AUTOMATIC LIGHTING(where provided)
Light sensor
When the headlight switch is in the
AUTOposition and the ignition is
switched ON, the light sensor senses
the surrounding lightness or darkness
and automatically turns the headlights,
other exterior lights and dashboard
illumination on or off.
IMPORTANT The light sensor also
works as a rain sensor for the
auto-wiper control. Keep hands and
scrapers clear of the windshield when
the wiper lever is in the AUTO position
and the ignition is switched ON as
fingers could be pinched or the wipers
and wiper blades damaged when the
wipers activate automatically. If you are
going to clean the windshield, be sure
the wipers are turned off completely
(this is particularly important when
clearing ice and snow) when it is
particularly tempting to leave the engine
running.COMING HOME LIGHT
SYSTEM
The coming me home light system
turns on the headlights (low beams)
when the lever is operated.
System activation
When the lever is pulled with the ignition
switched to ACC or OFF, the low beam
headlights turn on.
The headlights turn off after a certain
period of time has elapsed after the
doors are closed.
The time until the headlights turn off
after all of the doors are closed can be
changed. If no operations are done for
3 minutes after the lever is pulled, the
headlights turn off.
The headlights turn off if the lever is
pulled again while the headlights are on.
FRONT FOG LIGHTS
The front fog light can be used when
the ignition is switched to ON.
Activation
Turn the headlight switch 1 fig. 19 in
orposition before activate
front fog lights.
Rotate the fog light switch 2 to
or
position (switch automatically turns
in
position).
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25
Thewarning light in the instrument
cluster illuminates while the front fog
lights is on.
WINDSCREEN
WIPERS / WASHER
42) 43) 44)
8) 9) 10) 11)
The ignition must be switched ON to
use the wipers.
WINDSCREEN WIPERS
Turn the wipers 1 fig. 20 on by pressing
the lever up or down.
With intermittent wiper
Switch positions:
orMIST: operation while
pulling up lever;
OFF: stop;
---orINT: intermittent operation;
—orLO: low speed operation;
=orHI: high speed operation.Variable-speed intermittent wipers
Set the lever to the intermittent position
and choose the interval timing by
rotating the ring 1.
With auto-wiper control
Switch positions:
orMIST: operation while
pulling up lever;
OFF: stop;
AUTO: auto control operation;
—orLO: low speed operation;
=orHI: high speed operation.
Auto-wiper control
When the wiper lever is in theAUTO
position, the rain sensor senses the
amount of rainfall on the windshield and
turns the wipers on or off automatically
(off/intermittent/low speed/high speed).
Adjusting rain sensor sensitivity
The sensitivity of the rain sensor can be
adjusted by turning the switch on the
wiper lever.
From the center position (normal),
rotate the switch 1
When the wiper lever is in theAUTO
position and the ignition is switched
ON, the wipers may move automatically
in the following cases:
if the windshield above the rain
sensor is touched or wiped with a cloth;
if the windshield is struck with a hand
or other object from either outside orinside the vehicle.
Switching the auto-wiper lever from the
OFFto theAUTOposition while driving
activates the windshield wipers once,
after which they operate according to
the rainfall amount.
The auto-wiper control may not operate
when the rain sensor temperature is
about –10°C or lower, or about 85°C or
higher.
If the windshield is coated with water
repellent, the rain sensor may not be
able to sense the amount of rainfall
correctly and auto-wiper control may
not operate properly.
If dirt or foreign matter (such as ice or
matter containing salt water) adheres to
the windshield above the rain sensor or
if the windshield is iced, it could cause
the wipers to move automatically.
However, if the wipers cannot remove
this ice, dirt or foreign matter, the
auto-wiper control will stop operation.
In this case, set the wiper lever to the
low speed position or high speed
position for manual operation, or
remove the ice, dirt or foreign matter by
hand to restore the auto-wiper
operation.
Because heavy ice and snow can jam
the wiper blades, the wiper motor is
protected from motor breakdown,
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28
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
overheating and possible fire by a
circuit breaker. This mechanism will
automatically stop operation of the
blades, but only for about 5 minutes. If
this happens, turn off the wiper switch
and park off the right-of-way, and
remove the snow and ice. After
5 minutes, turn on the switch and the
blades should operate normally. If they
do not resume functioning, contact an
Abarth Dealership as soon as possible.
Drive to the side of the road and park
off the right-of-way. Wait until the
weather clears before trying to drive
with the wipers inoperative.
WINDSCREEN WASHER
Pull the lever toward you and hold it to
spray washer fluid.
With the wiper lever in theOFFor
intermittent position/AUTOposition,
the wipers will operate continuously
until the lever is released.
If the washer does not work, inspect
the fluid level. If the fluid level is normal,
contact an Abarth Dealership.With headlight washers
When the headlights are on, the
headlight washers operate
automatically once every fifth time the
windshield washer operates.HEADLIGHT WASHER(where provided)
The ignition must be switched ON and
the headlights must be turned on.
The headlight washers fig. 22 operate
automatically once every fifth time the
windshield washer operates. If you
want to operate headlight washers,
double flick the wiper lever.
WARNING
42)Use only windshield washer fluid or
plain water in the reservoir. Using radiator
antifreeze as washer fluid is dangerous. If
sprayed on the windshield, it will dirty the
windshield, affect your visibility, and could
result in an accident.
43)Only use windshield washer fluid mixed
with anti-freeze protection in freezing
weather conditions. Using windshield
washer fluid without antifreeze protection in
freezing weather conditions is dangerous
as it could freeze on the windshield and
block your vision which could cause an
accident. In addition, make sure the
windshield is sufficiently warmed using the
defroster before spraying the washer fluid.
44)Make sure the device is switched off
whenever the windscreen must be
cleaned.
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29
IMPORTANT
8)Do not use the screen wiper to remove
layers of snow or ice from the windscreen.
In such conditions, the windscreen wiper
may be subjected to excessive stress and
the motor cut-out switch, which prevents
operation for a few seconds, may
intervene. If operation is not subsequently
restored, even after the vehicle is restarted,
contact an Abarth Dealership.
9)Do not operate the windscreen wiper
with blades lifted from the windscreen.
10)Do not activate the rain sensor while
washing the vehicle in an automatic
washing system.
11)If ice is found on the windscreen, make
sure that the device was disconnected
properly.
CLIMATE CONTROL
SYSTEM
OPERATING TIPS
2)
Operate the air-conditioning system
with the engine running.
To prevent the battery from being
discharged, do not leave the fan control
dial on for a long period of time with the
ignition switched ON when the engine
is not running.
Clear all obstructions such as leaves,
snow and ice from the bonnet and the
air inlet in the cowl grille to improve the
system efficiency.
Use the air-conditioning system to
defog the windows and dehumidify the
air.
The recirculate mode should be used
when driving through tunnels or while in
a traffic jam, or when you would like to
shut off outside air for quick cooling of
the interior.
Use the outside air position for
ventilation or windscreen defrosting.
If the vehicle has been parked in direct
sunlight during hot weather, open the
windows to let warm air escape, then
run the air-conditioning system.
Run the air conditioner about10 minutes at least once a month to
keep internal parts lubricated.
Have the air conditioner checked before
the weather gets hot. Lack of refrigerant
may make the air conditioner less
efficient. The refrigerant specifications
are indicated on a label (A or B
fig. 23 depending on the market)
attached to the inside of the engine
compartment. Check the label before
refilling the refrigerant. If the wrong type
of refrigerant is used, it could result in a
serious malfunction of the air
conditioner. For details contact an
Abarth Dealership.
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GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE
positioning/wear of windscreen window
wiper blades.
Every 3,000 km, check and top up if
required: engine oil level.
HEAVY-DUTY USE OF THE
VEHICLE
If the vehicle is used under one of the
following conditions:
dusty roads;
short, repeated journeys (less than
7-8 km) at sub-zero outside
temperatures;
engine often idling or driving long
distances at low speeds or long periods
of inactivity;
the following checks must be carried
out more often than indicated in the
Scheduled Servicing Plan:
check front disc brake pad condition
and wear;
check cleanliness of bonnet and
luggage compartment locks,
cleanliness and lubrication of linkage;
visually inspect conditions of: engine,
gearbox, transmission, pipes and hoses
(exhaust/fuel system/brakes) and
rubber elements (gaiters/sleeves/
bushes, etc.);
check battery charge and battery
fluid level (electrolyte);
visually inspect conditions of the
accessory drive belts;
check and, if necessary, change
engine oil and replace oil filter;
check and, if necessary, replace
pollen filter;
check and, if necessary, replace air
cleaner.
161
repair the affected area could lead to
serious rusting and expensive repairs.
Versions with opaque paint
(where provided)
Your vehicle could be equipped with an
exclusive opaque paint needing special
care for its preservation.
To correctly wash the vehicle, proceed
as follows:
wash the body using a low pressure
jet of water. Remember that the build
up of water can damage the car over a
period of time;
wipe a sponge with a slightly soapy
solution over the bodywork, frequently
rinsing the sponge;
rinse well with water and dry with a
jet of air or chamois leather, without
wiping localised areas repeatedly.
MAINTAINING THE
FINISH
Washing
To help protect the finish from rust and
deterioration, wash your vehicle
thoroughly and frequently, at least once
a month, with lukewarm or cold water.
IMPORTANT FCA is not responsible for
scratches caused by automatic car
washes or improper washing.
Scratches are more noticeable on
vehicles with darker paint finishes.IMPORTANT Keep hands and scrapers
clear of the windscreen when the wiper
lever is in the AUTO position and the
ignition is switched ON as fingers could
be pinched or the wipers and wiper
blades damaged when the wipers
activate automatically. If you are going
to clean the windscreen, be sure the
wipers are turned off completely (when
it is most likely that the engine is left
running) this is particularly important
when clearing ice and snow.
IMPORTANT Do not spray water in the
engine compartment. Otherwise, it
could result in engine-starting problems
or damage to electrical parts.
IMPORTANT When washing and
waxing the vehicle, be careful not to
apply excessive force to any single area
of the vehicle bonnet. Otherwise, you
could dent the vehicle.
IMPORTANT Do not use automatic car
washing machines and car washing
devices using high water pressure.
IMPORTANT Make sure that the fuel
flap is closed and lock the doors.
Otherwise, the fuel flap may be
forcefully opened by water pressure
causing damage to the vehicle or fuel
flap.IMPORTANT Do not use steel wool,
abrasive cleaners, or strong detergents
containing highly alkaline or caustic
agents on chromeplated or anodised
aluminium parts. This may damage the
protective coating; also, cleaners and
detergents may discolour or deteriorate
the paint.
Thoroughly rinse off all soap with
lukewarm or cold water. Do not allow
soap to dry on the finish.
212)
WARNING
212)Dry off brakes that have become wet
by driving slowly, releasing the accelerator
pedal and lightly applying the brakes
several times until the brake performance
returns to normal. Driving with wet brakes
is dangerous. Increased stopping distance
or the vehicle pulling to one side when
braking could result in a serious accident.
Light braking will indicate whether the
brakes have been affected.
IMPORTANT
51)In order to preserve the appearance of
the paint abrasive products and/or polishes
should not be used for cleaning the vehicle.
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MAINTENANCE AND CARE