gearbox FIAT 500L 2018 Owner handbook (in English)

READ THIS CAREFULLY
REFUELLING
Petrol engines: only refuel with unleaded petrol with octane rating (RON) not less than 95 in compliance with the European specification
EN228. Do not use petrol containing methanol or ethanol E85. Using these mixtures may cause misfiring and driving issues, as well as
damage fundamental components of the supply system.
Diesel engines: refuel only with diesel fuel motor vehicles conforming to the European specification EN590. The use of other products or
mixtures may damage the engine beyond repair and consequently invalidate the warranty, due to the damage caused.
LPG engines: refuel only with LPG for motor vehicles conforming to the European specification EN589. The use of other products or
mixtures may damage the engine beyond repair and consequently invalidate the warranty, due to the damage caused.
Refuelling with methane: refuel only with methane for motor vehicles. The use of other products or mixtures may damage the engine
beyond repair and consequently invalidate the warranty, due to the damage caused.
For further details on the use of the correct fuel see the "Refuelling the car" paragraph in the "Starting and driving" chapter.
STARTING THE ENGINE
Version with manual transmission (petrol engines): make sure that the handbrake is engaged; set the gear lever to neutral; fully depress
the clutch pedal without pressing the accelerator, then turn the ignition key to AVV and release it as soon as the engine has started.
Versions with manual transmission (Diesel engines): make sure that the handbrake is engaged; set the gear lever to neutral, fully
depress the clutch pedal without pressing the accelerator, then turn the ignition key to MAR and wait for the
warning light to switch off.
Turn the ignition key to AVV and release it as soon as the engine has started.
Versions with Dualogic gearbox: make sure that the handbrake is engaged and that the gear lever is in P (Park) or N (Neutral). Then
depress the brake pedal, turn the ignition key to AVV and release it as soon as the engine starts.
PARKING ON FLAMMABLE MATERIAL
The catalytic converter develops high temperatures during operation. Do not park the car on grass, dry leaves, pine needles or other
flammable material: fire hazard.
RESPECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
The vehicle is fitted with a system that carries out a continuous diagnosis of the emission-related components in order to help protect the
environment.
ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES
If, after buying the vehicle, you decide to add electrical accessories (with the risk of gradually draining the battery), contact a Fiat Dealership.
They can calculate the overall electrical requirement and check that the vehicle's electric system can support the required load.
SCHEDULED SERVICING
Correct maintenance of the car is essential for ensuring that it maintains its performance and its safety features, its environmental friendliness
and low running costs for a long time to come.

DASHBOARD AND INSTRUMENT PANEL
The instrument background colour and type may vary according to the versions.
A. Speedometer / B. Digital fuel level gauge / C. Display / D. Digital engine coolant thermometer / E. Tachometer
The warning lights on the instrument panel may change according to the version/trim level (e.g. LPG, Natural Power, Dualogic
gearbox, etc.) of the vehicle. The
warning light is present on Diesel versions only. On Diesel versions, the maximum engine
speed (red range on the rev counter) corresponds to 7000 rpm.
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RIGHT-HAND DRIVE VERSIONS
A. Speedometer / B. Digital fuel level gauge / C. Display / D. Digital engine coolant thermometer / E. Tachometer
The warning lights on the instrument panel may change according to the version/trim level (e.g. LPG, Natural Power, Dualogic
gearbox, etc.) of the vehicle. The
warning light is present on Diesel versions only. On Diesel versions, the maximum engine
speed (red range on the rev counter) corresponds to 7000 rpm.
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KNOWING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL

Symbol What it means
TAILGATE NOT PROPERLY SHUT
The symbol switches on when the tailgate is not properly shut. Close the tailgate correctly.
DOORS OPEN
The symbol switches on when one or more doors are not completely shut. The display also shows the
outline of the car with the door open. An acoustic signal is activated with the doors open and the car
moving. Close the doors properly.
ALTERNATOR FAILURE
The switching on of the symbol with engine on corresponds to an alternator failure. Contact a Fiat
Dealership as soon as possible.
SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED
The (white) symbol switches on when the speed limit (e.g. 110 km/h) set through the Setup Menu of the
display is exceeded (the inner value updates according to the set speed).
WARNING
29)Driving the vehicle with this symbol on may severely damage the gearbox, with resulting breakage. The oil may also overheat: contact
with hot engine or with exhaust components at high temperature could cause fires.
30)If the symbol switches on when driving, stop the engine immediately and contact a Fiat Dealership.
63

STARTING AND DRIVING
Let’s get to the core 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 .................103
WHEN PARKED ..............................104
HANDBRAKE ..................................105
USING THE MANUAL GEARBOX ....105
USING THE DUALOGIC
GEARBOX.......................................106
START&STOP SYSTEM ..................108
CRUISE CONTROL (CONSTANT
SPEED REGULATOR) .....................109
SPEED LIMITER ..............................111
MODE SELECTOR ..........................112
PARKING SENSORS.......................115
REAR BACKUP CAMERA
(PARKVIEW® REAR BACKUP
CAMERA) ........................................116
TOWING TRAILERS ........................117
REFUELLING THE VEHICLE ...........118
102
STARTING AND DRIVING

STARTING THE
ENGINE
102) 103)49) 50) 51) 52) 53)
Before starting the engine, adjust the
seat, the interior rear-view mirrors,
the door mirrors and fasten the seat
belt correctly.
Never press the accelerator pedal for
starting the engine.
VERSIONS WITH MANUAL
TRANSMISSION
Petrol versions
Proceed as follows:
engage the handbrake and put the
gear lever in neutral.On 0.9 TwinAir
Turbo 105 HP versionsengage
the handbrake and place the gear lever
in neutral or fully press the clutch pedal
if a gear other than neutral is engaged;
for all versions (except 0.9
TwinAir Turbo 105 HP)fully depress
the clutch pedal without touching
the accelerator;
turn the ignition key to AVV and
release it as soon as the engine starts.Diesel versions
Proceed as follows:
engage the handbrake, put the gear
lever into neutral and turn the ignition
key to MAR: the
warning light in the
instrument panel will turn on.
wait for thewarning light to turn
off and then fully depress the clutch
pedal without pressing the accelerator;
turn the ignition key to the AVV
position as soon as the warning light
turns off. Release the ignition key as
soon as the engine starts.
IMPORTANT If the engine does not
start at the first attempt, return the
ignition key to STOP before repeating
the procedure. If, with the ignition
key on MAR, the
symbol on the
display stays on together with the
warning light on the instrument
panel (for petrol versions only), it is
advisable to turn the key to STOP and
then back to MAR. If the
symbol
continues to stay on, try with the other
keys provided with the car. Contact a
Fiat Dealership if you still cannot start
the engine.VERSIONS WITH
DUALOGIC GEARBOX
104)
Engine starting is allowed both with a
gear engaged and with the gearbox
in neutral (N).
However, the brake pedal must always
be pressed first if neutral is not
engaged. It is advisable to place the
gear lever in neutral (N) before starting
the engine.
LPG AND NATURAL
POWER VERSIONS
The engine always starts up on petrol
independently of the previously
selected mode.
There must therefore always be some
petrol in the tank to protect the petrol
pump and to guarantee temporary
switching from Methane or LPG to
petrol operation, if high performance is
required.
SWITCHING OFF THE
ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOP while the
engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a demanding drive,
before turning the engine off you should
allow it to idle to allow the temperature
in the engine compartment to
decrease.
103

WARNING
102)It is dangerous to run the engine in
enclosed areas. The engine consumes
oxygen and engine exhaust contains
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and
other toxic gasses.
103)Remember that the brake servo and
electrical power steering system are not
operational until the engine is started,
therefore a greater effort will be required to
press the brake pedal or turn the steering
wheel.
104)If the engine fails to start with a gear
engaged, the potentially dangerous
situation due to the fact that the
transmission is automatically placed in
neutral will be signalled by an acoustic
warning.
WARNING
49)The flashing of the warning lightfor
60 seconds after starting or during
prolonged cranking of the engine indicates
a fault with the glow plug heating system.
You can use the vehicle as usual if the
engine starts but you should contact a Fiat
Dealership as soon as possible.
50)It is advisable not to demand maximum
performance from your car (e.g. excessive
acceleration, long distances at maximum
rpm, excessively intense braking, etc.)
when it is first used.51)When the engine is switched off never
leave the key turned to MAR-ON to prevent
useless current absorption from draining
the battery.
52)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.
53)A quick burst on the accelerator before
turning off the engine serves absolutely
no practical purpose, it wastes fuel and is
especially damaging to turbocharged
engines.
WHEN PARKED
Always remove the ignition key when
leaving the car.
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.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a
stone if the car is parked on a steep
slope.
On versions with Dualogic gearbox, 1
st
gear or reverse must be engaged
with the foot on the brake pedal and, if
on a slope, the handbrake must be
operated in order to park safely.
IMPORTANT NEVER leave the car with
the gearbox in neutral (on versions
equipped with Dualogic transmission,
this is indicated by the letter N on
the display).
104
STARTING AND DRIVING

HANDBRAKE
105) 106)
The handbrake lever is located between
the two front seats.
Handbrake engagement
Pull lever A fig. 94 upwards until the car
is secured. Four or five clicks are
generally enough when the car is on
level ground while ten or eleven may be
required if the car is on a steep slope
and laden: if it is not so, contact a
Fiat Dealership to have it adjusted.
Handbrake disengagement
Slightly raise lever A and hold button B
pressed, checking that the
warning
light switches off in the instrument
panel.
WARNING
105)Never leave children unattended in
the car. Always remove the key from the
ignition when leaving the car and take
it with you.
106)For cars equipped with a front
armrest, lift it up to ensure that it does not
interfere with the action of the handbrake.
USING THE MANUAL
GEARBOX
107)54)
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
knob ).
Reverse engagement
0.9 TwinAir Turbo 105 HP and 1.4 16V
versions: to engage reverse gear R
from the neutral position, lift up ring A
fig. 95 located under the knob and
simultaneously move the lever to the
right and then backwards.
1.3 16V Multijet version: to engage
reverse R from neutral position, move
the lever to the right and then back.
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105

1.6 16V Multijet version: to engage
reverse gear R from the neutral
position, lift up ring A located under the
knob and simultaneously move the
lever to the left and then forwards.
To engage 6
thgear (for versions/
markets, where provided), push firmly
to the right when operating the lever
in order to avoid selecting 4
thgear by
mistake. The same applies to the shift
from 6
thto 5thgear.
IMPORTANT Reverse can only be
engaged when the car is completely
stationary. With the engine running, wait
for at least 2 seconds with the clutch
pedal fully pressed 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
107)Depress the clutch pedal fully to
change gear 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
54)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.
USING THE
DUALOGIC
GEARBOX
(for versions/markets, where provided)
108)55)
GEAR LEVER
The gear lever A fig. 96 is the
multistable floating type, in other words
it has three stable and three unstable
positions.
The three stable positions correspond
to neutral (N), reverse (R) and the
central position located between the
unstable positions (+) and (-).
The central position of the gear lever
identifies forward gear.
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STARTING AND DRIVING

IMPORTANT The use of the “Kick
Down” function is recommended only
when overtaking or accelerating quickly,
in order not to increase fuel
consumption.
STEERING WHEEL
CONTROLS
(for versions/markets, where provided)
56)
On some versions, the gearbox can be
managed sequentially using the
steering wheel controls fig. 98.
To use the controls on the steering
wheel, the gear lever must be in the
central position between (+) and (–).
To engage a higher gear: pull the
right stalk (+) toward the steering wheel.
To engage a lower gear: pull the
right stalk (-) toward the steering wheel.The engagement of a lower (or higher)
gear is only permitted if the engine
revs allow it.
WARNING
108)If the engine fails to start with a gear
engaged, the potentially dangerous
situation due to the fact that the
transmission is automatically put in neutral
will be signalled by an acoustic signal.
WARNING
55)Avoid keeping your hand on this lever
except during gear change or AUTO/
MANUAL mode requests.
56)Using the paddles incorrectly (paddles
pushed towards the dashboard) could
break them.
START&STOP
SYSTEM
109) 110)57)
The Start&Stop system automatically
stops the engine whenever the car
is stationary and all the conditions for
automatic switch-off are met. The
engine is restarted when the driver
wants to move off.
In this way, the car efficiency is
increased, by reducing consumption,
dangerous gas emissions and sound
pollution.
OPERATING MODE
Stopping the engine
Versions with manual transmission:
with the car stationary, the engine
stops with the gears in neutral and the
clutch pedal released.
Versions with Dualogic
transmission: the engine stops if the
vehicle is at a standstill and the brake
pedal is pressed. This condition can be
maintained even if the brake pedal is
not depressed, if the gear lever is
in position N (Neutral).
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STARTING AND DRIVING