technical specifications Abarth Punto 2021 Owner handbook (in English)

123
Front airbags may not be activated in the following
situations:
❒in collisions against highly deformable objects that do
not affect the front surface of the car (e.g. bumper
collision against guard rail, piles of gravel etc.);
❒jamming of the car underneath other vehicles or
protective barriers (e.g. underneath a truck or a
guard rail); in this case, the bags would offer no
additional protection with respect to the seat belt
and their deployment is unnecessary. Therefore,
failure to activate in the above circumstances does
not mean that the system is not working properly.FRONT AIR BAGS
The car is fitted with front air bags for the driver and
the passenger, and with a knee bag on the driver’s side.
The front driver / passenger airbags and the driver’s
knee bag have been designed to protect the occupants
in the event of head-on crashes of medium/high severity,
by placing a cushion between the occupant and the
steering wheel or dashboard.
Non-activation in other types of crash (side-on
collisions, rear shunts, roll-overs, etc.) is therefore not a
sign of system malfunction.
An electronic control unit will make the bag inflate in
the event of a frontal impact. The bag will inflate
instantaneously placing itself between the front
occupants body and the structures which could cause
injury. It will deflate immediately afterwards.
The front driver/passenger airbags and the driver’s knee
bag are not a replacement for, but rather complement,
the use of belts, which should always be worn, as
specified by law in Europe and most non-European
countries.
The volume of the front airbags at maximum inflation
fills most of the space between the steering wheel and
the driver and between the dashboard and the
passenger.
In the event of an impact, someone not wearing a seat
belt could move forward and come into contact with a
bag which is still in the opening phase. The protection
offered by the bag is compromised in these
circumstances.
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Do not apply stickers or other objects on
the steering wheel, passenger side airbag
cover or upper side upholstery. Do not place
objects (e.g. mobile phones) on the passenger
side dashboard because these could interfere
with the correct opening of the airbag and
cause severe injury to occupants.
WARNING
The airbags are not deployed in the event of minor
collisions (for which the withholding action of the seat
belts is sufficient). For this reason, the seat belt must be
worn at all times. In the case of side collisions, the seat
belts hold occupants in the correct position and prevent
them being thrown out of the car by a very violent
collision.
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124
F0U119Abfig. 119F0U120Abfig. 120
FRONT AIR BAG ON DRIVER’S SIDE
fig. 119
It consists of an instantly inflating bag contained in a
special recess in the centre of the steering wheel.
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FRONT AIRBAG ON PASSENGER’S SIDE
fig. 120
This consists of an instantly-inflating bag contained in
a special compartment in the dashboard: this bag has
a larger volume than that of the driver’s.
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125
F0U121Abfig. 121
KNEE BAG ON DRIVER’S SIDE fig. 121
This consists of an instantly-inflating bag contained in a
special compartment under the steering wheel at knee
level, designed to give further protection in the event of
a head-on crash.
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WARNING: Do not put child seats
facing backwards on the front seat if the
passenger’s airbag is enabled (ON).
Deployment of the airbag in an accident
could cause fatal injuries to the baby.
Should it be absolutely necessary to place a
child seat on the front seat, always deactivate
the passenger airbag. Move the passenger’s seat
as far back as possible to avoid contact
between the child seat and the dashboard.
Although this is not mandatory by law, the
airbag should be immediately reactivated when
children are no longer carried to ensure better
protection for adults.
WARNING
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126
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To manually deactivate the passenger’s
front and side air bags, refer to
paragraph “Reconfigurable multifunction
display” in the section “Knowing your car”.
WARNING
SIDE AIRBAGS
The car is fitted with front side bags for driver and
passenger for protecting the chest, and window bags for
protecting front and rear passengers’ heads.
Side bags protect occupants from side-on crashes of
medium/high severity by placing the bag between the
occupant and the internal parts of the side structure of
the vehicle.
Non-activation of side bags in other types of collisions
(head-on collisions, rear shunts, roll-overs, etc...) is not
an indication of system malfunction. An electronic
control unit causes the bags to inflate in the event of
a frontal crash.
The bags inflate instantaneously placing themselves
between the front occupant’s body and the structures
which could cause injury. They deflate immediately
afterwards.
Side bags are not a replacement for, but rather a
complement to, seat belts, which you are recommended
to wear at all times, as specified by law in Europe and
most non-European countries. MANUAL DEACTIVATION OF PASSENGER’S
FRONT AIR BAG AND SIDE BAG
Should it be absolutely necessary to carry a child on the
front seat, the passenger front and side airbags can be
deactivated.
The instrument panel warning light
“will stay on
constantly until the passenger front and side airbags are
reactivated.
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127
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HEAD PROTECTION SIDE AIR BAGS
(WINDOW BAGS) fig. 123
This is formed by two “curtain” window bags located
behind the side roof cover and are covered by special
trim. They were designed to protect the head of front
and rear passengers in the case of side collisions, thanks
to the wide cushion inflation surface.
F0U122Abfig. 122
SIDE BAGS fig. 122
Front side airbags are housed in the seat backrests.
They consist of an instant-inflation bag designed to
increase protection of the occupants’ chest and pelvis
zone in the event of a side-on crash of medium/high
severity.
F0U123Abfig. 123
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128
IMPORTANT Should an accident occur in which any of
the safety devices are activated, contact an Abarth
Dealership to have the activated devices replaced and to
have the whole system checked.
Every check, repair and replacement operation
concerning the airbags must be carried out at Abarth
Dealerships.
If you are having the car scrapped, have the airbag
system deactivated at an Abarth Dealership first. If the
car changes ownership, the new owner must be
informed of how to use the airbags and the above
warnings: they must also be given this “Owner’s
Handbook”.
IMPORTANT Pretensioners, front airbags and front side
bags are deployed differently according to the type of
collision. Non-deployment of one of the devices does
not necessarily indicate a system malfunction. IMPORTANT In the event of a side-on crash, the
system offers the best protection if you are positioned
correctly on the seat because this allows the side bags
to inflate correctly.
IMPORTANT The front airbags and/or side bags may be
deployed if the car is subject to strong impact involving
the underbody area, such as violent impacts against
steps, kerbs or low obstacles, the car entering large
holes or hollows in the road.
IMPORTANT A small amount of dust will be released
when the airbags are deployed. The dust is harmless and
does not indicate the beginning of a fire. Furthermore,
the surface of the deployed bag and the interior of the
car may be covered with dusty residue. This dust can
irritate skin and eyes. Wash with mild soap and water in
the event of exposure.
The expiration dates of the explosive charge and the
clock wire are shown on a label contained in the glove
box. Contact an Abarth Dealership to have the devices
replaced when the expiry date approaches.
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129
KNOWING
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Do not rest your head, arms or elbows
on the doors, windows or window bag
deployment area as you could be injured during
the inflation phase.
WARNING
Never stick you head, arms or elbows
out of the window.
WARNING
Do not cover the front seat backrest
with sheets or covers that are not
compatible with side bags.
WARNING
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 reconfigurable multifunction
display), there could be a failure in the safety
systems; if this is the case, the airbags or
pretensioners may not trigger in the event of an
accident or, in a minor number of cases, they
could activate incorrectly. Contact a Fiat
Dealership immediately to have the system
checked before driving off.
WARNING
GENERAL WARNINGS
Do not travel with objects in your lap, in
front of your chest, or between your lips
(pipes, pencils, etc.). In the event of a crash
when the airbag is deployed, you may be
seriously injured.
WARNING
Always drive keeping your hands on the
steering wheel rim so that, in the event of
airbag activation, it can inflate without
obstruction. Do not drive with your body
slouched forwards; keep the backrest upright and
lean back into it.
WARNING
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130
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If the key is turned to MAR, even if the
engine is switched off, airbags may be
deployed when the car is stationary and hit by
another 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 turned
to the STOP position, no safety device (airbag
or pretensioner) activates following a collision.
Non-deployment in such cases should not be
considered as the sign of a malfunction.
WARNING
If the car has been stolen or has been
the subject of an attempted theft, if it
has been vandalised or flooded, have the airbag
system checked at an Abarth Dealership.
WARNING
When the ignition key is turned to MAR,
the warning light “turns on (with front
airbag on passenger’s side enabled) and blinks
for a few seconds to remind you that the
passenger airbag will activate in the event of a
collision. Then it turns off.
WARNING
Do not pressure wash the seats with
steam or water (either by hand or at
automatic seat washing stations).
WARNING
The front airbags deploy in the event of
more severe collisions than those
required for deploying the pretensioners. For
collisions in the range between the two
activation thresholds, pretensioner activation
alone is normal.
WARNING
Do not hook rigid objects to clothes
hangers and support handles.
WARNING
The airbag does not replace seat belts; it
increases their effectiveness.
Furthermore, since front airbags are not
deployed in low speed collisions, side-on
collisions, rear-end shunts or roll-overs, the
passengers are protected only by the seat belts
which must therefore be fastened at all times.
WARNING
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131
STARTING THE ENGINE
The car is fitted with an electronic engine lock device: if
the engine fails to start, see the paragraph “The Fiat
CODE system” in section “Dashboard and controls”.
The engine may be noisier during the first few seconds
of operation, especially after a long period of inactivity.
This is a feature of hydraulic tappets, the timing system
chosen to reduce the number of servicing interventions,
and effects neither functionality nor reliability.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
It is dangerous to let the engine run in
enclosed spaces. The engine consumes
oxygen and produces carbon dioxide, carbon
monoxide and other toxic gases.
WARNING
In the first period of use, we recommend
that you do not demand maximum
performance from the car (e.g. excessive
acceleration, extended travel at maximum revs,
heavy braking etc.).
With the engine off, do not leave the key
in the ignition to prevent draining the
battery.
Remember that the brake booster and
power steering are not operational until
the engine has been started, therefore you need
to apply much more force than usual to the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
WARNING
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HOW TO WARM UP THE ENGINE AFTER IT
HAS JUST STARTED
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly, letting the engine turn at medium
speed. Do not accelerate abruptly;
❒do not demand maximum performance for the first
few kilometres. Wait until the engine coolant gauge
starts moving.
132
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Remember that the brake servo and
power steering are not operational until
the engine has been started, so you need
to apply much more force than usual to the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
Never start the engine by pushing, towing
or driving downhill. This could cause a
flow of fuel into the catalytic converter
and damage it beyond repair.
Proceed as follows:
❒engage the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒fully depress the clutch pedal without moving the
accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to AVV and release it as soon
as the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first attempt, return
the ignition key to STOP before repeating the starting
procedure.
If, when the ignition key is at MAR, the instrument panel
warning light
Yremains on together with warning light
U, turn the key to STOP and then back to MAR; if the
warning light remains on, try the other keys provided
with the vehicle.
IMPORTANT If the instrument panel warning light
Ystays on permanently, contact an Abarth Dealership
immediately.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key to MAR
when the engine is off.
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