2020 Abarth 500 handbrake

release the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal (quickly pressing
the pedal fully down and turning off
the ASR, if provided, results in a “lively”
departure).
Engaging reverse gear (R)
To engage reverse gear, press the R
button on the gearbox panel instead of
the 1 button.
Engaging neutral (N)
Press the (N) button to engage neutral.
Neutral (N) can only be engaged with
accelerator pedal released, regardless
of the brake pedal’s status (pressed
or not). In any case, pressing the brake
pedal is recommended.
ACOUSTIC SIGNAL
For safety reasons, there is a buzzer
warning when parking the car with the
gearbox in neutral (N) (the warning is
heard when the ignition key is turned to
the STOP position).
With the car stationary, the engine
running and (1
st), (2nd) or (R) engaged,
the system activates the buzzer and
automatically puts the transmission in
neutral (N) when:
the accelerator and/or brake pedal
are not operated for at least 3 minutes;
the brake pedal is pressed for longer
than 10 minutes;
the driver's door is opened and the
accelerator pedal or the brake pedal
are not operated for at least 1.5
seconds;
a fault has been detected in the
transmission.
PARKING THE CAR
To park safely, you must engage 1stor
reverse (R) gear, with your foot on
the brake pedal and, if there is a
gradient, operate the handbrake. Wait
until the indication of the gear engaged
disappears on the display before
releasing the brake pedal.
IMPORTANT NEVER leave the car with
the transmission in neutral (N).
IMPORTANT NOTES
With car stationary and gear
engaged, always keep the brake pedal
pressed until you decide to set off,
then release the brake and accelerate
gradually.
During prolonged stops with the
engine running, it is advisable to keep
the transmission in neutral (N).
In order to safeguard the efficiency
of the clutch, do not use the
accelerator to keep the car stationary
(e.g. when stopped on an incline); if the
clutch overheats it could be damaged.
Use the brake pedal or the handbrake
instead and use the accelerator pedal
only when you decide to set off.
Only use 2ndgear when you need
greater control for setting off on
surfaces with poor grip.
If you have to engage 1stgear with
reverse gear (R) engaged, or vice versa,
only do so when the car is completely
stationary and with the brake pedal
pressed.
Although it is strongly inadvisable, if
you are driving downhill and, for
unexpected reasons, you let the car
move forward with the transmission in
neutral (N), when there is a request
to engage a gear, depending on the
actual speed of the car, the system will
automatically engage the best gear
for the correct transmission of drive
torque to the wheels.
89

When necessary, you can engage
1stgear, reverse (R) or neutral (N) with
the engine off, the key at AVV and
the brake pressed. In this case, it is
advisable to change allowing at least 5
seconds to elapse between one gear
change and the next to safeguard
the operation of the hydraulic system
and the pump in particular.
Fully and quickly depressing the
accelerator pedal activates a function
that allows a "lively" departure.
For starting uphill, accelerating
gradually but fully immediately after
having released the handbrake or the
brake pedal allows the engine to greatly
increase the rpm and tackle the
steepest gradients with more torque to
the wheels.
WARNING
22)Using the levers incorrectly (levers
pushed towards the dashboard) could
break them.
SPORT FUNCTION
When the SPORT button 1 fig. 79 is
pressed, the sports driving setting
is turned on giving greater
responsiveness during acceleration, an
increase in drive torque and more
precise steering with greater effort
required on the steering wheel.
When this function is on, the word
SPORT 1 fig. 80 is lit up in the display
and the instrument panel shows a
dedicated screen.
Press the button again to turn the
function off and restore the normal
driving setting.
IMPORTANT When the SPORT button
is pressed, the function is activated
about 5 seconds later.IMPORTANT During acceleration, when
the SPORT function is used, the
steering may shudder, which is typical
of a sports setting.
NOTE For vehicles equipped with an
Akrapovic exhaust system, a
considerable increase in engine sound
can be heard when the SPORT mode is
activated. This is caused by opening
the valve located in the Akrapovic
exhaust, which improves performance.
79AB0A0351C
80AB0A0360C
90
STARTING AND DRIVING

operate the compressor by pressing
the ON-OFF button 5 fig. 102. When
the pressure shown in the "Wheels"
paragraph in the “Technical data”
chapter or on the specific label appears
on the pressure gauge 7, stop the
compressor by pressing the ON-OFF
button 5 again;
disconnect the cartridge 1 from the
compressor, by pressing the release
button 8 and lifting the cartridge 1
upwards fig. 104.If the pressure gauge 7 fig. 102
indicates a pressure lower than 1.8 bar
/ 26 psi 15 minutes after starting the
compressor, switch off the compressor,
disconnect the sealing fluid tube 4
from the tyre valve and remove
the cartridge 1 from the compressor fig.
100. Move the vehicle by approximately
10 m to promote the distribution of
sealant; stop the vehicle safely, operate
the handbrake and restore pressure
using the black inflation pipe 9 fig. 105
to reach the required pressure. If also
in this case, the pressure is lower
than 1.8 bar / 26 psi 15 minutes after
turning on, do not resume driving
but contact an Abarth Dealership.
After driving for about 8 km / 5 miles,
position the car in a safe and suitable
area and engage the handbrake. Take
the compressor and restore pressure
using the black inflation tube 9 fig. 105.If the pressure shown is higher than 1.8
bar / 26 psi, restore the pressure and
drive carefully to an Abarth Dealership
as soon as possible.
If, however, the pressure is lower than
1.8 bar / 26 psi, do not resume driving
but contact an Abarth Dealership.INFLATION PROCEDURE
Proceed as follows:
stop the vehicle safely, as shown
above, and operate the handbrake;
extract the black inflation tube 9 fig.
105 and screw it firmly onto the tyre
valve. Follow the instructions shown in
fig. 103 and fig. 105.
Press the air release button 10 fig. 102
to adjust any tyre overpressure.
CARTRIDGE
REPLACEMENT
Proceed as follows:
only use original Fix&Go cartridges,
which can be purchased from the
Abarth Dealership.
to remove the cartridge,fig. 104
press the release button 8 and lift it.
104AB0A0422C
105AB0A0424C
109

Thousands of miles 9 18 27 36 45 54 63 72 81 90
Thousands of kilometres 15 30 45 60 75 90 105 120 135 150
Years 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10
Visually inspect conditions of: exterior bodywork,
underbody protection, pipes and hoses (exhaust, fuel
system, brakes), rubber elements (gaiters, sleeves,
bushes, etc.)
Check windscreen/rear window wiper blade position/wear
(where present)
Check operation of the windscreen wiper/washer system
and adjust jets, if necessary
Check cleanliness of bonnet and luggage compartment
locks, cleanliness and lubrication of linkage
Check soft top operation while closing and opening; check
of seals and lubrication of canvas sliding side guide (only
595C/695C version)
Check handbrake lever travel and adjust, if necessary
Visually inspect conditions and wear of front and rear disc
brake pads and operation of pad wear indicator (where
present)
Visually inspect condition of the accessory drive belt(s)
Check tensioning of accessory drive belt(s) and adjust if
necessary
117

INDEX
A
ccessories purchased by the
owner.............................4
Analogue pressure gauge............43
Automatic climate control
system...........................29
Battery...........................125
advice for extending its life......125
inspecting the charge...........125
recharging.....................126
replacement...................125
Bodywork (cleaning and
maintenance)....................129
Brake fluid.........................123
Checking levels...................121
Child protection systems.............70
Cleaning and maintenance
car interior.....................132
leather parts...................132
plastic parts....................132
seats..........................132
CO2 emissions....................147
Control panel and on-board
instruments.......................41
Courtesy lights......................23
Daytime running lights (DRL)........20
Dimensions........................139
Dipped headlights (bulb
replacement)....................101
Dipped headlights/side lights.........21Direction indicators..................21
Direction indicators (bulb
replacement)....................100
Doors...............................14
Door central
locking/unlocking................14
door locking/unlocking...........14
opening/closing with the key..................................14
Driver side knee bag.................79
Electric windows...................31
Engine.............................136
marking........................135
Engine bonnet......................37
Engine compartment (washing).....130
Engine coolant fluid................123
Engine oil (consumption)............123
Engine oil (level check)..............123
Exterior lights.......................20
Fiat CODE system..................13
Fitting a child restraint system
with seat belts....................71
Fix&Go kit.........................108
Flashing............................21
Fluids and lubricants...............144
Fog lights (bulb replacement).......101
Fog lights/rear fog light..............22
Follow Me Home (device)............21
Front airbag driver's side.............78
Front airbags........................77Front ceiling light....................23
Front light clusters (bulb
replacement)....................100
Fuel consumption..................147
Fuel cut-off system.................111
Fuel tank cap.......................92
Fuse boxes (location)...............103
Fuses (replacement)................103
Gear Shift Indicator (system)........43
Handbrake.........................86
Hazard warning lights................95
Head restraints......................18
rear head restraints..............18
Headlight alignment corrector........22
Headlights (washing)...............130
Heated rear window (activation)......28
Identification data
bodywork paint plate...........135
chassis marking................135
engine marking.................135
identification data plate.........135
Ignition device.......................12
Installing an “ISOFIX” child
restraint system...................74
Installing electrical/electronic
devices............................4
Instrument panel....................10
Interiors (cleaning)..................132
iTPMS..............................64