2016 FIAT 500L Owners Manual

During extremely cold temperatures, the transmission
will not operate if the oil temperature is -22°F (-30°C) or
below. Allow the engine to idle briefly with the transmis-
sion in PARK in order to warm the fluid. Normal
operation will resume once the transmission temperature
has risen to a suitable level.Instrument Cluster Messages
Messages will be displayed in the instrument cluster to
alert the driver when certain unusual conditions occur.
These messages are described below.
MESSAGE
DESCRIPTION
GEAR UNAVAILABLE In AutoStick mode, the gear selected by the driver is
not available due to a fault condition. See your autho- rized dealer for diagnosis and service.
SHIFT NOT ALLOWED The gear position requested by the driver is currently
blocked. This occurs if REVERSE is requested while
moving (at 6 mph [10 km/h] or faster), or if DRIVE is requested while moving backwards (at 6 mph
[10 km/h] or faster). Make sure the vehicle is stopped before engaging DRIVE or REVERSE.
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MESSAGEDESCRIPTION
SHIFT TO NEUTRAL – THEN DRIVE OR REVERSE The transmission has shifted itself into NEUTRAL (due to a fault condition, or overheat due to excessiveidling when stopped in DRIVE with the brakes re-
leased), but the shift lever remains in gear. Shift into NEUTRAL and then back into gear for continued
driving. If the transmission will not re-engage, see your authorized dealer.
AUTOMATIC UNAVAILABLE The transmission is unable to shift itself automatically,
due to a fault condition. Use the AutoStick mode to
shift the transmission manually. See your authorized dealer for diagnosis and service.
REDUCE GEAR CHANGES The transmission pump is overheating. In AutoStick
mode, try to drive in one specific gear as much as
possible, avoiding frequent gear changes. In DRIVE, the transmission will automatically modify its shift schedule to reduce the number of shifts.
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MESSAGEDESCRIPTION
TRANSMISSION GETTING HOT PRESS BRAKE The transmission driving clutch is overheating, usu- ally due to repeated launches in stop-and-go traffic.
Pull over and allow the transmission to cool in NEU- TRAL until “TRANSMISSION COOL READY TO DRIVE” is displayed.
TRANS. HOT STOP SAFELY SHIFT TO PARK WAIT TO COOL The transmission driving clutch has overheated. Pull
over, shift the transmission into PARK, and allow the
vehicle to cool until “TRANSMISSION COOL READY TO DRIVE” is displayed.
TRANSMISSION COOL READY TO DRIVE The transmission has cooled down and the vehicle is OK to drive.
SERVICE TRANSMISSION A transmission fault has been detected. See your au-
thorized dealer for diagnosis and service.
SERVICE A shift lever fault has been detected. See your autho-
rized dealer for diagnosis and service.
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MESSAGEDESCRIPTION
SET PARK BRAKE The sensor that confirms PARK engagement is not
functioning properly. Engage the parking brake to en- sure that the vehicle will not roll when in PARK.
Transmission Limp Home Mode
Transmission function is monitored electronically for
abnormal conditions. If a condition is detected that could
result in transmission damage, Transmission Limp Home
Mode is activated. In this mode, some gears will be
unavailable. The transmission will operate only in a
certain select set of gears (such as 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and
Reverse, or 1st, 3rd, 5th, and Reverse, or 2nd, 4th, and 6th
[with no Reverse]). PARK and NEUTRAL will continue
to be available. The Malfunction Indicator Light (MIL)
may be illuminated. Limp Home Mode allows the vehicle
to be driven to an authorized dealer for service without
damaging the transmission. In the event of a momentary problem, the transmission
can be reset to regain all forward gears by performing the
following steps:
1. Stop the vehicle.
2. Shift the transmission into PARK.
3. Turn the ignition switch to the OFF position.
4. Wait approximately 10 seconds.
5. Restart the engine.
6. Shift into the desired gear range. If the problem is no
longer detected, the transmission will return to normal
operation.
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NOTE:Even if the transmission can be reset, we recom-
mend that you visit your authorized dealer at your
earliest possible convenience. Your authorized dealer has
diagnostic equipment to determine if the problem could
recur.
If the transmission cannot be reset, authorized dealer
service is required.
Six-Speed Automatic Transmission (Aisin
AW6F25) — If Equipped
The transmission gear position display (located in the
instrument cluster) indicates the transmission gear range.
You must press the brake pedal and push the lock button
on the shift lever to move the shift lever out of PARK
(Refer to “Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock System” in
this section). To drive, push the lock button on the front
of the shift lever and move the shift lever from PARK or
NEUTRAL to the DRIVE position. The electronically-controlled transmission provides a
precise shift schedule. The transmission electronics are
self-calibrating; therefore, the first few shifts on a new
vehicle may be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal
condition, and precision shifts will develop within a few
hundred miles (kilometers).
Transmission Shift Lever
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Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE when the
accelerator pedal is released and the vehicle is stopped.
Be sure to keep your foot on the brake pedal when
shifting between these gears.
The transmission shift lever has PARK, REVERSE, NEU-
TRAL, DRIVE, and AutoStick (+/-) shift positions.
Manual shifts can be made using the AutoStick shift
control (refer to “AutoStick” in this section for further
information). Moving the shift lever into the AutoStick
(+/-) position (beside the DRIVE position) activates
AutoStick mode, providing manual shift control and
displaying the current gear in the instrument cluster (as
1, 2, 3, etc). Toggling the shift lever forward (-) or
rearward (+) while in the Autostick position will manu-
ally select the transmission gear.
NOTE:If the shift lever cannot be moved to the PARK,
REVERSE, or NEUTRAL position (when pushed for-
ward) it is probably in the AutoStick (+/-) position (beside the DRIVE position). In AutoStick mode, the
transmission gear (1, 2, 3, etc.) is displayed in the
instrument cluster. Move the shift lever to the right (into
the DRIVE [D] position) for access to PARK, REVERSE,
and NEUTRAL.
Gear Ranges
DO NOT race the engine when shifting from PARK or
NEUTRAL into another gear range.
NOTE:
After selecting any gear range, wait a moment to
allow the selected gear to engage before accelerating.
This is especially important when the engine is cold.
PARK (P)
This range supplements the parking brake by locking the
transmission. The engine can be started in this range.
Never attempt to use PARK while the vehicle is in
motion. Apply the parking brake when leaving the
vehicle in this range.
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When parking on a level surface, you may shift the
transmission into PARK first, and then apply the parking
brake.
When parking on a hill, apply the parking brake before
shifting the transmission to PARK, otherwise the load on
the transmission locking mechanism may make it difficult
to move the shift lever out of PARK. As an added precau-
tion, turn the front wheels toward the curb on a downhill
grade and away from the curb on an uphill grade.
WARNING!
•Never use the PARK position as a substitute for the
parking brake. Always apply the parking brake
fully when parked to guard against vehicle move-
ment and possible injury or damage.
• Your vehicle could move and injure you and others
if it is not in PARK. Check by trying to move the
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
gear selector/shift lever out of PARK with the brake
pedal released. Make sure the transmission is in
PARK before leaving the vehicle.
• It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or NEUTRAL
if the engine speed is higher than idle speed. If
your foot is not firmly pressing the brake pedal, the
vehicle could accelerate quickly forward or in re-
verse. You could lose control of the vehicle and hit
someone or something. Only shift into gear when
the engine is idling normally and your foot is
firmly pressing the brake pedal.
• Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running. Before exiting a vehicle, always shift an
automatic transmission into PARK, or a manual
transmission into FIRST gear or REVERSE, turn
(Continued)
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WARNING!(Continued)
the engine OFF, apply the parking brake, and
remove the ignition key. When the ignition is in the
LOCK/OFF (key removal) position, an automatic
transmission is locked in PARK, securing the ve-
hicle against unwanted movement.
• When leaving the vehicle, always remove the igni-
tion key from the vehicle and lock the vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal
or the gear selector.
• Do not leave the ignition key in or near the vehicle
(or in a location accessible to children). A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
• Before moving the shift lever out of PARK, you
must turn the ignition switch from the LOCK/OFF
position to the ON/RUN position, and also press
the brake pedal. Otherwise, damage to the shift
lever could result.
• DO NOT race the engine when shifting from
PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range, as this
can damage the drivetrain.
The following indicators should be used to ensure that
you have engaged the transmission into the PARK posi-
tion:
• When shifting into PARK, firmly move the lever all the
way forward and to the left until it stops and is fully
seated.
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