FRONT AIRBAGS
The vehicle is provided with front
airbags for the driver and the
passenger.
The front driver/passenger airbags have
been designed to protect the front
seat occupants in the event of frontal
impacts of medium-high severity, by
placing the bag between the occupant
and the steering wheel or dashboard.
Therefore, non-activation in other types
of collisions (side collisions, rear shunts,
roll-overs, etc.) is not a system
malfunction.
An electronic control unit will make the
bag inflate in the event of a frontal
impact.
The bag will inflate instantaneously
placing itself between the front
occupants body and the structures
which could cause injury. It will deflate
immediately afterwards.
Driver and passenger front airbags are
not a replacement of but
complementary to the belts, which you
are recommended to always wear, as
specified by law in Europe and most
non-European countries.The volume of the front airbags at
maximum inflation fills most of
the space between the steering wheel
and the driver and between the
dashboard and the passenger.
In the event of an impact, someone not
wearing a seat belt will move forward
and come into contact with the bag
which is still in the opening stage. The
protection offered by the bag is
compromised in these circumstances.
Front airbags may not activate in the
following situations:
❒frontal impacts against highly
deformable objects not involving the
front surface of the vehicle (e.g.
wing collision against guard rail, etc.);
❒jamming of the vehicle underneath
other vehicles or protective barriers
(e.g. underneath a truck or a guard
rail); in this case, the bags would offer
no additional protection with respect
to the seat belt and their deployment
is unnecessary. In these cases,
non-deployment does not indicate a
system malfunction.
119)
The airbags are not deployed in the
event of minor frontal collisions (for
which the restraining action of the seat
belts is sufficient). Safety belts must
always be worn. In the event of frontal
collisions they guarantee correct
positioning of the passenger.
DRIVER'S SIDE FRONT
AIRBAG
It consists of an instantly inflating bag
contained in a special recess in the
centre of the steering wheel fig. 166.
166F1A0312
174
SAFETY
WARNING
119) Do not apply stickers or other objects to the steering wheel, the dashboard in the passenger side airbag area and
the seats. Never put objects (e.g. mobile phones) on the passenger side of the dashboard since they could interfere
with correct inflation of the passenger airbag and also cause serious injury to the passengers.
120) When an active passenger airbag is fitted, DO NOT install rear facing child restraint systems on the front seat.
Deployment of the airbag in an accident could cause fatal injuries to the child regardless of the severity of the
impact. Therefore, always deactivate the passenger airbag when a rear facing child restraint system is installed on
the front passenger seat. The front passenger seat must also be positioned back as far as possible in order to prevent
the child restraint system from coming into contact with the dashboard. Immediately reactivate the passenger airbag
as soon as the child restraint system has been removed.
178
SAFETY
SIDE BAGS
121) 122) 123) 124) 125) 126) 127) 128) 129) 130)
131) 132) 133)
The vehicle is fitted with front side bags
for driver and passenger (for versions/
markets where provided) for protecting
the chest and window bags (for
versions/markets where provided) for
protecting front and rear passengers'
heads.
Side bags (for versions/markets where
provided) protect occupants from
side impacts of medium-high severity,
by placing the bag between the
occupant and the internal parts of the
side structure of the vehicle. Non-
activation of side bags in other types of
collisions (front collisions, rear shunts,
roll-overs, etc...) is not a system
malfunction.
An electronic control unit causes the
bags to inflate in the event of a side
impact. The bags inflate
instantaneously placing themselves
between the occupants' bodies and the
structures which could cause injury.
They deflate immediately afterwards.Side bags (for versions/markets where
provided) are not a replacement of
but complementary to the belts, which
you are recommended to always wear,
as specified by law in Europe and
most non-European countries.
FRONT SIDE BAGS FOR
CHEST PROTECTION
(for versions/markets, where provided)
Housed in the seats' backrests fig. 170,
they consist of an instantly inflating
bag designed to protect the occupants'
chest in the event of a side impact of
medium-high severity.SIDE AIRBAGS FOR
HEAD PROTECTION
(WINDOW BAGS)
(for versions/markets, where provided)
They consist of two curtain bags,
one on the right and the other on the
left side of the vehicle, located behind
the side coverings of the roof and
covered by specific finishing fig. 171.
Window bags have been designed for
protecting the head of front occupants
in the event of side impact, thanks to
the wide bag inflation surface.
IMPORTANT In the event of a side-on
crash, the system offers best protection
if you keep a correct position on the
seat because this allows the side bags
to inflate correctly.
170F1A0160
171F1A0333
179
IMPORTANT The front airbags and/or
side bags may be deployed if the
vehicle is subject to heavy knocks or
accidents involving the underbody area,
such as for example violent shocks,
against steps, kerbs or low obstacles,
vehicle falling into big potholes or
depressions in the road.
IMPORTANT A small amount of dust
will be released when the airbags
are deployed. The dust is not harmful
and does not indicate the beginning of
a fire. Furthermore, the surface of the
deployed bag and the interior of the
vehicle may be covered in a dusty
residue: this may irritate your skin and
eyes. Wash with mild soap and water in
the event of exposure.
IMPORTANT Should an accident occur
in which any of the safety devices are
activated, take the vehicle to a Fiat
Dealership to have the activated
devices replaced and to have the whole
system checked.
Every control, repair and replacement
operation concerning the airbags must
only be carried out at a Fiat Dealership.If you are having the vehicle scrapped,
have the system deactivated at a Fiat
Dealership first. If the vehicle changes
ownership, the new owner must be
informed of how to use the airbags and
the above warnings and also be given
this "Owner Handbook".
IMPORTANT Pretensioners, front
airbags and front side bags are
deployed differently according to the
type of collision. Failure to deploy
of one of the devices does not
necessarily indicate a system
malfunction.
WARNING
121) Never rest your head, arms or
elbows on the doors, on the
windows or in the window bag
area as this could cause injuries
during the inflation phase.
122) Never lean your head, arms and
elbows out of the window.123) If when turning the key to
MAR-ON the warning light
does not turn on or if it stays
on when travelling (together with
the message on the multifunction
display, for versions/markets
where provided), there could be a
fault in the safety systems; in
this event, airbags or
pretensioners may not trigger in
the case of impact or, in a lower
number of cases, they could be
triggered accidentally. Contact a
Fiat Dealership immediately to
have the system checked.
124) Do not cover the backrest of
the front or rear seats with covers
which are not suitable for use
with side bags.
125) Do not travel carrying objects in
your lap, in front of your chest or
between your lips (pipe, pencils,
etc.). They could cause severe
injury if the airbag is deployed.
126) Always drive keeping your
hands on the steering wheel rim
so that the airbag can inflate
freely if necessary. Do not drive
with your body bent forward.
Keep your back straight against
the backrest.
180
SAFETY
127) If the key is inserted and turned
to MAR-ON, airbags may be
deployed if another vehicle
crashes into the vehicle even if
the engine is not running and the
vehicle is stationary. Therefore,
even if the car is stationary, when
an active front passenger airbag
is fitted, DO NOT install rear
facing child restraint systems on
the front passenger seat.
Deployment of the airbag
following an impact could cause
fatal injuries to the child.
Therefore, always deactivate the
passenger airbag when a rear
facing child restraint system is
installed on the front passenger
seat. The front passenger seat
must also be positioned back as
far as possible in order to prevent
the child restraint system from
coming into contact with the
dashboard. Immediately
reactivate the passenger airbag
as soon as the child restraint
system has been removed. Also
remember that, if the key is
turned to STOP, none of the
safety devices (airbags or
pretensioners) will be deployed in
the event of collision. Non-
deployment in such cases does
not indicate a system malfunction.128) If the vehicle has been subject
to theft, attempted theft,
vandalism, or flooding, have the
airbag system inspected at a Fiat
Dealership.
129) When the ignition key is turned
to MAR-ON, the LED on button
on the dashboard blinks for a
few seconds (the number of
seconds may depend on the
market) to check the correct
operation of the LED on the
button.
130) Do not wash the seats with
water or pressurised steam (by
hand or at automatic car seat
washing stations).
131) The front airbag deploys in the
event of more severe collisions
than those required for deploying
the pretensioners. For impacts
whose intensity falls between the
two levels, normally, only the
pretensioners will be activated.
132) Do not affix rigid objects to the
coat hooks or support handles.133) The airbag does not replace
seat belts but increases their
efficiency. Furthermore, since
front airbags are not deployed in
low-speed frontal impacts, side
impacts, rear shunts or roll-overs,
the passengers are protected
only by the seat belts which must
therefore be fastened at all times.
181
STARTING THE
ENGINE
The vehicle is fitted with an electronic
engine lock device: if the engine fails to
start, see the paragraph “The Fiat
CODE system” in section “Know your
vehicle”.
27) 28)
134)
PROCEDURE
Proceed as follows:
❒engage the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒turn the ignition key to MAR-ON: the
warning lights
andon the
instrument panel will turn on;
❒wait for the warning lights
and
to switch off. The hotter the
engine is, the quicker this will
happen;
❒fully press the clutch pedal without
touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVV as soon
as warning light
switches off.
Waiting too long will waste the
heating work carried out by the glow
plugs.
Release the key as soon as the engine
starts.If the engine does not start at the first
attempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating the starting procedure.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR-ON
the
warning light remains lit, turn
the key to STOP and then back to
MAR-ON; if the warning light remains
lit, try with the other keys provided with
the car.
IMPORTANT Go to a Fiat Dealership
immediately if warning light
stays
on constantly on the instrument panel.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition
key in MAR-ON position when the
engine is stopped.
29)
WARMING UP THE
ENGINE JUST AFTER IT
HAS STARTED
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly, letting the engine turn
at medium revs. Do not accelerate
abruptly;
❒do not demand full performance at
first. Wait until the engine coolant
temperature gauge starts moving.
30) 31)
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOP while the
engine is idling.
32) 33)
IMPORTANT
27) It is advisable not to demand
maximum performance from
your vehicle (e.g. excessive
acceleration, long distances at
high speeds, excessively intense
braking, etc.) during the initial
period of use.
28) When the engine is off, do not
leave the ignition key turned to
MAR-ON to prevent unnecessary
electrical consumption from
draining the battery.
29) If the
warning light flashes
for about 60 seconds after
starting or during prolonged
cranking, this indicates a fault in
the glow plug preheating system.
Use the vehicle normally if the
engine starts, but contact a Fiat
Dealership as soon as possible.
184
STARTING AND DRIVING
Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack
from the roof after use. These
accessories decrease aerodynamic
penetration of the vehicle and have a
negative effect on fuel consumption.
When transporting particularly large
objects, use a trailer if possible.
Electric devices
Use electrical devices only for the
amount of time needed. The heated
rear window, additional headlights,
windscreen/rear window wipers and
heater fan need a considerable amount
of energy, therefore increasing fuel
consumption (by up to 25% in
the urban cycle).
Climate control system
Air conditioning leads to higher fuel
consumption (on average up to +20%).
If the temperature outside permits, try
and use the ventilation only.
Devices for
aerodynamic control
The use of non-certified spoilers may
adversely affect air drag and fuel
consumption.DRIVING STYLE
The main driving styles that affect fuel
consumption are listed below.
Cranking
Do not warm up the engine at low or
high revs when the vehicle is stationary;
this causes the engine to warm up
more slowly, thereby increasing fuel
consumption and emissions. It is
therefore advisable to move off
immediately, slowly, avoiding high
speeds: in this way the engine will
warm up more quickly.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid accelerating when stopped at
traffic lights or before switching off the
engine. This action and also double
declutching is absolutely pointless on
modern cars and also increases
consumption and pollution.
Gear selection
As soon as the conditions of the traffic
and road permit, use a higher gear.
Using a low gear for faster acceleration
will increase consumption.
In the same way improper use of a high
gear increases consumption, emissions
and engine wear.Max. speed
Fuel consumption increases
considerably with speed. Maintain a
constant speed, avoiding unnecessary
braking and acceleration, which cost
in terms of both fuel consumption and
emissions.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently will greatly affect
consumption and emissions:
acceleration should be gradual.
USAGE CONDITIONS
The main usage conditions that
negatively affect fuel consumption are
listed below.
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts
do not allow the engine to reach
optimum operating temperature.
This results in a significant increase in
consumption levels (from +15 to +30%
on the urban cycle) and emissions.
189
STARTING THE
ENGINE
Go to a Fiat Dealership immediately if
warning light
stays on constantly on
the instrument panel.
JUMP STARTING
If the battery is flat, it is possible to start
the engine using an auxiliary battery
with the same capacity or a little higher
than the flat one.
It is advisable to contact a Fiat
Dealership to check/replace the battery.
145)
Proceed as follows to start the vehicle:
❒raise the flap A fig. 179 to gain
access to the positive battery
terminal.
❒connect the positive terminals (sign +
near the terminal) of the two batteries
with a jump lead;
❒use a second cable to connect the
negative terminal (–) of the auxiliary
battery to the earth point as shown in
fig. 180;
❒start the engine;
❒when the engine has been started,
remove the cables reversing the
order above.If after a few attempts the engine does
not start, do not persist but contact
the nearest Fiat 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
vehicle, avoid any metal parts on the
latter and the vehicle with the flat
battery from accidentally coming into
contact.
BUMP STARTING
Never bump start the engine by
pushing, towing or driving downhill.
This could cause fuel to flow into the
catalytic converter and damage it
beyond repair.
179F1A0351
180F1A0352
202
IN AN EMERGENCY