130
KNOWING
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
If the key is turned to MAR, even if the
engine is switched off, airbags may be
deployed when the car is stationary and hit by
another vehicle. For this reason, children must
never sit on the front seat, even if the car is not
moving. We remind you that if the key is turned
to the STOP position, no safety device (airbag
or pretensioner) activates following a collision.
Non-deployment in such cases should not be
considered as the sign of a malfunction.
WARNING
If the car has been stolen or has been
the subject of an attempted theft, if it
has been vandalised or flooded, have the airbag
system checked at an Abarth Dealership.
WARNING
When the ignition key is turned to MAR,
the warning light “turns on (with front
airbag on passenger’s side enabled) and blinks
for a few seconds to remind you that the
passenger airbag will activate in the event of a
collision. Then it turns off.
WARNING
Do not pressure wash the seats with
steam or water (either by hand or at
automatic seat washing stations).
WARNING
The front airbags deploy in the event of
more severe collisions than those
required for deploying the pretensioners. For
collisions in the range between the two
activation thresholds, pretensioner activation
alone is normal.
WARNING
Do not hook rigid objects to clothes
hangers and support handles.
WARNING
The airbag does not replace seat belts; it
increases their effectiveness.
Furthermore, since front airbags are not
deployed in low speed collisions, side-on
collisions, rear-end shunts or roll-overs, the
passengers are protected only by the seat belts
which must therefore be fastened at all times.
WARNING
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HOW TO WARM UP THE ENGINE AFTER IT
HAS JUST STARTED
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly, letting the engine turn at medium
speed. Do not accelerate abruptly;
❒do not demand maximum performance for the first
few kilometres. Wait until the engine coolant gauge
starts moving.
132
KNOWING
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
Remember that the brake servo and
power steering are not operational until
the engine has been started, so you need
to apply much more force than usual to the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
Never start the engine by pushing, towing
or driving downhill. This could cause a
flow of fuel into the catalytic converter
and damage it beyond repair.
Proceed as follows:
❒engage the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒fully depress the clutch pedal without moving the
accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVV and release it 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, the instrument panel
warning light
Yremains on together with warning light
U, turn the key to STOP and then back to MAR; if the
warning light remains on, try the other keys provided
with the vehicle.
IMPORTANT If the instrument panel warning light
Ystays on permanently, contact an Abarth Dealership
immediately.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key to MAR
when the engine is off.
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133
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOP while the engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, you should allow the
engine to “catch its breath” before turning it off by
letting it idle to allow the temperature in the engine
compartment to fall.
KNOWING
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
A quick burst on the accelerator before
turning off the engine serves absolutely
no practical purpose, it wastes fuel and is
damaging especially to turbocharged engines.
F0U124Abfig. 124
PARKING THE VEHICLE
Proceed as follows:
❒Stop the engine and engage the handbrake;
❒Engage a gear (on a slope, engage first gear if the
vehicle is faced uphill or reverse if it is facing
downhill) and leave the wheels steered.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a stone if the car is
parked on a steep slope. Do not leave the key in the
ignition switch to prevent draining the battery. Always
remove the key when you leave the vehicle.
Never leave children unattended in the
car. Always remove the ignition key
when leaving the car and take it with you.
WARNING
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134
KNOWING
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
F0U125Abfig. 125
USING THE MANUAL GEARBOX
To engage the gears, press the clutch pedal fully and put
the gear lever into one of the required positions (the
diagram is shown on the knob fig. 125).
To engage 6
thgear, operate the lever by pressing it
towards the right in order to avoid engaging 4thgear by
mistake. The same applies to the shift from 6thto 5th
gear.
IMPORTANT The car can only be put into reverse gear
when it has stopped moving completely.
To engage reverse R from neutral, proceed as follows:
raise sliding ring A-fig. 125 under the knob and at the
same time move the gear lever to the left and then
forwards. HANDBRAKE fig. 124
The handbrake lever is located to the left of the driver’s
seat. Pull the handbrake lever upwards until the car
cannot be moved. Four or five clicks are generally
enough when the car is on level ground while nine or
ten may be required if the car is on a steep slope and
laden.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case, contact an Abarth
Dealership to have the handbrake adjusted.
When the handbrake is engaged and the ignition key is
in
MARposition, the warning light xon the instrument
panel will turn on.
Proceed as follows to release the handbrake:
❒slightly lift the handbrake and press the release
button
A;
❒keep button Apressed and lower the lever. The
warning light
xon the instrument panel will turn off.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out this operation
to prevent the car from moving accidentally.
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136
KNOWING
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm up the engine at low or high revs when
the car 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. The latter action, like
double-clutching, is unnecessary and causes increase of
consumption and pollution.
Gear selection
As soon as the conditions of the traffic and road allow,
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. Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack from the roof
after use. These accessories lower air penetration and
adversely affect consumption levels. When transporting
particularly large objects, use a trailer if possible.
Electrical devices
Use electrical devices only for the amount of time
needed. Rear heated window, additional headlights,
windscreen wipers and heater fan need a considerable
amount of energy, therefore increasing the requirement
of current increases fuel consumption (up to +25% in
the urban cycle).
Climate control system
The climate control system is an additional load which
greatly affects the engine leading to higher consumption
(on average up to +20%). When the temperature
outside the car permits it, use the air vents where
possible.
Devices for aerodynamic control
The use of non-certified devices for aerodynamic
control may adversely affect air drag and consumption
levels.
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137
KNOWING
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases with speed.
Maintain a constant speed, avoiding unnecessary braking
and acceleration, which cost in terms of both fuel and
emissions.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently severely affects consumption and
emissions: acceleration should be gradual and should not
exceed the maximum torque.CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts will prevent the
engine from reaching optimal running temperature.
Consequently, both consumption (from +15 to +30% on
urban cycle ) and emissions will increase.
Traffic and road conditions
Rather high consumption levels are linked to situations
with heavy traffic, for instance when travelling in queues
with frequent use of the lower gears or in cities with
many traffic lights. Winding mountain roads and rough
road surfaces also adversely affect consumption.
Stops in traffic
During prolonged stops (e.g. level crossings) the engine
should be switched off.
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141
WARNING LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
GENERAL WARNINGS
Switching on of some warning lights/symbols is
associated to a specific message and/or warning buzzer.
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 recommended to read
carefully in all cases. Always refer to the information in
this chapter in the event of a failure indication.
IMPORTANT The fault indicators appearing on the
reconfigurable multifunction display are divided into two
categories: very serious and less serious faults.
Very serious faults prompt a prolonged cycle of signals.
Less serious faults prompt a shorter cycle of signals.
Press MENU ESC to stop the warning cycle in both
cases.
The instrument panel warning lights will stay on until the
causes of the fault are eliminated.
KNOWING
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
WARNING LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
If the warning light xturns on when
travelling (with the message on the
display) stop the car immediately and contact
an Abarth Dealership.
WARNING
BRAKE FLUID
LOW (red)
HANDBRAKE ENGAGED (red)
When the key is turned to the MAR position the
warning light comes on but should go out after a few
seconds.
Low brake fluid level
The warning light comes on when the level of the brake
fluid in the reservoir falls below the minimum level due
to a possible leak in the circuit.
The display will show a dedicated message.
x
Handbrake on
The warning light turns on when the handbrake is
engaged.
On some versions there is also an associated warning
buzzer if the car is moving.
IMPORTANT If the warning light turns on when
travelling, check that the handbrake is not engaged.
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144
KNOWING
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE (red)
When the ignition key is moved to MAR, the
warning light switches on, and should go out
as soon as the engine is started.
The warning light switches on constantly together with
the message in the display when the system detects that
the engine oil pressure is insufficient.
v
If the warning light vturns on when
travelling (with the message on the
display) stop the car immediately and contact
an Abarth Dealership.
WARNING
EOBD SYSTEM FAILURE
(amber)
In normal conditions, when the ignition key is
moved to MAR, the warning light turns on and
should go off after engine start-up. The initial switching-
on indicates that the warning light is working properly.
If the warning light stays on or turns on when travelling:
❒on permanently: this means there is a fault in the
supply/ignition system which could cause high
exhaust emissions, loss of performance, poor
handling and high fuel consumption levels.
The display shows the dedicated message.
Under these conditions, you may continue travelling at a
moderate speed without demanding excessive effort
from the engine. Prolonged use of the car with the
warning light on may cause damage. Contact an Abarth
Dealership as soon as possible.
The warning light switches off if the failure disappears,
but it is still stored by the system.
❒flashing: this indicates possible damage to the
catalytic converter (see “EOBD system” in the
“Knowing your car” section).
U
141-150 PUNTO Abarth GB 1ed 17-07-2012 13:21 Pagina 144