Dear Customer,
We would like to congratulate and thank you for choosing a Fiat 124 Spider.
We have written this handbook to help you get to know all the features of your vehicle and use it in the best possible way.
Here you will find information, advice and important warnings regarding use of your vehicle and how to achieve the best
performance from the technical features of your vehicle.
You are advised to read it right through before taking to the road for the first time, to become familiar with the controls and
above all with those concerning brakes, steering and gearbox.
This document also provides a description of special features and tips, as well as essential information for the safe driving, care
and maintenance of your vehicle over time.
After reading it, you are advised to keep the handbook inside the vehicle, for an easy reference and for making sure it remains
on board the vehicle should it be sold.
In the attached Warranty Booklet you will also find a description of the Services that FCA offers to its customers, the Warranty
Certificate and the detail of the terms and conditions for maintaining its validity.
We are sure that these will help you to get in touch with and appreciate your new vehicle and the service provided by the
people at FCA.
Enjoy reading. Happy motoring!
IMPORTANT This Owner Handbook describes all versions of the vehicle; please consider only the information
relevant to your vehicle’s trim level, engine and version. All data contained in this publication are purely indicative.
FCA Italy S.p.A. can modify the vehicle model described in this publication at any time, for technical or commercial
purposes. For further information, contact a Fiat Dealership.
STARTING THE
ENGINE
140) 141) 142)
24)
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.
For starting procedure see “Starting the
engine” in “Getting to know your
vehicle” chapter.
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Proceed as follows:
park the car in a position that is not
dangerous for oncoming traffic; engage
a gear (versions with manual
transmission) or position the gear lever
to P (Parking) (versions with automatic
transmission);
turn the ignition device to STOP with
the engine idling.
WARNING
140)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.
141)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.
142)Do not start the engine by pushing,
towing or driving downhill. These
manoeuvres may damage the catalytic
converter.
IMPORTANT
24)A quick burst on the accelerator before
turning off the engine serves absolutely no
practical purpose; it wastes fuel and is
damaging for the engine.
PARKING
Keep away the key when leaving the
vehicle and take it with you.
When parking and leaving the vehicle,
proceed as follows:
engage a gear (first gear if facing
uphill or reverse if facing downhill) and
leave the wheels turned;
stop the engine and engage the
handbrake.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a
stone if the car is parked on a steep
slope.
On versions equipped with automatic
transmission, before releasing the brake
pedal, wait for letter P to be displayed.
IMPORTANT NEVER leave the vehicle
with the gearbox in neutral (or, on
versions equipped with automatic
transmission, before placing the gear
lever at P).
116
STARTING AND OPERATING
MANUAL
TRANSMISSION
146) 147) 148)
25)
To engage the gears, press the clutch
pedal fully and put the gear lever into
the required position. The diagram for
gear engagement is shown on the knob
fig. 87.
Depress the clutch pedal all the way
down while shifting; then release it
slowly.
Your vehicle is equipped with a device
to prevent shifting to R (reverse) by
mistake. Push the shift lever downward
and shift to R.
A natural driving posture can be
achieved by lightly gripping the shiftlever from the side without having to
rest your elbow on the center console
box.
If shifting to R is difficult, shift back into
neutral, release the clutch pedal, and try
again.
With Parking Sensor system
When the shift lever is shifted to the R
position with the ignition switched ON,
the parking sensor system is activated
and a beep sound is heard. Refer to
“Parking Sensor System” paragraph.
IMPORTANT Keep your foot off the
clutch pedal except when shifting
gears. Also, do not use the clutch to
hold the vehicle on an upgrade. Riding
the clutch will cause needless clutch
wear and damage.
IMPORTANT Do not apply any
excessive lateral force to the shift lever
when changing from 5
thto 4thgear.
This could lead to the accidental
selection of 2
ndgear, which could
result in damage to the transmission.
IMPORTANT Make sure the vehicle
comes to a complete stop before
shifting to R. Shifting to R while the
vehicle is still moving may damage the
transmission.
IMPORTANT Reverse can only be
engaged when the vehicle is completelystationary. With the engine running, wait
at least 2 seconds with the clutch pedal
fully pressed before engaging reverse to
prevent damage to the gears and
grating.
WARNING
146)Depress the clutch pedal fully to
change gear correctly. Therefore, the floor
area underneath the pedal unit must not be
obstructed in any way. Ensure that the floor
mat is always laid flat and does not
interfere with use of the pedals.
147)Do not use sudden engine braking on
slippery road surfaces or at high speeds.
Shifting down while driving on wet, snowy,
or frozen roads, or while driving at high
speeds causes sudden engine braking,
which is dangerous. The sudden change in
tyre speed could cause the tyres to skid.
This could lead to loss of vehicle control
and an accident.
148)Always leave the shift lever in 1 or R
position and set the parking brake when
leaving the vehicle unattended. Otherwise
the vehicle could move and cause an
accident.
IMPORTANT
25)Do not drive with your hand resting on
the gear lever as the force exerted, even if
slight, could lead over time to premature
wear of the gearbox internal components.
8705210101-12A-001
118
STARTING AND OPERATING
M (Manual)
M is the manual shift mode position.
Gears can be shifted up or down by
operating the selector lever. Refer to
“Manual shift mode”.
SHIFT-LOCK SYSTEM
The shift-lock system prevents shifting
out of P unless the brake pedal is
depressed.
To shift from P:
depress and hold the brake pedal;
start the engine;
press and hold the lock-release
button;
move the selector lever.
When the ignition is switched to ACC or
the ignition is switched off, the selector
lever cannot be shifted from P.
The ignition cannot be switched to OFF
if the selector lever is not in P.
SHIFT-LOCK OVERRIDE
If the selector lever will not move from P
using the proper shift procedure,
continue to hold down the brake pedal.
Proceed as follows:
remove the shift-lock override cover
using a cloth-wrapped flat head
screwdriver fig. 89;
insert a screwdriver and push it
down;
press and hold the lock-release
button and move the selector lever;
take the vehicle to a Fiat Dealership.
For some versions
Proceed as follows:
press the lock-release button with
the button pressed fig. 90;
move the selector lever;
take the vehicle to a Fiat Dealership.
MANUAL SHIFT MODE
To change to manual shift mode, shift
the lever from D to M. To return to
automatic shift mode, shift the lever
fromMtoD.
IMPORTANT Changing to manual shift
mode while driving will not damage the
transmission.
IMPORTANT If you change to manual
shift mode when the vehicle is stopped,
the gear may shift to M1.
IMPORTANT If you change to manual
shift mode without depressing the
accelerator pedal when driving in D
range, 5th gear/6th gear, the gear may
shift to M4/M5.
Manually shifting up / down
To shift upto a higher gear, tap the
selector lever back+once.To shift
downto a lower gear, tap the selector
lever forward–once.
Second gear fixed mode
When the selector lever is moved back
while the vehicle speed is about
10 km/h or less, the gearbox is set in
the second gear. The gear is set in
second while in this mode for easier
acceleration from a stop and driving on
slippery roads such as snow-covered
roads.
8905210206-12A-002
90005210206-122-001
120
STARTING AND OPERATING
151
WARNING
175)If the fuse blows again contact a Fiat
Dealership.
176)Never replace a fuse with another
with a higher amp rating; DANGER OF
FIRE.
177)Contact a Fiat Dealership if a safety
system (airbags, brakes), power unit
system (engine, gearbox) or steering
system general protection fuse blows.
178)Do not replace the main fuse and
multiplex slow blow fuse by yourself.
Contact a Fiat Dealership to perform the
replacement. Replacing these fuses by
yourself is dangerous because they are
high current fuses. Incorrect replacement
could cause an electrical shock or a short
circuit resulting in a fire.
179)Before replacing a fuse, make sure
that the ignition device is in OFF position
and that all the other services are switched
off and/or deactivated.
IMPORTANT
32)Never replace a fuse with metal wires
or anything else.
33)If it is necessary to wash the engine
compartment, take care not to directly hit
the junction unit and the window wiper
motors with the water jet.
OWNER MAINTENANCE
PRECAUTIONS
197) 198) 199)
38)
Routine service
We highly recommend that these items
be inspected daily, or at least every
week:
Engine oil level
Engine coolant level
Brake and clutch fluid Level
Washer fluid level
Battery maintenance
Tire inflation pressure
Improper or incomplete service may
result in problems. This section gives
instructions only for items that are easy
to perform.
As explained in the “Introduction”
paragraph, several procedures can be
done only by a qualified service
technician with special tools.
Improper do-it yourself maintenance
during the warranty period may affect
warranty coverage. For details, read the
separate Warranty statement provided
with the vehicle. If you are unsure about
any servicing or maintenance
procedure, have it done by an expert
repairer, we recommend a Fiat
Dealership.There are strict environmental laws
regarding the disposal of waste oil and
fluids. Please dispose of your waste
properly and with due regard to the
environment.
We recommend that you entrust the oil
and fluid changes of your vehicle to a
Fiat Dealership.
PERIODIC CHECKS
Every1,000 kmor before long trips
check and, if necessary, top up:
engine coolant level;
brake fluid level;
windscreen washer fluid level;
tire inflation pressure and condition;
operation of lighting system
(headlights, direction indicators, hazard
warning lights, etc.);
operation of windscreen
washer/wiper system and
positioning/wear of windscreen window
wiper blades.
Every 3,000 km, check and top up if
required: engine oil level.
HEAVY-DUTY USE OF THE
VEHICLE
If the vehicle is used under one of the
following conditions:
dusty roads;
short, repeated journeys (less than
7-8 km) at sub-zero outside
temperatures;
engine often idling or driving long
distances at low speeds or long periods
of inactivity;
the following checks must be carried
out more often than indicated in the
Scheduled Servicing Plan:
check front disc brake pad condition
and wear;
check cleanliness of bonnet and
luggage compartment locks,
cleanliness and lubrication of linkage;
visually inspect conditions of: engine,
gearbox, transmission, pipes and hoses
(exhaust/fuel system/brakes) and
rubber elements (gaiters/sleeves/
bushes, etc.);
check battery charge and battery
fluid level (electrolyte);
visually inspect conditions of the
accessory drive belts;
check and, if necessary, change
engine oil and replace oil filter;
check and, if necessary, replace
pollen filter;
check and, if necessary, replace air
cleaner.
164
MAINTENANCE AND CARE
Key battery replacement........10
Keyless Entry System...........9
Keys......................9
Lane change signals...........27
Load limiter (pretensioner)........86
Maintaining the finish.........178
Maintenance monitor...........54
Manual climate control system.....34
Manual transmission..........118
Message indicated on display.....70
Mirrors....................22
Multimedia.................195
Navigation................208
Occupant protection systems.....82
Odometer/Trip meter...........51
Outside mirrors...............22
Owner maintenance precautions . . .164
Paintwork (preserving).........177
Parking...................116
Parking brake...............117
Parking Sensor System.........126
Passenger Air Bag............102
Passenger occupant classification
system.................107
Performance...............191
Periodic checks (scheduled
servicing)................164
Power mirrors...............23
Power window lock switch.......39Power windows..............38
Prescriptions for handling the
vehicle at the end of its life.....193
Pretensioners................85
Radio 3”.................197
Radio 7”..................202
Read this carefully..............2
Rear camera (ParkView rear
backup camera)...........130
Rear fog lights...............26
Refuelling procedure..........128
Refuelling the vehicle..........128
Replacing a bulb.............136
Replacing a tire..............175
Replacing a wheel............176
Replacing exterior light bulbs.....139
Replacing fuses.............144
Rims and tires..............184
Rims and tires provided........185
SBA system (Seat Belt Alert)......85
Scheduled servicing...........163
Scheduled servicing plan.......165
Seat belt precautions...........82
Seat belt pretensioner and load
limiting systems.............85
Seat Belt Pretensioners........102
Seat belts..................82
Seat belts (fastening/unfastening)}.......................83
Seats.....................19Seats (manual adjustment).......19
Seats and fabric parts (cleaning) . . .180
Shift-lock override (automatic
gearbox)................120
Shift-lock system (automatic
gearbox)................120
Side Air Bags...............103
Snow chains...............176
Speed limiter...............125
Starting the engine.........11,116
Steering wheel...............22
Supplementary restraint system
(SRS) - Air bag............100
Symbols....................3
TCS (Traction Control System).....73
Theft deterrent system..........15
Tips, controls and general
information...............196
Tire inflation pressure..........175
Tire service kit..............152
Tires rotation (recommendations) . .176
Tool storage................152
Towing the vehicle............159
Towing trailers..............133
TPMS (Tire Pressure Monitoring
System)..................77
Turn signals.................27
Turning the engine off...........13
Vehicle security alarm..........15
INDEX