118
KNOWING
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETY
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AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
SUITABILITY OF PASSENGER SEATS FOR CHILD SEAT USE
The car complies with the new European Directive 2000/3/EC which governs the arrangement possibilities for child
seats on the various seats of the car as shown in the following table:
Front passenger Rear passenger
Group Weight range
Group 0, 0+ up to 13 kg U (▼)U
Group 1 9-18 kg U (▼)U
Group 2 15-25 kg U (▼)U
Group 3 22 -36 kg U (▼)U
Key:
U = suitable for child restraint systems in the “Universal” category, according to European Standard ECE-R44 for
the specified “Groups”.
(▼) on cars whose passenger seat is not adjustable in height, the backrest must be perfectly upright.
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129
KNOWING
YOUR VEHICLE
SAFETY
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AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
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AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CONTENTS
Do not rest your head, arms or elbows
on the doors, windows or window bag
deployment area as you could be injured during
the inflation phase.
WARNING
Never stick you head, arms or elbows
out of the window.
WARNING
Do not cover the front seat backrest
with sheets or covers that are not
compatible with side bags.
WARNING
If, when turning the key to MAR, the
warning light
¬does not turn on or if it
stays on when travelling (together with the
message on the reconfigurable multifunction
display), there could be a failure in the safety
systems; if this is the case, the airbags or
pretensioners may not trigger in the event of an
accident or, in a minor number of cases, they
could activate incorrectly. Contact a Fiat
Dealership immediately to have the system
checked before driving off.
WARNING
GENERAL WARNINGS
Do not travel with objects in your lap, in
front of your chest, or between your lips
(pipes, pencils, etc.). In the event of a crash
when the airbag is deployed, you may be
seriously injured.
WARNING
Always drive keeping your hands on the
steering wheel rim so that, in the event of
airbag activation, it can inflate without
obstruction. Do not drive with your body
slouched forwards; keep the backrest upright and
lean back into it.
WARNING
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130
KNOWING
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SAFETY
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AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
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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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131
STARTING THE ENGINE
The car is fitted with an electronic engine lock device: if
the engine fails to start, see the paragraph “The Fiat
CODE system” in section “Dashboard and controls”.
The engine may be noisier during the first few seconds
of operation, especially after a long period of inactivity.
This is a feature of hydraulic tappets, the timing system
chosen to reduce the number of servicing interventions,
and effects neither functionality nor reliability.
KNOWING
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SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN
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TECHNICAL
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CONTENTS
STARTING AND DRIVING
It is dangerous to let the engine run in
enclosed spaces. The engine consumes
oxygen and produces carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide and other toxic gases.
WARNING
In the first period of use, we recommend
that you do not demand maximum
performance from the car (e.g. excessive
acceleration, extended travel at maximum revs,
heavy braking etc.).
With the engine off, do not leave the key
in the ignition to prevent draining the
battery.
Remember that the brake booster and
power steering are not operational until
the engine has been started, therefore you need
to apply much more force than usual to the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
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
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AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
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EMERGENCY
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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
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AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
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TECHNICAL
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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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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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