steering Abarth 500 2012 Owner handbook (in English)

74
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
SEVERE DANGER: Do not
arrange child seats facing
backwards if the passenger’s
front airbag is on. Deploy-
ment of the airbag in an ac-
cident could cause fatal in-
juries to the baby. Always deactivate
the passenger’s airbag when placing
a child seat on the front seat. Move
the passenger’s seat as far back as
possible to avoid contact between the
cradle and the dashboard. Although
this is not mandatory by law, the
airbag should be immediately reacti-
vated when children are no longer
carried to ensure better protection to
adults.
WARNING
DRIVER’S FRONT AIR BAG fig. 12
It consists of an instant-inflating cushion
contained in a special recess in the cen-
tre of the steering wheel.
fig. 12F0S071Abfig. 13F0S072Ab
PASSENGER’S FRONT AIR BAG
fig. 13
It consists of an instant-inflating cushion
contained into a special recess in the dash-
board, this cushion has a volume bigger
than that of the driver.

77
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
GENERAL WARNINGS
If when turning the key to
MAR the warning light ¬does not turn on or if it stays on when
travelling (together with the message
on the multifunctional display, where
provided) there could be a failure in
safety systems; in this event air bags
or pretensioners may not be deployed
in case of impact or, in a minor num-
ber of cases, they may be deployed
accidentally. Contact Abarth Dealer-
ship immediately to have the system
checked before driving off.
WARNING
Do not cover the front seat
backrest with covers if a
Side-bag is fitted.
WARNING
Do not travel with objects in
your lap, in front of your
chest, or keeping between your lips
pipes, pencils, etc.. In the event of
crash with airbag activation, you may
be seriously injured.
WARNING
Always drive keeping your
hands on the steering wheel
crown so that, in the event of airbag
activation, it can inflate without find-
ing obstacles. Do not drive with your
body bent forward. Keep the backrest
in straight position, resting correctly
your back on it.
WARNINGWith ignition key inserted,
on MAR, even if the engine
is off, the air bags can activate also
with the car stopped, if it is hit by an-
other vehicle. For this reason, children
must never sit on the front seat, even
if the car is not moving. We remind
you that if the key is inserted on
STOP, no safety device (air bag or
pretensioner) activates following a
collision; no deployment in such cas-
es is consequently not the sign of a
fault.
WARNING
It someone tried to steal or
damage your car, and in the
event of floods, have the air bag sys-
tem checked by the Abarth Dealer-
ship.
WARNING

80
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒press the clutch pedal down to the
floor without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVVand let
it go the moment the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to STOP
before repeating starting.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, war-
ning light
Yremains lit together with
warning light Uturn the key to STOP
and then back to MAR; if the warning li-
ght remains on, try with the other keys
provided with the car.
If you still do not manage to start the en-
gine, go to an Abarth Dealership.
STARTING THE
ENGINE
The car is provided with an electronic en-
gine lock device: refer to “The Fiat CO-
DE system” paragraph in “Your car” if you
cannot start the engine.
The engine may be noisier during the first
seconds of operation, particularly after a
long period of inactivity. This does not im-
pair functionality and reliability and is typ-
ical of hydraulic tappets: the distribution
system selected for the petrol engines of
your car in order to limit the maintenance
required.
In the first period of use, we
recommend to avoid excessi-
ve stress for the car (for in-
stance excessive accelera-
tions, extended travel at maximum
speed, sudden braking etc.).
With engine off, do not leave
the key in the ignition switch
on MAR to prevent draining
the battery.
It is dangerous to have the
engine running in closed en-
vironments. The engine depletes the
oxygen and discharges carbon dioxi-
de, carbon monoxide and other toxic
gases.
WARNING
Remember that the servo-
brake and electric power
steering are not operational until the
engine has been started, therefore
more effort than usual is required on
the brake pedal and steering wheel.
WARNING
Never jump start the engine
by pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause a
flow of fuel into the catalytic
converter and damage it beyond re-
pair.

87
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
GENERAL WARNINGS ..................................................... 88
LOW BRAKE FLUID............................................................ 88
HANDBRAKE ON................................................................ 88
AIR BAG FAILURE................................................................ 88
FRONT PASSENGER AIRBAG DEACTIVATED........... 89
HOT ENGINE COOLANT................................................ 89
LOW BATTERY CHARGE................................................. 90
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE......................................................... 90
EBD SYSTEM FAILURE........................................................ 90
LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE.......................................... 90
“DUALDRIVE” ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING FAILURE ............................................................ 91
INCOMPLETE DOOR LOCKING.................................... 91
ENGINE EOBD / INJECTION
CONTROL SYSTEM FAILURE ......................................... 91
FUEL RESERVE....................................................................... 92
FIAT CODE PROTECTION
SYSTEM FAILURE.................................................................. 92
REAR FOG LIGHTS.............................................................. 92
GENERIC FAILURE INDICATION ................................. 93
ENGINE OIL PRESSURE SENSOR FAILURE.................. 93
FUEL CUT-OFF INERTIAL SWITCH
INTERVENTION................................................................... 93
EXTERNAL LIGHTS FAILURE .......................................... 93ESP SYSTEM FAILURE ........................................................ 93
HILL HOLDER FAILURE .................................................... 93
SIDELIGHTS AND LOW BEAMS..................................... 93
FOLLOW ME HOME........................................................... 93
FRONT FOG LIGHTS ........................................................ 94
LEFT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR........................ 94
RIGHT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR.................... 94
SPORT FUNCTION ACTIVATION................................. 94
MAIN BEAM HEADLIGHTS............................................... 94
POSSIBLE ICE ON THE ROAD.........................................94
SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED .................................................. 94
LIMITED RANGE ................................................................. 94
BRAKE PAD WEAR ............................................................ 94
SEAT BELTS NOT FASTENED.......................................... 94
WW W
A A
R R
N N
I I
N N
G G
L L
I I
G G
H H
T T
S S
A A
N N
D D
M M
E E
S S
S S
A A
G G
E E
S S

91
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
EOBD/INJECTION
SYSTEM FAILURE
(amber yellow)
Under normal conditions, when
the ignition key is turned to MAR, the
warning light comes on, but should go off
as soon as the engine is started.
If the warning light remains on or comes
on whilst driving, this means that the in-
jection system is not working properly;
in particular, if the warning light comes on
constantly, this indicates a malfunction in
the supply/ignition system that could cause
excessive exhaust emissions, a possible
loss of performance, poor driveability and
high consumption.
On certain versions the dedicated mes-
sage is displayed.
In these conditions, the vehicle can con-
tinue travelling at moderate speed with-
out demanding excessive effort from the
engine. The prolonged use of the car with
the warning light on constantly could
cause damage so it is advisable to go to a
Abarth Dealership as soon as possible.
The warning light goes out if the malfunc-
tion disappears, but the system still mem-
orizes the problem.
Warning light turning on flashing indicates
the possibility of damage to the catalyst.
U
INCOMPLETE DOOR
LOCKING (red)
On certain versions the warn-
ing light turns on when one or
more doors or the tailgate are not prop-
erly shut.
On certain versions the dedicated mes-
sage is displayed.
When doors are open and the vehicle is
running, a beep is emitted (only for ver-
sions with reconfigurable multifunction
display).
´
“DUALDRIVE”
ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING FAILURE
(red)
Turning the ignition key to MARthe
warning light turns on, but it should go off
after a few seconds.
If the warning light stays on, you will not
have the steering assistance and the effort
on the steering wheel will be increased,
steering is however possible: go to a
Abarth Dealership.
On certain versions the dedicated mes-
sage is displayed.
g
If warning light vflashes,
contact Abarth Dealership
as soon as possible to have oil
changed and instrument panel warn-
ing light turned off.
WARNING

97
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
Proceed as follows:
❒Connect positive terminals (+ sign near
the terminal) of the two batteries with
a jump lead;
❒With a second lead, connect the nega-
tive terminal (–) of the auxiliary battery
to an earthing point
Eon the engine or
the gearbox of the car to be started;
❒Start the engine;
❒When the engine has been started, re-
move the leads reversing the order
above.
If after a few attempts the engine does not
start, do not insist any further but contact
the nearest Abarth Dealership.
IMPORTANT Never connect the negative
terminals of the two batteries directly:
sparks could ignite explosive gas released
from the battery. If the auxiliary battery is
installed on another car, prevent acciden-
tal contact between metallic parts of the
two cars.BUMP STARTING
Never jump start the engine by pushing,
towing or driving downhill.
This could cause a flow of fuel into the cat-
alytic converter and damage it beyond re-
pair.
IMPORTANT Remember that the brake
booster and the power steering system
are not operating until the engine is start-
ed, a greater effort will therefore be re-
quired to press the brake pedal or turn
the steering wheel.

111
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
DIRECTION INDICATORS
Front
To change the bulb, proceed as follows:
❒remove the protecting rubber cap men-
tioned above;
❒turn the bulb holder clockwise A-fig.
22and withdraw it;
❒remove the snap-fitted bulb and replace
it;
❒refit the bulb holder Aby turning it
clockwise and locking it properly;
❒reinstall the rubber cap;
IF AN EXTERIOR LIGHT
BURNS OUT
For the type of bulb and power rating, see
“When needing to change a bulb”.
FRONT LIGHT CLUSTERS
The front light clusters contain sidelights,
dipped beam, main beam and direction in-
dicator bulbs.
Operating from the engine compartment
remove the rubber cap A-fig. 20to ac-
cess the direction indicators; remove the
rubber cap B-fig. 20 to access the bulbs
of the dipped beam headlights.
To access the bulbs of the sidelights/day-
lights and of the main beams, after fully
steering the wheels open the guard door
C-fig. 21on the wheelhouse at the level
of the lights, then remove the rubber cap
D-fig. 21.
fig. 20F0S093Ab
fig. 21F0S094Ab
fig. 22F0S095Ab

117
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
FUSE LOCATION
Dashboard fuses
To access the fuses you must remove the
snap-fitted cover E.
The 5A fuse for door mirror demisting is
located in the diagnostic socket area, as
shown in fig. 38.
In the bottom area, near the pedals, you
can find the control unit shown in fig. 39.
fig. 38
E
F0S111Ab
fig. 39F0S112Ab
If a general protection fuse
for safety systems (air bag
system, braking system), power unit
systems (engine system, transmission
system) or steering system is triggered,
contact a Abarth Dealership.
WARNING

122
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IINDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE
CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
TOWING THE CAR
The tow ring provided with the car is
housed in the tool box under the boot
mat.
FASTENING THE TOW
RING fig. 42-43
Proceed as follows:
❒release the cap A(only present in the
rear section Fig. 43);
❒take the tow hook Bfrom its seat in
the tool support;
❒tighten the ring on the rear or front
threaded pin.
Before beginning the tow,
turn the ignition key to MAR
and then to STOP, without extract-
ing it If the key is extracted, the steer-
ing wheel lock will be automatically
activated, thus preventing steering
WARNING
Because of the vehicle con-
formation, it cannot be
loaded onto railway carriages and
transported.
WARNING
The power brakes and the
electrical power steering will
not work while the car is being towed.
More effort on the brake pedal and
steering wheel will therefore be re-
quired. Do not use wires for towing.
Do not jerk. Make sure not to dam-
age parts in contact with the car
while towing. Respect the specific
rules of the Highway Code when tow-
ing the car specifically in relation to
the towing device and the behaviour
to maintain on the road.
Do not start the engine while towing
the car.
WARNING
fig. 42

F0S115Abfig. 43

F0S116Ab

134
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
YOUR CAR
SAFETY
DEVICES
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
WHEELS AND TYRES
Check the tyre pressures every couple of
weeks and before long journies.
This check should be carried out with the
tyres at rest and cold.
It is normal for pressure to increase when
the car is used. For the correct tyre in-
flation pressure, see “Wheels” in “Tech-
nical specifications” section.
fig. 4F0S118Ab
IMPORTANT NOTES
❒Avoid braking suddenly, burning starts
and violent knocks against the curb,
potholes or other obstacles if possible.
Long distances on rough roads may
damage the tyres;
❒check the tyres regularly for cuts on the
sides, swelling or irregular tread wear.
Go to a Abarth Dealership if required.
❒do not over load your car: this may
cause serious damage to wheels and
tyres;
❒if a tyre is punctured, stop immediate-
ly and charge it to avoid damage to the
tyre, the rim, suspensions and steering
system; Wrong pressure causes abnormal wear of
tyres fig. 4:
Anormal pressure: evenly worn tread.
Blow pressure: tread particularly worn
on the edges.
Cexcessive pressure: tread particularly
worn in the middle.
The tyres must be replaced when the
tread is less than 1.6 mm thick. In all cas-
es, follow the laws in force in the coun-
try where you are driving.