2016 Abarth 500 battery

CAR INACTIVITY
If the car is to be left inactive for longer
than a month, the following precautions
should be noted:
❒park the car in covered, dry and if
possible well-ventilated premises and
slightly open the windows;
❒check that the handbrake is not
engaged;
❒engage a gear;
❒disconnect the negative battery
terminal and check the battery
charge. Repeat this check once
every three months during storage;
❒if the battery is not disconnected
from the electrical system, check
its state of charge every thirty days;
❒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;❒cover the car with a cloth or
perforated plastic sheet. Do not use
compact plastic sheets which do
not allow humidity to evaporate from
the surface of the car;
❒inflate tyres to +0.5 bar above the
standard prescribed pressure and
check it periodically;
❒do not drain the engine cooling
system;
128
STARTING AND DRIVING

IN AN EMERGENCY
A punctured tyre or a burnt-out bulb?
At times, a problem may interfere
with our journey.
The pages on emergencies can help
you to deal with critical situations
independently and with calm.
In an emergency we recommend that
you call the freephone number found in
the Warranty Booklet.
It is also possible to call the 00 800
3428 0000 freephone number to
search the nearest Abarth Authorised
Dealership.STARTING THE ENGINE .................130
"FIX&GO AUTOMATIC" KIT .............131
REPLACING A BULB .....................135
REPLACING AN EXTERIOR BULB ..139
REPLACING AN INTERIOR BULB ...142
REPLACING FUSES........................144
BATTERY RECHARGING ................149
LIFTING THE CAR...........................149
TOWING THE CAR .........................150
129

STARTING THE
ENGINE
If thesymbol on the display turns
on constantly, contact an Abarth
Dealership immediately.
JUMP STARTING
If the battery is flat, the engine may be
started using an auxiliary battery fig.
96 with the same capacity or a little
higher than the flat one.
23)
104)
Proceed as follows to start the vehicle:
❒connect the positive terminals (+
sign near the terminal) of the two
batteries with a jump lead;❒with a second lead, connect the
negative terminal (–) of the auxiliary
battery to an earth point
on the
engine or the gearbox of the car
to be started;
❒start the engine;
❒when the engine has been started,
remove the leads reversing the order
above.
If after a few attempts the engine does
not start, do not persist but contact
an Abarth Dealership.
IMPORTANT Do not directly connect
the negative terminals of the two
batteries: sparks could ignite explosive
gas released from the battery. If the
auxiliary battery is installed on another
car, prevent accidental contact
between metallic parts of the two cars.
BUMP STARTING
Never bump start the engine by
pushing, towing or coasting downhill.
This could cause fuel to flow into the
catalytic converter and damage it
beyond repair.IMPORTANT Remember that the brake
servo and electric power steering are
not active until the engine is started. A
much greater effort will therefore be
required to use the brake pedal or turn
the steering wheel.
IMPORTANT
23) Never use a fast battery charger
to start the engine as this could
damage the electronic systems
and the ignition and engine supply
control units.
WARNING
104) This procedure must be
performed by qualified personnel
as incorrect actions may cause
high-intensity electrical discharge.
Furthermore, battery fluid is
poisonous and corrosive: avoid
contact with skin and eyes. Keep
naked flames and lighted
cigarettes away from the battery
and do not cause sparks.96AB0A0078
130
IN AN EMERGENCY

Engine compartment
fuse box
The fuse box is located on the right
side of the engine compartment, next
to the battery. To access, press on
device I fig. 124, release the tabs M
and remove cover L.The number identifying the electrical
component corresponding to each fuse
is on the back of the cover
.
27)
124AB0A0131
125AB0A0130
145

BATTERY
RECHARGING
IMPORTANT The battery recharging
procedure is given as information only.
It is advisable to contact an Abarth
Dealership to have this operation
performed.
Charging should be slow at a low
ampere rating for approximately 24
hours. Charging for a longer time may
damage the battery.
To recharge, proceed as follows:
❒disconnect the terminal from the
negative battery pole;
❒connect the charger cables to the
battery terminals, observing the
polarity;
❒turn on the charger;
❒when it is recharged, turn the charger
off before disconnecting it from the
battery;
❒reconnect the negative battery
terminal.
123) 124)
WARNING
123) Battery fluid is poisonous and
corrosive: avoid contact with
your skin and eyes. The battery
should be charged in a well
ventilated place, away from naked
flames or possible sources of
sparks: danger of explosion and
fire.
124) Do not attempt to charge a
frozen battery: it must be thawed
first, otherwise it may explode.
If the battery was frozen, have it
inspected by specialised
personnel before recharging to
check that the internal elements
are not damaged and that the
casing is not cracked, which
causes the risk of leakage
of poisonous, corrosive acid.
LIFTING THE CAR
28)
As a result of its sporty nature, the car
is fitted with aerodynamic spoilers at
the bottom and side skirts at the sides.
If the vehicle needs to be raised, go
to an Abarth Dealership which is
equipped with arm lifts and workshop
lifts.
IMPORTANT
28) Take special care when
positioning the arm lifts or the
workshop lift in order not to
damage the aerodynamic spoilers
and side skirts.
149

SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
Correct maintenance permits the
performance of the car to be
maintained over time, as well as limited
running costs and safeguarding the
efficiency of the safety systems.
This chapter explains how.SCHEDULED SERVICING ...............154
SCHEDULED SERVICING PLAN .....155
PERIODIC CHECKS ........................158
HEAVY-DUTY USE OF THE CAR .....158
CHECKING LEVELS........................159
AIR CLEANER/POLLEN FILTER ......162
BATTERY ........................................162
WHEELS AND TYRES.....................164
RUBBER HOSES ............................165
WINDSCREEN/REAR WINDOW
WIPER ............................................165
BODYWORK ...................................167
INTERIORS .....................................169
153

SCHEDULED SERVICING PLAN
The checks listed in the Scheduled Servicing Plan, after reaching 120,000 km/8 years, must be cyclically repeated starting from
the first interval, thus following the same intervals as before.
Thousands of miles 9 18 27 36 45 54 63 72 81 90
Thousands of kilometres 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150
Years12345678910
Check tyre condition/wear and adjust pressure, if
necessary; check “Fix&Go Automatic” kit recharge expiry
date (for versions/markets, where provided)●●●●●●●●●●
Check operation of lighting system (headlights, direction
indicators, hazard warning lights, luggage compartment,
passenger compartment, glove compartment, instrument
panel warning lights, etc.)●●●●●●●●●●
Check and, if necessary, top up fluid levels (engine
coolant, hydraulic clutch/brakes, screen washer, battery,
etc.)●●●●●●●●●●
Check exhaust emissions/smokiness●●●●●●●●●●
Use the diagnosis socket to check supply/engine
management systems operation, emissions and, for
versions/markets, where provided, engine oil degradation●●●●●●●●●●
Visually inspect condition of: exterior bodywork,
underbody protection, pipes and hoses (exhaust, fuel
system, brakes), rubber elements (gaiters, sleeves,
bushes, etc.)●●●●●
Check windscreen/rear window wiper blade position/wear●●●●●
155

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 inflation pressure and condition;
❒operation of lighting system
(headlights, direction indicators,
hazard warning lights, etc.);
❒operation of screen washer/wiper
system and positioning/wear of
windscreen/rear window wiper
blades.
Every 3,000 km check and, if
necessary, top up: engine oil level.
You are advised to use PETRONAS
LUBRICANTS products, which have
been designed and produced
specifically for Abarth cars (see table
"Capacities" in the "Technical
specifications" chapter).
HEAVY-DUTY USE OF
THE CAR
If the car is used mainly under one of
the following conditions:
❒towing a trailer or caravan;
❒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 condition of: engine,
gearbox, transmission, pipes and
hoses (exhaust - fuel system -
brakes) and rubber elements (boots -
sleeves - bushes - etc.);
❒check battery charge and battery
fluid level (electrolyte);
❒visually inspect condition 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.
158
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE