Page 105 of 244

STARTING THE
ENGINE
Before starting the engine, adjust the
seat, the interior rear view mirrors, the
door mirrors and fasten the seat belt
correctly.
Never press the accelerator pedal for
starting the engine.
If necessary, messages indicating the
starting procedure can be shown on
the display.
ENGINE STARTING
PROCEDURE
105) 106) 107) 108)
36) 37) 38) 39)
Versions with mechanical gearbox
Proceed as follows:
engage the parking brake and place
the gear lever in neutral;
bring the ignition device to MAR,
warning light
will come on in the
instrument panel - wait for the warning
light to switch off;
fully depress the clutch pedal
without touching the accelerator;
turn the ignition device to AVV and
release it as soon as the engine starts;
if the engine does not start within
10 seconds, bring the ignition device
back to STOP and wait for10-15 seconds before repeating the
starting procedure;
after the manoeuvre has been
repeated, if the problem persists,
contact a Fiat Dealership.
Versions with automatic
transmission
(where provided)
Proceed as follows:
engage the parking brake and set
the gear lever to P (Park) or N (Neutral);
fully depress the brake pedal without
touching the accelerator;
set the ignition device to AVV;
if the engine does not start, bring
the ignition device back to STOP and
wait for 10-15 seconds before
repeating the starting procedure;
after the manoeuvre has been
repeated, if the problem persists,
contact a Fiat Dealership.
ENGINE STARTING
FAILURE
105)
Important notes
Do not try to start the engine by towing
or pushing the vehicle. This manoeuvre
could let unburnt fuel enter the catalytic
converter. When the engine is started,
this would ignite, causing catalytic
converter overheating and damage.If the battery is flat, you can jump start
the vehicle by connecting the battery
with an auxiliary one or with one on
another vehicle using suitable cables.
This manoeuvre can anyway be
dangerous when not performed
correctly. See the indications in the
"Emergency starting" paragraph in the
"In an emergency" chapter.
WARNING
105)Do not try to start the engine pouring
fuel or other flammable fluid inside the
throttle body air intake: this might damage
the engine and injury people nearby.
106)It is dangerous to run the engine in
enclosed areas. The engine takes in
oxygen and releases carbon dioxide,
carbon monoxide and other toxic gases.
107)The brake servo is not active until the
engine is started, so you would need to
apply much more force than usual to the
brake pedal.
108)Do not start the engine by pushing,
towing or driving downhill. These
manoeuvres may damage the catalytic
converter.
IMPORTANT
36)We recommend that during the initial
period, or during the first 1600 km, you do
not drive to full car performance (e.g.
excessive acceleration, long journeys at top
speed, sharp braking, etc.).
103
Page 108 of 244

AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
GEAR LEVER
The fig. 99 lever has the following
positions:
P= Park
R= Reverse
N= Neutral
D= Drive, (automatic forward speed)
AutoStick: + shifting to higher gear
in sequential driving mode; – shifting to
lower gear in sequential driving mode.
The diagram for gear engagement is
shown on the trim at the side of the
gear lever.
The gear engaged is shown on the
display.To select a gear, move the lever
forwards or backwards.
To select the "sequential" mode, move
the lever from D (Drive) to the left: the
position + (upper gear) or – (lower gear)
can be reached; these are unstable
positions, which means that the lever
always returns to the central position.
The brake pedal and button 1 fig. 99 on
the knob must be pressed to exit
position P (Park).
Also to shift from position N (neutral) to
position D (drive) or R (reverse), you
need to press the brake pedal.IMPORTANT DO NOT accelerate while
shifting from position P (or N) to another
position.
IMPORTANT After selecting a gear, wait
a few seconds before accelerating. This
precaution is particularly important with
engine cold.
AUTOMATIC DRIVING
MODE
To select the automatic driving mode,
you need to shift the gear lever to D
(Drive): the best ratio is selected by the
electronic transmission control unit
depending on vehicle speed, engine
load (accelerator pedal position) and
gradient of the road.
D can be selected from sequential
operation in any driving conditions.
AUTOSTICK - Sequential
mode
In the case of frequent gearshifting (e.g.
when the vehicle is driven with a heavy
load, on slopes, with strong headwind),
it is recommended to use the Autostick
(sequential shifting) mode to select and
keep a lower fixed ratio.
In these conditions, using a lower gear
improves vehicle performance and
prolongs the transmission's life, limiting
gearshifting and preventing overheating.
It is possible to shift from position D
(Drive) to the sequential mode
regardless of vehicle speed.
Activation
With gear lever in position D (Drive), to
activate the sequential drive mode,
move the lever to the left (– and +
indication of the trim). The gear
engaged will be shown on the display.
Gearshifting is made by moving the
gear lever forwards, towards symbol –
or backwards, towards symbol +.
Deactivation
To deactivate the sequential driving
mode, bring the gear lever back to
position D (Drive), automatic mode.
9907076J0002EM
106
STARTING AND DRIVING
113)41)
114)
115)116)
42)
(where provided)
Page 177 of 244

IMPORTANT
65)It is recommended to have the vehicle
serviced by a Fiat Dealership. When
carrying out normal periodic operations and
small servicing interventions personally on
the vehicle, it is recommended to use
suitable equipment, genuine spare parts
and the necessary fluids. Do not carry out
any interventions if you don't have the
necessary experience.
66)Incorrect servicing of the vehicle or
failure to carry out operations or repairs
(when necessary) may lead to more
expensive repairs, damage to other
components or have a negative impact on
the vehicle performance. Have any
malfunction inspected immediately by a Fiat
Dealership.
67)The vehicle is equipped with fluids
which are optimised or protecting its
performance and life and extending service
intervals. Do not use chemicals for washing
these components since they may damage
the engine, the gearbox or the climate
control system. This damage is not covered
by the vehicle’s warranty. If any component
needs to be washed due to malfunctioning,
use only the specific liquid for that
procedure.
68)An excessive or insufficient amount of
oil inside the base is extremely damaging to
the engine. Make sure it is always at an
adequate level.69)Always require the use of only
compressor coolants and lubricants
approved and suitable for the specific air
conditioning system fitted on the vehicle.
Some non-approved coolants are
flammable and may explode, with the risk
of injuries. The use of non-approved
coolants or lubricants may adversely affect
system efficiency, leading to expensive
repairs.
70)The air conditioner system contains
coolant under high pressure: to avoid
injuries to people or damage to the system,
any coolant addition or repair that requires
to disconnect the cables must be carried
out by a Fiat Dealership.
71)Vehicles equipped with catalytic
converter must be fuelled only with
unleaded petrol. Leaded petrol would
permanently damage the catalytic
converter and eliminate its ability to reduce
polluting emissions, seriously
compromising the engine performance,
which would be irreparably damaged. If the
engine does not work correctly, especially if
it starts irregularly or if there is a reduction
of its performance, immediately go to a Fiat
Dealership. Prolonged and faulty operation
of the engine may cause overheating of the
converter and, as a consequence, possible
damage to the converter and the vehicle.
72)Using a gearbox fluid different from that
approved may compromise gearshifting
quality and/or cause vibration of the
gearbox itself.
LIFTING THE
VEHICLE
If the vehicle needs to be jacked up, go
to a Fiat Dealership, which is equipped
with shop jacks and jack arms.
The vehicle lifting points are marked on
the side panels with the
symbols
(see illustration in fig. 173 ).
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175