105
LONG VEHICLE
INACTIVITY
If the vehicle needs to be off the
road for longer than a month, the
following precautions should be
taken:
– Park the vehicle indoors in a dry
and, if possible, well-ventilated
place.
– Engage a gear.
– Check that the handbrake is not
engaged.
– Disconnect the negative battery
terminal and check the state of
charge (see “Battery” in the
“Vehicle maintenance” section).
– Clean and protect the painted
parts using protective waxes.– Clean and protect the shiny metal
parts using specific commercially
available compounds.
– Sprinkle talcum powder on the
rubber windscreen wiper 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 prescribed pressure and
check it at intervals.
– Do not drain the engine cooling
system.
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137
PERIODIC CHECKS
Every 1,000 km or before long
journeys, check and, if necessary, top
up the following:
– engine coolant level;
– brake fluid level;
– windscreen washer fluid level;
– tyre pressure and conditions;
– operation of lighting system
(headlights, direction indicators,
hazard warning lights, etc.);
– operation of windscreen
washer/wiper system and
position/wear of windscreen/rear
window wiper blades;
Every 3,000 km check and top up if
required: engine oil level.
You are advised to use PETRONAS
LUBRICANTS products, which have
been designed and produced
specifically for Fiat vehicles (see table
“Capacities” in the “Technical
specifications” section).
DEMANDING
VEHICLE USE
If the vehicle is mostly used in one of
the following conditions:
– towing a trailer or caravan;
– dusty roads;
– short, repeated journeys (less
than 7-8 km) at sub-zero
temperatures;
– engine often idling or driving long
distances at low speeds or long
periods of inactivity;
the following checks must be carried
out more frequently than indicated
in the Scheduled Servicing Plan:
– check front disc brake pad
conditions and wear;
– check cleanliness of bonnet and
boot locks, and cleanliness and
lubrication of linkages;– visually inspect the conditions of:
engine, gearbox, transmission,
pipes and hoses
(exhaust/fuel/brakes), rubber parts
(boots/sleeves/bushes, etc.);
– check battery charge and fluid
level (electrolyte);
– visually inspect the condition of
the accessory drive belts;
– check and, if necessary, change
engine oil and replace oil filter;
– check pollen filter and replace, if
required;
– check air cleaner and replace, if
required.
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149
WINDSCREEN WIPER
BLADES
Periodically clean the rubber part
using special products; TUTELA
PROFESSIONAL SC35 is
recommended.
Replace the blades if the rubber edge
is deformed or worn. In all cases, it is
advisable to replace them approximately
once a year.
Driving with worn wiper
blades is a serious
hazard, because visibility is
reduced in bad weather.
WARNING
A few simple precautions can reduce
the possibility of damage to the
blades:
– make sure that the rubber part is
not stuck to the windscreen at
sub-zero temperatures. Use a de-
icing product to release it if
required;
– remove any snow from the glass:
in addition to protecting the
blades, this prevents effort on the
motor and over-heating;
– do not operate the windscreen
wipers on dry glass.Replacing blades
1) raise the windscreen wiper arm
A-fig. 161 and position the blade
so that it forms an angle of 90°
with the arm;
2) push the wiper downwards
releasing it from arm A;
3) fit the new blade, inserting the tab
in the special housing in the arm.
Make sure that it is properly
locked into place.
fig. 161
F0X0145m
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