Page 137 of 323

IMPORTANT
INFORMATION
The front airbags and/or side bags
(where provided) may be deployed if
the vehicle is subject to heavy
knocks or accidents involving the
underbody area, such as for
example violent shocks against
steps, kerbs or low obstacles, or the
vehicle falling into big potholes or
depressions in the road.
A small amount of dust will be
released when the airbags
are deployed. The dust is not
harmful and does not indicate the
beginning of a fire. Furthermore, the
surface of the deployed bag and
the interior of the vehicle may be
covered in a dusty residue: this may
irritate your skin and eyes. Wash
with mild soap and water in the
event of exposure.
Should an accident occur in which
any of the safety devices are
activated, take the vehicle to a Fiat
Dealership to have the activated
devices replaced and to have the
whole system checked.Every control, repair and
replacement operation concerning
the airbags must be carried out only
at Fiat Dealerships.
If you are having the vehicle
scrapped, have the system
deactivated at a Fiat Dealership first.
If the vehicle changes ownership,
the new owner must be informed of
how to use the airbags and the
above warnings and also be given
this "Owner Handbook".
Pretensioners, front airbags and
front side bags are deployed
differently according to the type of
collision. Failure to deploy of one
of the devices does not necessarily
indicate a system malfunction.
76) 77)
WARNING
76) If thewarning light does not
turn on when the key is turned to
MAR, or if it stays on when
travelling (together with the
message on the display on some
versions), there could be a failure
in the restraint systems. If this
is the case, the airbags or
pretensioners may not trigger in
the event of an accident or, less
likely, they may trigger
accidentally. Before proceeding,
contact a Fiat Dealership
immediately to have the system
checked.
77) Do not travel carrying objects in
your lap, in front of your chest or
between your lips (pipe, pencils,
etc.): they could cause severe
injury if the airbag is deployed in
an accident.
133
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Page 139 of 323
STARTING AND DRIVING
Let’s get to the "heart" of the
vehicle: seeing how you can exploit
all of its potential to the full.
We’ll look at how to drive it safely in
any situation, so that it can be a
welcome companion, with our
comfort and our wallets in mind.STARTING THE ENGINE .................136
HANDBRAKE ..................................138
USING THE GEARBOX ...................139
START&STOP SYSTEM ..................140
TPMS (TYRE PRESSURE
MONITORING SYSTEM) .................144
SPEED BLOCK ...............................147
CRUISE CONTROL .........................148
TRACTION PLUS SYSTEM .............150
PARKING SENSORS.......................150
REFUELLING THE VEHICLE ...........152
SAVING FUEL .................................154
TOWING TRAILERS ........................156
SNOW TYRES ................................156
SNOW CHAINS...............................157
135
Page 140 of 323

STARTING THE
ENGINE
The vehicle is fitted with an
immobiliser: if the engine fails to
start, see the paragraph on “The
Fiat CODE system” in the
“Dashboard and controls” section.
The engine may be noisier during
the first few seconds of operation,
especially after a long period of
inactivity. This is due to the hydraulic
tappets, the timing system chosen
for petrol engine versions to reduce
the number of servicing
interventions, and affects neither
functionality nor reliability.
17) 18)
78)
PROCEDURE FOR
PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒engage the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒fully depress the clutch pedal,
without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVV and
release it as soon as the engine
starts.
If the engine does not start at the
first attempt, return the ignition key
to STOP before repeating the
starting procedure.
If, when the ignition key is on MAR,
the instrument panel warning light
remains on together with
warning light
, turn the key to
STOP and then back to MAR; if the
warning light remains on, try the
other keys provided with the vehicle.
If you are still unable to start the
engine, perform the emergency
starting procedure (see "Emergency
starting" in the "In an emergency"
chapter) and contact a Fiat
Dealership.
PROCEDURE FOR
DIESEL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒engage the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒turn the ignition key to MAR: the
warning lights
andon
the instrument panel will turn on;
❒wait for the warning lights
and
to switch off. The hotter the
engine is, the quicker this will
happen;❒fully depress the clutch pedal,
without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVV as soon
as warning light
switches off.
Waiting too long will waste the
heating work carried out by the glow
plugs.
Release the key as soon as the
engine starts.
IMPORTANT With the engine cold,
the accelerator pedal must be
fully released when you turn the
ignition key to AVV.
If the engine does not start at the
first attempt, return the ignition key
to STOP before repeating the
starting procedure.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR
the
warning light remains lit, turn
the key to STOP and then back to
MAR; if the warning light remains lit,
try with the other keys provided
with the vehicle. If you still cannot
start the engine, contact a Fiat
Dealership.
19)
136
STARTING AND DRIVING
Page 141 of 323

WARMING UP THE
ENGINE JUST AFTER IT
HAS STARTED
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly, letting the engine turn
at medium revs. Do not accelerate
abruptly;
❒do not demand full performance at
first. Wait until the engine coolant
temperature gauge starts moving.
EMERGENCY
STARTING
If the instrument panel warning light
stays on steadily, you can
perform an emergency starting by
using the code on the CODE card
(see the “In an emergency” section).
20)
STOPPING THE
ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOP while
the engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive,
you should allow the engine to
“catch its breath” before turning it off
by letting it idle to allow the
temperature in the engine
compartment to fall.
IMPORTANT
17) It is advisable not to demand
maximum performance from
your vehicle (e.g. excessive
acceleration, long distances at
high speeds, excessively intense
braking, etc.) during the initial
period of use.
18) When the engine is off, do not
leave the key turned to MAR to
prevent unnecessary electrical
consumption from draining the
battery.
19) If the indicator flashes for 60
seconds after starting or
during an extended towing period,
this indicates a problem in the
glow plug preheating system.
Use the vehicle normally if the
engine starts, but contact a Fiat
Dealership as soon as possible.
20) Never start the engine by
pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause fuel to
flow into the catalytic converter
and damage it beyond repair.
WARNING
78) It is dangerous to run the engine
in enclosed areas. The engine
takes in oxygen and releases
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide
and other toxic gases.
137
Page 142 of 323

HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever is located
between the front seats. Pull the
lever upwards to engage the
handbrake and ensure that the
vehicle does not move. The vehicle
should be secured after several
clicks of the lever. If it is not, contact
a Fiat Dealership to have it adjusted.
79)
When the handbrake lever is
engaged and the ignition key is in
MAR position, the instrument panel
warning light
will switch on.
Proceed as follows to release the
handbrake:
❒slightly lift the lever and press release
button A fig. 138;
❒keep button A pressed and lower the
lever. The
warning light in the
instrument panel will switch off.
Press the brake pedal when carrying
out this operation to prevent the
vehicle from moving accidentally.PARKING
Proceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the
handbrake;
❒engage the gear (on a slope, engage
first gear if the vehicle is facing uphill
or reverse if it is facing downhill)
and leave the wheels steered.
If the vehicle is parked on a steep
slope, it is advisable to block the
wheels with a wedge or stone.
To prevent draining the battery, do
not leave the ignition key turned
to MAR. Always remove the key
when you leave the vehicle.
Never leave children unattended in
the vehicle. Always remove the
ignition key when leaving the
vehicle, and take it with you.
WARNING
79) The vehicle should be secured
after several clicks of the lever.
If it is not, contact a Fiat
Dealership to have it adjusted.
138F0V0087
138
STARTING AND DRIVING
Page 143 of 323

USING THE
GEARBOX
To engage the gears, depress the
clutch pedal fully and shift the gear
lever A-fig. 127 into the required
position (the diagram is shown on
the gear knob fig. 139).
IMPORTANT Reverse may only be
engaged when the vehicle is at a
standstill. With the engine running,
wait for at least 2 seconds with
the clutch pedal fully pressed before
engaging reverse to prevent
damage to the gears and grating.
To engage reverse R from neutral, lift
ring B under the knob and at the
same time move the gear lever
to the right and then backwards (as
shown in the diagram).
80)
21)
WARNING
80) Depress the clutch pedal fully to
change gear correctly. Therefore,
the floor area underneath the
pedal unit must not be obstructed
in any way. Ensure that the floor
mat is always laid flat and does
not interfere with use of the
pedals.
IMPORTANT
21) Do not drive with your hand
resting on the gear lever as the
force exerted, even if slight, could
lead over time to premature wear
of the internal gearbox
components. The clutch pedal
should be used only for gear
changes. Do not drive with your
foot resting on the clutch pedal,
however lightly. For versions/
markets where provided, the
electronic clutch control could cut
in by interpreting the incorrect
driving style as a fault.
139F0V0069
139
Page 144 of 323

START&STOP
SYSTEM
IN BRIEF
The Start&Stop device
automatically stops the engine
each time the vehicle is stationary
and starts it again when the driver
wants to move off.
This improves the efficiency of the
vehicle by reducing fuel
consumption, the emission of
harmful gases and noise pollution.
OPERATING MODE
Engine stopping mode
WITH MANUAL GEARBOX
With the vehicle stationary, the
engine stops with the gearbox in
neutral and the clutch pedal
released.WITH ROBOTIZED GEARBOX
The engine cuts out if the vehicle
stops with the brake pedal pressed.
This condition can be maintained
even if the brake pedal is not
depressed, if the gear lever is in
position N.
NOTE: The engine can only be
stopped automatically after a speed
of about 10 km/h is reached, to
prevent the engine from being
repeatedly stopped when driving at
walking pace.
The engine being stopped is
signalled by the fig. 140 icon on the
display, depending on the trim
level.Engine restarting
mode
WITH MANUAL GEARBOX
Depress the clutch pedal to restart
the engine.
WITH ROBOTIZED GEARBOX
If the gear lever is in position N,
place it in any other gear, otherwise
release the brake pedal or move
the gear lever to (+), (–) or R.
MANUAL ACTIVATION
AND DEACTIVATION
The device can be activated/
deactivated via button A fig. 141
located to the side of the
handbrake.
The deactivation is signalled when
the LED on the button switches on.
In addition, on the versions where
provided, additional information
concerning the deactivation or
activation of the Start&Stop is given
through a message in the display.
140F0V0040
140
STARTING AND DRIVING