2017 FIAT 500 drive

Heated Seats — If Equipped
On some models, the front driver and passenger seats
may be equipped with heaters in both the seat cushions
and seatbacks. The controls for the front heated seats
are located on the center instrument panel area.Push the switch once to turn on the heated
seats. Push the switch a second time to shut
the heating elements off.
NOTE: Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt
within two to five minutes.
WARNING!
• Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabe-
tes, spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use,
exhaustion or other physical condition must exer-
cise care when using the seat heater. It may cause
burns even at low temperatures, especially if used
for long periods of time.
• Do not place anything on the seat or seatback that
insulates against heat, such as a blanket or cush-
ion. This may cause the seat heater to overheat.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
Sitting in a seat that has been overheated could
cause serious burns due to the increased surface
temperature of the seat.
Head Restraints
Head restraints are designed to reduce the risk of injury
by restricting head movement in the event of a rear-
impact. Head restraints should be adjusted so that the
top of the head restraint is located above the top of your
ear.
WARNING!
•All occupants, including the driver, should not
operate a vehicle or sit in a vehicle’s seat until the
head restraints are placed in their proper posi-
tions in order to minimize the risk of neck injury
in the event of a crash.
• Head restraints should never be adjusted while
the vehicle is in motion. Driving a vehicle with
the head restraints improperly adjusted or re-
moved could cause serious injury or death in the
event of a collision.
78 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Reactive Head Restraints — Front Seats
The front driver and passenger seats are equipped with
Reactive Head Restraints. In the event of a rear impact
the Reactive Head Restraints will automatically extend
forward minimizing the gap between the back of the
occupant’s head and the Reactive Head Restraint.
To raise the head restraint, pull upward on the head
restraint. To lower the head restraint, push the adjust-
ment button, located at the base of the head restraint,
and push downward on the head restraint.The Reactive Head Restraints will automatically return
to their normal position following a rear impact. If the
Reactive Head Restraints do not return to their normal
position, see your Authorized Dealership immediately.
NOTE:The head restraints should only be removed by
qualified technicians, for service purposes only. If either
of the head restraints require removal, see your autho-
rized dealership.
Head Restraint
1 — Release Button
2 — Adjustment Button
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 79

In hot climates, the prop rod may be hot. Pick up the
prop rod at the foam on the end of the prop rod.
WARNING!
Be sure the hood is fully latched before driving
your vehicle. If the hood is not fully latched, it
could open when the vehicle is in motion and block
your vision. Failure to follow this warning could
result in serious injury or death.
CAUTION!
To prevent possible damage, do not slam the hood
to close it. Lower hood to approximately 12 in (30
cm) and drop the hood to close. Make sure hood is
fully closed for both latches. Never drive vehicle
unless hood is fully closed, with both latches en-
gaged.
LIGHTS
Multifunction Lever
The multifunction lever, located on the left side of the
steering wheel, controls the operation of the headlights,
headlight beam selection, passing light and turn sig-
nals.
NOTE:The headlights can only be turned on with the
ignition in the ON/RUN position.Hood Prop Rod
82 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

Turn Signals
Push the multifunction lever upward to signal a right
turn or downward to signal a left turn. The correspond-
ing indicator in the Instrument Cluster Display will
blink to indicate the operation of the turn signal.
NOTE:The indicators will automatically turn off when
the turn has been completed and the steering wheel is
returned to a straight position.
Lane Change Assist
Tap the lever up or down once, without moving beyond
the detent, and the turn signal (right or left) will flash
three times then automatically turn off.
Follow Me Home/Headlight Delay
When this feature is selected the driver can choose to
have the headlights remain on for a preset period of
time.
Activation
Remove the key or turn the ignition to the STOP
(OFF/LOCK) position, and pull the multifunction lever
toward the steering wheel, within two minutes. Each
time the lever is pulled, the activation of the lights will
be extended by 30 seconds. The activation of the lights
can be extended to a maximum of 210 seconds.
Deactivation
Pull the multifunction lever toward the steering wheel
and hold it for more than two seconds.
Turn Signal Operation
84 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!
Do not adjust the steering column while driving.
Adjusting the steering column while driving or
driving with the steering column unlocked, could
cause the driver to lose control of the vehicle.
Failure to follow this warning may result in serious
injury or death.
ELECTRONIC SPEED CONTROL
When engaged, the Electronic Speed Control takes over
accelerator operations at speeds greater than 25 mph
(40 km/h).
The Electronic Speed Control buttons are located on the
right side of the steering wheel.NOTE:
In order to ensure proper operation, the Elec-
tronic Speed Control system has been designed to shut
down if multiple Speed Control functions are operated
at the same time. If this occurs, the Electronic Speed
Control system can be reactivated by pushing the
Electronic Speed Control ON/OFF button and resetting
the desired vehicle set speed.
Electronic Speed Control Buttons
90 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

To Activate
Push the ON/OFF button. The Cruise Indicator Light in
the Instrument Cluster Display will illuminate. To turn
the system off, push the ON/OFF button a second time.
The Cruise Indicator Light will turn off. The system
should be turned off when not in use.
WARNING!
Leaving the Electronic Speed Control system on
when not in use is dangerous. You could acciden-
tally set the system or cause it to go faster than you
want. You could lose control and have an accident.
Always leave the system OFF when you are not
using it.
To Set A Desired Speed
Turn the Electronic Speed Control ON. When the ve-
hicle has reached the desired speed, push the SET (-)
button and release. Release the accelerator and the
vehicle will operate at the selected speed.
NOTE:The vehicle should be traveling at a steady
speed and on level ground before pushing the SET (-)
button.
To Deactivate
A soft tap on the brake pedal, pushing the CANC
button, or normal brake pressure while slowing the
vehicle will deactivate Electronic Speed Control with-
out erasing the set speed memory. Pushing the ON/
OFF button or turning the ignition switch OFF erases
the set speed in memory.
To Resume Speed
To resume a previously set speed, push the RES (+)
button and release. Resume can be used at any speed
above 25 mph (40 km/h).
To Vary The Speed Setting
To Increase Speed
When the Electronic Speed Control is set, you can
increase speed by pushing the RES (+) button.
The drivers preferred units can be selected through the
instrument panel settings if equipped. Refer to “Under-
standing Your Instrument Panel” for more information.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 91

The speed increment shown is dependent on the se-
lected speed unit of U.S. (mph) or Metric (km/h):
U.S. Speed (mph)
•Pushing the RES (+) button once will result in a
1 mph increase in set speed. Each subsequent tap of
the button results in an increase of 1 mph.
• If the button is continually pushed, the set speed will
continue to increase until the button is released, then
the new set speed will be established.
Metric Speed (km/h)
• Pushing the RES (+) button once will result in a
1 km/h increase in set speed. Each subsequent tap of
the button results in an increase of 1 km/h.
• If the button is continually pushed, the set speed will
continue to increase until the button is released, then
the new set speed will be established.
To Decrease Speed
When the Electronic Speed Control is set, you can
decrease speed by pushing the SET (-) button. The drivers preferred units can be selected through the
instrument panel settings if equipped. Refer to “Under-
standing Your Instrument Panel” for more information.
The speed decrement shown is dependant on the se-
lected speed unit of U.S. (mph) or Metric (km/h):
U.S. Speed (mph)
•
Pushing the SET (-) button once will result ina1mph
decrease in set speed. Each subsequent tap of the
button results in a decrease of 1 mph.
• If the button is continually pushed, the set speed will
continue to decrease until the button is released, then
the new set speed will be established.
Metric Speed (km/h)
• Pushing the SET (-) button once will result in a
1 km/h decrease in set speed. Each subsequent tap of
the button results in a decrease of 1 km/h.
• If the button is continually pushed, the set speed will
continue to decrease until the button is released, then
the new set speed will be established.
92 UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE

To Accelerate For Passing
Press the accelerator as you would normally. When the
pedal is released, the vehicle will return to the set speed.
Using Electronic Speed Control On Hills
The transmission may downshift on hills to maintain
the vehicle set speed.
NOTE:The Electronic Speed Control system maintains
speed up and down hills. A slight speed change on
moderate hills is normal.
On steep hills, a greater speed loss or gain may occur so
it may be preferable to drive without Electronic Speed
Control.
WARNING!
Electronic Speed Control can be dangerous where
the system cannot maintain a constant speed. Your
vehicle could go too fast for the conditions, and you
could lose control and have an accident. Do not use
Electronic Speed Control in heavy traffic or on
roads that are winding, icy, snow-covered or slip-
pery.
REAR PARK ASSIST — IF EQUIPPED
The Rear Park Assist system provides visual and au-
dible indications of the distance between the rear
fascia/bumper and a detected obstacle when backing
up, e.g. during a parking maneuver. Refer to the “Park
Assist System Usage Precautions” for the limitations of
this system and recommendations.
The Rear Park Assist is automatically activated when
the transmission is placed into REVERSE.
Rear Park Assist Sensors
The four Rear Park Assist sensors, located in the rear
fascia/bumper, monitor the area behind the vehicle that
is within the sensors’ field of view. The sensors can
detect obstacles, in the horizontal direction, from ap-
proximately 12 in (30 cm) up to 55 in (140 cm) from the
center of the rear fascia/bumper and up to 24 in (60 cm)
from the corners of the rear fascia/bumper, depending
on the location, type and orientation of the obstacle.
If several obstacles are detected, the Rear Park Assist
system indicates the nearest obstacle.
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UNDERSTANDING THE FEATURES OF YOUR VEHICLE 93