator
Light (MIL) on could cause damage to the engine
control system. It also could affect fuel economy and
driveability. If the MIL is flashing, severe catalytic
converter damage and power loss will soon occur.
Immediate service is required.
WARNING!
A malfunctioning catalytic converter, as referenced
above, can reach higher temperatures than in normal
operating conditions. This can cause a fire if you
drive slowly or park over flammable substances such
as dry plants, wood, cardboard, etc. This could result
in death or serious injury to the driver, occupants or
others.
20. Tire Pressure Monitoring Telltale Light
Each tire, including the spare (if provided),
should be checked monthly when cold and in-
flated to the inflation pressure recommended by
the vehicle manufacturer on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of
a different size than the size indicated on the vehicle
placard or tire inflation pressure label, you should deter-
mine the proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.)
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UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL 173

As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been
equipped with a Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when
one or more of your tires is significantly under-inflated.
Accordingly, when the low tire pressure telltale illumi-
nates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as
possible, and inflate them to the proper pressure. Driving
on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the tire to
overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life, and may affect
the vehicles handling and stopping ability.
Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper
tire maintenance, and it is the driver ’s responsibility to
maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has
not reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS
low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS
malfunction indicator to indicate when the system is not
operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is
combined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the
system detects a malfunction, the telltale will flash for
approximately one minute and then remain continuously
illuminated. This sequence will continue upon subse-
quent vehicle start-ups as long as the malfunction exists.
When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the sys-
tem may not be able to detect or signal low tire pressure
as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety
of reasons, including the installation of replacement or
alternate tires or wheels on the vehicle that prevent the
TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the
TPMS malfunction telltale after replacing one or more
tires or wheels on your vehicle, to ensure that the
replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS
to continue to function properly.
174 UNDERSTANDING YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL

!DRIVING ON SLIPPERY SURFACES.........251
▫Acceleration.........................251
▫Traction............................252
!DRIVING THROUGH WATER.............252
▫Flowing/Rising Water..................253
▫Shallow Standing Water.................253
!ELECTRIC POWER STEERING.............255
!PARKING BRAKE......................255
!BRAKE SYSTEM.......................257
!ELECTRONIC BRAKE CONTROL SYSTEM . . . .257
▫Four-Wheel Anti-Lock Brake System (ABS) . . .257
▫Brake Assist System (BAS)...............259
▫Traction Control System (TCS)............260
▫Hill Start Assist (HSA).................260
▫Dynamic Steering Torque (DST)...........261
▫Electronic Stability Control (ESC)..........262
▫ESC Activation/Malfunction Indicator Light And
ESC OFF Indicator Light................263
▫Electronic Roll Mitigation (ERM)..........265
!TIRE SAFETY INFORMATION.............266
▫Tire Markings........................266
▫Tire Identification Number (TIN)...........270
▫Tire Terminology And Definitions..........271
▫Tire Loading And Tire Pressure...........273
!TIRES — GENERAL INFORMATION........278
▫Tire Pressure........................278
▫Tire Inflation Pressures.................279
222 STARTING AND OPERATING

▫Tire Pressures For High Speed Operation . . . .281
▫Radial Ply Tires......................281
▫Tire Types...........................282
▫Run Flat Tires — If Equipped.............284
▫Spare Tires — If Equipped...............284
▫Tire Spinning........................287
▫Tread Wear Indicators..................287
▫Life Of Tire.........................288
▫Replacement Tires.....................289
!TIRE CHAINS (TRACTION DEVICES).......290
!TIRE ROTATION RECOMMENDATIONS.....292
!TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM
(TPMS)..............................293
▫Base System.........................296
▫General Information...................298
!FUEL REQUIREMENTS — 1.4L Turbo........299
▫Reformulated Gasoline.................299
▫Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends..............299
▫MMT In Gasoline.....................300
▫Materials Added To Fuel................300
▫Fuel System Cautions...................301
▫Carbon Monoxide Warnings.............302
!ADDING FUEL........................302
!TRAILER TOWING.....................305
!RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.)...................306
▫Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle . .306
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STARTING AND OPERATING 223

WARNING!
Rapid acceleration on slippery surfaces is dangerous.
Unequal traction can cause sudden pulling of the
front wheels. You could lose control of the vehicle
and possibly have a collision. Accelerate slowly and
carefully whenever there is likely to be poor traction
(ice, snow, wet, mud, loose sand, etc.).
Traction
When driving on wet or slushy roads, it is possible for a
wedge of water to build up between the tire and road
surface. This is hydroplaning and may cause partial or
complete loss of vehicle control and stopping ability. To
reduce this possibility, the following precautions should
be observed:
1. Slow down during rainstorms or when the roads are
slushy.
2. Slow down if the road has standing water or puddles.
3. Replace the tires when tread wear indicators first
become visible.
4. Keep tires properly inflated.
5. Maintain sufficient distance between your vehicle and
the vehicle in front of you to avoid a collision in a
sudden stop.
DRIVING THROUGH WATER
Driving through water more than a few inches/
centimeters deep will require extra caution to ensure
safety and prevent damage to your vehicle.
252 STARTING AND OPERATING

EXAMPLE:
Service Description:
95= Load Index
– A numerical code associated with the maximum load a tire can carry
H= Speed Symbol
– A symbol indicating the range of speeds at which a tire can carry a load corresponding to
its load index under certain operating conditions
– The maximum speed corresponding to the speed symbol should only be achieved under
specified operating conditions (i.e., tire pressure, vehicle loading, road conditions, and
posted speed limits)
Load Identification:
Absence of the following load identification symbols on the sidewall of the tire indicates a Standard Load (SL)
tire:
•XL= Extra load (or reinforced) tire, or
•LL= Light load tire or
•C, D, E, F, G= Load range associated with the maximum load a tire can carry at a specified pressure
Maximum Load– Maximum load indicates the maximum load this tire is designed to carry
Maximum Pressure–Maximum pressure indicates the maximum permissible cold tire inflation pressure for this tire
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EXAMPLE:
DOT MA L9 ABCD 0301
01= Number representing the year in which the tire was manufactured (two digits)
– 01 means the year 2001
– Prior to July 2000, tire manufacturers were only required to have one number to represent the year
in which the tire was manufactured. Example: 031 could represent the 3rd week of 1981 or 1991
Tire Terminology And Definitions
TermDefinition
B-PillarThe vehicle B-Pillar is the structural member of the body located
behind the front door.
Cold Tire Inflation PressureCold tire inflation pressure is defined as the tire pressure after
the vehicle has not been driven for at least three hours, or driven
less than 1 mile (1.6 km) after sitting for a minimum of three
hours. Inflation pressure is measured in units of PSI (pounds per
square inch) or kPa (kilopascals).
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