2020 Abarth 500 ECU

IMPORTANT When returning the
backrest to its normal position, make
sure that it is correctly fastened and
that you hear the lock click. Make sure
the backrest is properly secured at both
sides to prevent it moving forward in
the event of sharp braking that may
cause injuries to passengers
WARNING
8)All adjustments must be made with the
car stationary.
9)If a side bag is fitted, it is dangerous to
use seat covers not available from
Lineaccessori Abarth.
10)Once you have released the
adjustment lever, always check that the
seat is locked on the guides by trying
to move it back and forth. Failure to lock
the seat in place could result in the seat
moving suddenly and the driver losing
control of the car.
11)Make sure the backrests are properly
secured at both sides to prevent them from
moving forward, in the event of sharp
braking, and hurting the passengers.
WARNING
2)The fabric upholstery of the seats has
been designed to withstand long-term
wear deriving from normal use of the car.
Some precautions are however required.
Avoid prolonged and/or excessive rubbing
against clothing accessories such as
metal buckles and Velcro strips which, by
applying a high pressure on the fabric in
a small area, could cause it to break,
thereby damaging the upholstery.
3)Before tilting the backrest, remove any
objects on the seat cushion.
HEADRESTS
REAR(where provided)
To extract the rear head restraints press
buttons 2 and 3 fig. 16 at the side of
the two supports simultaneously and lift
them out upwards. The rear head
restraints must be lifted out with the
backrest released and tilted toward the
passenger compartment or with the
tailgate open. To bring the head
restraint to the correct position, lift it
until you hear it click.
To lower the head restraint, press
button 2 fig. 16.
IMPORTANT If the rear seats are used,
always set the head restraints in the
"completely raised" position.
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KNOWING YOUR CAR

25)When leaving the car, always remove
the key from the ignition device to avoid the
risk of injury due to accidental operation
of the soft top: improper use of the roof
can be dangerous. Before and during
operation, always check that no-one is at
risk of being injured by the moving soft top
roof or by objects getting caught and
dragged by it.
WARNING
11)Never open the top in presence of
snow or ice to prevent damage.
12)Do not place objects on the rear
window shelf to prevent damage while the
top is closing.
13)Loads may not be secured on the roof.
ENGINE BONNET
OPENING
Proceed as follows:
pull lever 1 fig. 41 in the direction
indicated by the arrow;
move the lever 2 fig. 42 to the right
as shown in the figure;
lift the bonnet and, at the same time,
release the supporting rod 3 fig. 43
from its catch 4, then insert the end of
the rod into housing 5 in the bonnet
(large hole) and push to safety position
(small hole), as shown in the figure.
26) 27) 28) 30)
CLOSING
Proceed as follows:
hold the bonnet up with one hand
and with the other remove the stay
3 fig. 43 from the housing 5 and put it
back in its locking device 4;
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37

lower the bonnet to approximately
20 centimetres above the engine
compartment and let it come down.
Make sure that the bonnet is
completely closed and not just secured
in safety position. If it is not perfectly
closed, do not try to press the bonnet
down but open it and repeat the
procedure.
29)
WARNING
26)The bonnet may drop suddenly if the
supporting rod is not positioned correctly.
Only perform these operations when the
car is stationary.
27)Be careful working inside engine
compartment when the engine is hot to
avoid burning yourself. Do not place your
hands near the engine fan as it may be
activated even when the key is removed.
Wait until the engine has cooled.
28)Be very careful not to allow scarves,
neckties and other loose articles of clothing
from touching, even accidentally, any
moving parts. This may cause the clothing
to be pulled into the part, resulting in
serious injury to the wearer.29)For safety reasons, the bonnet must
always be properly closed while the car is
travelling. Therefore, always make sure that
it is closed properly and that the lock is
engaged. If you notice when driving that
the bonnet has not been properly locked,
stop immediately and close the bonnet
correctly.
30)Use both hands to lift the bonnet.
Before lifting, check that the windscreen
wiper arms are not raised from the
windscreen, that the vehicle is stationary
and that the handbrake is engaged.
LUGGAGE
COMPARTMENT
31) 32)
OPENING THE TAILGATE
WITH THE REMOTE
CONTROL
Press buttonon the key with the
remote control.
The direction indicators will blink twice
when the tailgate is opened.
On some versions, opening the tailgate
will switch the boot ceiling light on:
the light will switch off automatically
when the tailgate is closed.
14)
33)
ELECTRIC HANDLE
(SOFT TOUCH)
The tailgate (if unlocked) can be opened
from the outside by using the electric
opening handle 1 fig. 44 located under
the large handle.
The activation of the
symbol on
the display indicates that the tailgate
is not shut properly.
38
KNOWING YOUR CAR

CLOSING
To close, lower the tailgate by pressing
near the lock until you hear it click.
EMERGENCY TAILGATE
OPENING
To open the tailgate from the passenger
compartment if the car battery is flat
or the electric tailgate lock is faulty,
proceed as follows (see "Extending the
boot" in this chapter):
extract the rear head restraints
fold the backrests over
to unlock the tailgate mechanically,
working from the inside of the luggage
compartment, use lever 1 fig. 45.
EXTENDING THE BOOT
The boot can be partially (50/50) or
totally extended by splitting the rear
seat.
See the descriptions in the “Rear seats”
paragraph for how to expand the boot.
REMOVING THE PARCEL
SHELF
To remove the parcel shelf, release it
from its two side pins and pull it out.
WARNING
31)Never exceed the maximum allowed
load in the luggage compartment, see the
“Technical specifications” chapter. Also
make sure that the objects you place in the
boot have been properly secured, to
avoid them from being thrown forward
consequent to sharp braking and injuring
your passengers.32)If you are travelling in areas with few
filling stations and you want to transport
fuel in a spare tank, comply with the law by
using only an approved, suitably secured
tank. Anyway, by doing so, you increase
the risk of fire in the event of an accident
with your vehicle.
33)Do not drive with the tailgate open as
exhaust fumes may enter the passegner
compartment.
WARNING
14)Be careful not to hit objects on the
storage shelf when you open the tailgate.
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78)If the seat belt has been subjected to a
high level of stress, for example after an
accident, it must be completely replaced
together with the anchorages, anchorage
fixing screws and pretensioner. In fact,
even if the seat belt has no visible defects,
it could have lost its resilience.
WARNING
16)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 damage or
deploy it. Contact an Abarth Dealership
should intervention be necessary on these
components.
CHILD PROTECTION
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
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 a 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
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.
For correct installation on the car, some
universal child restraint systems require
an accessory (base) sold separately
by the restraint system's producer.
Therefore, FCA advises customers to
check that their chosen child restraint
system can be installed on their vehicle
by performing a trial installation, on
the vendor's premises, before
purchase.
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SAFETY

In Europe the characteristics of child
restraint systems are ruled by the
regulation ECE-R44, dividing them into
five weight groups:
Group Weight range
Group 0up to 10 kg in
weight
Group 0+up to 13 kg in
weight
Group 1 9-18 kg
Group 2 15 - 25 kg
Group 3 22 - 36 kg
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 Abarth offers child
restraint systems for each weight
group. These devices are
recommended having been specifically
designed for Abarth cars.
FITTING A CHILD
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
WITH SEAT BELTS
83) 84) 85) 86)
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.WARNING 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+
Babies up to 13 kg must be carried
with a rear facing child restraint system
of a type as shown in fig. 59 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.
59 and it must restrain the child in
turn with its own belts.
GROUP 1
Children weighing from 9 to 18 kg may
be transported in forward facing child
restraint systems fig. 60.
GROUP 2
Children from 15 to 25 kg may be
restrained directly by the car seat belts
fig. 61.
In this case, the child restraint system is
used to position the child correctly
with respect to the seat belts so that
the diagonal belt section crosses the
child’s chest and not the neck, and the
lower part is snug on the pelvis not
the abdomen.
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83)Child restraint systems with ISOFIX
attachments are available for safely
anchoring to the seat without using the car
seat belts. See paragraph "Installing an
ISOFIX child restraint system" for the
installation instructions.
84)Incorrect fitting of the child restraint
system may result in an inefficient
protection system. In the event of an
accident the child restraint system may
become loose and the child may be
injured, even fatally. When fitting a restraint
system for newborns or children, strictly
comply with the instructions provided
by the Manufacturer.
85)When the child restraint system is not
used, secure it with the seat belt or with
the ISOFIX anchorages, or remove it from
the vehicle. Do not leave it unsecured
inside the passenger compartment. This
way, in the case of sudden braking or
an accident, it will not cause injuries to the
occupants.
86)After installing a child restraint system,
do not move the seat: always remove
the child restraint system before making
any adjustment.
87)If a Universal ISOFIX child seat system
is not fixed to all three anchorages, it will
not be able to protect the child correctly. In
a crash, the child could be seriously or
fatally injured.
88)Fit the child restraint system when the
car is stationary. The child restraint system
is correctly fixed to the brackets when
you hear the click. Follow the instructions
for assembly, disassembly and positioning
that the Manufacturer must supply with
the child restraint system.89)Always make sure that the chest
section of the seat belt does not pass
under the arms or behind the back of the
child. In the event of an accident the seat
belt will not be able to secure the child,
with the risk of injury, including fatal injury.
Therefore the child must always wear
the seat belt correctly.
90)Do not use the same lower anchoring
to install more than one child restraint
system.SUPPLEMENTARY
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
(SRS) – AIRBAG
The car may be equipped with:
front driver airbag;
front passenger airbag;
driver's side knee bag;
driver and passenger front side bags
for pelvis, chest and shoulder
protection (Side bags);
side bags for head protection of
front seat passengers and rear side
seat passengers (window bag).
FRONT AIRBAGS
91) 108)
The front driver/passenger airbags and
the driver knee bag (where provided)
protect the front seat occupants in the
event of frontal impacts of medium/high
severity, by placing the bag between
the occupant and the steering wheel or
dashboard.
Therefore non-activation of airbags in
other types of collisions (side impacts,
rear shunts, roll-overs, etc.) does not
indicate a system malfunction.
An electronic control unit will make the
bag inflate in the event of a frontal
impact.
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WARNING
23)For correct operation of the system,
sensors must always be clean from mud,
dirt, snow or ice. Be careful not to scratch
or damage the sensors while cleaning
them. Avoid using dry, rough or hard
cloths. The sensors must be washed using
clean water, with the addition of vehicle
shampoo if necessary. When using special
washing equipment such as high pressure
jets or steam cleaning, clean the sensors
very quickly keeping the jet more than
10 cm away.
24)Have interventions on the bumper in
the area of the sensors carried out only by
an Abarth Dealership. Interventions on
the bumper that are not carried out
properly may compromise the operation of
the parking sensors.
WARNING
114)Parking and other dangerous
manoeuvres are, however, always the
driver’s responsibility. While carrying out
these manoeuvres, always make sure that
no people (especially children) or animals
are in the area concerned. The parking
sensors are an aid for the driver, but the
driver must never allow their attention
to lapse during potentially dangerous
manoeuvres, even those executed at low
speeds.
REFUELLING THE
VEHICLE
Stop the engine before refuelling.
IMPORTANT Never introduce leaded
petrol to the tank, even in small
amounts in an emergency, as this
would damage the catalytic converter
beyond repair.
REFUELLING CAPACITY
To ensure that you fill the tank
completely, top up twice after the first
click of the fuel supply gun. Further
top-ups could cause faults in the fuel
supply system.
FUEL TANK CAP
Plug 2 fig. 82 is fitted with a cable that
secures it to flap 1 so that it cannot
be lost.Unscrew cap 2 using the ignition key.
The sealing may cause a slight pressure
increase in the tank. A little breathing
off, while slackening the cap is
absolutely normal. When refuelling,
fasten the plug to the device inside the
flap as shown in fig. 82.
115)
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STARTING AND DRIVING