2018 FIAT 500C overheating

3. When the system is set up for your comfort level, it is
not necessary to change the settings. You experience the
greatest efficiency by simply allowing the system to
function automatically.
NOTE:
• It is not necessary to move the temperature settings for
cold or hot vehicles. The system automatically adjusts
the temperature, mode, and blower speed to provide
comfort as quickly as possible.
• The temperature can be displayed in U.S. or Metric units
by selecting the US/Metric customer-programmable fea-
ture.
To provide you with maximum comfort in the Automatic
mode during cold start-ups, the blower fan remains on low
until the engine warms up. The blower increases in speed
and transition into Auto mode.
Manual Operation Override
This system offers a full complement of manual override
features. The AUTO symbol in the front ATC display will
be turned off when the system is being used in the manual
mode. NOTE: The system will not automatically sense the pres-
ence of fog, mist or ice on the windshield. Defrost mode
must be manually selected to clear the windshield and side
glass.
Operating Tips
NOTE: Refer to the chart at the end of this section for
suggested control settings for various weather conditions.
Summer Operation
The engine cooling system must be protected with a
high-quality antifreeze coolant to provide proper corrosion
protection and to protect against engine overheating. OAT
coolant (conforming to MS.90032) is recommended.
Winter Operation
To ensure the best possible heater and defroster perfor-
mance, make sure the engine cooling system is functioning
properly and the proper amount, type, and concentration
of coolant is used. Use of the Air Recirculation mode
during Winter months is not recommended, because it may
cause window fogging.54 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE

WARNING!Do not coast in NEUTRAL and never turn off the
ignition to coast down a hill. These are unsafe practices
that limit your response to changing traffic or road
conditions. You might lose control of the vehicle and
have a collision.
CAUTION!Towing the vehicle, coasting, or driving for any other
reason with the transmission in NEUTRAL can cause
severe transmission damage. Refer to “Recreational
Towing” in “Starting And Operating” and “Towing A
Disabled Vehicle” in “In Case Of Emergency” for
further information.
DRIVE (D)
This range should be used for most city and highway
driving. It provides the smoothest upshifts and downshifts,
and the best fuel economy. The transmission automatically
upshifts through all forward gears. The DRIVE position
provides optimum driving characteristics under all normal
operating conditions. When frequent transmission shifting occurs (such as when
operating the vehicle under heavy loading conditions, in
hilly terrain, or traveling into strong head winds), use the
AutoStick shift control (refer to AutoStick in this section for
further information) to select a lower gear. Under these
conditions, using a lower gear will improve performance
and extend transmission life by reducing excessive shifting
and heat buildup.
If the transmission temperature exceeds normal operating
limits, the transmission controller will expand the range of
torque converter clutch engagement. This is done to pre-
vent transmission damage due to overheating.
During cold temperatures, transmission operation may be
modified depending on engine coolant temperature. Nor-
mal operation will resume once the engine temperature has
risen to a suitable level.
Instrument Cluster Messages
Dedicated messages will be displayed in the instrument
cluster to alert the driver when certain unusual conditions
occur. 6STARTING AND OPERATING 173

IF YOUR ENGINE OVERHEATS
In any of the following situations, you can reduce the
potential for overheating by taking the appropriate action.
• On the highways — slow down.
• In city traffic — while stopped, place the transmission in
NEUTRAL, but do not increase engine idle speed.
NOTE: There are steps that you can take to slow down an
impending overheat condition:
• If your air conditioner (A/C) is on, turn it off. The A/C
system adds heat to the engine cooling system and
turning the A/C off can help remove this heat.
• You can also turn the temperature control to maximum
heat, the mode control to floor and the blower control to
high. This allows the heater core to act as a supplement
to the radiator and aids in removing heat from the
engine cooling system.
WARNING!You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If you
see or hear steam coming from under the hood, do not (Continued) WARNING! (Continued)open the hood until the radiator has had time to cool.
Never try to open a cooling system pressure cap when
the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
CAUTION!Driving with a hot cooling system could damage your
vehicle. If the pointer rises to the H (red) mark, the
instrument cluster will sound a chime. When safe, pull
over and stop the vehicle with the engine at idle. Turn
off the air conditioning and wait until the pointer
drops back into the normal range. If the pointer
remains on the H (red) mark for more than a minute,
turn the engine off immediately and call for service.
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 (with automatic transmission) or SECOND224 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

GEAR and REVERSE (with manual transmission), 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.
NOTE: Push the  ESC Off  switch, to place the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system in  Partial Off  mode, before
rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake Control” in
“Safety” for further information. Once the vehicle has been
freed, push the  ESC Off  switch again to restore  ESC On 
mode.
WARNING!Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces generated
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 stopping when you are
stuck and do not let anyone near a spinning wheel, no
matter what the speed. 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
for at least one minute after every five rocking-
motion cycles. This will minimize overheating and
reduce the risk of clutch or transmission failure
during prolonged efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
• When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting between
DRIVE/SECOND GEAR and REVERSE, do not spin
the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drive-
train 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 transmis-
sion shifting occurring). 7IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 225

Under normal operating conditions, the catalytic converter
will not require maintenance. However, it is important to
keep the engine properly tuned to assure proper catalyst
operation and prevent possible catalyst damage.
NOTE: Intentional tampering with emissions control sys-
tems can result in civil penalties being assessed against
you.
In unusual situations involving grossly malfunctioning
engine operation, a scorching odor may suggest severe and
abnormal catalyst overheating. If this occurs, stop the
vehicle, turn off the engine and allow it to cool. Service,
including a tune-up to manufacturer’s specifications,
should be obtained immediately.
To minimize the possibility of catalytic converter damage:
• Do not interrupt the ignition when the transmission is in
gear and the vehicle is in motion.
• Do not try to start the vehicle by pushing or towing the
vehicle.
• Do not idle the engine with any ignition components
disconnected or removed, such as when diagnostic
testing, or for prolonged periods during very rough idle
or malfunctioning operating conditions. Cooling System
WARNING!• You or others can be badly burned by hot engine
coolant (antifreeze) or steam from your radiator. If
you see or hear steam coming from under the hood,
do not open the hood until the radiator has had time
to cool. Never open a cooling system pressure cap
when the radiator or coolant bottle is hot.
• Keep hands, tools, clothing, and jewelry away from
the radiator cooling fan when the hood is raised. The
fan starts automatically and may start at any time,
whether the engine is running or not.
• When working near the radiator cooling fan, discon-
nect the fan motor lead or turn the ignition to the
OFF mode. The fan is temperature controlled and can
start at any time the ignition is in the ON mode.
Coolant Checks
Check engine coolant (antifreeze) protection every 12
months (before the onset of freezing weather, where appli-
cable). If the engine coolant (antifreeze) is dirty or rusty in
appearance, the system should be drained, flushed and248 SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE

Tires — General Information
Tire Pressure
Proper tire inflation pressure is essential to the safe and
satisfactory operation of your vehicle. Four primary areas
are affected by improper tire pressure:
• Safety and Vehicle Stability
• Economy
• Tread Wear
• Ride Comfort
Safety
WARNING!• Improperly inflated tires are dangerous and can
cause collisions.
• Underinflation increases tire flexing and can result
in overheating and tire failure.
• Overinflation reduces a tire’s ability to cushion
shock. Objects on the road and chuckholes can cause
damage that result in tire failure. (Continued) WARNING! (Continued)• Overinflated or underinflated tires can affect vehicle
handling and can fail suddenly, resulting in loss of
vehicle control.
• Unequal tire pressures can cause steering problems.
You could lose control of your vehicle.
• Unequal tire pressures from one side of the vehicle
to the other can cause the vehicle to drift to the right
or left.
• Always drive with each tire inflated to the recom-
mended cold tire inflation pressure.
Both under-inflation and over-inflation affect the stability
of the vehicle and can produce a feeling of sluggish
response or over responsiveness in the steering.
NOTE:
• Unequal tire pressures from side to side may cause
erratic and unpredictable steering response.
• Unequal tire pressure from side to side may cause the
vehicle to drift left or right. 8SERVICING AND MAINTENANCE 263

Electronic Brake Control System ............... .101
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) .............. .103
Electronic Throttle Control Warning Light ..........86
Emergency, In Case Of
Hazard Warning Flasher .................. .197
Jacking ............................... .255
Jump Starting .......................... .220
Towing ............................... .226
Emission Control System Maintenance ............96
Engine
Air Cleaner ............................ .240
Break-In Recommendations ................ .163
Checking Oil Level ...................... .236
Compartment .......................... .235
Cooling .............................. .248
Exhaust Gas Caution .................. .154, 290
Fails To Start ........................... .162
Flooded, Starting ........................ .162
Fuel Requirements ................... .287, 291
Oil .............................. .238, 290
Oil Filler Cap .......................... .239
Oil Filter .............................. .240
Oil Selection ........................ .238, 291
Oil Synthetic ........................... .239
Overheating ........................... .224 Starting .............................. .161
Enhanced Accident Response Feature ........ .133, 228
Ethanol ................................. .288
Exhaust Gas Cautions ................... .154, 290
Exhaust System ....................... .154, 247
Exterior Lighting ............................37
Exterior Lights ...................... .37, 157, 197
Filters
Air Cleaner ............................ .240
Air Conditioning ..................... .55, 242
Engine Fuel ........................... .291
Engine Oil ............................ .240
Engine Oil Disposal ...................... .239
Flashers
Turn Signals ...................... .37, 94, 157
Flash-To-Pass ..............................37
Flooded Engine Starting ..................... .162
Fluid, Brake ............................. .293
Fluid Capacities ........................... .290
Fluid Leaks .............................. .157
Fluid Level Checks
Brake ................................ .253
Engine Oil ............................ .236
Fluids .................................. .29112 INDEX 325

Checking ............................. .236
Dipstick .............................. .236
Disposal .............................. .239
Filter ................................ .240
Filter Disposal .......................... .239
Identification Logo ...................... .238
Materials Added To ...................... .239
Pressure Warning Light .....................87
Recommendation .................... .238, 290
Synthetic ............................. .239
Viscosity .............................. .239
Oil Filter, Change ......................... .240
Oil Filter, Selection ......................... .240
Oil Pressure Light ...........................87
Onboard Diagnostic System ....................95
Operating Precautions ........................95
Operator Manual (Owner’s Manual) ...............5
Outlet
Power .................................68
Outside Rearview Mirrors .....................34
Overheating, Engine ....................... .224
Owner’s Manual (Operator Manual) ...........5,320
Paint Care ............................... .277
Parking Brake ............................ .164 Passing Light ..............................38
Pets ................................... .153
Placard, Tire And Loading Information .......... .259
Power
Brakes ............................... .285
Door Locks ..............................25
Mirrors ................................36
Outlet (Auxiliary Electrical Outlet) .............68
Steering .............................. .177
Sunroof ................................57
Pregnant Women And Seat Belts ............... .120
Pretensioners
Seat Belts ............................. .121
Radial Ply Tires ........................... .265
Radiator Cap (Coolant Pressure Cap) ............ .251
Radio Frequency
General Information .................... .19, 22
Radio Operation .......................... .308
Rear Camera ............................. .185
Rear Liftgate (Sedan) .........................65
Recreational Towing ........................ .190
Reformulated Gasoline ...................... .287
Refrigerant .............................. .241
Release, Hood ..............................63 12 INDEX 329