2018 FIAT 500X Owner handbook (in English)

OCCUPANT
PROTECTION
SYSTEMS
The most important safety equipment
of the vehicle comprises the following
protection systems:
seat belts;
SBR (Seat Belt Reminder) system;
head restraints;
child restraint systems;
front airbags and side bags.
Read the information given the following
pages with the utmost care. It is of
fundamental importance that the
protection systems are used in the
correct way to guarantee the maximum
possible safety level for the driver and
the passengers.
For the description of the head restraint
adjustment see paragraph "Head
restraints" in chapter "Knowing your
vehicle".
SEAT BELTS
All vehicle seats are equipped with seat
belts with three anchor points and a
retractor.
The retractor mechanism operates
locking the belt in the event of sharp
braking or strong deceleration due to
an impact. This allows the belt strap to
slide freely and to adapt to the body of
the occupant. In the event of an
accident, the belt will lock reducing the
risk of impact inside the passenger
compartment and of being projected
outside the vehicle.
The driver is responsible for respecting,
and ensuring that all the other
occupants of the vehicle also respect,
the local laws in force in relation to the
use of the seat belts.
Always fasten the seat belts before
setting off.
USING THE SEAT BELTS
The seat belt should be worn keeping
the torso straight and rested against the
backrest.
To fasten the seat belts, hold tongue A
fig. 68 and insert it into buckle B, until it
clicks into place. On removal of the belt, if it jams, let it
rewind for a short stretch, then pull it
out again without jerking.
To unfasten the seat belts, press button
C fig. 68 and guide the seat belt with
your hand while it is rewinding, to
prevent it from twisting.
71) 72)
The retractor may lock when the vehicle
is parked on a steep slope: this is
perfectly normal. Furthermore, the
retractor mechanism locks the belt if it
is pulled sharply or in the event of
sudden braking, collisions or
high-speed bends.
Once seated, wear the rear seat belts
as shown in fig. 69.
68F1B0101C
87

IMPORTANT When returning the rear
seat from the tilted position to the
normal operating position, take care to
refit the seat belt correctly, in order to
guarantee prompt availability every
time.ADJUSTING THE SEAT
BELT HEIGHT
73) 74)
Five different adjustments in height are
possible.
To carry out window height adjustment,
from the top to the bottom, buttons A
fig. 70 (located on both sides of handle
B) must be pressed simultaneously
(towards each other), and the handle
must be slid downwards.
To carry out window height adjustment,
from the top to the bottom, handle B
must be slid (without pressing
anything).
Always adjust the height of the seat
belts to fit the person wearing it: this
precaution could greatly reduce the risk
of injury in the event of collision.
Correct adjustment is obtained when
the belt passes approximately half way
between the shoulder and the neck.
WARNING
71)
Never press button C when travelling.
72) Remember that, in the event of an
accident, the rear seat passengers not
wearing seat belts are exposed to a very
serious risk and also represent a serious
danger for the front seat occupants.
73) Make height adjustment of the seat
belts when the car is stationary.
74) After the height adjustment, always
check that the grip is locked in one of the
preset positions. To do this, with button A
released, exert further pressure
downwards to allow the locking device to
click if the grip has not been released in
one of the possible positions.
69F1B0382C
70F1B0103C
88
SAFETY

SBR (Seat Belt
Reminder) SYSTEM
The SBR system warns the passengers
of the front and rear (where provided)
seats if their seat belt is not fastened.
The system signals unfastened seat
belts with visual warnings (warning light
on in the instrument panel and symbols
on the display) and an acoustic signal
(see the following paragraphs).
NOTE To deactivate the acoustic
warning permanently go to a Fiat
Dealership. The acoustic warning can
be reactivated at any time through the
display Menu (see the "Display"
paragraph in the “Knowing the
instrument panel” chapter).
FRONT SEAT BELT
WARNING LIGHT
BEHAVIOUR
When the ignition device is turned to
MAR, warning light
(see fig. 71 )
lights up for a few seconds, regardless
of the status of the front seat belts.
With vehicle at a standstill, if the driver
side seat belt or the passenger side
seat belt (with occupant present) is
unfastened, the warning light stays on
constantly. As soon as the threshold of 8 km/h is
exceeded for a few seconds with driver
or passenger side (with passenger
present) seat belts unfastened, an
acoustic warning is activated together
with the flashing of the
warning light
for approximately 105 seconds.
When this cycle of warnings is activated
it will stay on for its entire length
(regardless of the vehicle speed) or until
the seat belts are fastened again.
When the reverse is engaged, during
the cycle of warnings, the acoustic
signal is deactivated and the
warning light turns on constantly.
The cycle of warnings will be
reactivated as soon as speed exceeds
8 km/h again.
REAR SEAT BELT ICON
BEHAVIOUR
The icons are shown on the display
(fig. 72 versions with colour display or
fig. 73 versions with monochromatic
display) after a few seconds have
elapsed since the ignition device is
turned to MAR.
The icons will disappear after
approximately 30 seconds or after the
seat belts are fastened.
71F1B0104C
72F1B0105C
89

The icons on the display represent the
following (as applicable):
A: rear left seat belt fastened;
B: rear central seat belt fastened;
C: rear right seat belt unfastened.
The icons are displayed according to
the corresponding seat belts in the rear
seats, and stay on for about 30 seconds from the last seat belt
status change:
if the seat belt is fastened
the
corresponding icon will appear as
shown in A and B (green on the colour
display);
if the seat belt is unfastened the
corresponding icon will appear as
shown in C (red on the colour display);
If a rear seat belt is unfastened, an
acoustic warning (3 "beeps") will be
activated along with the relevant icon
lighting up in the display.
Furthermore the icons will light up again
for 30 seconds each time one of the
doors is closed.
The icon will turn green after the
corresponding seat belt has been
fastened.
The rear seat icons will go out,
regardless of the state of the belt (red
icon or green icon), approximately
30 seconds after the last warning. IMPORTANT NOTES
As far as the rear seats are concerned,
the SBR system will only indicate
whether the seat belts are unfastened
(red icon) or fastened (green icon), not
the presence of any passengers.
For the rear seats, the icons will activate
a few seconds after the ignition device
has been turned to MAR, regardless of
the status of the seat belts (even if the
seat belts are all fastened).
All the warning lights/icons will come on
when at least one belt changes from
fastened to unfastened status or vice
versa.
73F1B0106C
90
SAFETY

PRE-TENSIONERS
The car is equipped with seat belt
pretensioners for the front and rear side
seats. These draw the seat belts back
by several centimetres in the event of a
strong frontal impact to ensure that the
seat belts adhere perfectly to the
occupants' bodies before retention
begins.
It is evident that the pretensioners have
been activated when the belt withdraws
toward the retractor.
The front car seats are also equipped
with a second pretensioner (fitted in the
kick plate area). Its activation is
signalled by the metal cable shortening.
A slight discharge of smoke may be
produced during the activation of the
pretensioner which is not harmful and
does not involve any fire hazard.
The pretensioner does not require any
maintenance or lubrication: any
changes to its original conditions will
invalidate its efficiency.
If, due to unusual natural events (floods,
sea storms, etc.), the device has been
affected by water and/or mud, contact
a Fiat Dealership to have it replaced.
IMPORTANT To obtain the highest
degree of protection from the action of
the pretensioner, wear the seat belt
tight to the chest and pelvis.
LOAD LIMITERS
75)
41)
To increase safety in the event of an
accident, the front seat belt retractors
contain a device which controls the
force acting on the chest and shoulders
during the belt restraining action in the
event of a frontal collision.
GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS FOR
USING THE SEAT BELTS
76) 77) 78)
Seat belts are also to be worn by
pregnant women: the risk of injury in the
case of impact is greatly reduced for
them and the unborn child if they are
wearing a seat belt.
Pregnant women must position the
lower part of the belt very low down so
that it passes over the pelvis and under
the abdomen fig. 74. While pregnancy
progresses, the driver must adjust both
seat and steering wheel to have full
control over the car (pedals and
steering wheel must be easy to
access). The maximum clearance
should be kept between the abdomen
and the steering wheel.The seat belt strap must not be twisted.
The upper part must pass over the
shoulder and cross the chest
diagonally. The lower part must adhere
to the pelvis fig. 75, not to the
abdomen of the occupant. Do not use
devices (clips, etc.) to hold the seat belt
away from your body.
74F1B0107C
75F1B0108C
91

Each seat belt must be used by only
one person. Never travel with a child
sitting on the passenger's lap and a
single belt to protect them both fig. 76.
In general, do not place any objects
between the person and the belt.SEAT BELTS
MAINTENANCE
For keeping the seat belts in efficient
conditions, carefully observe the
following warnings:
always use the seat belt well
stretched and never twisted; make sure
that it is free to run without
obstructions;
check seat belt operation as follows:
attach the seat belt and pull it hard;
replace the seat belt after an
accident of a certain severity even if it
does not appear to be damaged.
Always replace the seat belt if the
pretensioners were deployed;
prevent the retractors from getting
wet: their correct operation is only
guaranteed if water does not get inside;
replace the seat belt when it shows
wear or cuts.
WARNING
75) The pretensioner may be used only
once. Contact a Fiat Dealership to have it
replaced after it has been deployed.
76) Removing or otherwise tampering with
pretensioner and seat belt components is
strictly prohibited. Any intervention on
these components must be performed by
qualified and authorised technicians.
Always go to a Fiat Dealership. 77)
For maximum safety, keep the backrest
upright, lean back into it and make sure the
seat belt fits closely across your chest and
pelvis. Always fasten the seat belts for both
the front and rear seats! Travelling without
wearing seat belts will increase the risk of
serious injury and even death in the event
of an accident.
78) If the belt has been subjected to high
levels of stress, for example after an
accident, it should be changed completely
together with the attachments, attachment
fixing screws and the pretensioner. In fact,
even if the belt has no visible defects, it
may have lost its resilience.
IMPORTANT
41) Operations which lead to impacts,
vibrations or localised heating (over 100°C
for a maximum of six hours) in the area
around the pretensioner may cause
damage or make it deploy. Contact a Fiat
Dealership should intervention be
necessary on these components.76F1B0109C
92
SAFETY

CHILD RESTRAINT
SYSTEMS
CARRYING CHILDREN
SAFELY
79) 80) 81) 82)
For optimal protection in the event of an
impact, all occupants must be seated
and wearing adequate restraint
systems, including newborn and other
children!
This prescription is compulsory in all EC
countries according to EC Directive
2003/20/EC.
Children below the height of
1.50 metres and up to 12 years must
be protected with suitable restraint
systems and be seated on the rear
seats.
Statistics on accidents indicate that the
rear seats offer greater safety for
children.
Compared with an adult, a child's head
is larger and heavier in proportion to
their body and the child's muscular and
bone structures are not fully developed.
Therefore, correct restraint systems
other than adult seat belts are
necessary, to reduce as much as
possible the risk of injuries in the event
of an accident, braking or sudden
manoeuvre.Children must be seated safely and
comfortably. As far as the
characteristics of the child seats used
allow, you are advised to keep children
in rear facing child seats for as long as
possible (at least until 3–4 years old),
since this is the most protected position
in the event of an impact.
The choice of the most suitable child
restraint system depends on the weight
and size of the child. There are various
types of child restraint systems, which
can be secured to the car by means of
the seat belts or with the ISOFIX/i-Size
anchorages.
It is recommended to always choose
the restraint system most suitable for
the child; for this reason always refer to
the Owner Handbook provided with the
child restraint system, to be sure that it
is of the right type for the children it is
intended for.
In Europe the characteristics of child
restraint systems are ruled by the
regulation ECE-R44, dividing them into
five weight groups:Group
Weight range
Group0 upto10kg
Gr
oup 0+ up to 13 kg in
weight
Group 1 9-18 kg
Group 2 15 - 25 kg
Group 3 22 - 36 kg
The ECE-R44 standard was recently
paired with the ECE R-129 regulation,
which defines the characteristics of the
new i-Size child restraint systems (see
the "Suitability of passenger seats for
i-Size child restraint system use"
paragraph for more information).
All restraint devices must bear the
type-approval data, together with the
control mark, on a label solidly fixed to
the child restraint system which must
never be removed.
Lineaccessori MOPAR
®includes child
restraint systems for each weight
group. These devices are
recommended having been specifically
designed for Fiat vehicles.
93

WARNING In order to be correctly
installed in the car, some universal child
seats need a (base) accessory sold
separately from the car seat
manufacturer. Therefore, FCA
recommends confirming the retailer if
the desired child seat can be installed in
the car by having it done, before buying
the seat.
FITTING A CHILD
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
WITH SEAT BELTS
The Universal child restraint systems
installed with the seat belts only are
type-approved on the basis of the ECE
R44 standard and are divided into
various weight groups.
83) 84) 85) 86)
IMPORTANT The figures are indicative
and provided for assembly purposes
only. Fit the child restraint system
according to the instructions, which
must be included.
Group 0 and 0+
Infants up to 13 kg must be carried with
a rearward facing child restraint system
of a type as shown in fig. 77 which,
supporting the head, does not induce
stress on the neck in the event of
sudden decelerations.
The child restraint system is secured by
the vehicle seat belts, as shown in
fig. 77 and it must restrain the child in
turn with its own belts.Group 1
Children of weight from 9 to 18 kg may
be carried in forward facing child
restraint systems fig. 78.
77F1B0110C
78F1B0111C
94
SAFETY