Page 198 of 387
Existing hole
175F1A0165
194
STARTING AND DRIVING
Page 200 of 387

Installing the ball head
tow bar
1. Remove the plug from the mounting
pipe.
The ball head tow bar is usually in the
released position when taken out from
the luggage compartment. This can
be observed by the flywheel spaced
from the tow bar, corresponding to
a slot of approx. 5 mm (see figure) and
by the red mark on the flywheel
directed to the green mark on the tow
bar.
Please note that the tow bar can be
installed only when in these conditions.
If the locking mechanism of the tow
bar is disengaged before the
installation, or at any other time, and is
in the locked position, it must be
pre-loaded. The locked position can be
identified by the green mark of the
flywheel coinciding with the green mark
of the tow bar and by the flywheel in
the stop position on the tow bar,
namely without slot (see figure).The locking mechanism is pre-loaded
as follows: with the key inserted and
the lock open, extract the flywheel
following the direction of the arrow and,
to pre-load, rotate according to the
direction of the arrow b until the stop.
The release lever is engaged and the
locking mechanism remains in the
pre-loading position even when the
flywheel is released. The tow bar must
be inserted in the housing pipe with the
coupling pin for the installation. Insert
from the bottom and push upwards.
The mechanism then locks
automatically. Keep your hands far from
the flywheel, as it rotates during the
locking procedure.2. The tow bar must be inserted in the
housing pipe with the coupling pin
for the installation. Insert from the
bottom and push upwards. The
mechanism then locks automatically.
Keep your hands far from the flywheel,
as it rotates during the locking
procedure.
3. Close the lock and always remove
the key. The key cannot be removed
when the lock is released. Apply the
protection cap on the lock.
196
STARTING AND DRIVING
Page 202 of 387

SNOW TYRES
A Fiat Dealership will be happy to
provide advice concerning the most
suitable type of tyre for the customer's
requirements.
The performance of these tyres is
considerably reduced when the tread
depth is less than 4 mm. Replace them
in this case.
Due to the specific characteristics of
snow tyres, in normal weather
conditions or on long motorway
journeys, the performance of these
tyres is lower than that of standard
tyres. Their usage should therefore be
restricted in accordance with their
type approval.
IMPORTANT When using snow tyres
with a maximum speed index below the
one that can be reached by the vehicle
(increased by 5%), place a notice in
the passenger compartment, plainly in
view, which states the maximum speed
allowed by the snow tyres (as per EC
Directive).
All four tyres should be the same (brand
and track) to ensure greater safety
when driving and braking as well as a
good manoeuvrability.
Remember that you should not change
the rotation direction of the tyres.
144)
WARNING
144) The maximum speed for snow
tyres marked "Q" is 160 km/h,
while it is 190 km/h for "T" tyres
and 210 km/h for "H" tyres. You
should, however, always comply
with the speed limits of the
highway code.
SNOW CHAINS
The use of snow chains should be in
compliance with local regulations of
each country.
Snow chains can be fitted to the tyres
of the front wheels (drive wheels) only.
Use of Lineaccessori Fiat snow chains
is recommended. Check the tension
of the snow chains after the first few
metres have been driven.
43)
IMPORTANT With snow chains, use the
accelerator with extreme care to
prevent, or to limit as much as possible,
slipping of the drive wheels that could
cause chain breakage, resulting in
damage to the car body or mechanical
components.
IMPORTANT For versions fitted with
225/75 R16 tyre, use snow chains with
max. thickness 16 mm.
When travelling on snowy roads with
snow chains, it may be helpful to turn
the ASR off: in fact, in these conditions,
the driving wheels skidding when
moving off gives you better traction.
198
STARTING AND DRIVING
Page 205 of 387
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 Fiat Dealership.STARTING THE ENGINE .................202
REPLACING A WHEEL ...................203
FIX & GO AUTOMATIC QUICK
TYRE REPAIR KIT ...........................208
CHANGING A BULB .......................212
REPLACING AN EXTERIOR BULB ..216
CHANGING AN INTERIOR BULB ....221
REPLACING FUSES........................222
BATTERY RECHARGING ................232
LIFTING THE VEHICLE....................233
TOWING THE VEHICLE ..................233
201
Page 206 of 387

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
Page 238 of 387

The front ring is located in the tool box
beneath the passenger side seat. On
versions with Fix&Go kit and without
spare wheel, the tool box is available
only on request for versions/markets
where provided.In the absence of the tool box the
vehicle front tow hook is housed in the
on-board documentation container,
together with the Owner Handbook.
To use it, proceed as follows:
❒Open the flap A and remove it as
illustrated in fig. 236;
❒turn retaining knob B fig. 236
anticlockwise and remove it to allow
the box fig. 237 to come out;
❒take the screwdriver provided from
the box and prise up at the point
shown to raise the cap C fig. 239;
❒take the tow ring D from the box and
screw it onto the threaded pin fig.
239.
The rear ring B fig. 240 is located at the
point shown in the diagram.
WARNING
176) Screw on the tow hook and
check that it stops at the end
of travel position.
177) Before towing, switch off the
steering lock (see "Starting
device" paragraph under the
"Knowing your car" section).
178) Remember that the brake servo
and the electric power steering
are not available during towing
operations. Significantly greater
force must be exerted on the
brake pedal and on the steering
wheel to operate them.
179) Do not use flexible cables for
towing and avoid jerking. During
towing operations, make sure that
the fastened joint does not
damage adjoining components.
238F1A0344
239F1A0223
240F1A0224
234
IN AN EMERGENCY
Page 256 of 387

USEFUL ADVICE FOR
EXTENDING THE LIFE OF
YOUR BATTERY
To avoid draining your battery and
make it last longer, observe the
following instructions:
❒when you park the vehicle, ensure
that the doors, tailgate and bonnet
are closed properly, to prevent any
roof lights from remaining on inside
the passenger's compartment;
❒switch off all roof lights inside the
vehicle: the vehicle is however
equipped with a system which
switches all internal lights off
automatically;
❒do not keep accessories (e.g. sound
system, hazard lights, etc.) switched
on for a long time when the engine
is not running;
❒before carrying out any operation on
the electrical system, disconnect the
negative battery cable through the
suitable terminal;
❒Completely tighten the battery
terminals.IMPORTANT After turning the ignition
key to STOP and having closed the
driver side door, wait at least one
minute before disconnecting the
electrical supply from the battery. When
reconnecting the electrical supply to
the battery, make sure that the ignition
key is in the STOP position and the
driver side door is closed.
IMPORTANT If the charge level remains
under 50% for a long time, the battery
is damaged by sulphation, reducing
its capacity and efficiency at start-up.
The battery is also more prone to the
risk of freezing (at temperatures as high
as -10°C).
Refer to the paragraph "Car inactivity"
in "Starting and driving" if the car is
left parked for a long time.If, after buying the vehicle, you want to
install electrical accessories which
require permanent electric supply
(alarm, etc.) or accessories that in any
case burden the electrical supply,
contact a Fiat Dealership, whose
qualified personnel, in addition
to suggesting the most suitable devices
from Lineaccessori Fiat, will evaluate
the overall electrical consumption,
checking whether the vehicle’s electrical
system is capable of withstanding the
load required, or whether it should
be integrated with a more powerful
battery.
Since some of these devices continue
to consume electricity even when
the engine is off, they gradually run
down the battery.
IMPORTANT If a tachograph is fitted, if
the vehicle is parked for a long period
of 5 days, it is advisable to disconnect
the negative battery terminal to
maintain its charge.
If the vehicle is equipped with a battery
disconnection function (disconnector),
see the description of the procedure
in the "Controls" paragraph in the
"Dashboard and controls" section.
252
SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE
Page 337 of 387

FUEL CONSUMPTION
The fuel consumption figures given in the tables below are determined on the basis of the type-approval tests laid down by
specific European Directives.
These consumption values refer to basic vehicles without optionals.
The procedures below are followed for measuring consumption:
❒urban cycle: begins with cold starting, followed by driving simulating the use of the vehicle in town;
❒extra-urban cycle: driving that simulates using the vehicle out of town with frequent acceleration in all gears; the speed varies
from 0 to 120 km/h;
❒combined consumption: calculated with a weighting of approximately 37% of the urban cycle and 63% of the extra-urban
cycle.
IMPORTANT The type of route, traffic situations, weather conditions, driving style, general conditions of the vehicle, trim
level/equipment/accessories, climate control system, vehicle load, roof rack, other situations that affect aerodynamics or air
drag may lead to different fuel consumption levels than those measured.
333