WARNING
79)Always wear your seat belt and make
sure all occupants are properly restrained.
Not wearing a seat belt is extremely
dangerous. During a collision, occupants
not wearing seat belts could hit someone
or things inside the vehicle or even be
thrown out of the vehicle. They could be
seriously injured or even killed. In the same
collision, occupants wearing seat belts
would be much safer.
80)Do not wear twisted seat belts. Twisted
seat belts are dangerous. In a collision, the
full width of the belt is not available to
absorb the impact. This puts more force on
the bones beneath the belt, which could
cause serious injury or death. So, if your
seat belt is twisted, you must straighten
the seat belt to remove any twists and to
allow the full width of the belt to be used.
81)Never use one seat belt on more than
one person at a time. Using one seat belt
for more than one person at a time is
dangerous. A seat belt used in this way
cannot spread the impact forces properly
and the two passengers could be crushed
together and seriously injured or even
killed. Never use one belt for more than
one person at a time and always operate
the vehicle with each occupant properly
restrained.82)Do not operate a vehicle with a
damaged seat belt. Using a damaged seat
belt is dangerous. An accident could
damage the belt webbing of the seat belt in
use. A damaged seat belt cannot provide
adequate protection in a collision. Contact
a Fiat Dealership to inspect all seat belt
systems in use during an accident before
they are used again.
83)Have your seat belts changed
immediately if the pretensioner or load
limiter has been expended. Always have an
expert repairer, we recommend a Fiat
Dealership immediately inspect the seat
belt pretensioners and air bags after any
collision. Like the air bags, the seat belt
pretensioners and load limiters will only
function once and must be replaced after
any collision that caused them to deploy. If
the seat belt pretensioners and load
limiters are not replaced, the risk of injury in
a collision will increase.
84)Positioning the shoulder portion of the
seat belt. Improper positioning of the
shoulder portion of the seat belt is
dangerous. Always make sure the shoulder
portion of the seat belt is positioned across
your shoulder and near your neck, but
never under your arm, on your neck, or on
your upper arm.
85)Positioning the lap portion of the seat
belt. The lap portion of the seat belt worn
too high is dangerous. In a collision, this
would concentrate the impact force directly
on the abdominal area, causing serious
injury. Wear the lap portion of the belt
snugly and as low as possible.86)Instructions for use of seat belt
assemblies. Seat belts are designed to
bear upon the bony structure of the body,
and should be worn low across the front of
the pelvis or the pelvis, chest and
shoulders, as applicable; wearing the lap
section of the belt across the abdominal
area must be avoided. Seat belts should
be adjusted as firmly as possible,
consistent with comfort, to provide the
protection for which they have been
designed. A slack belt will greatly reduce
the protection afforded to the wearer. Care
should be taken to avoid contamination of
the webbing with polishes, oils and
chemicals, and particularly battery acid.
Cleaning may safely be carried out using
mild soap and water. The belt should be
replaced if webbing becomes frayed,
contaminated or damaged. It is essential to
replace the entire assembly after it has
been worn in a severe impact even if
damage to the assembly is not obvious.
Belts should not be worn with straps
twisted. Each belt assembly must only be
used by one occupant; it is dangerous to
put a belt around a child being carried on
the occupant's lap.
87)No modifications or additions should
be made by the user which will either
prevent the seat belt adjusting devices
from operating to remove slack, or prevent
the seat belt assembly from being adjusted
to remove slack.
78
SAFETY
INTRODUCTION
Be extremely careful and prevent injury
to yourself and others or damage to
your vehicle when using this manual for
inspection and maintenance.
If you are unsure about any procedure it
describes, we strongly urge you to have
a reliable and qualified service shop
perform the work, preferably at Fiat
Dealership.
Factory-trained FCA technicians and
genuine FCA parts are best for your
vehicle. Without this expertise and the
parts that have been designed and
made especially for your vehicle,
inadequate, incomplete, and insufficient
servicing may result in problems. This
could lead to vehicle damage or an
accident and injuries.
For expert advice and quality service,
contact a Fiat Dealership.
The owner should retain evidence that
proper maintenance has been
performed as prescribed.
A claim against a warranty will not
qualify if it results from lack of
maintenance and not from defective
material or authorised workmanship.
Claims against the warranty resulting
from lack of maintenance, as opposed
to defective materials or authorized FCA
workmanship, will not be honored.Scheduled maintenance
NOTE After the prescribed period,
continue to follow the described
maintenance at the recommended
intervals.
Emission control and related
systems
The ignition and fuel systems are highly
important to the emission control
system and to efficient engine
operation. Do not tamper with them.
All inspections and adjustments must
be made by an expert repairer, we
recommend a Fiat Dealership.
OWNER MAINTENANCE
PRECAUTIONS
186) 187) 188)
38)
Routine service
We highly recommend that these items
be inspected daily, or at least every
week:
Engine oil level
Engine coolant level
Brake and clutch fluid Level
Washer fluid level
Battery maintenance
Tire inflation pressureImproper or incomplete service may
result in problems. This section gives
instructions only for items that are easy
to perform.
As explained in the “Introduction”
paragraph, several procedures can be
done only by a qualified service
technician with special tools.
Improper do-it yourself maintenance
during the warranty period may affect
warranty coverage. For details, read the
separate Warranty statement provided
with the vehicle. If you are unsure about
any servicing or maintenance
procedure, have it done by an expert
repairer, we recommend a Fiat
Dealership.
There are strict environmental laws
regarding the disposal of waste oil and
fluids. Please dispose of your waste
properly and with due regard to the
environment.
We recommend that you entrust the oil
and fluid changes of your vehicle to a
Fiat Dealership.
154
MAINTENANCE AND CARE
warning lights, etc.);
operation of windscreen
washer/wiper system and
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.
155
PERIODIC CHECKS
Every1,000 kmor before long trips
check and, if necessary, top up:
engine coolant level;
brake fluid level;
windscreen washer fluid level;
tire inflation pressure and condition;
operation of lighting system
(headlights, direction indicators, hazard
Thousands of miles9 182736455463728190
Thousands of kilometers15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150
Years12345678910
Check endfloat of wheel bearings and front and
rear joints●●●●●
Check windscreen wiper blade position/wear●●●●●
Check operation of the wiper/washer system
and adjust jets, if necessary●●●●●
Check cleanliness of bonnet and boot locks, as
well as cleanliness and lubrication of linkages●●●●●
Check handbrake lever travel and adjust, if
necessary●●●●●●●●●●
Visually inspect conditions and wear of front/rear
disk brake pads and integrity of pad wear
indicator
●●●●●●●●●●
Visually inspect condition of evaporation control
system●●●
Visually inspect condition and tensioning of
accessory drive belt(s)●
Visually inspect conditions of toothed timing
drive belt●
Change transmission oil●
Change engine oil and replace oil filter●●●●●●●●●●
157
45)Do not mix alcohol or methanol with the
coolant. This could damage the cooling
system.
46)Do not use a solution that contains
more than 60% antifreeze. This would
reduce effectiveness.
47)Avoid allowing brake fluid, which is
extremely corrosive, to come into contact
with painted areas. Should it happen, wash
immediately with water.
48)Incorrect assembly of electrical and
electronic accessories may cause severe
damage to your vehicle. Go to a Fiat
Dealership if you want to install accessories
(e.g. anti-theft, radio phone, etc.): they will
suggest the most suitable devices and
advise you whether a higher capacity
battery needs to be installed.
IMPORTANT
4)Used engine oil and oil filters contain
substances which are harmful to the
environment. You are advised to contact a
Fiat Dealership to have the oil and filters
changed.
5)Used transmission fluid contains
substances that are harmful to the
environment. It is advisable to contact a
Fiat Dealership to have the fluid changed.
6)Batteries contain substances which are
very dangerous for the environment. For
battery replacement, contact a Fiat
Dealership.
BATTERY
RECHARGING
204) 205)
BATTERY RECHARGING
PROCEDURE
Charge battery as follows:
remove the caps before recharging
the battery;
connect the charger cables to the
battery terminals, observing the polarity;
turn on the charger;
when finished, turn the charger off
before disconnecting the battery;
reconnect the negative battery
terminal.
IMPORTANT Before recharging the
battery, turn off all accessories and stop
the engine.
IMPORTANT Make sure that the cables
of the electrical system are correctly
reconnected to the battery, i.e. the
positive cable (+) to the positive
terminal and the negative cable (-) to
the negative terminal. The battery
terminals are marked with the positive
(+) and negative (-) symbols, and are
shown on the battery cover. The battery
terminals must also be corrosion-free
and firmly secured to the terminals. If a
“quick-type” battery charger is usedwith the battery fitted on the vehicle,
before connecting it disconnect both
cables of the battery itself. Do not use a
“quick-type” battery charger to provide
the starting voltage.
IMPORTANT The battery recharging
procedure is given as information only.
You are advised to contact a Fiat
Dealership to have this operation
carried out.
IMPORTANT Charging should be slow
at a low ampere rating for
approximately 24 hours. Charging for a
longer time may damage the battery.
WARNING
204)Battery fluid is poisonous and
corrosive: avoid contact with skin and
eyes. The battery recharging operation
must be performed in a ventilated place,
away from naked flames or possible
sources of sparks to avoid the risk of
explosion and fire.
205)Do not try to recharge a frozen
battery: it must be thawed first, otherwise it
may explode. If the battery was frozen,
have it inspected by specialized 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.
164
MAINTENANCE AND CARE