119)For vehicles equipped with the shift
paddles, do not use the left- and right-hand
shift paddles at the same time. Doing so
could cause a shift of gear ratio that you do
not expect.
120)If the selector lever position display
blinks while you are driving, it is likely that a
safety device is operating because of a
malfunction in the automatic transmission.
Have the vehicle inspected by a Fiat
Dealership as soon as possible.
121)If the lamp comes on, reduce the
engine speed and stop the vehicle in a safe
area. Then set the selector lever to “P”
(PARK) position and idle the engine until the
warning lamp goes off. When the warning
lamp goes off, resume normal driving. If the
warning lamp does not go off, we
recommend you to have your vehicle
inspected by a Fiat Dealership.
122)Before selecting a gear with the
engine running and the vehicle stationary,
fully depress the brake pedal to prevent the
vehicle from creeping. The vehicle will begin
to move as soon as the gear is engaged,
especially when the engine speed is high,
at fast idle or with the air conditioner
operating, the brakes should only be
released when you are ready to drive away.
123)Depress the brake pedal with the right
foot at all times. Using the left foot could
cause driver movement delay in case of an
emergency.
124)To prevent sudden acceleration, never
race the engine when shifting from the “P”
(PARK) or “N” (NEUTRAL) position.
125)Operating the accelerator pedal while
the other foot is resting on the brake pedal
will affect braking efficiency and may cause
premature wear of brake pads.126)Use the selector lever in the correct
shift position in accordance with driving
conditions. Never coast downhill backward
with the selector lever in the {“D” (DRIVE) or
sports mode} or coast forward with the
selector lever in the “R” (REVERSE)
position. The engine may stop and the
unexpected increase in brake pedal effort
and steering wheel weight could lead to an
accident.
127)Do not race the engine with brake
pedal pressed when the vehicle is
stationary. This can damage the A/T. Also,
when you depress the accelerator pedal
while holding down the brake pedal with
the selector lever in the “P” (PARK), “N”
(NEUTRAL) or “D” (DRIVE) position, the
engine revolutions may not rise as high as
when performing the same operation with
the selector lever in the “N” (NEUTRAL)
position.
128)Never hold the vehicle stationary on a
hill using the accelerator pedal (without
using the brake pedal). Always apply the
parking brake and/or service brakes.EASY SELECT 4WD
(where provided)
Shifting to rear-wheel drive or 4-wheel
drive can be made by operating the
drive mode selector (A). Set the drive
mode-selector to an appropriate
position according to the road surface
conditions. In addition, the 2WD/4WD
operation indicator lamp and the
low-range indicator lamp indicates the
drive mode-selector setting state. Refer
to “2WD/4WD operation indicator lamp
and low-range indicator lamp”.
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164
STARTING AND DRIVING
A film of water can be formed on the
brake discs or brake drums and
prevent normal braking after driving in
heavy rain or through large puddles, or
after the vehicle is washed. If this
occurs, dry the brakes out by driving
slowly while lightly depressing the brake
pedal.
When driving downhill
It is important to take advantage of the
engine braking by shifting to a lower
shift position while driving on steep
downhill roads in order to prevent the
brakes from overheating.
239)
Brake pads and linings
Avoid hard braking situations. New
brakes need to be broken-in by
moderate use for the first 200 km.
The disc brakes are provided with a
warning device which emits a shrieking
metallic sound while braking if the brake
pads have reached their wear limit. If
you hear this sound, have the brake
pads replaced.
240)
IMPORTANT
148)Avoid driving habits that cause heavy
braking and never “ride” the brakes by
resting your foot on the brake pedal while
driving. It causes bake overheating and
fade.
WARNING
237)Do not turn off the engine while your
vehicle is in motion. If you turn off the
engine while driving, the power assistance
for the braking system will stop working
and your brakes will not work effectively.
238)If the power assist is lost or if either
brake hydraulic system stops working
properly, have your vehicle checked
immediately.
239)Do not leave any objects near the
brake pedal or let a floor mat slide under it;
doing so could prevent the full pedal stroke
that would be necessary in an emergency.
Make sure that the pedal can be operated
freely at all times. Make sure the floor mat
is securely held in place.
240)Driving with worn brake pads will
make it harder to stop, and can cause an
accident.
CRUISE CONTROL
(where provided)
Cruise control is an automatic speed
control system that keeps a set speed.
It can be activated at approximately
40 km/h or more.
241) 242)
149) 150) 151)
NOTE Cruise control may not be able
to keep your speed on uphills or
downhills. Your speed may decrease on
a steep uphill. You may use the
accelerator pedal if you want to stay at
your set speed. Your speed may
increase to more than the set speed on
183
a steep downhill. You have to use the
brake to control your speed. As a
result, the set speed driving is
deactivated.
174)Never tow an automatic transmission
vehicle with the front wheels up (and the
rear wheels on the ground) (Type B) when
the automatic transmission fluid level is low.
This may cause serious and expensive
damage to the transmission.
175)When the engine is not running, the
brake booster and power steering pump do
not operate. This means higher brake
depression force and higher steering effort
are required. Therefore, vehicle operation is
very difficult.
176)Do not leave the ignition switch in the
“LOCK” position or the operation mode in
OFF. The steering wheel will lock, causing
loss of control.
177)On vehicles with super select 4WD II,
when you are going to tow another vehicle,
set the drive mode-selector to “4H”
position. Selecting “2H” drive may increase
the differential oil temperature, resulting in
possible damage to the driving system.
Further, the drive train will be subjected to
excessive loading possibly leading to oil
leakage, component seizure, or other
serious faults.OPERATION UNDER
ADVERSE DRIVING
CONDITIONS
On a flooded road
Avoid flooded roads. In the event
driving flooded roads, doing so may
cause the following serious damage to
the vehicle.
Engine stalling
Short in electrical components
Engine damage caused by water
immersion
After driving flooded roads, be sure to
have an inspection at a Fiat Dealership
and take the necessary measures or
repair.
When driving in rain, or water-covered
roads, or through a car wash, water
could enter the brake discs, resulting in
temporarily ineffective brakes. In such
cases, lightly depress the brake pedal
to see if the brakes operate properly. If
they do not, lightly depress the pedal
several times while driving in order to
dry the brake pads.
On a wet road
When driving in rain or on a road with
many puddles a layer of water may
form between the tyres and the road
surface. This reduces a tyre’s frictional
resistance on the road, resulting in loss
of steering stability and braking
capability.To cope with this, observe the following
items:
(a) Drive your vehicle at a slow speed.
(b) Do not drive on worn tyres.
(c) Always maintain the specified tyre
inflation pressures.
On a snow-covered or frozen road
When driving on a snow-covered or
frozen road, it is recommended that you
use snow tyres or snow traction device
(tyre chains). Refer to the “Snow tyres”
and “Snow traction device (tyre chains)”
sections.
Avoid high-speed operation, sudden
acceleration, abrupt brake application
and sharp cornering.
Depressing the brake pedal during
travel on snowy or icy roads may cause
tyre slippage and skidding. When
traction between the tyres and the road
is reduced the wheels may skid and the
vehicle cannot readily be brought to a
stop by conventional braking
techniques. Braking will differ,
depending upon whether you have
anti-lock brake system (ABS). If you do
have ABS, brake by pressing the brake
pedal hard, and keeping it pressed. If
you do not have ABS, pump the brake
pedal with short rapid jabs, each time
fully applying and fully releasing for
greatest effect.
Allow extra distance between your
vehicle and the vehicle in front of you,
and avoid sudden braking.
226
IN AN EMERGENCY
Thousand of miles12,5 25 37,5 50 62,5 75 87,5 100 112 125
Thousands of kilometers or20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180 200
Years12345678910
Visually inspect conditions and wear of front
disc brake pads and operation of pad wear
indicator
●●●●●●●●●●
Visually inspect condition and wear of the
rear drum brake lining●●●●●●●●●●
Check the front and rear wheel bearing
clearances●●●
Visually check for any fluid leaks from the
automatic transmission (if leaks are found,
check the oil level)
●●●● ●●●●
Change the automatic transmission oil (14)●●
Visually check for any fluid leaks from the
manual transmission (if leaks are found,
check the oil level)
●●●● ●●●●
Change the manual transmission oil●●
Visually inspect the integrity of the
suspension system components and their
fixings
●●●●●●●●●●
Check handbrake lever travel and adjust, if
necessary●●●●●●●●●●
Check the brake and clutch pedal play●●●●●●●●●●
(14) To be done only in case of heavy use, only on a mileage basis.
247
WASHER FLUID
Open the washer fluid reservoir cap and
check the level of washer fluid with the
dipstick. If the level is low, replenish the
container with washer fluid.
NOTE The washer fluid container
server serves the windscreen and
headlamps (if so equipped).
During cold weather
To ensure proper operation of the
washers at low temperatures, use a
fluid containing an anti-freezing agent.
363) 364)
WARNING
363)Do not travel if the windscreen
washer reservoir is empty: using the
windscreen washer is essential for
improving visibility. Repeated operation of
the system without fluid could damage or
cause rapid deterioration of some system
components.
364)Some commercial additives for
windscreen washer fluid are flammable.
The engine compartment contains hot
components which may start a fire.
BRAKE FLUID
To check the fluid level
Check the brake fluid level in the
reservoir. The brake fluid level must be
between the “MAX” and “MIN” marks
on the reservoir.
The brake fluid level is monitored by a
float. When the brake fluid level falls
below the “MIN” mark, the brake fluid
warning lamp lights up.
The fluid level falls slightly with wear of
the brake pads, but this does not
indicate any abnormality.
If the brake fluid level falls markedly in a
short length of time, it indicates leaks
from the brake system. If this occurs,
we recommend you to have the vehicle
checked.
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458AHA102566
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