ACTIVE SAFETY
SYSTEMS
The vehicle has the following active
safety systems:
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System);
DTC (Drag Torque Control);
ESC (Electronic Stability Control);
TC (Traction Control);
PBA (Panic Brake Assist);
HHC (Hill Hold Control);
ERM (Electronic Rollover Mitigation);
For the operation of the systems, see
the following description.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking
System)
This system, which is an integral part of
the braking system, prevents one or
more wheels from locking and slipping
in all road surface conditions,
irrespective of the intensity of the
braking action, ensuring that the vehicle
can be controlled even during
emergency braking and optimising
stopping distances.
The system intervenes during braking
when the wheels are about to lock,
typically in emergency braking or
low-grip conditions, when locking may
be more frequent.
The system also improves control and
stability of the vehicle when braking ona surface where the grip of the left and
right wheels varies, or on corners.
The Electronic Braking Force
Distribution (EBD) system completes
the system allowing the brake force to
be distributed between the front and
rear wheels.
System intervention
The driver can feel that the ABS system
has come into action because the
brake pedal pulsates slightly and the
system gets noisier: this is entirely
normal with the system operating.
33) 34) 35) 36) 37) 38) 39)
DTC (Drag Torque
Control) SYSTEM
The system prevents the drive wheels
from possibly locking, which could
happen, for example, if the accelerator
pedal is released suddenly or in the
case of a sudden downshifting in
conditions of poor grip. In this
conditions, the engine braking effect
could cause the drive wheels to slip,
resulting in a loss of vehicle stability. In
these situations, the DTC system
intervenes, restoring torque to the
engine in order to conserve vehicle
stability and increase vehicle safety.
ESC (Electronic Stability
Control) SYSTEM
The ESC system improves the
directional control and stability of the
car in various driving conditions.
The ESC system corrects the vehicle’s
understeer and oversteer, distributing
the brake force on the wheels
appropriately. The torque supplied by
the engine can also be reduced in order
to maintain control of the vehicle.
The ESC system uses sensors installed
on the vehicle to determine the
trajectory that the driver intends to
follow and compares it with the
vehicle’s effective trajectory. When the
real trajectory deviates from the desired
trajectory, the ESC system intervenes to
counter the vehicle’s understeer or
oversteer.
Oversteer: occurs when the car is
turning more than it should according
to the angle of the steering wheel.
Understeer: occurs when the vehicle
is turning less than it should according
to the angle of the steering wheel.
System intervention
The intervention of the system is
indicated by the flashing of the
warning light on the instrument
panel, to inform the driver that the
vehicle is in critical stability and grip
conditions.
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40) 41) 42) 43) 44)
TC (Traction Control)
SYSTEM
The system automatically operates in
the event of slipping, loss of grip on wet
roads (aquaplaning) and acceleration on
slippery, snowy or icy roads, etc. on
one or more drive wheels. Depending
on the slipping conditions, two different
control systems are activated:
if the slipping involves both drive
wheels, the system intervenes, reducing
the power transmitted by the engine;
if the slipping only involves one of the
drive wheels, the BLD (Brake Limited
Differential) function is activated,
automatically braking the wheel which
is slipping (the behaviour of a
self-locking differential is simulated).
This will increase the engine torque
transferred to the wheel which isn't
slipping. This function remains active
even if the "Systems partially disabled"
and "Systems disabled" modes are
selected (see description in the
following pages).
System intervention
The intervention of the system is
indicated by the flashing of the
warning light on the instrument
panel, to inform the driver that the
vehicle is in critical stability and grip
conditions.
45) 46) 47) 48) 49)
PBA (Panic Brake
Assist) SYSTEM
The PBA system is designed to improve
the vehicle’s braking capacity during
emergency braking.
The system detects emergency braking
by monitoring the speed and force with
which the brake pedal is pressed, and
consequently applies the optimal brake
pressure. This can reduce the braking
distance: the PBA system therefore
completes the ABS.
Maximum assistance from the PBA
system is obtained by pressing the
brake pedal very quickly. In addition, the
brake pedal should be pressed
continuously during braking, avoiding
intermittent presses, to get the most
out of the system. Do not reduce
pressure on the brake pedal until
braking is no longer necessary.
The PBA system is deactivated when
the brake pedal is released.
50) 51) 52)
HHC (Hill Hold Control)
SYSTEM
This is an integral part of the ESC
system and facilitates starting on
slopes, activating automatically in the
following cases:
uphill: vehicle stationary on a roadwith a gradient higher than 5%, engine
running, brake pressed and
transmission in neutral or gear other
than reverse engaged;
downhill: vehicle stationary on a road
with a gradient higher than 5%, engine
running, brake pressed and reverse
gear engaged.
When setting off, the ESC system
control unit maintains the braking
pressure on the wheels until the engine
torque necessary for starting is
reached, or in any case for a maximum
of 2 seconds, allowing your right foot to
be moved easily from the brake pedal
to the accelerator.
When two seconds have elapsed,
without starting, the system is
automatically deactivated, gradually
releasing the braking pressure. During
this release stage it is possible to hear a
typical mechanical brake release noise,
indicating the imminent movement of
the car.
53) 54)
ERM (Electronic Rollover
Mitigation) SYSTEM
The system monitors the tendency of
the wheels to rise from the ground if the
driver performs extreme manoeuvres
like quick steering to avoid an obstacle,
especially in poor road conditions.
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SAFETY
of instrument panel, either only a buzzer
will be heard or the message "Reset
saved" will appear together with the
buzzer to indicate that self-learning has
started.
Operating conditions
The system is active for speeds above
15 km/h.
In a few situations such as sporty
driving, particular conditions of the road
surface (e.g. icy, snowy, unsurfaced
roads) the signalling may be delayed or
partial in detecting the contemporary
deflation of more than one tyre.
Under special conditions (e.g. vehicle
loaded asymmetrically on one side,
towing a trailer, damaged or worn tyre,
fitting the space-saver wheel, use of the
"Fix&Go Automatic" tyre repair kit, fitting
snow chains, fitting different tyres onthe axles) the system may provide false
indications or be temporarily
deactivated.
If the system is temporarily deactivated
the
warning light flashes for about
75 seconds and then is continuously
on; at the same time, the display shows
a warning message.
This indication is displayed also after
the engine has been switched off and
then on again if the correct operating
conditions are not restored.
In the case of abnormal signals, it is
recommended to perform the RESET
procedure. If the signals reappear once
the RESET procedure has started,
check that the type of tyres used are
the same on all four wheels and that the
tyres are not damaged; if the
space-saver wheel is being used, refit
the wheel with a tire with normal
dimensions instead of the space-saver
wheel as soon as possible; if possible
remove the snow chains; make sure
that the load is distributed correctly and
repeat the RESET procedure, driving on
a clean and surfaced road. If the signals
persist, contact a Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
56)If the iTMPS system signals a pressure
decrease on the tyres, it is recommended
to check the pressure on all four tyres.
57)The iTPMS does not relieve the driver
from the obligation to check the tyre
pressure every month; it is not even to be
considered a replacing system for
maintenance or a safety system.
58)Tyre pressure must be checked with
tyres cold. Should it become necessary for
whatever reason to check pressure with
warm tyres, do not reduce pressure even
though it is higher than the prescribed
value, but repeat the check when tyres are
cold
59)The iTPMS cannot indicate sudden tyre
pressure drops (e.g. if a tyre bursts). In this
case, stop the vehicle, braking with caution
and avoiding abrupt steering.
60)The system only warns that the tyre
pressure is low: it is not able to inflate
them.
61)Insufficient tyre inflation increases fuel
consumption, reduces the tread duration
and may affect the capacity to drive safely.
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reactivated as soon as speed exceeds
8 km/h again.
PRE-TENSIONERS
The vehicle is equipped with front seat
belt pretensioners, which draw back the
seat belts by several centimetres in the
event of a strong frontal impact. This
guarantees the perfect adherence of
the seat belts to the occupant's bodies
before the retention action begins.
It is evident that the pretensioners have
been activated when the safety belt
withdraws toward the retractor.
A slight discharge of smoke may be
produced during the activation of the
pretensioner which is not harmful and
does not involve any fire hazard.
The pretensioner does not require any
maintenance or lubrication: any
changes to its original conditions will
invalidate its efficiency.
If, due to unusual natural events (floods,
sea storms, etc.), the device has been
affected by water and/or mud, contact
a Fiat Dealership to have it replaced.
IMPORTANT To obtain the highest
degree of protection from the action of
the pretensioner, wear the seat belt
tight to the torso and pelvis.LOAD LIMITERS
66)
18)
To increase safety in the event of an
accident, the front seat belt retractors
contain a load limiter which controls the
force acting on the chest and shoulders
during the belt restraining action in the
event of a head-on collision.
GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS FOR
USING THE SEAT BELTS
67) 68) 69)
Respect and ensure that all the other
occupants of the vehicle comply with
the local laws in force regarding the use
of seat belts. Always fasten the seat
belts before setting off.
Seat belts must also be worn by
pregnant women: the risk of injury in the
event of an accident is reduced for
them and the unborn child if they are
wearing a seat belt.
Pregnant women must position the
lower part of the belt very low down so
that it passes over the pelvis and under
the abdomen fig. 60. While pregnancy
progresses, the driver must adjust both
seat and steering wheel to have full
control over the vehicle (pedals and
steering wheel must be easy to
access). The maximum clearance
65
When the reverse is engaged, during
the cycle of warnings, the acoustic
signal is deactivated and the
warning light turns on constantly.
The cycle of warnings will be
should be kept between the abdomen
and the steering wheel.
The seat belt must not be twisted. The
upper part must pass over the shoulder
and cross the chest diagonally. The
lower part must adhere to the pelvis
fig. 61, not to the abdomen of the
occupant. Never use devices (clips,
clamps, etc.) that hold the seat belt
away from your body.Each seat belt must be used by only
one person. Never travel with a child
sitting on the passenger's lap and a
single belt to protect them both fig. 62.
In general, do not place any objects
between the person and the belt.
SEAT BELTS
MAINTENANCE
For keeping the seat belts in efficient
conditions, carefully observe the
following warnings:
always use the seat belt well
stretched and never twisted; make sure
that it is free to run without
obstructions;
check seat belt operation as follows:
attach the seat belt and pull it hard;
replace the belt after an accident of a
certain severity even if it does not
appear to be damaged. Always replace
the seat belt if the pretensioners were
deployed;
prevent the retractors from getting
wet: their correct operation is only
guaranteed if water does not get inside;
replace the seat belt when it shows
wear or cuts.
WARNING
66)The pretensioner may be used only
once. Contact a Fiat Dealership to have it
replaced after it has been deployed.
67)Removing or otherwise tampering with
pretensioner and seat belt components is
strictly prohibited. Any intervention on
these components must be performed by
qualified and authorised technicians.
Always go to a Fiat Dealership.
68)For maximum safety, keep the backrest
upright, lean back into it and make sure the
seat belt fits closely across your chest and
pelvis. Always fasten the seat belts for both
the front and rear seats! Travelling without
wearing seat belts will increase the risk of
serious injury and even death in the event
of an accident.
69)If the belt has been subjected to high
levels of stress, for example after an
accident, it should be changed completely
together with the attachments, attachment
fixing screws and the pretensioner. In fact,
even if the belt has no visible defects, it
may have lost its resilience.
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66
SAFETY
77)Always make sure that the diagonal
section of the seat belt does not pass
under the arms or behind the back of the
child. In the event of an accident the seat
belt will not be able to secure the child,
with the risk of injury, including fatal injury.
Therefore the child must always wear the
seat belt correctly.
78)Do not use the same lower anchorage
to install more than one child restraint
system.
79)If a Universal ISOFIX child restraint
system is not fixed to all three anchorages,
it will not be able to protect the child
correctly. In a crash, the child could be
seriously or fatally injured.
80)Fit the child restraint system when the
car is stationary. The child restraint system
is correctly fixed to the brackets when you
hear the click. Follow the instructions for
assembly, disassembly and positioning that
the Manufacturer must supply with the
child restraint system.
81)If the vehicle was involved in an
accident of a certain severity, have the
ISOFIX anchorages and the child restraint
system replaced.
82)If the vehicle was involved in an
accident of a certain severity, have both the
child restraint system and the seat belt it
was attached to replaced.SUPPLEMENTARY
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
(SRS) - AIRBAG
The vehicle is equipped with:
front driver airbag;
front passenger airbag;
driver and passenger front side bags
(if present) for pelvis, chest and
shoulder protection (Side bags);
side bags (if present) for head
protection of front seat passengers and
rear side seat passengers (window
bag).
The location of the airbags on the
vehicle is marked by the word
"AIRBAG" in the middle of the steering
wheel, on the dashboard, on the side
trim or on a label placed next to the
airbag deployment area.
FRONT AIRBAGS
The front (driver and passenger) airbags
protect the front seat occupants in the
event of head-on crashes of
medium-high severity, by placing the
cushion between the occupant and the
steering wheel or dashboard.
The non-activation of airbags in other
types of collisions (side impacts, rear
shunts, roll-overs, etc...) (if present)
therefore does not indicate a system
malfunction.
Driver and passenger front airbags arenot a replacement of but
complementary to the seat belts, which
should always be worn, as specified by
law in Europe and most non-European
countries.
In the event of impact, those not
wearing a seat belt are projected
forwards and may come into contact
with the bag which is still inflating. 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.);
vehicle wedging under other
vehicles or protective barriers (e.g.
trucks or guard rails).
Failure to activate in the conditions
described above is due to the fact that
they may not provide any additional
protection compared with seat belts, so
their activation would be inappropriate.
In these cases, non-deployment does
not indicate a system malfunction.
Driver's side front airbag
This consists of an instantly inflating
bag contained in a special
compartment in the centre of the
steering wheel fig. 71.
77
SIDE BAGS
(where provided)
To help increase occupants protection
in the event of side impact collisions,
the vehicle is equipped with front side
bags and window bags.
Side bag
These comprise two bags located in
the front seat backrests fig. 76 which
protect the pelvis, chest and shoulder
area of the occupants in the event of a
side impact of medium/high severity.
They are marked by the "AIRBAG" label
sewn on the outer side of the front
seats.
Window bag
These consist of two “drop-down”
cushions, housed behind the side trim
of the roof and covered with finishing
elements fig. 77.They are designed to protect the head
of front and rear occupants in the event
of a side collision, thanks to the wide
cushion inflation surface.
The deployment of side bags in the
event of side impacts of low severity is
not required.
In the event of a side impact, the
system provides best protection if the
passenger sits on the seat in a correct
position, thus allowing correct window
bag deployment.
83) 84) 85) 86) 87) 88) 89) 91) 92) 93) 94) 95) 96) 97) 98)
Important notes
Do not wash the seats with water or
pressurised steam (wash by hand or at
automatic seat washing stations).
The front and/or side airbags may
activate in the event of sharp impacts to
the underbody of the vehicle (e.g.impact with steps, pavements, potholes
or road bumps etc.).
When the airbag deploys it emits a
small amount of dust: the dust is
harmless and does not indicate the
beginning of a fire. The dust may irritate
the skin and eyes however: in this case,
wash with neutral soap and water.
Airbag checking, repair and
replacement must be carried out at a
Fiat Dealership.
If the vehicle is scrapped, have the
airbag system deactivated at a Fiat
Dealership.
Pretensioners and airbags are deployed
in different ways on the basis of the
type of collision. Failure to activate one
or more of the devices does not
indicate a system malfunction.
WARNING
83)Do not apply stickers or other objects
on the steering wheel, on the dashboard in
the passenger side airbag area, on side
upholstery on the roof or on 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.
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SAFETY
84)Always drive with your hands on the
rim of the steering wheel so that the airbag
can inflate freely if required. Do not drive
with your body bent forward. Keep your
back straight against the backrest.
85)When there is an active passenger
airbag, DO NOT install rearward 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
side airbag when a rearward 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.
86)To deactivate the airbags using the
instrument panel menu, see the description
in the "Knowing the instrument panel"
chapter, "Menu Options" paragraph.
87)Do not affix rigid objects to the
garment hooks or support handles.
88)Do not rest your head, arms or elbows
on the door, windows or the area in which
the Window bag is located to avoid
possible injury during airbag inflation.
89)Never lean your head, arms or elbows
out of the window.90)If, when the ignition device is turned to
MAR, thewarning light does not switch
on or stays on whilst driving, a fault may
have occurred in the restraint systems. In
this case the airbags or pretensioners may
not be deployed in an impact or, in a lower
number of cases, they may be deployed
accidentally. Contact a Fiat Dealership
immediately to have the system checked.
91)In some versions, in case of a LED
failure (located on the plate of the
instrument panel), thewarning light on
the instrument panel turns on and the
passenger side airbags are deactivated.
92)On cars with side bags, do not cover
the front seat backrests with extra covers.
93)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.
94)If the car has been stolen or in the case
of attempt to steal it, if it has been
subjected to vandalism or floods, have the
airbag system checked by a Fiat
Dealership.95)If the ignition device is at MAR, even if
the engine is switched off, airbags may be
deployed when the vehicle is stationary
and hit by another vehicle. Therefore, even
if the vehicle is stationary, when an active
front passenger airbag is fitted, DO NOT
install rearward 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 side airbag when a rearward
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
ignition device is set 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.
96)Malfunction of the
warning light is
indicated by the activation of an airbag
failure icon and a dedicated message on
the instrument panel display (or, for
versions where provided, by the activation
of a blinking generic failure warning light).
The pyrotechnic charges are not disabled.
Contact a Fiat Dealership immediately to
have the system checked.
97)The airbag deployment threshold is
higher than that of the pretensioners. For
collisions in the range between the two
thresholds, it is normal for only the
pretensioners to be activated.
81