2019 FIAT 500C heater

Push down the release button, located at the outboard top
of the seatback and move the seatback to its folded-down
position to provide a flat load floor cargo area. When
returning the seatback to its upright position, push rear-
ward until the seatback is properly latched.
WARNING!
Do not pile luggage or cargo higher than the top of the
seatback. This could impair visibility or become a
dangerous projectile in a sudden stop or collision.
Heated Seats — If Equipped
On some models, the front driver and passenger seats may
be equipped with heaters in both the seat cushions and
Rear Seat Release Buttons
Folded Rear Seats
30 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE

seatbacks. The controls for the front heated seats are
located on the center instrument panel area.Push the switch once to turn on the heated seats.
Push the switch a second time to shut the heating
elements off.
NOTE: Once a heat setting is selected, heat will be felt
within two to five minutes.
WARNING!
• Persons who are unable to feel pain to the skin
because of advanced age, chronic illness, diabetes,
spinal cord injury, medication, alcohol use, exhaus-
tion or other physical condition must exercise care
when using the seat heater. It may cause burns even
at low temperatures, especially if used for long
periods of time.
• Do not place anything on the seat or seatback that
insulates against heat, such as a blanket or cushion.
This may cause the seat heater to overheat. Sitting in
a seat that has been overheated could cause serious
burns due to the increased surface temperature of the
seat.
HEAD RESTRAINTS
Head restraints are designed to reduce the risk of injury by
restricting head movement in the event of a rear impact.
Head restraints should be adjusted so that the top of the
head restraint is located above the top of your ear.
WARNING!
• All occupants, including the driver, should not oper-
ate a vehicle or sit in a vehicle’s seat until the head
restraints are placed in their proper positions in
order to minimize the risk of neck injury in the event
of a crash.
• Head restraints should never be adjusted while the
vehicle is in motion. Driving a vehicle with the head
restraints improperly adjusted or removed could
cause serious injury or death in the event of a
collision.
Reactive Head Restraints — Front Seats
The driver and front passenger seats are equipped with
Reactive Head Restraints. In the event of a rear impact, the
Reactive Head Restraints will automatically extend for-
ward minimizing the gap between the back of the occu-
pant’s head and the Reactive Head Restraint.
3
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE 31

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.
Vacation/Storage
Before you store your vehicle, or keep it out of service (i.e.,
vacation) for two weeks or more, run the air conditioning
system at idle for about five minutes, in fresh air with the
blower setting on high. This will ensure adequate system
lubrication to minimize the possibility of compressor dam-
age when the system is started again.
Window Fogging
Vehicle windows tend to fog on the inside in mild, rainy
and/or humid weather. To clear the windows, select De-
frost or Mix mode and increase the front blower speed. Do
not use the Recirculation mode without A/C for long
periods, as fogging may occur.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these cautions can cause damage to
the heating elements:
•Use care when washing the inside of the rear win-
dow. Do not use abrasive window cleaners on the
interior surface of the window. Use a soft cloth and a
mild washing solution, wiping parallel to the heat-
ing elements. Labels can be peeled off after soaking
with warm water.
•
Do not use scrapers, sharp instruments, or abrasive
window cleaners on the interior surface of the window.
• Keep all objects a safe distance from the window.
56 GETTING TO KNOW YOUR VEHICLE

Your vehicle may also be designed to perform any of these
other functions in response to the Enhanced Accident
Response System:
•Turn off the Fuel Filter Heater, Turn off the HVAC
Blower Motor, Close the HVAC Circulation Door
• Cut off battery power to the:
• Engine
• Electric Motor (if equipped)
• Electric power steering
• Brake booster
• Electric park brake
• Automatic transmission gear selector
• Horn
• Front wiper
• Headlamp washer pump
NOTE: After an accident, remember to cycle the ignition
to the STOP (OFF/LOCK) position and remove the key
from the ignition switch to avoid draining the battery.
Carefully check the vehicle for fuel leaks in the engine compartment and on the ground near the engine compart-
ment and fuel tank before resetting the system and starting
the engine. If there are no fuel leaks or damage to the
vehicle electrical devices (e.g. headlights) after an accident,
reset the system by following the procedure described
below. If you have any doubt, contact an authorized dealer.
Enhanced Accident Response System Reset
Procedure
After the event occurs, when the system is active, a
message regarding fuel cutoff is displayed. Turn the igni-
tion switch from ignition AVV/START or MAR/ACC/
ON/RUN to ignition STOP/OFF/LOCK. Carefully check
the vehicle for fuel leaks in the engine compartment and on
the ground near the engine compartment and fuel tank
before resetting the system and starting the engine.
Depending on the nature of the event the left and right turn
signal lights, located in the instrument panel, may both be
blinking and will continue to blink. In order to move your
vehicle to the side of the road, you must follow the system
reset procedure.
134 SAFETY

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.
WARNING!
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle.
• Allowing children to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or others
could be seriously or fatally injured. Children
should be warned not to touch the parking brake,
brake pedal or the transmission gear selector.
• Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle (or in
a location accessible to children). A child could
operate power windows, other controls, or move the
vehicle.
Manual Transmission — If Equipped
Apply the parking brake, place the gear selector in NEU-
TRAL, and press the clutch pedal before starting the
vehicle. This vehicle is equipped with a clutch interlocking
ignition system. It will not start unless the clutch pedal is
pressed to the floor.
Automatic Transmission
The gear selector must be in the PARK or NEUTRAL
position before you can start the engine. Depress the brake
pedal before shifting to any driving gear.
NOTE: You must press the brake pedal before shifting out
of PARK.
Normal Starting
NOTE: Normal starting of either a cold or a warm engine
is obtained without pumping or pressing the accelerator
pedal.
Turn the ignition switch to the AVV (START) position and
release it when the engine starts. If the engine fails to start
within 10 seconds, turn the ignition switch to the STOP
(OFF/LOCK) position, wait 10 to 15 seconds, then repeat
the “Normal Starting” procedure.
Cold Weather Operation
To prevent possible engine damage while starting at low
temperatures, this vehicle will inhibit engine cranking
when the ambient temperature is less than –22° F (–30° C)
and the oil temperature sensor reading indicates an engine
block heater has not been used. An externally-powered
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STARTING AND OPERATING 161

electric engine block heater is available as optional equip-
ment from your authorized dealer or may be standard
equipment in some markets.
The message “plug in engine heater” will be displayed in
the instrument cluster when the ambient temperature is
below 5° F (–15° C) at the time the engine is shut off as a
reminder to avoid possible crank delays at the next cold
start.
CAUTION!
Use of the recommended oil and adhering to the
prescribed oil change intervals is important to prevent
engine damage and ensure satisfactory starting in cold
conditions.
Extended Park Starting
NOTE:Extended Park condition occurs when the vehicle
has not been started or driven for at least 30 days.
1. Install a battery charger or jumper cables to the battery to ensure a full battery charge during the crank cycle.
2. Cycle the ignition to the START mode and release it when the engine starts. 3. If the engine fails to start within 10 to 15 seconds, cycle
the ignition to the OFF mode, wait five seconds to allow
the starter to cool, then repeat the Extended Park
Starting procedure.
4. If the engine fails to start after eight attempts, allow the starter to cool for at least 10 minutes, then repeat the
procedure.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank continu-
ously for more than 10 seconds at a time. Wait 10 to 15
seconds before trying again.
If Engine Fails To Start
WARNING!
Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into the
throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to start the
vehicle. This could result in a flash fire causing serious
personal injury.
162 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!
•Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan whenever
the hood is raised. It can start anytime the ignition
switch is ON. You can be injured by moving fan
blades.
• Remove any metal jewelry such as rings, watch
bands and bracelets that could make an inadvertent
electrical contact. You could be seriously injured.
• Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can burn your
skin or eyes and generate hydrogen gas which is
flammable and explosive. Keep open flames or
sparks away from the battery.
1. Apply the parking brake, shift the automatic transmis- sion into PARK and turn the ignition to LOCK.
2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electrical accessories.
3. Remove the protective cover over the positive (+)bat-
tery post. To remove the cover, push the locking tab and
pull upward on the cover. 4. If using another vehicle to jump start the battery, park
the vehicle within the jumper cables reach, apply the
parking brake and make sure the ignition is OFF.
WARNING!
Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this could
establish a ground connection and personal injury
could result.
Jump Starting Procedure
WARNING!
Failure to follow this jump starting procedure could
result in personal injury or property damage due to
battery explosion.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these procedures could result in
damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle
or the discharged vehicle.
214 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY

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.
GEAR SELECTOR OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the gear selector cannot be
moved out of the PARK position, you can use the following
procedure to temporarily move the gear selector:
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
216 IN CASE OF EMERGENCY