2020 FIAT 500 tow

SBR SYSTEM (Seat
Belt Reminder)
(for versions/markets, where provided)
The SBR system warns the passengers
of the front and rear (for versions/
markets, where provided) seats if their
seat belt is not fastened.
The system warnings unfastened seat
belts with visual warnings (warning
lights on in the instrument panel and
icons on the display) and an acoustic
warning (see the following paragraphs).
NOTE Contact a Fiat Dealership to
deactivate this acoustic warning
permanently. The acoustic warning can
be reactivated at any time through the
display Setup Menu.
Seat belts warning light operation
The system warns the driver and the
front passenger if their seat belt is
not fastened, as follows:
flashingwarning light and
intermittent acoustic warning for about
100 seconds.
once the cycle has finished, the
warning light remains on constantly until
the seat belts are fastened.
PRE-TENSIONERS
The car is equipped with front seat
belts pretensioners, that reduce slack in
the belts in the event of a severe frontal
collision. This guarantees the perfect
adherence of the seat belts to the
occupants' bodies before the
restraining action begins.
It is evident that the pretensioners have
operated when the belt withdraws
towards the retractor. This car is also
equipped with a second pretensioner
(fitted in the kick plate area). Its
activation is signalled by the shortening
of the metal cable.
A slight discharge of smoke may be
produced during the activation of the
pretensioner which is not harmful and
does not involve any fire hazard.
The pretensioner does not require any
maintenance or lubrication: any
changes to its original conditions will
invalidate its efficiency.
If, due to unusual natural events (floods,
sea storms, etc.), the device has been
affected by water or mud, have it
replaced.
IMPORTANT To obtain the highest
degree of protection from the action of
the pretensioner, wear the seat belt
tight to the chest and pelvis.
85) 86) 87)
35)
LOAD LIMITERS
To increase occupant safety, the
retractors of the safety belts contain a
load limiter to dose the force acting
on the chest and shoulders during the
belt restraining action in the case of
frontal collisions.
GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS FOR
USING THE SEAT BELTS
88)
Seat belts are also to be worn by
pregnant women: the risk of injury in
the case of impact is greatly reduced
for them and the unborn child if they
are wearing a seat belt.
Pregnant women must position the
lower part of the belt very low down so
that it passes over the pelvis and under
the abdomen (see fig. 55).
While pregnancy increases, the driver
must adjust both seat and steering
wheel to have full control over the
vehicle (pedals and steering wheel
should be easily accessed).
The maximum clearance should be
kept between the abdomen and the
steering wheel.
75

STARTING AND DRIVING
Let’s get to the "heart" of the vehicle:
seeing how you can exploit all of its
potential to the full.
We’ll look at how to drive it safely in any
situation, so that it can be a welcome
companion, with our comfort and
our wallets in mind.STARTING THE ENGINE ................. 97
PARKING THE VEHICLE ................. 98
MANUAL TRANSMISSION .............. 99
DUALOGIC TRANSMISSION...........100
DUALDRIVE ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING ......................................101
START&STOP SYSTEM ..................102
SPEED LIMITER ..............................103
ELECTRONIC CRUISE CONTROL ..105
PARKING SENSORS.......................106
SUGGESTIONS FOR DRIVING........108
REFUELLING THE VEHICLE ...........109
TOWING TRAILERS ........................112
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STARTING AND DRIVING

39)Never, under any circumstances, jump
start the engine by pushing, towing or
coasting downhill. This could cause fuel to
flow into the catalytic converter and
damage it beyond repair.
40)A quick burst on the accelerator before
stopping the engine serves no practical
purpose; it wastes fuel and is especially
damaging to turbocharged engines.PARKING THE
VEHICLE
When parking and leaving the car,
proceed as follows:
engage a gear (1stgear if facing
uphill or reverse if facing downhill) and
leave the wheels turned;
stop the engine and engage the
handbrake;
always remove the ignition key.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a
stone if the car is parked on a steep
slope.
Do not leave the ignition key on MAR to
avoid draining the battery. Always
remove the key when you leave the car.
Versions with Dualogic
transmission
To park safely it is essential to engage
1
stgear or reverse (R), with your foot on
the brake pedal and, if there is a
gradient, to operate the handbrake.
Before releasing the brake pedal, wait
until P appears on the display.
IMPORTANT NEVER leave the car with
the gearbox in neutral (or, on versions
equipped with automatic transmission,
before placing the gear lever at P).HANDBRAKE
124) 125) 126)
The handbrake lever fig. 74 is located
between the two front seats.
Handbrake engagement
To use the handbrake pull the lever
upwards until the car cannot be moved.
When the handbrake is on and the
ignition key is at MAR position, the
warning light
will appear on the
instrument panel.
Handbrake disengagement
Proceed as follows to release the
handbrake:
slightly lift the handbrake and press
release button A fig. 74;
press and hold button A and lower
the lever. The
warning light in the
instrument panel will go out.
74F0S0048
98
STARTING AND DRIVING

Press the brake pedal when carrying
out this operation to prevent the car
from moving accidentally.
WARNING
124)The car should be braked after a few
clicks of the lever, if it is not, contact a
Fiat Dealership to have it adjusted.
125)Never leave children in the
unattended car. Always remove the ignition
key when leaving the car and take it out
with you.
126)In the case of parking manoeuvres on
roads on a gradient, the front wheels
must be steered towards the pavement
(when parking downhill), or in the opposite
direction if the vehicle is parked uphill.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a stone if
the car is parked on a steep slope.
MANUAL
TRANSMISSION
(for versions/markets, where provided)
127)
41)
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
lever knob fig. 75).
For cars provided with 6-speed
gearbox, to engage the 6
thgear,
operate the lever by pressing it towards
the right in order to avoid engaging
the 4
thgear by mistake. The same
applies to the shift from 6thto 5thgear.
To engage reverse R from neutral, lift
the sliding ring A fig. 75 under the knob
and shift the lever to the right and
back.IMPORTANT Reverse can only be
engaged when the vehicle is completely
stationary. With the engine running,
wait for at least 2 seconds with the
clutch pedal fully depressed before
engaging reverse to prevent damage to
the gears and grating.
IMPORTANT The clutch pedal should
be used only for gear changes. Do
not drive with your foot resting on the
clutch pedal, however lightly. For
versions/markets where provided, the
electronic clutch control could cut
in, interpreting the incorrect driving style
as a fault.
WARNING
127)Press the clutch pedal fully to change
gears correctly. It is therefore essential
that there is nothing under the pedals:
make sure the mats are lying flat and do
not get in the way of the pedals.
WARNING
41)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.
75F0S0597
99

DUALOGIC
TRANSMISSION
(for versions/markets, where provided)
42) 44)
OPERATING MODE
MANUAL MODE
In this mode, the driver decides when
to shift gear;
Proceed as follows:
press the brake pedal;
start the engine;
push the lever A fig. 76 for the
gearbox towards (+) to engage the first
gear (if it is coming from N or R, simply
position the lever in the middle position)
or in R to engage reverse gear;
release the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal;
in driving conditions, push lever A of
the gearbox towards (+) to engage
the next gear up or towards (–) to
engage the next gear down.
AUTOMATIC MODE (AUTO)
In this mode, the system directly
decides when to shift gear.
Proceed as follows:
press the brake pedal
start the engine
push the gear lever to A/M to
engage automatic mode or to R to
engage reverse gear
release the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal.
ECO function
The ECO function, which optimises the
gearbox and reduces fuel consumption,
can only be activated with automatic
mode on. To turn the function on, press
the button E fig. 76 on the gearbox
panel.
With the ECO function active, the
display will show the current gear and
the words AUTO and ECO; the system
will select the most suitable gear
depending on the car speed, engine
rpm and intensity with which the
accelerator pedal is pressed, with the
aim of limiting fuel consumption.The ECO and AUTO functions are
activated automatically whenever the
engine is started.
STEERING WHEEL
PADDLES
(for versions/markets, where provided)
43) 44) 43)
Shifting can be managed sequentially
via the shift paddles on the steering
wheel fig. 77.
To use the steering wheel paddles, the
gear lever must be in the middle
position between + and –:
pull the paddle + (towards the
driver): shift up;
pull the paddle – (towards driver):
shift down.
NOTE Shifting up (or down) is only
permitted if the engine rpm allow it.
NOTE For correct use of the system,
you are advised only to use your right
foot to operate the pedal unit.
76F0S0576
77F0S0577
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STARTING AND DRIVING

WARNING
42)Avoid keeping your hand placed on this
lever in between gear changes or
Auto/Manual mode.
43)Using the paddles incorrectly (paddles
pushed towards the dashboard) could
break them.
44)If the transmission is faulty, contact a
Fiat Dealership as soon as possible to have
the system checked.
45)Using the paddles incorrectly (paddles
pushed towards the dashboard) could
break them.
DUALDRIVE
ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING
(for versions/markets, where provided)
Turning on/off (CITY function)
Press button A fig. 78 to turn the
function on/off.
When the function is active, the CITY
text on the display turns on.
When the CITY function is on, the
steering wheel effort is lighter, making
parking easier: therefore, this function is
particularly useful for driving in city
centres.
To deactivate the function press the
button again.
128) 129)
ECO FUNCTION
(for versions/markets, where provided)
With the ignition key at MAR, press
button ECO B fig. 78 to activate the
function. The word ECO on the display
will light up or, according to the version,
a dedicated screen will be displayed.
When the function is activated,
the car is set for city driving,
characterised by less effort on the
steering wheel (Dualdrive system on)
and reduced fuel consumption.
Press the button again to deactivate
the function.
This function is not stored, so the
system will restart with the function on
when the engine is restarted.
WARNING
128)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.
78F0S0650
101

If an object is detected in the rear left,
central or right zone, the display shows
a flashing arc in the corresponding
zone and a sound is emitted.
As the car approaches the object, the
display shows one or more flashing
arcs that approach the car, and the
sound becomes more frequent until it
becomes continuous.
The colour on the display depends on
the distance from and position of the
obstacle. The car is close to the
obstacle when a blinking red
arc appears on the display (to the right,
in the centre or to the left) and a
continuous sound is emitted. If there
are several obstacles, the closest one is
indicated.FAULT INDICATIONS
Parking sensor faults will be indicated
when reverse is engaged by warning
light
or by the icon(versions
with colour display) on the instrument
panel and by the relevant message
in the display (for versions/markets,
where provided).
OPERATION WITH A
TRAILER
The operation of the sensors is
automatically deactivated when the
trailer electric cable plug is inserted in
the tow hook socket of the car. The
sensors are automatically reactivated
when the trailer's cable plug is
removed.
WARNING
137)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 used to assist the driver, who
must never allow his attention to lapse
during potentially dangerous manoeuvres,
even those executed at low speeds.
WARNING
47)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.
48)Have interventions on the bumper in
the area of the sensors carried out only by
a Fiat Dealership. Interventions on the
bumper that are not carried out properly
may compromise the operation of the
parking sensors.
83F0S0558
107

TOWING TRAILERS
(for versions/markets, where provided)
141) 142)
IMPORTANT NOTES
For towing caravans or trailers the car
must be fitted with an approved tow
hook and an adequate electrical
system. Installation should be carried
out by specialised technicians who will
issue the required papers for travelling
on roads.
Install any specific and/or additional
door mirrors as specified by the
Highway Code.
Remember that, when towing a trailer,
steep hills are harder to climb, braking
distances increase and overtaking
takes longer depending on the overall
weight of the trailer. Engage a low gear
when driving downhill, rather than
constantly using the brake.
The weight the trailer exerts on the car
tow hook reduces the car's loading
capacity by the same amount. To make
sure that the maximum towable weight
is not exceeded (given in the vehicle
registration document) account should
be taken of the fully laden trailer,
including accessories and luggage.Respect the speed limits specific to
each country for cars towing trailers. In
any case, the top speed must not
exceed 100 km/h.
IMPORTANT The engine must be
running when using auxiliary loads other
than external lights.
IMPORTANT To install a tow hook
contact a Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
141)The ABS with which the car is
equipped will not control the braking
system of the trailer. Particular caution is
required on slippery roads.
142)Never modify the braking system of
the vehicle to control the trailer brake. The
trailer braking system must be fully
independent of the vehicle’s hydraulic
system.
112
STARTING AND DRIVING