2017 FIAT 500 ABARTH CABRIO child seat

▫Occupant Restraint Systems Features .......21
▫ Important Safety Precautions .............21
▫ Seat Belt Systems .....................23
▫ Supplemental Restraint System (SRS) .......32
▫ Child Restraints ......................44
▫ Transporting Pets .....................59
 ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS . . .60 
SAFETY TIPS .........................60
▫ Transporting Passengers .................60
▫ Exhaust Gas .........................61
▫ Safety Checks You Should Make Inside The
Vehicle ............................61
▫ Periodic Safety Checks You Should Make
Outside The Vehicle ...................64
8 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•Driving with the liftgate open can allow poison-
ous exhaust gases into your vehicle. You and your
passengers could be injured by these fumes. Keep
the liftgate closed when you are operating the
vehicle.
• If you are required to drive with the liftgate open,
make sure that all windows are closed, and the
climate control blower switch is set at high speed.
Do not use the recirculation mode. NOTE:
Gas props support the liftgate in the open
position. However, because the gas pressure drops with
temperature, it may be necessary to assist the props
when opening the liftgate in cold weather.
OCCUPANT RESTRAINT SYSTEMS
Some of the most important safety features in your
vehicle are the restraint systems.
Occupant Restraint Systems Features
• Seat Belt Systems
• Supplemental Restraint Systems (SRS) Air Bags
• Child Restraints
Some of the safety features described in this section
may be standard equipment on some models, or may be
optional equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your authorized dealer.
Important Safety Precautions
Some of the safety features described in this section
may be standard equipment on some models, or may be
optional equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your authorized dealer.
Liftgate Handle
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 21

Please pay close attention to the information in this
section. It tells you how to use your restraint system
properly, to keep you and your passengers as safe as
possible.
Here are some simple steps you can take to minimize
the risk of harm from a deploying air bag:
1. Children 12 years old and under should always ridebuckled up in a vehicle with a rear seat.
2. If a child from 2 to 12 years old (not in a rear-facing child restraint) must ride in the front passenger seat,
move the seat as far back as possible and use the
proper child restraint (Refer to “Child Restraints”).
3. Children that are not big enough to wear the vehicle seat belt properly (Refer to Child Restraints) should
be secured in a vehicle with a rear seat in child
restraints or belt-positioning booster seats. Older
children who do not use child restraints or belt-
positioning booster seats should ride properly buck-
led up in a vehicle with a rear seat.
4. Never allow children to slide the shoulder belt behind them or under their arm. 5. You should read the instructions provided with your
child restraint to make sure that you are using it
properly.
6. All occupants should always wear their lap and shoulder belts properly.
7. The driver and front passenger seats should be moved back as far as practical to allow the front air
bags room to inflate.
8. Do not lean against the door or window. If your vehicle has side air bags, and deployment occurs, the
side air bags will inflate forcefully into the space
between occupants and the door and occupants
could be injured.
9. If the air bag system in this vehicle needs to be modified to accommodate a disabled person, contact
the Customer Center. Phone numbers are provided
under If You Need Assistance.
22 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
•Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of
an air bag. A deploying passenger front air bag
can cause death or serious injury to a child 12
years or younger, including a child in a rear-
facing child restraint.
• Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
Seat Belt Systems
Buckle up even though you are an excellent driver, even
on short trips. Someone on the road may be a poor
driver and could cause a collision that includes you.
This can happen far away from home or on your own
street.
Research has shown that seat belts save lives, and they
can reduce the seriousness of injuries in a collision.
Some of the worst injuries happen when people are
thrown from the vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibil-
ity of ejection and the risk of injury caused by striking
the inside of the vehicle. Everyone in a motor vehicle
should be belted at all times.
Driver and Passenger BeltAlert — If Equipped
Front Seat BeltAlert
BeltAlert is a feature intended to remind the
driver and outboard front seat passenger (if
equipped with outboard front passenger seat
BeltAlert) to buckle their seat belts. The Belt Alert
feature is active whenever the ignition switch is in
the START or ON/RUN position.
Initial Indication
If the driver is unbuckled when the ignition switch is
first in the START or ON/RUN position, a chime will
signal for a few seconds. If the driver or outboard front
seat passenger (if equipped with outboard front passen-
ger seat BeltAlert) is unbuckled when the ignition
switch is first in the START or ON/RUN position the
Seat Belt Reminder Light will turn on and remain on
until both outboard front seat belts are buckled. The
outboard front passenger seat BeltAlert is not active
when an outboard front passenger seat is unoccupied.
BeltAlert Warning Sequence
The BeltAlert warning sequence is activated when the
vehicle is moving above a specified vehicle speed range
and the driver or outboard front seat passenger is
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 23

Seat Belt Extender
If a seat belt is not long enough to fit properly, even
when the webbing is fully extended and the adjustable
upper shoulder belt anchorage (if equipped) is in its
lowest position, your authorized dealer can provide
you with a Seat Belt Extender. The Seat Belt Extender
should be used only if the existing seat belt is not long
enough. When the Seat Belt Extender is not required for
a different occupant, it must be removed.
WARNING!
•ONLY use a Seat Belt Extender if it is physically
required in order to properly fit the original seat
belt system. DO NOT USE the Seat Belt Extender
if, when worn, the distance between the front
edge of the Seat Belt Extender buckle and the
center of the occupant’s body is LESS than 6
inches.
• Using a Seat Belt Extender when not needed can
increase the risk of serious injury or death in a
collision. Only use the Seat Belt Extender when
the lap belt is not long enough and only use in the
recommended seating positions. Remove and
store the Seat Belt Extender when not needed.
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women
Seat belts must be worn by all occupants including
pregnant women: the risk of injury in the event of an
accident is reduced for the mother and the unborn child
if they are wearing a seat belt.
Position the lap belt snug and low below the abdomen
and across the strong bones of the hips. Place the
shoulder belt across the chest and away from the neck.
Never place the shoulder belt behind the back or under
the arm.
Pregnant Women And Seat Belts
2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 29

Seat Belt Pretensioner
The front seat belt system is equipped with pretension-
ing devices that are designed to remove slack from the
seat belt in the event of a collision. These devices may
improve the performance of the seat belt by removing
slack from the seat belt early in a collision. Pretension-
ers work for all size occupants, including those in child
restraints.
NOTE:These devices are not a substitute for proper
seat belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still
must be worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the air bags, the preten-
sioners are single use items. A deployed pretensioner or
a deployed air bag must be replaced immediately.
Energy Management Feature
This vehicle has a seat belt system with an Energy
Management feature in the front seating positions that
may help further reduce the risk of injury in the event of
a collision. This seat belt system has a retractor assem-
bly that is designed to release webbing in a controlled
manner.
Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
The seat belts in the passenger seating positions are
equipped with a Switchable Automatic Locking Retrac-
tor (ALR) which is used to secure a child restraint
system. For additional information, refer to “Installing
Child Restraints Using The Vehicle Seat Belt” under the
“Child Restraints” section of this manual. The figure
below illustrates the locking feature for each seating
position.
Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor Seating
Positions
30 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

ALR = Switchable Automatic Locking Retractor
If the passenger seating position is equipped with an
ALR and is being used for normal usage, only pull the
seat belt webbing out far enough to comfortably wrap
around the occupant’s mid-section so as to not activate
the ALR. If the ALR is activated, you will hear a clicking
sound as the seat belt retracts. Allow the webbing to
retract completely in this case and then carefully pull
out only the amount of webbing necessary to comfort-
ably wrap around the occupant’s mid-section. Slide the
latch plate into the buckle until you hear aclick.
In Automatic Locking Mode, the shoulder belt is auto-
matically pre-locked. The seat belt will still retract to
remove any slack in the shoulder belt. Use the Auto-
matic Locking Mode anytime a child restraint is in-
stalled in a seating position that has a seat belt with this
feature. Children 12 years old and under should always
be properly restrained in a vehicle with a rear seat.
WARNING!
• Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of
an air bag. A deploying passenger front air bag
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
can cause death or serious injury to a child 12
years or younger, including a child in a rear-
facing child restraint.
• Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle
with a rear seat.
How To Engage The Automatic Locking Mode
1. Buckle the combination lap and shoulder belt.
2. Grasp the shoulder portion and pull downward until the entire seat belt is extracted.
3. Allow the seat belt to retract. As the seat belt retracts, you will hear a clicking sound. This indicates the seat
belt is now in the Automatic Locking Mode.
How To Disengage The Automatic Locking Mode
Unbuckle the combination lap/shoulder belt and allow
it to retract completely to disengage the Automatic
Locking Mode and activate the vehicle sensitive (emer-
gency) locking mode.2
THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE 31

WARNING!
•The seat belt assembly must be replaced if the
switchable Automatic Locking Retractor (ALR)
feature or any other seat belt function is not
working properly when checked according to the
procedures in the Service Manual.
• Failure to replace the seat belt assembly could
increase the risk of injury in collisions.
• Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode to re-
strain occupants who are wearing the seat belt or
children who are using booster seats. The locked
mode is only used to install rear-facing or
forward-facing child restraints that have a har-
ness for restraining the child.
Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Some of the safety features described in this section
may be standard equipment on some models, or may be
optional equipment on others. If you are not sure, ask
your authorized dealer.
Air Bag System Components
Your vehicle may be equipped with the following air
bag system components:
• Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC)
• Air Bag Warning Light
•Steering Wheel and Column
• Instrument Panel
• Knee Impact Bolsters
• Driver and Front Passenger Air Bags
• Supplemental Side Air Bags
• Supplemental Knee Air Bags
• Front and Side Impact Sensors
• Seat Belt Pretensioners
• Seat Track Position Sensors
• Seat Belt Buckle Switch
Advanced Front Air Bags
This vehicle has front air bags and lap/shoulder belt for
both the driver and front passenger. The air bags are
32 THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE