2016 FIAT 500L Owners Manual

3. Pivot the glove compartment downward.
4. Disengage the retaining tabs that secure the air filteraccess door to the HVAC housing. 5. Open the air filter access door.
A/C Air Filter Access Door
A/C Air Filter Access Door Open
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6. Remove the particulate air filters from the HVAC airinlet housing. Pull the filter elements straight out of
the housing.
7. Install the A/C air filter with the air filter position indicators pointing in the same direction as removal.CAUTION!
The A/C air filter is identified with an arrow to
indicate airflow direction through the filter. Failure
to properly install the filter will result in the need to
replace it more often.
8. Rotate the glove compartment door back into position.
Refer to the “Maintenance Schedule” for the proper
maintenance intervals.
Body Lubrication
Locks and all body pivot points, including such items as
seat tracks, door hinge pivot points and rollers, liftgate,
tailgate, decklid, sliding doors and hood hinges, should
be lubricated periodically with a lithium based grease,
such as MOPAR Spray White Lube to assure quiet, easy
operation and to protect against rust and wear. Prior to
the application of any lubricant, the parts concerned
A/C Air Filter Removal
392 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

should be wiped clean to remove dust and grit; after
lubricating excess oil and grease should be removed.
Particular attention should also be given to hood latching
components to ensure proper function. When performing
other underhood services, the hood latch, release mecha-
nism and safety catch should be cleaned and lubricated.
The external lock cylinders should be lubricated twice a
year, preferably in the Fall and Spring. Apply a small
amount of a high quality lubricant, such as MOPAR Lock
Cylinder Lubricant directly into the lock cylinder.
Wiper Blades
Clean the rubber edges of the wiper blades and the
windshield and rear window periodically with a sponge
or soft cloth and a mild nonabrasive cleaner. This will
remove accumulations of salt, waxes, or road film, and
help reduce streaking and smearing.Operation of the wipers on dry glass for long periods
may cause deterioration of the wiper blades. Always use
washer fluid when using the wipers to remove salt or dirt
from a dry windshield or rear window.
Avoid using the wiper blades to remove frost or ice from
the windshield or rear window. Make sure that they are
not frozen to the glass before turning them on to avoid
damaging the blade. Keep the wiper blade out of contact
with petroleum products such as engine oil, gasoline, etc.
NOTE:
Life expectancy of wiper blades varies depending
on geographical area and frequency of use. Poor perfor-
mance of blades may be present with chattering, marks,
water lines or wet spots. If any of these conditions are
present, clean the wiper blades or replace as necessary.
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MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 393

Service Position Strategy
The service position allows the wiper blades to be placed
in a position that allows the wiper blades to be easily
changed.
To enable the Service Position Strategy the wipers must
be in the Park position before placing the ignition in the
STOP/OFF position.
Service mode must be activated within two minutes after
the ignition is placed in the STOP/OFF position.
To have a correct activation of strategy, the Service
Position command (antipanic) must be active for at least
half a second.
At every valid activation of Service Position command,
the wiper blades are activated for 250 ms.The Service Position command can be repeated several
times to bring the blades into the desired position, up to
a maximum of three times.
After three subsequent activations the strategy is dis-
abled.
Function Deactivation:
The functionality is reset if:
•
Turn the ignition to the MAR/RUN position.
• Number of subsequent activations is three.
• Two minutes timer has expired after turning the
ignition OFF.
NOTE: When turning the ignition ON, the blades will go
into the parking position.
394 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Front Wiper Blade Removal/Installation
1. Lift the front wiper arm upward to raise the wiperblade off of the windshield.
2. Push the release button on the arm of the wiper blade.
3. Push the wiper blade up the and remove it.
4. Install the wiper blade and firmly push the wiperblade until it snaps into place.
1 — Wiper Blade
2 — Release Button
3 — Wiper Arm
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MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 395

Rear Wiper Blade Removal/Installation
1. Lift the rear wiper arm upward to raise the wiperblade off of the liftgate glass.
2. Grab the bottom of the wiper blade and rotate it forward to unsnap the blade pivot pin from the wiper
blade holder.
3. Install the wiper blade pivot pin into the wiper bladeholder at the end of the wiper arm, and firmly push
the wiper blade until it snaps into place.
1 — Wiper Blade
2 — Blade Pivot Pin
3 — Wiper Arm
4 — Wiper Blade Holder
396 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE

Adding Washer Fluid
The windshield washer fluid reservoir is located in the
engine compartment, and the fluid level should be
checked at regular intervals. Fill the reservoir with wind-
shield washer solvent (not engine coolant/ antifreeze).
Refer to “Engine Compartment” in this section for fur-
ther information.
WARNING!
Commercially available windshield washer solvents
are flammable. They could ignite and burn you. Care
must be exercised when filling or working around
the washer solution.
Exhaust System
The best protection against carbon monoxide entry into
the vehicle body is a properly maintained engine exhaust
system.If you notice a change in the sound of the exhaust system;
or if the exhaust fumes can be detected inside the vehicle;
or when the underside or rear of the vehicle is damaged;
have an authorized technician inspect the complete ex-
haust system and adjacent body areas for broken, dam-
aged, deteriorated, or mispositioned parts. Open seams
or loose connections could permit exhaust fumes to seep
into the passenger compartment. In addition, have the
exhaust system inspected each time the vehicle is raised
for lubrication or oil change. Replace as required.
WARNING!
•
Exhaust gases can injure or kill. They contain
carbon monoxide (CO), which is colorless and
odorless. Breathing it can make you unconscious
and can eventually poison you. To avoid breathing
CO, refer to “Safety Tips/Exhaust Gas” in “Things
(Continued)
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MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE 397

WARNING!(Continued)
To Know Before Starting Your Vehicle” for further
information.
• A hot exhaust system can start a fire if you park
over materials that can burn. Such materials might
be grass or leaves coming into contact with your
exhaust system. Do not park or operate your ve-
hicle in areas where your exhaust system can con-
tact anything that can burn.
CAUTION!
• The catalytic converter requires the use of un-
leaded fuel only. Leaded gasoline will destroy the
effectiveness of the catalyst as an emissions control
device and may seriously reduce engine perfor-
mance and cause serious damage to the engine.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•Damage to the catalytic converter can result if your
vehicle is not kept in proper operating condition.
In the event of engine malfunction, particularly
involving engine misfire or other apparent loss of
performance, have your vehicle serviced promptly.
Continued operation of your vehicle with a severe
malfunction could cause the converter to overheat,
resulting in possible damage to the converter and
vehicle.
Under normal operating conditions, the catalytic con-
verter will not require maintenance. However, it is im-
portant to keep the engine properly tuned to assure
proper catalyst operation and prevent possible catalyst
damage.
398 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE