2022 FIAT 500X Owners Manual

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR INSTRUMENT PANEL79
Your vehicle has a simple ignition actuated test,
which you can use prior to going to the test station.
To check if your vehicle's OBD II system is ready,
you must do the following:

1. Cycle the ignition switch to the ON position, but do not crank or start the engine.

NOTE:If you crank or start the engine, you will have to
start this test over.
2. As soon as you cycle the ignition switch to the ON position, you will see the Malfunction
Indicator Light (MIL) symbol come on as part of
a normal bulb check. 3. Approximately 15 seconds later, one of two
things will happen:
The MIL will flash for about 10 seconds and
then return to being fully illuminated until
you turn OFF the ignition or start the engine.
This means that your vehicle's OBD II
system is not ready and you should not
proceed to the I/M station.
The MIL will not flash at all and will remain
fully illuminated until you place the ignition
in the off position or start the engine. This
means that your vehicle's OBD II system is
ready and you can proceed to the I/M
station. If your OBD II system is
not ready, you should see
an authorized dealer or repair facility. If your
vehicle was recently serviced or had a battery
failure or replacement, you may need to do nothing
more than drive your vehicle as you normally would
in order for your OBD II system to update. A
recheck with the above test routine may then
indicate that the system is now ready.
Regardless of whether your vehicle's OBD II system
is ready or not, if the MIL is illuminated during
normal vehicle operation you should have your
vehicle serviced before going to the I/M station.
The I/M station can fail your vehicle because the
MIL is on with the engine running.3

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80
STARTING AND OPERATING
STARTING THE ENGINE
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat,
adjust the inside and outside mirrors, fasten your
seat belt, and if present, instruct all other
occupants to buckle their seat belts.
Start the engine with the gear selector in the
NEUTRAL or PARK position. Apply the brake before
shifting to any driving range.Normal Starting
Proceed as follows:

1. Set the Electric Park Brake (EPB) and put the
gear selector in the PARK or NEUTRAL
position.

2. Press on the brake pedal, without pressing the accelerator.
3. Press the START/STOP ignition button and release it as soon as the engine is started.
4. If the engine does not start, place the ignition in the OFF position and wait 10-15 seconds
before attempting to restart the engine.
TIP START FEATURE
Do not press the accelerator. Briefly press the
START/STOP ignition button and release it. The
starter motor will continue to run but will
automatically disengage when the engine is
running.
COLD WEATHER OPERATION
To ensure reliable starting under extreme cold
conditions an externally powered electric block
heater (if equipped) is required below -20°F
(-29°C). To prevent possible engine damage while starting
at low temperatures, this vehicle will inhibit engine
cranking when the ambient temperature is less
than -20°F (-29°C), and the oil temperature
sensor reading indicates an engine block heater
has not been used. The message “Plug in Engine
Heater” will be displayed in the instrument cluster
when the ambient temperature is below -4°F
(-20°C) at the time the engine is shut off as a
reminder to avoid possible crank delays at the next
cold start.
EXTENDED PARK STARTING
NOTE:Extended Park condition occurs when the vehicle
has not been started or driven for at least 30 days.

1. Install a battery charger or jumper cables to
the battery to ensure a full battery charge
during the crank cycle.

2. Press the START/STOP ignition button and release it when the engine starts.
3. If the engine fails to start within 10 seconds, place the ignition in the OFF position, wait
10 to 15 seconds to allow the starter to cool,
then repeat the Extended Park Starting
procedure.
WARNING!
Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle.
Allowing children to be in a vehicle unattended
is dangerous for a number of reasons. A child
or others could be seriously or fatally injured.
Children should be warned not to touch the
parking brake, brake pedal or the gear
selector.
Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle
(or in a location accessible to children), and do
not leave the ignition in the ON or RUN posi -
tion. A child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.

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STARTING AND OPERATING81
4. If the engine fails to start after eight attempts, allow the starter to cool for at least
10 minutes, then repeat the procedure.
IF ENGINE FAILS TO START
If the engine fails to start after you have followed
the “Normal Starting” or “Cold Weather Operation”
procedure, and has not experienced an extended
park condition as identified in “Extended Park
Starting” procedure it may be flooded. Push the
accelerator pedal all the way to the floor and hold
it there. Crank the engine for no more than
10 seconds. This should clear any excess fuel in
case the engine is flooded. Leave the ignition in the
RUN position, release the accelerator pedal and
repeat the “Normal Starting” procedure.
AFTER STARTING — WARMING UP THE
E
NGINE
Proceed as follows:
Travel slowly, letting the engine run at a reduced
RPM, without accelerating suddenly.
It is recommended to wait until the engine
coolant temperature gauge starts to rise for
maximum performance.
STOPPING THE ENGINE
To shut off the engine with vehicle speed greater
than 5 mph (8 km/h), you must push and hold the
ignition or push the ENGINE START/STOP button
three times consecutively within a few seconds.
The engine will shut down, and the ignition will be
placed in the RUN position.
Turning off the car (place the ignition from the RUN
position to the OFF position), the power supply to
the accessories are maintained for a period of
three minutes.
NOTE:If the vehicle fails to shut off using the ignition
Ú page 64.
Opening the driver side door with the ignition in
RUN will sound a short chime that reminds the
driver to place the ignition to OFF.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not crank
continuously for more than 10 seconds at a
time. Wait 10 to 15 seconds before trying again.
WARNING!
Never pour fuel or other flammable liquid into
the throttle body air inlet opening in an
attempt to start the vehicle. This could result
in flash fire causing serious personal injury.
Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to
get it started. Vehicles equipped with an auto -
matic transmission cannot be started this
way. Unburned fuel could enter the catalytic
converter and once the engine has started,
ignite and damage the converter and vehicle.
If the vehicle has a discharged battery,
booster cables may be used to obtain a start
from a booster battery or the battery in
another vehicle. This type of start can be
dangerous if done improperly Ú page 226.
CAUTION!
To prevent damage to the starter, do not
continuously crank the engine for more than
10 seconds at a time. Wait 10 to 15 seconds
before trying again.
4

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82STARTING AND OPERATING
When the ignition is in the OFF position, the
window switches remains active for three minutes.
Opening a front door will cancel this function.
After severe driving, idle the engine to allow the
temperature inside the engine compartment to
cool before shutting off the engine.
TURBOCHARGER “COOL DOWN” —
I
F EQUIPPED
This vehicle is equipped with an after-run pump to
cool the turbocharger after the engine is shut off.
Depending on the type of driving and the amount
of cargo, the pump will run for up to 10 minutes
after the engine has been shut off to circulate
coolant through the turbocharger. Although the
pump is rubber-mounted for quiet operation, it is
normal to hear it running during this time.
ENGINE BREAK-IN RECOMMENDATIONS
A long break-in period is not required for the engine
and drivetrain (transmission and axle) in your
vehicle.
Drive moderately during the first 300 miles
(500 km). After the initial 60 miles (100 km),
speeds up to 50 or 55 mph (80 or 90 km/h) are
desirable.
While cruising, brief full-throttle acceleration within
the limits of local traffic laws contributes to a good break-in. Wide-open throttle acceleration in low
gear can be detrimental and should be avoided.
The engine oil installed in the engine at the factory
is a high-quality energy conserving type lubricant.
Oil changes should be consistent with anticipated
climate conditions under which vehicle operations
will occur. For the recommended viscosity and
quality grades Ú
page 293.
NOTE:A new engine may consume some oil during its first
few thousand miles (kilometers) of operation. This
should be considered a normal part of the break-in
and not interpreted as a problem.
ELECTRIC PARK BRAKE (EPB)
Your vehicle is equipped with an EPB that offers
simple operation, and some additional features
that make the parking brake more convenient and
useful.
The parking brake is primarily intended to prevent
the vehicle from rolling while parked. Before
leaving the vehicle, make sure that the parking
brake is applied. Also, be certain to leave the
transmission in PARK. The EPB switch is located in the center console.
You can engage the EPB in two ways;
Manually, by pulling up on the EPB switch
momentarily to apply.
Automatically, by enabling the Auto Park Brake
feature in the Customer Programmable
Features section of the Uconnect Settings.

Electric Park Brake Switch

To apply the EPB manually, pull up on the switch
momentarily. You may hear a sound from the back
of the vehicle while the EPB engages. Once the
parking brake is fully engaged, the Brake Warning
Light in the instrument cluster and an indicator on
the switch will illuminate. If your foot is on the
brake pedal while you apply the EPB, you may
notice a small amount of brake pedal movement.
The EPB can be applied even when the ignition is
in the OFF position however, it can only be released
when the ignition is in the RUN position.
CAUTION!
Never use Non-Detergent Oil or Straight Mineral
Oil in the engine or damage may result.

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STARTING AND OPERATING83
(Continued)
NOTE:The EPB fault lamp will illuminate if the EPB switch
is held for longer than 60 seconds in either the
released or applied position. The light will extin -
guish upon releasing the switch.
If the Auto Park Brake feature is enabled, the EPB
will automatically engage whenever the
transmission is moved into PARK when the ignition
switch is in the STOP/OFF position. If your foot is on
the brake pedal, you may notice a small amount of
brake pedal movement while the EPB is engaging.
The EPB will be automatically released if the
driver’s seat belt is buckled (in case of automatic
transmission) and driver's intention to start (in
forward or reverse direction) is recognized by the
system
To release the EPB manually, the ignition must be
in the RUN position. Put your foot on the brake
pedal, then push the EPB switch down
momentarily. You may hear a sound from the back
of the car while the parking brake disengages. You
may also notice a small amount of movement in
the brake pedal. Once the EPB is fully disengaged,
the Brake Warning Light in the instrument cluster
and the LED indicator on the switch will extinguish.
NOTE:When parking on a hill, it is important to turn the
front wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade
and away from the curb on an uphill grade. Apply
the EPB before placing the gear selector in PARK, otherwise the load on the transmission locking
mechanism may make it difficult to move the gear
selector out of PARK. The EPB should always be
applied whenever the driver is not in the vehicle.
If exceptional circumstances should make it
necessary to engage the EPB while the vehicle is in
motion, maintain upward pressure on the EPB
switch for as long as engagement is desired. The
brake warning lamp could illuminate in case of the
hydraulic system is not available. The rear stop
lamps will also be illuminated automatically while
the vehicle remains in motion.
To disengage the EPB while the vehicle is in
motion, release the switch. If the vehicle is brought
to a complete stop using the EPB, when the vehicle
reaches approximately 1.9 mph (3 km/h) the EPB
will remain engaged.
WARNING!
When exiting the vehicle, always remove the
key fob from the vehicle and lock your vehicle.
Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing chil-
dren to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally injured.
Children should be warned not to touch the
parking brake, brake pedal or the transmis -
sion gear selector.
Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle
(or in a location accessible to children), and do
not leave the ignition in the ON or RUN posi -
tion. A child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
Be sure the parking brake is fully disengaged
before driving; failure to do so can lead to
brake failure and a collision.
Always fully apply the parking brake when
leaving your vehicle, or it may roll and cause
damage or injury. Also be certain to leave the
transmission in PARK. Failure to do so may
allow the vehicle to roll and cause damage or
injury.
CAUTION!
If the Brake System Warning Light remains on
with the parking brake released, a brake system
malfunction is indicated. Have the brake system
serviced by an authorized dealer immediately.
WARNING!
4

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84STARTING AND OPERATING
In the unlikely event of a malfunction of the EPB
system, a yellow EPB fault lamp will illuminate. This
may be accompanied by the Brake Warning Light
flashing. In this status, some EPB functionalities
may be deactivated. In this event, urgent service of
the EPB system is required. Do not rely on the EPB
to hold the vehicle stationary.
AUTO PARK BRAKE
The EPB can be programmed to be applied
automatically whenever the vehicle speed is below
1.9 mph (3 km/h) and the automatic transmission
is placed in PARK whenever the ignition is in the
OFF position. Auto Park Brake is enabled and
disabled by customer selection through the
Customer Programmable Features section of the
Uconnect Settings.
Any single Auto Park Brake application can be
bypassed by pushing the EPB switch to the release
position while the transmission is placed in PARK
and the ignition is in the RUN position. In some cases, if the ignition is cycled from ON/RUN to OFF
and the gear selector is not firmly locked in the
PARK position, EPB applies automatically even if
Auto Park Brake has been previously disabled.
SAFEHOLD
SafeHold is a safety feature of the EPB system that
will engage the parking brake automatically if the
vehicle is left unsecured while the ignition switch is
in the RUN position.
The EPB will automatically engage if all of the
following conditions are met:
Vehicle speed is below 1.9 mph (3 km/h).
There is no attempt to press the brake pedal or
accelerator pedal.
The seat belt is unbuckled.
The driver door is open.
The vehicle is not in the PARK position.
SafeHold can be temporarily bypassed by pushing
the EPB switch while the driver door is open and
the brake pedal is pressed. Once manually
bypassed, SafeHold will be enabled again once the
vehicle reaches 12 mph (20 km/h) or the ignition
is cycled to the OFF position and back to RUN
position.
BRAKE SERVICE MODE
We recommend having your brakes serviced by an
authorized dealer. You should only make repairs
for which you have the knowledge and the right
equipment. You should only enter Brake Service
Mode during brake service.
When servicing your rear brakes, it may be
necessary for you or your technician to push the
rear piston into the rear caliper bore. With the EPB
system, this can only be done after retracting the
EPB actuator. The actuator retraction can be done
easily by entering the Brake Service Mode. This
menu based system will guide you through the
steps necessary to retract the EPB actuator in
order to perform rear brake service.
Service Mode has requirements that must be met
in order to be activated:
The vehicle must be at a standstill.
The parking brake must be disabled.
The transmission must be in PARK or NEUTRAL.
The EPB switch not activated.
The ignition is in the ON/RUN position.
The brake pedal not pressed.
While in service mode, the EPB fault lamp will flash
continuously while the ignition is placed in the ON
position.
WARNING!
Driving the vehicle with the parking brake
engaged, or repeated use of the parking brake
to slow the vehicle may cause serious damage to
the brake system. Be sure the parking brake is
fully disengaged before driving; failure to do so
can lead to brake failure and a collision.

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STARTING AND OPERATING85
(Continued)
NOTE:A dedicated message will appear in the instrument
cluster if Brake Service Mode cannot be activated.
When brake service work is complete, the following
steps must be followed to reset the parking brake
system to normal operation:
Ensure the vehicle is at a standstill.
Press the brake pedal with moderate force.
Apply the EPB switch.
NOTE:A dedicated message will appear in the instrument
cluster if Brake Service Mode cannot be deacti -
vated.
AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION
NOTE:You must press and hold the brake pedal while
shifting out of PARK.
The transmission gear range (PRND) is displayed
both beside the gear selector and in the instrument cluster. To select a gear range, push
the lock button on the gear selector and move the
lever rearward or forward. You must also press the
brake pedal to shift the transmission out of PARK
(or NEUTRAL, when the vehicle is stopped or
moving at low speeds). Select the DRIVE range for
normal driving.
WARNING!
You can be badly injured working on or around a
motor vehicle. Do only that service work for
which you have the knowledge and the right
equipment. If you have any doubt about your
ability to perform a service job, take your vehicle
to a competent mechanic.
WARNING!
It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or
NEUTRAL if the engine speed is higher than
idle speed. If your foot is not firmly pressing
the brake pedal, the vehicle could accelerate
quickly forward or in reverse. You could lose
control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the
engine is idling normally and your foot is firmly
pressing the brake pedal.
Unintended movement of a vehicle could
injure those in or near the vehicle. As with all
vehicles, you should never exit a vehicle while
the engine is running. Before exiting a vehicle,
always come to a complete stop, then apply
the parking brake, shift the transmission into
PARK, and turn the ignition OFF. When the
ignition is in the OFF position, the transmis
-
sion is locked in PARK, securing the vehicle
against unwanted movement.
When exiting the vehicle, always make sure
the ignition is in the OFF position, remove the
key fob from the vehicle, and lock the vehicle.
Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing chil -
dren to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally injured.
Children should be warned not to touch the
parking brake, brake pedal or the transmis -
sion gear selector.
Do not leave the key fob in or near the vehicle
(or in a location accessible to children), and do
not leave the ignition in the ON or RUN posi -
tion. A child could operate power windows,
other controls, or move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
Shift into or out of PARK or REVERSE only after
the vehicle has come to a complete stop.
Do not shift between PARK, REVERSE,
NEUTRAL, or DRIVE when the engine is above
idle speed.
Before shifting into any gear, make sure your
foot is firmly pressing the brake pedal.
WARNING!
4

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86STARTING AND OPERATING
(Continued)
GEAR SELECTOR
The transmission gear selector has PARK,
REVERSE, NEUTRAL, DRIVE, and AutoStick (+/-)
shift positions. Manual shifts can be made using
the AutoStick shift control. Toggling the gear
selector forward (-) or rearward (+) while in the
AutoStick position (beside the DRIVE position) will
manually select the transmission gear, and will
display the current gear in the instrument cluster
as 1, 2, 3, etc.
NOTE:If the gear selector cannot be moved to the PARK,
REVERSE, or NEUTRAL position (when pushed
forward) it is probably in the AutoStick (+/-)
position (beside the DRIVE position). In AutoStick
mode, the transmission gear (1, 2, 3, etc.) is
displayed in the instrument cluster. Move the gear
selector to the right (into the DRIVE [D] position) for
access to PARK, REVERSE, and NEUTRAL.
The electronically-controlled transmission adapts
its shift schedule based on driver inputs, along
with environmental and road conditions. The
transmission electronics are self-calibrating;
therefore, the first few shifts on a new vehicle may
be somewhat abrupt. This is a normal condition,
and precision shifts will develop within a few
hundred miles (kilometers).
The 9-speed transmission has been developed to
meet the needs of current and future FWD/AWD vehicles. Software and calibration is refined to
optimize the customer’s driving experience and
fuel economy. By design, some vehicle and
driveline combinations utilize 9th gear only in very
specific driving situations and conditions.

Gear Selector Lock Button

Only shift from DRIVE to PARK or REVERSE when
the accelerator pedal is released and the vehicle is
stopped. Be sure to keep your foot on the brake
pedal when shifting between these gears.
Do not press the accelerator pedal when shifting
from PARK or NEUTRAL into another gear range.
GEAR RANGES
PARK (P)
The engine can be started in this range. Never
attempt to use PARK while the vehicle is in motion.
When parking on a hill, apply the EPB before
shifting the transmission to PARK, otherwise the
load on the transmission locking mechanism may
make it difficult to move the gear selector out of
PARK. As an added precaution, turn the front
wheels toward the curb on a downhill grade and
away from the curb on an uphill grade.
When exiting the vehicle, always:
Apply the parking brake.
Shift the transmission into PARK.
Turn the engine off.
Remove the key fob.
CAUTION!
After selecting any gear range, wait a moment to
allow the selected gear to engage before
accelerating. This is especially important when
the engine is cold.
WARNING!
Never use the PARK position as a substitute
for the parking brake. Always apply the
parking brake fully when exiting the vehicle to
guard against vehicle movement and possible
injury or damage.

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