2019 FIAT 500L ABS

USE OF THE OWNER HANDBOOK
OPERATING INSTRUCTIONS
Each time direction instructions (left/right or forwards/backwards) about the car are given, these must be understood as
regarding an occupant in the driver's seat. Special cases not complying with this rule will be specified as appropriate in the text.
The figures in the Owner Handbook are provided by way of example only: this might imply that some details of the image do
not correspond to the actual arrangement of your car. In addition, the Handbook has been conceived considering vehicles with
steering wheel on the left side; it is therefore possible that on vehicles with steering wheel on the right side, the position or
construction of some controls is not exactly mirror-like with respect to the figure.
To identify the chapter with the information needed you can consult the index at the end of this Owner Handbook.
Chapters can be rapidly identified with dedicated graphic tabs, at the side of each odd page. A few pages further there is a key
for getting to know the chapter order and the relevant symbols in the tabs. There is in any case a textual indication of the
current chapter at the side of each even page.
WARNINGS AND PRECAUTIONS
While reading this Owner Handbook you will find a series ofWARNINGSto prevent procedures that could damage your
vehicle.
There are alsoPRECAUTIONSthat must be carefully followed to prevent incorrect use of the components of the vehicle,
which could cause accidents or injuries.
Therefore, allWARNINGSandPRECAUTIONSmust always be followed carefully.
WARNINGSandPRECAUTIONSare recalled in the text with the following symbols:
personal safety;
vehicle safety;
environmental protection.
NOTE These symbols, when necessary, are indicated besides the title or at the end of the line and are followed by a number.
That number recalls the corresponding warning at the end of the relevant section.

WARNING
1)Button B fig. 4should only be pressed
when the key is away from the body, in
particular from the eyes and from objects
that can be spoilt (e.g. clothes). Do not
leave the key unattended to avoid the
button being accidentally pressed while it
is being handled, e.g. by a child.
2)Once the safe lock system is engaged, it
is impossible to open the doors from
inside the car. Therefore, before getting out
of the car check that there is no-one left
on board.
WARNING
1)The electronic components inside the
key may be damaged if the key is
subjected to strong shocks. In order to
ensure complete efficiency of the
electronic devices inside the key, it should
never be exposed to direct sunlight.
WARNING
1)Used batteries should be disposed of,
as specified by law, in the special
containers, otherwise take them to a Fiat
Dealership, which will deal with their
disposal.
IGNITION DEVICE
3) 4) 5) 6)
The key can be turned to three different
positions fig. 6:
STOP: engine off, key can be
removed, steering column locked.
Some electrical devices (e.g. central
door locking system, etc.) can operate;
MAR: driving position. All electrical
devices are enabled;
AVV: engine starting.
The ignition device is fitted with a safety
system that requires the ignition key
to be turned back to STOP if the engine
does not start, before the starting
operation can be repeated.
STEERING LOCK
Engagement: when at STOP, remove
the key and turn the steering wheel until
it locks.Disengagement:move the steering
wheel slightly as you turn the ignition
key to MAR.
WARNING
3)If the ignition device has been tampered
with (e.g. an attempted theft), have it
checked by a Fiat Dealership before driving
again.
4)Always remove the key when you leave
your car to prevent someone from
accidentally operating the controls.
Remember to engage the handbrake.
Engage 1
stgear if the car is parked uphill or
reverse if the car is parked downhill. Never
leave children unattended in the vehicle.
5)It is absolutely forbidden to carry out any
after-market operation involving steering
system or steering column modifications
(e.g.: installation of anti-theft device) that
could badly affect performance and safety,
invalidate the warranty and also result in
non-compliance of the car with type-
approval requirements.
6)Never remove the key while the car is
moving. The steering wheel would
automatically lock as soon as you try to
turn it. This holds true for cars being towed
as well.
6F0Y0654C
14
KNOWING YOUR CAR

STEERING WHEEL
17) 18)
ADJUSTMENTS
The steering wheel can be adjusted
axially and vertically. To adjust, move
lever A fig. 19 downwards to position 1,
then adjust the steering wheel to the
most suitable position and lock it in
position by moving lever A to position
2.
WARNING
17)All adjustments must be carried out
only with the car stationary and engine off.
18)It is absolutely forbidden to carry out
any after-market operation involving
steering system or steering column
modifications (e.g. installation of anti-theft
device) that could adversely affect
performance and safety, invalidate the
warranty and also result in the car not
meeting type-approval requirements.
REAR VIEW
MIRRORS
INTERNAL MIRROR
The mirror is fitted with a safety device
that causes its release in the event of
a violent impact with the passenger.
Operate lever A fig. 20 to adjust the
mirror into two different positions:
normal or anti-glare.
ELECTROCHROMIC
INTERIOR MIRROR
(for versions/markets, where provided)
The electrochromic mirrorfig. 21 has
an ON/OFF button to activate/
deactivate the electrochromic function.
When reverse is engaged, the mirror
is automatically set for daytime use.
19F0Y0605C
20F0Y0223C
19

BONNET
OPENING
Pull the lever A fig. 41 in the direction
indicated by the arrow and then
operate the lever B fig. 42 operating in
the direction shown by the arrow.
Then lift the bonnet.
The following plate is present in the
engine compartment fig. 43.IMPORTANT Two side gas shock
absorbers are provided to assist in
opening the bonnet. Do not tamper
with these shock absorbers and
accompany the bonnet when raising.
IMPORTANT Before raising the bonnet,
make sure that the arms of the wipers
are not raised from the windscreen and
that the wiper is not operational.
CLOSING
26)
Lower the bonnet to approximately 20
centimetres from the engine
compartment then let it drop. Make
sure that the bonnet is completely
closed and not only fastened by the
locking device by trying to open it.
If it is not perfectly closed, do not try to
press the bonnet down but open it
and repeat the procedure.
WARNING
26)For safety reasons, the bonnet must
always be properly closed while the car is
travelling. Therefore, make sure that the
bonnet is properly closed and that the lock
is engaged. If you discover that the bonnet
is not perfectly closed during travel, stop
immediately and close the bonnet
correctly.
41F0Y0611C
42F0Y0115C
43F0Y1100C
36
KNOWING YOUR CAR

When the power steering is on, the
steering wheel effort is lighter, making
parking easier: therefore, this function is
particularly useful for driving in city
centres.
WARNING
32)It is absolutely forbidden to carry out
any after-market operation involving
steering system or steering column
modifications (e.g. installation of anti-theft
device) that could adversely affect
performance and safety, invalidate the
warranty and also result in the car not
meeting type-approval requirements.
33)Before performing any maintenance
operations, always turn off the engine and
remove the key from the ignition to lock the
steering column (especially when the car
wheels are not touching the ground). If this
is not possible (for example if the key
needs to be turned to MAR or the engine
must be running), remove the main fuse
that protects the electric power steering.
40
KNOWING YOUR CAR

Warning light What it means
amberABS FAILURE
The warning light switches on to indicate a system fault. In this case the braking system maintains its
efficiency unaltered but without the advantage of the ABS system.
Drive carefully and contact a Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
amberHEATED REAR WINDOW
The warning light turns on when switching the heated rear window on.
amberHEATED WINDSCREEN
(for versions/markets, where provided)
The warning light turns on when the heated windscreen is turned on.
52
KNOWING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL

ACTIVE SAFETY
SYSTEMS
The car has the following active safety
systems:
ABS (Anti-lock Braking System);
ESC (Electronic Stability Control)
system;
HH (Hill Holder) system;
ASR (AntiSlip Regulation) system;
DST (Dynamic Steering Torque
or steering corrector) system;
ERM (Electronic Rollover Mitigation)
system.
ABS (Anti-lock Braking
System)
36) 37) 38) 39) 40) 41) 42)
This system, which is an integral part of
the braking system, prevents one or
more wheels from locking and slipping
in all road surface conditions,
irrespective of the intensity of the
braking action, ensuring that the car
can be controlled even during
emergency braking and optimising
stopping distances.
The ABS also integrates the following
systems: EBD (Electronic Braking Force
Distribution), MSR (Motor
Schleppmoment Regelung) and HBA
(Hydraulic Brake Assist).IMPORTANT To obtain the maximum
efficiency of the braking system, a
bedding-in period of about 500 km is
needed: during this period it is better to
avoid sharp, repeated and prolonged
braking.
43) 44) 45)
System intervention
A slight pulsing of the brake pedal and
noise indicates the intervention of the
ABS: this is completely normal when
the system intervenes.
ESC (Electronic Stability
Control) SYSTEM
46) 47) 48) 49) 50) 51)
The ESC system corrects the car’s
understeer and oversteer, distributing
the brake force on the wheels
appropriately. The torque supplied by
the engine can also be reduced in order
to maintain control of the car.
System intervention
The intervention of the system is
indicated by the flashing of the
warning light on the instrument
panel, to inform the driver that the car is
in critical stability and grip conditions.Switching the system on
The ESC system switches on
automatically when the engine is
started and cannot be switched off.
GRAVITY CONTROL
(for versions/markets, where provided)
56)
It is an integral part of the ESC system
and is aimed at keeping the car at a
constant speed during a descent,
operating autonomously on the brakes
in various ways at the same time.
In this way, the “Gravity Control”
function assists the drive on steep
gradients in low-grip conditions and/or
on rough terrain.
For more information on system
operation, see the “Driving assistance
systems” paragraph in this chapter.
HH (Hill Holder) SYSTEM
52) 53)
This system is an integral part of the
ESC system and facilitates starting on
slopes.
71

The system is automatically activated in
the following conditions:
uphill: vehicle stationary on a road
with a gradient higher than 5%, engine
running, brake pressed and
transmission in neutral or gear other
than reverse engaged;
downhill: car stationary on a road
with a gradient of more than 5%,
engine running, brake pressed and
reverse gear engaged.
ASR (AntiSlip
Regulation) SYSTEM
The system automatically operates in
the event of slipping, loss of grip on wet
roads (aquaplaning) and acceleration
on slippery, snowy or icy roads, etc. on
one or more drive wheels.
Engagement/disengagement of the
system
The system switches on automatically
each time the engine is started. The
ASR can be turned off and then turned
back on again whilst driving by pressing
the button located in the dashboard
fig. 56.
When travelling on snowy roads with
snow chains, it may be helpful to turn
the ASR off: in fact, in these conditions,
the driving wheels skidding when
moving off gives you better traction.DST (Dynamic Steering
Torque or steering
corrector) system
54)
The DST (steering corrector) system
function uses the integration of the ESC
system with the electric power steering
to increase the safety level of the whole
car. In critical situations (e.g.
understeering, oversteering, braking
with different grip conditions), through
the DST function the ESC system
controls the steering to implement an
additional torque contribution on the
steering wheel, to suggest the most
correct manoeuvre to be performed to
the driver.ERM (Electronic Rollover
Mitigation) SYSTEM
55)
The system monitors the tendency of
the wheels to rise from the ground if the
driver performs extreme manoeuvres
like quick steering to avoid an obstacle,
especially in poor road conditions.
If these conditions occur, the system
intervenes on the brakes and engine
power to reduce the possibility that the
wheels are raised from the ground. It
is not possible to avoid tendency to roll
over if the phenomenon is due to
reasons such as driving on high side
gradients, collision with objects or other
vehicles.
WARNING
36)When the ABS intervenes and you feel
the brake pedal pulsating, do not reduce
the pressure, but hold it down firmly and
confidently; in doing so you will brake
in the shortest distance possible,
depending on the current road conditions.
37)For maximum efficiency of the braking
system, a bedding-in period of about
500 km is needed: during this period it is
better to avoid sharp, repeated and
prolonged braking.
56F0Y0656C
72
SAFETY