FIAT 500 ABARTH 2015 2.G Owners Manual

WARNING!
•Take care to avoid the radiator cooling fan when-
ever the hood is raised. It can start anytime the
ignition switch is ON. You can be injured by
moving fan blades.
•Remove any metal jewelry such as rings, watch
bands and bracelets that could make an inadvertent
electrical contact. You could be seriously injured.
•Batteries contain sulfuric acid that can burn your
skin or eyes and generate hydrogen gas which is
flammable and explosive. Keep open flames or
sparks away from the battery.
1. Set the parking brake, shift the transmission into gear
and turn the ignition to OFF/LOCK.
2. Turn off the heater, radio, and all unnecessary electri-
cal accessories.
3. Remove the protective cover over the positive (+)
battery post. To remove the cover pull upward on the
cover.
4. If using another vehicle to jump-start the battery, park
the vehicle within the jumper cables reach, set the
parking brake and make sure the ignition is OFF.
WARNING!
Do not allow vehicles to touch each other as this
could establish a ground connection and personal
injury could result.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 329

Jump-Starting Procedure
WARNING!
Failure to follow this jump-starting procedure could
result in personal injury or property damage due to
battery explosion.
CAUTION!
Failure to follow these procedures could result in
damage to the charging system of the booster vehicle
or the discharged vehicle.
Connecting The Jumper Cables
1. Connect the positive(+)end of the jumper cable to the
positive(+)post of the discharged vehicle.
2. Connect the opposite end of the positive(+)jumper
cable to the positive(+)post of the booster battery.
3. Connect the negative end(-)of the jumper cable to the
negative(-)post of the booster battery.
4. Connect the opposite end of the negative(-)jumper
cable to a good engine ground (exposed metal part of
the discharged vehicle underhood compartment)
away from the battery.
WARNING!
Do not connect the jumper cable to the negative (-)
post of the discharged battery. The resulting electrical
spark could cause the battery to explode and could
result in personal injury. Only use the specific ground
point, do not use any other exposed metal parts.
5. Start the engine in the vehicle that has the booster
battery, let the engine idle a few minutes, and then
turn the key to RUN position on the vehicle with the
discharged battery.
330 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

6. Once the vehicle is started, remove the jumper cables
in the reverse sequence:
Disconnecting The Jumper Cables
1. Disconnect the negative(-)jumper cable from the
engine ground(-)of the vehicle with the discharged
battery.
2. Disconnect the negative end(-)of the jumper cable
from the negative(-)post of the booster battery.
3. Disconnect the opposite end of the positive(+)jumper
cable from the positive(+)post of the booster battery.
4. Disconnect the positive(+)end of the jumper cable
from the positive(+)post of the discharged vehicle.
If frequent jump-starting is required to start your vehicle,
you should have the battery and charging system in-
spected at your authorized dealer.
FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can
often be moved using a rocking motion. Turn the steering
wheel right and left to clear the area around the front
wheels. Then shift back and forth between DRIVE and
REVERSE (with automatic transmission) or 2nd gear and
REVERSE (with manual transmission), while gently press-
ing the accelerator. Use the least amount of accelerator
pedal pressure that will maintain the rocking motion,
without spinning the wheels, or racing the engine.
CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead to
transmission overheating and failure. Allow the en-
gine to idle with the transmission in NEUTRAL for at
least one minute after every five rocking-motion
cycles. This will minimize overheating and reduce
(Continued)
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 331

CAUTION!(Continued)
the risk of clutch or transmission failure during
prolonged efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
NOTE:Press the#ESC Off#switch, to place the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system in#Partial Off#mode,
before rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake
Control” in “Starting And Operating” for further infor-
mation. Once the vehicle has been freed, press the#ESC
Off#switch again to restore#ESC On#mode.
CAUTION!
•When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting be-
tween DRIVE/2nd gear and REVERSE, do not spin
the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drive-
train damage may result.
(Continued)
CAUTION!(Continued)
•Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast
may lead to transmission overheating and failure.
It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no trans-
mission shifting occurring).
WARNING!
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces gener-
ated by excessive wheel speeds may cause damage, or
even failure, of the axle and tires. A tire could
explode and injure someone. Do not spin your vehi-
cle’s wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for
longer than 30 seconds continuously without stop-
ping when you are stuck and do not let anyone near
a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
332 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

SHIFT LEVER OVERRIDE
If a malfunction occurs and the shift lever cannot be
moved out of the PARK position, you can use the
following procedure to temporarily move the shift lever:
1. Turn the engine OFF.
2. Firmly apply the parking brake.
3. Remove the shift lever override access cover (located
on the right side of the shift lever housing) by prying
at the bottom edge of the cover.
4. Press and maintain firm pressure on the brake pedal.
5.Insert a small screwdriver or similar tool into the access
hole, and push and hold the override release lever in.
6. Move the shift lever to the NEUTRAL position.
7. The vehicle may then be started in NEUTRAL.
8. Reinstall the shift lever override access cover.
Shift Lever Override Access Hole
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 333

TOWING A DISABLED VEHICLE
This section describes procedures for towing a disabled
vehicle using a commercial towing service.
Towing Condition Wheels OFF The
Ground
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
MANUAL
TRANSMISSION
Flat Tow NONENOT ALLOWED If transmission is operable:
•Transmission inNEUTRAL
•65 mph (104 km/h)maxspeed
Wheel LiftRearNOT ALLOWEDNOT ALLOWED
FrontOKOK
FlatbedALLBEST METHODBEST METHOD
Proper towing or lifting equipment is required to prevent
damage to your vehicle. Use only tow bars and other
equipment designed for this purpose, following equip-
ment manufacturer ’s instructions. Use of safety chains is
mandatory. Attach a tow bar or other towing device to
main structural members of the vehicle, not to bumpers
or associated brackets. State and local laws regarding
vehicles under tow must be observed.
334 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

If you must use the accessories (wipers, defrosters, etc.)
while being towed, the ignition must be in the ON/RUN
position.
CAUTION!
•Do not use sling-type equipment when towing.
Vehicle damage may occur.
•When securing the vehicle to a flatbed truck, do not
attach to front or rear suspension components.
Damage to your vehicle may result from improper
towing.
Automatic Transmission
•Vehicle can be towed with the front wheels elevated.
•Vehicle can be towed on a flatbed truck (all wheels off
the ground).
If the ignition key is unavailable, or the battery is
discharged, refer to “Shift Lever Override” in this section
for instructions on shifting the transmission out of PARK
in order to move the vehicle.
CAUTION!
•DO NOT flat tow any vehicle equipped with a
conventional automatic transmission. Damage to
the drivetrain will result. If these vehicles require
towing, make sure all drive wheels are OFF the
ground.
•Towing this vehicle in violation of the above re-
quirements can cause severe transmission damage.
Damage from improper towing is not covered un-
der the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
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WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES 335

Manual Transmission
•Vehicle can be flat towed (all four wheels on the
ground) with the transmission in NEUTRAL.
•Vehicle can be towed with the front wheels elevated.
•Vehicle can be towed on a flatbed truck (all wheels off
the ground).
CAUTION!
Towing this vehicle in violation of the above require-
ments can cause severe engine and/or transmission
damage. Damage from improper towing is not cov-
ered under the New Vehicle Limited Warranty.
336 WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE
CONTENTS
!ENGINE COMPARTMENT — 1.4L TURBO . . . .339
!ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM — OBD II . . .340
!EMISSIONS INSPECTION AND
MAINTENANCE PROGRAMS.............340
!REPLACEMENT PARTS..................342
!DEALER SERVICE......................342
!MAINTENANCE PROCEDURES...........343
▫Engine Oil..........................344
▫Engine Oil Filter......................346
▫Engine Air Cleaner Filter................346
▫Maintenance-Free Battery...............347
▫Air Conditioner Maintenance.............349
▫Body Lubrication.....................353
▫Windshield Wiper Blades...............353
▫Adding Washer Fluid..................355
▫Exhaust System......................356
▫Cooling System......................358
▫Brake System........................364
7

▫Manual Transmission — If Equipped.......367
▫Automatic Transmission — If Equipped.....367
▫Appearance Care And Protection From
Corrosion...........................369
!FUSES..............................376
▫Interior Fuses........................377
▫Underhood Fuses......................379
!VEHICLE STORAGE....................382
!REPLACEMENT BULBS.................382
!BULB REPLACEMENT..................383
▫Headlamps Low Beam and High Beam......384
▫Front Turn Signal, Parking And Daytime
Running Lamps.......................384
▫Front Fog Lamps......................385
▫Front/Rear Side Marker Lamps............385
▫Rear Tail, Stop, Backup And Turn Signal
Lamps.............................385
▫Center High Mounted Stop Lamp (CHMSL) . . .386
!FLUID CAPACITIES....................387
!FLUIDS, LUBRICANTS AND GENUINE
PA R T S . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ..388
▫Engine.............................388
▫Chassis............................390
338 MAINTAINING YOUR VEHICLE