2017 Abarth 500 lights

WARNING LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IMPORTANT The warning light switches on in the instrument panel together with a dedicated message and/or acoustic signal
when applicable. These indications are indicative and precautionary and as such must not be considered as exhaustive and/or
alternative to the information contained in the Owner Handbook, which you are advised to read carefully in all cases. Always
refer to the information in this section in the event of a failure indication.
IMPORTANT Failure indications displayed are divided into two categories: very serious and less serious failures. Serious faults
are indicated by a repeated and prolonged warning "cycle". Less serious faults are indicated by a warning "cycle" with a shorter
duration. The display cycle of both categories can be interrupted. The instrument panel warning light will stay on until the
cause of the malfunction is eliminated.
WARNING LIGHTS ON INSTRUMENT PANEL
Warning light What it means
SEAT BELTS NOT FASTENED
The warning light switches on constantly with the vehicle stationary and the driver's side or passenger side
seat belt (when the passenger is present) not fastened.
The warning light will flash and a buzzer will sound if the car is in motion and the front seat belts are not
correctly fastened.
For permanent deactivation of the acoustic signal (buzzer) of the S.B.R. (Seat Belt Reminder) system
contact an Abarth Dealership. The system can be reactivated at any time using the Setup Menu.
EBD FAILURE
The simultaneous switching on of the warning lights with the engine on indicates either a failure of the EBD
system or that the system is not available. In this case, the rear wheels may suddenly lock and the vehicle
may swerve when braking sharply. On some versions the display shows the dedicated message.
Drive very carefully to an Abarth Dealership to have the system inspected immediately.
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Warning light What it means
SIDE LIGHTS AND DIPPED BEAM HEADLIGHTS/FOLLOW ME HOME
Side lights and dipped beam headlights
The warning light switches on when the side lights or dipped headlights are turned on.
Follow Me Home
The warning light comes on, on some versions along with a dedicated message on the display, when the
"Follow me home" device is used.
FRONT FOG LIGHTS
The warning light comes on when the front fog lights are turned on.
LEFT DIRECTION INDICATOR
The warning light turns on when the direction indicator control lever is moved downwards or, together with
the right indicator, when the hazard warning light button is pressed.
RIGHT DIRECTION INDICATOR
The warning light turns on when the direction indicator control lever is moved upwards or, together with the
left indicator, when the hazard warning light button is pressed.
Warning light What it means
MAIN BEAM HEADLIGHTS
The warning light switches on when the main beam headlights are turned on.
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KNOWING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL

Symbol What it means
ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE TOO HIGH
On some versions, the symbol appears on the display when the engine is overheated together with a
dedicated message on the display.
In normal driving conditions: stop the car, switch off the engine and check that the fluid level in the
reservoir is not below the MIN mark. In this case, wait for the engine to cool down, then slowly and
carefully open the cap, top up with coolant and check that the level is between the MIN and MAX marks on
the reservoir itself. Also check visually for any fluid leaks. Contact an Abarth Dealership if the warning light
switches on when the engine is started again;
If the car is used under demanding conditions(e.g. towing trailers uphill or fully loaded): slow
down and, if the warning light stays on, stop the car. Stop for two or three minutes with the engine running
and slightly accelerated to facilitate better coolant circulation, then turn the engine off. Check that the
coolant level is correct as described above.
IMPORTANT Over demanding routes, it is advisable to keep the engine running and slightly accelerated for
a few minutes before turning it off
ROBOTISED SEQUENTIAL GEARBOX FAILURE
When the ignition key is turned to MAR, the icon appears but should disappear after a few seconds.
The icon flashes, along with a dedicated message on the display and an acoustic signal, to indicate
gearbox failure.
13)
Airbag warning light failure(where present)
The icon lights up when a fault is detected in the warning light
.
SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED
The symbol is shown on the display, together with a dedicated message and an acoustic signal, when the
vehicle exceeds the speed limit set in the Setup Menu (e.g. 120 km/h). For some markets, the symbol is
red.
52
KNOWING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL

Symbol What it means
FUEL CUT-OFF SYSTEM FAILURE
The display will show the symbol and a dedicated message if the fuel cut-off system is faulty.
EXTERIOR LIGHTS FAILURE
(where provided)
The symbol is shown on the display together with a dedicated message when there is a fault in one of the
following lights:
daytime running lights (DRL)
side lights
direction indicators
rear fog light
number plate lights.
The failure relating to these lights could be: one or more blown bulbs, a blown protection fuse or a break in
the relevant electric connection.
BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE
(where provided)
The display will show the symbol together with a dedicated message if there is a fault in the brake lights.
The fault may be caused by a blown bulb, a blown protection fuse or a break in the relevant electrical
connection.
FIAT CODE SYSTEM FAILURE
With the key in the MAR position, on some versions the warning light, or the symbol on the display, turns
on continuously, along with a dedicated message on the display, to signal a possible Fiat CODE system
failure.
If the symbol appears on the display with engine running, it means that the vehicle is not protected by the
engine immobiliser device.
In this case, contact an Abarth Dealership as soon as possible.
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KNOWING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL

SBR SYSTEM (Seat
Belt Reminder)
The SBR system warns the front seat
occupants if their seat belt is not
fastened.
The system signals unfastened seat
belts with visual warnings (warning
lights on in the instrument panel and
icons on the display) and an acoustic
signal (see the following paragraphs).
NOTE Contact an Abarth Dealership to
deactivate this acoustic warning
permanently. The acoustic warning can
be reactivated at any time through the
display Setup Menu.
Seat belts warning light operation
The system warns the driver and the
front passenger if their seat belt is
not fastened, as follows:
flashingwarning light and
intermittent acoustic warning for about
100 seconds;
once the cycle has finished, the
warning light remains on constantly until
the seat belts are fastened.
PRE-TENSIONERS
The car is equipped with front seat
belts pretensioners, that reduce slack in
the belts in the event of a severe frontal
impact. This guarantees the perfect
adherence of the seat belts to the
occupants' bodies before the
restraining action begins.
The retractors lock to indicate that the
pretensioner has intervened.
This car is also equipped with a second
pretensioner (fitted in the kick plate
area). Its activation is signalled by the
shortening of the metal cable.
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.
IMPORTANT To obtain the highest
degree of protection from the action of
the pretensioner, wear the seat belt
tight to the chest and pelvis.
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 mud, it must be
replaced.
74)
14)
LOAD LIMITERS
To increase passenger safety, the front
seat belt reels contain a load limiter
which allows the force acting on the
chest and shoulders to be modulated
during the belt restraining action in
the event of a frontal impact.
GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS FOR
USING THE SEAT BELTS
The driver must comply with (and have
all car passengers follow) any local
regulations in force concerning the use
of seat belts. Always fasten the seat
belts before setting off.
75) 76) 77)
Seat belts are also to be worn by
pregnant women: the risk of injury in
the case of accident is greatly 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 (see fig. 54). While
pregnancy increases, the driver must
adjust both seat and steering wheel to
have full control over the vehicle (pedals
and steering wheel should be easily
accessed). The maximum clearance
should be kept between the abdomen
and the steering wheel.
65

WARNING
92)Do not apply stickers or other objects
on the steering wheel, on the dashboard in
the passenger side airbag area, on the
side upholstery on the roof and on the
seats. Never put objects (e.g. mobile
phones) on the passenger's side
dashboard since they could interfere with
correct inflation of the airbag and also
cause serious injury to the passengers.
93)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.
94)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.95)A failure of the
warning light is
indicated by thesymbol on the display.
In this case, thewarning light may
not indicate a possible problem with the
airbag restraint system. Before driving off,
contact an Abarth Dealership to have
the system checked immediately.
96)The
warning light indicates the
passenger side airbag protection status. If
the warning light is off, passenger side
protection is active: to deactivate it, use the
Setup Menu (in this case the LED lights
up). When the vehicle is started (ignition
key turned to MAR position), the warning
light turns on for about 8 seconds,
provided that at least 5 seconds have
elapsed from when it was switched off. If
not, contact an Abarth Dealership. If the
engine is switched off/on again in less than
5 seconds the warning light may remain
off. In this case, to check correct warning
light operation, switch the engine off,
wait for at least 5 seconds and switch the
engine on again. The warning light may
light up with various intensity levels
depending on the vehicle conditions. The
intensity may also vary during the same key
cycle.
97)If, when turning the key to MAR, the
warning light does not switch on or if it
stays on when travelling, there could be
a fault in the restraint systems; in this event
airbags or pretensioners may not be
deployed in the event of impact or, in a
lower number of cases, they may deploy
accidentally. Before driving off, contact
an Abarth Dealership to have the system
checked immediately.98)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.
99)Do not cover the front seat backrests
with extra covers if they are equipped
with side bags.
100)If the car has been subject to theft,
attempted theft, vandalism, or flooding,
have the airbag system inspected at an
Abarth Dealership.
101)The airbags may also be deployed
when the car is not moving, if the key is in
the ignition and turned to MAR-ON or
when the engine is off, if the car is hit by
another moving 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 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.
79

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 Abarth Authorised
Dealership.HAZARD WARNING LIGHTS........... 92
REPLACING A BULB ..................... 92
REPLACING AN EXTERIOR BULB .. 96
REPLACING FUSES........................ 99
“FIX&GO” KIT ..................................104
JUMP STARTING ............................108
FUEL CUT-OFF SYSTEM ................109
TOWING THE VEHICLE ..................110
91

HAZARD WARNING
LIGHTS
These lights are switched on by
pressing button 1 fig. 81, regardless of
the position of the ignition key.
With the device on, warning lights
andlight up in the instrument
panel.
Press the button 1 again to switch the
lights off.
IMPORTANT The use of hazard warning
lights is governed by the highway
code of the country you are driving in:
comply with legal requirements.
Emergency braking
In the event of an emergency braking,
the hazard warning lights switch on
automatically together with warning
lights
andon the instrument
panel.The lights switch off automatically when
emergency braking ceases.
REPLACING A BULB
GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS
Before replacing a bulb check the
contacts for oxidation;
burnt bulbs must be replaced by
others of the same type and power;
always check the headlight beam
direction after changing a bulb;
when a light is not working, check
that the corresponding fuse is intact
before replacing a bulb. For the location
of fuses, refer to the paragraph
"Replacing fuses" in this chapter.
119) 120)
23) 24)
IMPORTANT When the weather is cold
or damp or after heavy rain or washing,
the surface of headlights or rear lights
may steam up and/or form drops of
condensation on the inside. This is
a natural phenomenon due to the
difference in temperature and humidity
between the inside and the outside
of the glass which does not indicate a
fault and does not compromise the
normal operation of lighting devices.
The mist disappears quickly when the
lights are turned on, starting from
the centre of the diffuser, extending
progressively towards the edges
81AB0A0350C
92
IN AN EMERGENCY