2018 FIAT 124 SPIDER Owner handbook (in English)

SCHEDULED SERVICING PLAN
The checks listed in the Scheduled Servicing Plan, after reaching 120,000 km/8 years, must be cyclically repeated starting from
the first interval, thus following the same intervals as before.
159
Thousands of miles9 182736455463728190
Thousands of kilometers15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150
Years12345678910
Check tire condition/wear and adjust pressure, if
necessary. Check quick tire repair kit recharge
condition and expiry date (where provided)
●●●●●●●●●●
Check operation of lighting system (headlights,
direction indicators, hazard warning lights, boot,
passenger compartment, glove compartment,
instrumental panel warning lights, etc.)
●●●●●●●●●●
Check and, if necessary, top up fluid levels (1)●●●●●●●●●●
Check exhaust emissions/smokiness●●●●●●●●●●
Use the diagnosis socket to check engine
management system operation, emissions and,
for versions/markets where provided, engine oil
degradation
●●●●●●●●●●
Visually inspect conditions of: exterior bodywork,
underbody protection, pipes and hoses (exhaust,
fuel system, brakes), rubber elements (gaiters,
sleeves, bushes, etc.) and fasteners in sight
●●●●●
Visually inspect conditions of steering elements
and check their operation●●●●●
(1) Always only use the liquids shown in the handbook for topping up after having checked that the system is not damaged.

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MAINTENANCE AND CARE
Thousands of miles9 182736455463728190
Thousands of kilometers15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150
Years12345678910
Check endfloat of wheel bearings and front and
rear joints●●●●●
Check windscreen wiper blade position/wear●●●●●
Check operation of the wiper/washer system
and adjust jets, if necessary●●●●●
Check cleanliness of bonnet and boot locks, as
well as cleanliness and lubrication of linkages●●●●●
Check handbrake lever travel and adjust, if
necessary●●●●●●●●●●
Visually inspect conditions and wear of front/rear
disk brake pads and integrity of pad wear
indicator
●●●●●●●●●●
Visually inspect condition of evaporation control
system●●●
Visually inspect condition and tensioning of
accessory drive belt(s)●
Visually inspect conditions of toothed timing
drive belt●
Change transmission oil●
Change engine oil and replace oil filter●●●●●●●●●●

161
Thousands of miles9 182736455463728190
Thousands of kilometers15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150
Years12345678910
Replace spark plugs (2)●●●
Replace accessory drive belt(s)(3)
Replace toothed timing drive belt(3)
Replace air filter cartridge (4)
●●●
Change the brake fluid(5)
(2) For 1.4 Turbo Multiair versions, to guarantee correct operation and prevent serious damage to the engine, it is essential to proceed as
follows: only use spark plugs specifically certified for these engines; all spark plugs should be of the same type and brand (see the "Engine"
paragraph in the "Technical specifications" chapter); stricltly comply with the replacement intervals in the Scheduled Servicing Plan. It is
advisable to contact a Fiat Dealership for spark plug replacement.
(3) Areas that are not dusty: recommended maximum mileage 120.000 km. Regardless of the mileage, the belt must be replaced every 6 years.
Dusty areas and/or demanding use (cold climates, town use, long periods of idling): recommended maximum mileage 60.000 km.
Regardless of the mileage, the belt must be replaced every 4 years.
(4) If the vehicle is used in dusty areas, this cleaner must be replaced every 15.000 km.
(5) The brake fluid replacement has to be done every two years, irrespective of the mileage.

WARNING
186)Do not perform maintenance work if
you lack sufficient knowledge and
experience or the proper tools and
equipment to do the work. Have
maintenance work done by a qualified
technician. Performing maintenance work
on a vehicle is dangerous if not done
properly. You can be seriously injured while
performing some maintenance procedures.
187)If you must run the engine while
working under the bonnet, make certain
that you remove all jewelry (especially
rings, bracelets, watches, and necklaces)
and all neckties, scarves, and similar loose
clothing before getting near the engine or
cooling fan which may turn on
unexpectedly. Either can become
entangled in moving parts and result in
injury.
188)Switch the ignition to off and make
sure the fan is not running before
attempting to work near the cooling fan.
Working near the cooling fan when it is
running is dangerous. The fan could
continue running indefinitely even if the
engine has stopped and the engine
compartment temperature is high. You
could be hit by the fan and seriously
injured.
IMPORTANT
38)Do not leave items in the engine
compartment. After you have finished
checking or doing servicing in the engine
compartment, do not forget and leave
items such as tools or rags in the engine
compartment. Tools or other items left in
the engine compartment could cause
engine damage or a fire leading to an
unexpected accident.
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MAINTENANCE AND CARE

ENGINE COMPARTMENT
CHECKING LEVELS
189) 190)
39)
1. Window and headlight washer fluid 2. Engine oil dipstick 3. Engine oil cap 4. Engine coolant fluid 5. Brake/clutch
fluid 6. Battery
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ENGINE OIL
191)
40)
4)
Inspecting engine oil level
Proceed as follows:
be sure the vehicle is on a level
surface;
warm up the engine to normal
operating temperature;
turn it off and wait at least 5 minutes
for the oil to return to the sump;
pull out the dipstick 1 fig. 146, wipe it
clean, and reinsert it fully;
pull it out again and examine the
level. The level is normal if it is between
Low and Full. If it is near or below Low,
open the engine oil cap/filler 2 and add
enough oil to bring the level to Full;
make sure the O-ring on the dipstick
is positioned properly before reinserting
the dipstick;
reinsert the dipstick fully.
IMPORTANT Do not overfill the engine
oil. This may cause engine damage.
Engine oil consumption
During the initial period of use the
engine oil consumption conditions
should be considered as having
stabilised after the first 5000 –
6000 km.
NOTE It is normal for all engines to
consume engine oil under normal
driving conditions. Engine oil
consumption may be as high as
400 g/1000 km. This may be as a result
of evaporation, internal ventilation or
burning of the lubricating oil in the
working engine. Oil consumption may
be higher when the engine is new due
to the running-in process. Oil
consumption is also dependant on
engine speed and engine load. Underextreme driving conditions, oil
consumption may be higher.
Engine oil changing
NOTE Changing the engine oil should
be done by Fiat Dealership.
ENGINE COOLANT
192) 193) 194)
41) 42) 43) 44) 45) 46)
The coolant should be at full in the
radiator and between the F (Full) and L
(Low) marks on the coolant reservoir
fig. 147 when the engine is cool.
If it is at or near L (Low), add enough
coolant to the coolant reservoir to
provide freezing and corrosion
protection and to bring the level to F
(Full).
Securely tighten the coolant reservoir
tank cap after adding coolant.14607030403-121-001
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MAINTENANCE AND CARE

If the coolant reservoir is empty or new
coolant is required frequently, contact a
Fiat Dealership.
BRAKE / CLUTCH FLUID
197)
47)
It should be kept between the MAX and
MIN lines fig. 148.
The level normally drops with
accumulated distance, a condition
associated with wear of brake and
clutch linings. If it is excessively low,
have the brake/clutch system contact a
Fiat Dealership.
NOTE On right-hand drive versions the
reservoir is located on the left side of
the engine compartment.
WINDOW AND
HEADLIGHT WASHER
FLUID
203)
Inspect fluid level in the washer fluid
reservoir fig. 149; open the cap and
add fluid if necessary.
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
CONTROL UNIT
5)
The transmission control oil level should
only be checked at a Fiat Dealership.
BATTERY MAINTENANCE
198) 199) 200) 201)
48)
6)
To get the best service from a battery:
keep it securely mounted;
keep the top clean and dry;
keep terminals and connections
clean, tight, and coated with petroleum
jelly or terminal grease;
rinse off spilled electrolyte
immediately with a solution of water
and baking soda;
if the vehicle will not be used for an
extended time, disconnect the battery
leads and charge the battery every six
weeks.
NOTE
Every time the battery is reconnected
after being disconnected, it is
necessary to perform the following
procedure:
warm up the engine;
with the vehicle stationary, the engine
running and the transmission in the
neutral or N/P (for automatic
transmission) position, press the
accelerator down fully to bring the
engine speed to over 6000 rpm;
release the accelerator pedal and
wait for the engine to return naturally to
idling speed.
If this procedure is not performed, the
warning light could turn on: in this
case, contact Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANT If, after the
first press of the accelerator pedal to
bring the engine to over 6000 rpm,
another follows immediately after
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without the engine naturally reaching
idling speed, the learning procedure is
invalidated and the
warning light
on the instrument panel will turn on. If
the engine is not brought to over
6000 rpm, or it is not warmed up, the
control unit will keep open the
possibility to repeat the described
procedure.
Inspecting electrolyte level
A low level of electrolyte fluid will cause
the battery to discharge quickly.
Inspect the electrolyte level at least
once a week. If it is low, remove the
caps and add enough distilled water to
bring the level between the upper and
lower levelfig. 150 (1 = upper level/2=
lower level).Do not overfill.
Examine the specific gravity of the
electrolyte with a hydrometer, especiallyduring cold weather. If it is low,
recharge the battery.
Battery replacement
Contact a Fiat Dealership for a battery
replacement purchase.
After replacing the battery, perform the
phonic wheel learning procedure
described in the “Battery maintenance”
chapter.
WARNING
189)Never smoke when performing
operations in the engine compartment.
Flammable gases and fumes may be
present and risk igniting.
190)Be very careful when working in the
engine compartment when the engine is
hot: you may get burned. Do not get too
close to the radiator cooling fan: the
electric fan may start; danger of injury.
Scarves, ties and other loose clothing
might be pulled by moving parts.
191)If the engine oil is being topped up,
wait for the engine to cool down before
loosening the filler cap, particularly for
vehicles with aluminium cap (where
provided). IMPORTANT: risk of burns!
192)Do not use a match or live flame in
the engine compartment. DO NOT ADD
COOLANT WHEN THE ENGINE IS HOT: a
hot engine is dangerous. If the engine has
been running, parts of the engine
compartment can become very hot. You
could be burned. Carefully inspect the
engine coolant in the coolant reservoir, but
do not open it.193)Do not remove either cooling system
cap when the engine and radiator are hot.
When the engine and radiator are hot,
scalding coolant and steam may shoot out
under pressure and cause serious injury.
194)The cooling system is pressurized. If
necessary, only replace the cap with
another original one or the operation of the
system may be adversely affected. Do not
remove the reservoir cap when the engine
is hot: risk of burns.
195)Do not travel with the windscreen
washer fluid reservoir empty: the washer
operation is essential for improving visibility.
Repeated operation of the system without
fluid could damage or cause rapid
deterioration of some system components.
196)Certain commercial additives for
windscreen washer fluids are inflammable.
The engine compartment contains hot
components which may set it on fire.
197)Brake fluid is poisonous and highly
corrosive. In the event of accidental
contact, immediately wash the affected
parts with water and mild soap. Then rinse
thoroughly. Call a doctor immediately if
swallowed.
198)Battery fluid is poisonous and
corrosive. Avoid contact with the skin and
eyes. Keep open flames away from the
battery and do not use objects that might
create sparks: risk of explosion and fire.
199)Using the battery with insufficient fluid
irreparably damages the battery and may
cause an explosion.
200)If the vehicle must remain unused for
a long time at a very low temperature,
remove the battery and take it to a warm
place, to avoid freezing.
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