2018 Abarth 500 Owner handbook (in English)

SOFT TOP
(where provided)
The soft top can be automatically
opened from the closed position to the
spoiler position, and from this position
to the fully open position.
Suggestions
it is advisable to close the soft top
when the car is parked. The closed soft
top effectively protects the car from
bad weather and from theft;
it is advisable to put valuables in the
boot and lock the lid even when the
top is closed.
SOFT TOP MOVEMENT
22) 23) 24)
9) 10) 11)
IMPORTANT NOTE If moved frequently
in a short time, the motor could
overheat causing the thermal protection
to block the system. Wait for a minute
and repeat.
OPERATION USING THE BUTTONS
INSIDE THE CAR
Opening the soft top:
Opening partially (spoiler position):
press the button 1 fig. 32 once .
To stop the opening: press the
button 1 while the soft top is opening.
Press it again to continue opening.
Opening fully: from the spoiler
position, press the button 1 again. If
one of the two buttons, 1 or 2, is
pressed before the final position is
reached, the soft top will stop
and move back to the initial position
(spoiler position).
Closing the soft top:
Closing from the fully open position:
press the button 2 fig. 32 once. If one
of the two buttons is pressed before
the spoiler position is reached, the roof
will stop and movement will be
reversed, moving to the initial position
(fully open).
Closing from the spoiler position:
press the button 2 to bring the roof
automatically to the safety position
(approximately 25 cm from fully closed
position). If one of the two buttons is
pressed before the stop position is
reached, the soft top may stop in an
intermediate horizontal open position.
Press and hold the button 2 with the
roof in the safety position. The roof will
stop instantly if the button is released
before the fully closed position is
reached.
OPERATION BY MEANS OF
REMOTE CONTROL
The remote control can only be used
with the engine off and the doors
closed.
NOTE The remote control can be used
to open the roof to the horizontal open
position (spoiler position).
Continuously pressing the "release"
button 1 fig. 33, the soft top opens and
stops in any position when the button
is released.
IMPORTANT NOTES
The horizontal and vertical parts of
the soft top can be operated at any
speed lower than 100 and 80 km/h
respectively.
The top can be operated at any
temperature in the range from -18 to
+80.
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It is recommended to have the
engine running always when opening or
closing the soft top.
If required, remove the battery with
open or closed soft top, but NOT when
the soft top is moving.
Do not fix luggage transport devices
to the soft top and do not travel with
objects resting on the open top.
If requested by the user, the heated
rear window is only turned on if the
soft top is fully closed. If the soft top is
closed incorrectly, the heated rear
window will not function and the
corresponding warning light will not turn
on.
Do not remove ice from the soft top
with a sharp item.
To prevent damage, do not use
scrapers or sprays to remove ice from
the heated rear window.
Do not put objects on the soft top:
they could fall if the it is operated,
causing damage and injury.
It is advisable to cover the soft top
with a protective sheet if the car is
left parked in the open for a long time.
Do not keep the soft top folded for a
long time: this could cause folds and
creases in the fabric.
Before moving the soft top, check
that there is enough room to carry
out the operation and that there are no
obstacles or people close to its moving
parts.
The cooled air flow into the
passenger compartment may decrease
if the automatic climate control system
is on and the top is not completely
closed.
With the soft top open and the car
travelling, the voice recognition system
may not recognise voice commands
because of the background noise: with
the soft top closed and at a high speed,
the voice function for number dialling
may not be recognised.EMERGENCY OPERATION
If the buttons fail, the soft top can be
moved manually proceeding as
described below:
take the provided key 1 fig. 34
located in the luggage compartment in
together with the tool box or the
Fix&Go kit;
insert the provided key in position,
visible from inside the luggage
compartment beneath the parcel shelf
in the point 1 shown in fig. 35;
turn: clockwise to open the soft top;
anticlockwise to close it.
If the tailgate fails to open due to the
battery being flat, or following an
anomaly of the tailgate electric lock,
perform an emergency tailgate opening
as described in the “boot” paragraph
of the “Knowing your car” chapter, the
manually move the soft top as
described above.
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KNOWING YOUR CAR

To restore automatic movement,
contact an Abarth Dealership.
INITIALISATION
PROCEDURE
The soft top must be re-initialised after
disconnecting the battery or if the
relevant protection fuse is blown.
Proceed as follows:
before carrying out any other
operation, make sure the engine is on
during the whole initialisation
procedure;
keep the opening button pressed
until the soft top is completely open;
when the soft top is completely
open, keep the button pressed for at
least 2 seconds;
keep the closing button pressed
until the soft top is completely closed;
when the soft top is completely
closed, keep the button pressed for at
least 2 seconds.
When the procedure is terminated, the
soft top will automatically carry out a
complete opening and closing cycle (up
to 25 cm from the completely closed
position) to inform the driver that
correct operation has been restored.
If the soft top is already initialised,
proceed as follows:
before carrying out any other
operation, make sure the engine is on
during the whole initialisation
procedure;
keep the opening button pressed
until the soft top is completely open;
when the soft top is completely
open, keep the button pressed for at
least 10 seconds;
keep the closing button pressed
until the soft top is completely closed;
when the soft top is completely
closed, keep the button pressed for at
least 2 seconds.
When the procedure is terminated, the
soft top will automatically carry out a
complete opening and closing cycle (up
to 25 cm from the completely closed
position) to inform the driver that
correct operation has been restored.WIND STOP
The Wind Stop fig. 36 is designed to
improve driving comfort, by reducing air
turbulence in the passenger
compartment when travelling with the
soft top down.
To use it:
Release the backrest of the rear seat
(single or split).
Attach the Wind Stop by inserting
the central part inside the rear screen
guard, with the concave part in the
direction of the passenger, as shown in
the figure fig. 36;
re-position the backrest correctly;
the Wind Stop is locked between
the seat and parcel shelf.
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FRONT SPOILER
The car is provided with a front spoiler
which can be raised to improve
aerodynamic comfort inside the
passenger compartment.
To lift the spoiler, release the catch by
means of the slider 1 moving it to
position B as shown in fig. 37.
Be careful not to move the slider 1 from
position B to position A with the spoiler
up.
To lower the spoiler, press and move
the slider to position A fig. 37 to lock it
once the slider’s catch is positioned
inside its housing fig. 38.
It is advisable to raise the spoiler when
the horizontal segment of the roof is
open and at speeds faster than 50
km/h.With the roof completely open, it is
advisable to keep the spoiler lowered to
limit wind noise inside the passenger
compartment.
Raising the spoiler will reduce the flow
of air to the rear seats.
WARNING
22)Keep hands away from the top
mechanism while opening and closing the
top or if the top stops in a position before
completing the cycle to prevent damage
and injury.
23)Keep children away from the area in
which the top is folding during opening or
closing operations.24)When leaving the car, always remove
the key from the ignition device to avoid the
risk of injury due to accidental operation
of the soft top: improper use of the roof
can be dangerous. Before and during
operation, always check that no-one is at
risk of being injured by the moving soft top
roof or by objects getting caught and
dragged by it.
WARNING
9)Never open the top in presence of snow
or ice to prevent damage.
10)Do not place objects on the rear
window shelf to prevent damage while the
top is closing.
11)Loads may not be secured on the roof.
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KNOWING YOUR CAR

ENGINE BONNET
OPENING
Proceed as follows:
pull lever 1 fig. 39 in the direction
indicated by the arrow;
move the lever 2 fig. 40 to the right
as shown in the figure;
lift the bonnet and, at the same time,
release the supporting rod 3 fig. 41
from its catch 4, then insert the end of
the rod into housing 5 in the bonnet
(large hole) and push to safety position
(small hole), as shown in the figure.
25) 26) 27) 29)
CLOSING
Proceed as follows:
hold the bonnet up with one hand
and with the other remove the stay
3 fig. 41 from the housing 5 and put it
back in its locking device 4;
lower the bonnet to approximately
20 centimetres above the engine
compartment and let it come down.
Make sure that the bonnet is
completely closed and not just secured
in safety position. If it is not perfectly
closed, do not try to press the bonnet
down but open it and repeat the
procedure.
28)
WARNING
25)The bonnet may drop suddenly if the
supporting rod is not positioned correctly.
Only perform these operations when the
car is stationary.
26)Be careful working inside engine
compartment when the engine is hot to
avoid burning yourself. Do not place your
hands near the engine fan as it may be
activated even when the key is removed.
Wait until the engine has cooled.
27)Be very careful not to allow scarves,
neckties and other loose articles of clothing
from touching, even accidentally, any
moving parts. This may cause the clothing
to be pulled into the part, resulting in
serious injury to the wearer.
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40AB0A0052C
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3
4
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28)For safety reasons, the bonnet must
always be properly closed while the car is
travelling. Therefore, always make sure that
it is closed properly and that the lock is
engaged. If you notice when driving that
the bonnet has not been properly locked,
stop immediately and close the bonnet
correctly.
29)Use both hands to lift the bonnet.
Before lifting, check that the windscreen
wiper arms are not raised from the
windscreen, that the vehicle is stationary
and that the handbrake is engaged.LUGGAGE
COMPARTMENT
30) 31)
OPENING THE TAILGATE
WITH THE REMOTE
CONTROL
Press button
on the key with the
remote control.
The direction indicators will blink twice
when the tailgate is opened.
On some versions, opening the tailgate
will switch the boot ceiling light on:
the light will switch off automatically
when the tailgate is closed.
12)
32)
ELECTRIC HANDLE
(SOFT TOUCH)
The tailgate (if unlocked) can be opened
from the outside by using the electric
opening handle 1 fig. 42 located under
the large handle.
The activation of the
symbol on
the display indicates that the tailgate
is not shut properly.CLOSING
To close, lower the tailgate by pressing
near the lock until you hear it click.
EMERGENCY TAILGATE
OPENING
To open the tailgate from the passenger
compartment if the car battery is flat
or the electric tailgate lock is faulty,
proceed as follows (see "Extending the
boot" in this chapter):
extract the rear head restraints
fold the backrests over
to unlock the tailgate mechanically,
working from the inside of the luggage
compartment, use lever 1 fig. 43.
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KNOWING YOUR CAR

EXTENDING THE BOOT
The boot can be partially (50/50) or
totally extended by splitting the rear
seat.
See the descriptions in the “Rear seats”
paragraph for how to expand the boot.
REMOVING THE PARCEL
SHELF
To remove the parcel shelf, release it
from its two side pins and pull it out.
WARNING
30)Never exceed the maximum allowed
load in the luggage compartment, see the
“Technical specifications” chapter. Also
make sure that the objects you place in the
boot have been properly secured, to
avoid them from being thrown forward
consequent to sharp braking and injuring
your passengers.31)If you are travelling in areas with few
filling stations and you want to transport
fuel in a spare tank, comply with the law by
using only an approved, suitably secured
tank. Anyway, by doing so, you increase
the risk of fire in the event of an accident
with your vehicle.
32)Do not drive with the tailgate open as
exhaust fumes may enter the passegner
compartment.
WARNING
12)Be careful not to hit objects on the
storage shelf when you open the tailgate.
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KNOWING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL
This section of the handbook gives you
all the information you need to
understand, interpret and use the
instrument panel correctly.CONTROL PANEL AND
ON-BOARD INSTRUMENTS ........... 39
MENU OPTIONS ............................. 41
TRIP COMPUTER ........................... 42
WARNING LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES .................................... 45
-SEAT BELTS REMINDER.................... 45
-EBD FAILURE .................................... 45
-AIR BAG FAILURE .............................. 46
-LOW BRAKE FLUID/HANDBRAKE
ENGAGED........................................... 46
-“DUALDRIVE” ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING FAILURE ............................ 47
-BRAKE PAD WEAR ............................ 47
-ESC SYSTEM .................................... 48
-INJECTION / EOBD SYSTEM
FAILURE .............................................. 48
-REAR FOG LIGHT .............................. 49
-ABS FAILURE..................................... 49
-iTPMS ................................................ 49
-SIDE LIGHTS AND DIPPED BEAM
HEADLIGHTS/FOLLOW ME HOME ..... 50
-FRONT FOG LIGHTS ......................... 50
-LEFT DIRECTION INDICATOR ............ 50
-RIGHT DIRECTION INDICATOR ......... 50
-MAIN BEAM HEADLIGHTS ................ 50
-DOORS/BONNET/LUGGAGE
COMPARTMENT OPEN ...................... 51
-LOW BATTERY CHARGE ................... 51
-INSUFFICIENT ENGINE OIL
PRESSURE/ENGINE OIL
DETERIORATED .................................. 51
-ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE
TOO HIGH........................................... 52
-ROBOTISED SEQUENTIAL
GEARBOX FAILURE ............................ 52
-SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED .................. 52-POSSIBLE ICE ON ROAD .................. 53
-PARKING SENSOR FAILURE ............. 53
-SERVICE (SCHEDULED SERVICING)
EXPIRED ............................................. 53
-ASR SYSTEM .................................... 53
-HILL HOLDER FAILURE ..................... 53
-FUEL CUT-OFF SYSTEM.................... 53
-FUEL CUT-OFF SYSTEM FAILURE ..... 54
-EXTERIOR LIGHTS FAILURE .............. 54
-BRAKE LIGHT FAILURE ..................... 54
-FIAT CODE SYSTEM FAILURE ........... 54
-FUEL RESERVE - LIMITED RANGE .... 55
-ENGINE OIL PRESSURE SENSOR
FAILURE INDICATOR........................... 55
-OIL CHANGE ..................................... 55
-PRESS THE CLUTCH PEDAL TO
START ................................................. 55
-FUEL LEVEL SENSOR FAILURE......... 55
-HEADLIGHT ALIGNMENT
CORRECTOR ...................................... 55
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KNOWING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL