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AIR CLEANER/
POLLEN FILTER
Have the air cleaner or the pollen
filter replaced by a Fiat Dealership.
DIESEL FILTER
DRAINING
CONDENSATION
(MultiJet versions)
36)
IMPORTANT
36) The presence of water in the
supply circuit may cause severe
damage to the injection system
and irregular engine operation. If
the
warning light comes on,
go to a Fiat Dealership as soon as
possible to have the system bled.
If this problem is indicated
immediately after refuelling, water
may have entered the fuel tank.
In this case, immediately turn off
the engine and contact a Fiat
Dealership.
BATTERY
The battery is of the “limited
maintenance” type: under normal
conditions of use, the electrolyte
does not need topping up with
distilled water.
It does, however, need to be
checked periodically at a Fiat
Dealership or by specialist personnel
to make sure it is working correctly.
133) 134)
REPLACING THE
BATTERY
If required, replace the battery with
an original spare part with the same
specifications.
If a battery with different
specifications is fitted, the service
intervals given in the “Scheduled
Servicing Plan” will no longer be
valid.
Follow the battery manufacturer's
instructions for maintenance.
37) 38)
5)
135)
208
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
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USEFUL TIPS FOR
EXTENDING BATTERY
LIFE
To avoid draining your battery and
make it last longer, observe the
following instructions:
❒when you park the vehicle, ensure
that the doors, tailgate and bonnet
are closed properly, to prevent any
roof lights from remaining on inside
the passenger's compartment;
❒switch off all roof lights inside the
vehicle: the vehicle is however
equipped with a system which
switches all internal lights off
automatically;
❒do not keep accessories (e.g. radio,
hazard warning lights, etc.) switched
on for a long time when the engine
is not running;
❒before performing any operation on
the electrical system, disconnect
the negative battery pole;
❒completely tighten the battery
terminals.
IMPORTANT If the charge level
remains under 50% for a long time,
the battery is damaged by
sulphation, reducing its capacity and
efficiency at starting.The battery is also more prone to
the risk of freezing (already at
temperatures of -10°C). Refer to the
paragraph "Vehicle inactivity" in
"Starting and driving" if the vehicle is
left parked for a long time.
If, after buying the vehicle, you want
to install electric accessories which
require permanent electric supply
(alarm, etc.) contact a Fiat
Dealership whose qualified
personnel, in addition to suggesting
the most suitable devices from the
Lineaccessori Fiat, will evaluate
the overall electric absorption,
checking whether the vehicle's
electrical system is capable of
withstanding the load required, or
whether it should be integrated with
a more powerful battery.
Since some of these devices
continue to consume electricity even
when the engine is off, they
gradually run down the battery.
WARNING
133) Battery fluid is poisonous and
corrosive. Avoid contact with
skin and eyes. Keep naked flames
or possible sources of sparks
away from the battery: risk
of explosion or fire.
134) Using the battery when the fluid
is too low can damage it
irreparably and generate a risk of
explosion.
135) When performing any operation
on the battery or near it, always
protect your eyes with special
goggles.
209
Page 219 of 323

RUBBER HOSES
As far as the maintenance of the
brake system and fuel supply
system rubber hoses is concerned,
follow the "Scheduled Servicing
Plan" in this chapter carefully.
Ozone, high temperatures and
prolonged lack of fluid in the system
may cause hardening and cracking
of the hoses, with possible leaks.
Careful checking is therefore
necessary.
PROLONGED
VEHICLE INACTIVITY
If the vehicle needs to be off the
road for longer than one month, the
following precautions must be
taken:
❒park the vehicle indoors in a dry and,
if possible, well-ventilated place;
❒engage a gear and check that the
handbrake is not engaged;
❒disconnect the negative terminal from
the battery pole (see paragraph
“Vehicle inactivity” in the "Dashboard
and controls" chapter) and check
the charge conditions (see paragraph
“Battery” in the “Care and
maintenance” chapter);
❒clean and protect the painted parts
using protective wax;
❒clean and protect the shiny metal
parts using special compounds
available commercially;
❒sprinkle talcum powder on the
windscreen and rear window wiper
rubber blades and lift them off the
glass;
❒slightly open the windows;❒cover the vehicle with a piece of
fabric or perforated plastic sheet. Do
not use compact plastic tarpaulins,
which prevent humidity from
evaporating from the surface of the
vehicle;
❒inflate tyres to +0.5 bar above the
standard specified pressure and
check it at intervals;
❒do not drain the engine cooling
system.
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