2017 FIAT 500L Owners Manual

WARNING!(Continued)
•Remove any metal jewelry such as rings, watch
bands and bracelets that could make an inadver-
tent electrical contact. You could be seriously
injured.
• Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can burn your
skin or eyes and generate hydrogen gas which is
flammable and explosive. Keep open flames or
sparks away from the battery.
1. Set the parking brake, place the transmission to PARK and turn the ignition to OFF.
2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary elec- trical accessories.
3. Remove the protective cover over the remote posi- tive (+)battery post. To remove the cover, pull
upward on the cover.
4. If using another vehicle to jump-start the battery, park the vehicle within the jumper cables reach, set
the parking brake and make sure the ignition is OFF.
WARNING!
Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this
could establish a ground connection and personal
injury could result.
Jump-Starting Procedure
WARNING!
Failure to follow this jump-starting procedure
could result in personal injury or property damage
due to battery explosion.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these procedures could result in
damage to the charging system of the booster ve-
hicle or the discharged vehicle.
NOTE: Before connecting the jumper cables to the
discharged battery, the negative (-)battery cable must
be disconnected from the discharged battery. This is the
only way to successfully jump start the vehicle.
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 287

Follow these steps to disconnect the negative(-)battery
cable:
1. Pull outward on the negative (-)battery cable termi-
nal release lever to the open position.
2. Lift up on the negative (-)battery cable terminal and
set aside.
Connecting The Jumper Cables
1. Connect the positive (+)end of the jumper cable to
the positive (+)post of the discharged vehicle.
2. Connect the opposite end of the positive (+)jumper
cable to the positive (+)post of the booster battery.
3. Connect the negative (-)end of the jumper cable to
the negative (-)post of the booster battery.
4. Connect the opposite end of the negative (-)jumper
cable to the negative (-)battery cable terminal of the
discharged vehicle.WARNING!
Do not connect the jumper cable to the negative (-)
post of the discharged battery. The resulting elec-
trical spark could cause the battery to explode and
could result in personal injury. Only use the spe-
cific ground point, do not use any other exposed
metal parts.
5. Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, and then
start the engine in the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
6. Once the engine is started, remove the jumper cables in the reverse sequence.
Disconnecting The Jumper Cables
1. Disconnect the negative (-)jumper cable from the
negative (-)battery cable terminal of the vehicle with
the discharged battery.
2. Disconnect the opposite end of the negative (-)
jumper cable from the negative (-)post of the booster
battery.
288 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

3. Disconnect the positive(+)jumper cable from the
positive (+)post of the booster battery.
4. Disconnect the opposite end of the positive (+)
jumper cable from the positive (+)post of the dis-
charged vehicle.
NOTE: The negative (-)battery cable must be con-
nected to the negative (-)post of the battery.
Follow these steps to connect the negative (-)battery
cable:
1. Connect the negative (-)battery terminal to the
negative (-)post of the battery.
2. Push inward on the negative (-)battery cable termi-
nal release lever to the closed position.
If frequent jump-starting is required to start your ve-
hicle, you should have the battery and charging system
inspected at your authorized dealer.
CAUTION!
Accessories plugged into the vehicle power outlets
draw power from the vehicle’s battery, even when
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
not in use (i.e., cellular devices, etc.). Eventually, if
plugged in long enough without engine operation,
the vehicle’s battery will discharge sufficiently to
degrade battery life and/or prevent the engine from
starting.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it
can often be moved using a rocking motion. Turn the
steering wheel right and left to clear the area around the
front wheels. Then, shift back and forth between DRIVE
and REVERSE, while gently pressing the accelerator.
Use the least amount of accelerator pedal pressure that
will maintain the rocking motion, without spinning the
wheels, or racing the engine.
CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead
to transmission overheating and failure. Allow the
engine to idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL
(Continued)
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 289

CAUTION!(Continued)
for at least one minute after every five rocking-
motion cycles. This will minimize overheating and
reduce the risk of transmission failure during pro-
longed efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
NOTE: Push the ESC Off switch, to place the Elec-
tronic Stability Control (ESC) system in Partial Off
mode, before rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic
Brake Control” in “Starting And Operating” for further
information. Once the vehicle has been freed, push the
ESC Off switch again to restore ESC Onmode.
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated by excessive wheel speeds may cause damage,
or even failure, of the axle and tires. A tire could
explode and injure someone. Do not spin your
vehicle’s wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for
longer than 30 seconds continuously without stop-
ping when you are stuck and do not let anyone near
a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
CAUTION!
•When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting be-
tween DRIVE and REVERSE, do not spin the
wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain
damage may result.
• Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too
fast may lead to transmission overheating and
failure. It can also damage the tires. Do not spin
the wheels above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear
(no transmission shifting occurring).
GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the gear selector cannot be
moved out of the PARK position, you can use the
following procedure to temporarily move the gear
selector:
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
290 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

3. Using a screwdriver or similar tool, carefully sepa-rate the gear selector bezel and boot assembly from
the center console.
4. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
5. Insert a small screwdriver or similar tool into the gear selector override access hole (at the right rear
corner of the gear selector assembly) and push and
hold the override release lever down.
6. Move the gear selector to the NEUTRAL position.
7. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
8. Reinstall the gear selector boot.
Gear Selector Override
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 291

TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
NOTE:This section describes procedures for towing a
disabled vehicle using a commercial towing service.
Towing Condition WheelsOFF The Ground AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
Flat Tow NONENOT ALLOWED
Dolly Tow RearNOT ALLOWED
Front OK
Flatbed ALLBEST METHOD
Proper towing or lifting equipment is required to pre-
vent damage to your vehicle. Use only tow bars and
other equipment designed for this purpose, following
equipment manufacturer ’s instructions. Use of safety
chains is mandatory. Attach a tow bar or other towing
device to main structural members of the vehicle, not to
bumpers or associated brackets. State and local laws
regarding vehicles under tow must be observed.
CAUTION!
• Do not use sling-type equipment when towing.
Vehicle damage may occur.
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
•When securing the vehicle to a flatbed truck, do
not attach to front or rear suspension components.
Damage to your vehicle may result from improper
towing.
If you must use the accessories (wipers, defroster, etc.)
while being towed, the key must be in the ON/RUN
position.
• Vehicle can be towed with the front wheels elevated.
• Vehicle can be towed on a flatbed truck (all wheels off
the ground).
292 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

If the ignition key is unavailable, or the battery is
discharged, refer to “Gear Selector Override” in this
section for instructions on shifting the transmission out
of PARK in order to move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
•DO NOT flat tow any vehicle equipped with an
automatic transmission. Damage to the drivetrain
will result. If these vehicles require towing, make
sure all drive wheels are OFF the ground.
• Towing this vehicle in violation of the above
requirements can cause severe transmission dam-
age. Damage from improper towing is not covered
under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
IGNITION KEY REMOVAL OVERRIDE
This vehicle is equipped with a Key Ignition Park
Interlock which requires the transmission to be in PARK
before the ignition switch can be turned to the LOCK/
OFF (key removal) position. To remove the key manu-
ally, proceed as follows:
1. Firmly apply the parking brake 2. Remove the Allen Key located in the rear cargo area,
in the tool bag (if equipped) or on the left side in the
cargo box.
3. Unlock the steering column, pull the tilt/telescoping control handle down.
4. Pull the steering wheel outward until it is in the end of the travel position, then lock the steering column
in position, push the control handle up until fully
engaged.
5. Using the Allen key, undo the lower steering column cover screws, and remove the lower cover.
Lower Steering Column Screw Locations
6
WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 293

6. Pull the release tab downwards using one hand andwith the other one remove the key, sliding it out-
wards.
7. Once the key is removed, reinstall the steering col- umn cover.
CAUTION!
It is advisable to contact your authorized dealer to
have the reinstall procedure carried out. If you
would like to proceed in performing the reinstall
(Continued)
CAUTION! (Continued)
procedure special attention must be paid to the
correct coupling of the clips. Otherwise damage to
the cover or noise might be heard due to incorrect
fastening of the lower cover.
CAP-LESS FUEL FILL FUNNEL
The funnel for the Cap-Less Fuel System is located in
the rear cargo area inside the tool bag (if equipped), or
on the left side in the cargo box. If your vehicle is out of
fuel and an auxiliary fuel can is needed, insert the
funnel into the filler neck and proceed to fill the vehicle.
For more information on the Cap-Less Fuel System refer
to “Adding Fuel” in “Starting And Operating ” in this
manual.
ENHANCED ACCIDENT RESPONSE SYSTEM
(EARS)
This vehicle is equipped with an Enhanced Accident
Response System.
Release Tab Location
294 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES