key battery FIAT BARCHETTA 2003 1.G Owners Manual

The car alarm absorbs
electricity. If you plan on
not using the car for
more than a month, you are ad-
vised to switch the system off
with the remote control and to
turn the emergency key to the
“OFF” position.
16
WHEN THE ALARM
GOES OFF
When the car alarm is activated, the
electronic alarm will be set off if:
1)One of the doors, the bonnet or
the boot are opened.
2)The battery is disconnected or the
electronic alarm power supply cables
are cut.
3) When something enters the pas-
senger compartment.
4)The outside of the car is knocked.
5)The key is turned to MAR.
A siren sounds for approximately 26
seconds (for a maximum of 3 cycles
and 5-second pauses if the condition
persists) when the electronic alarm is
triggered. The direction indicators
flash (in countries where this is al-
lowed) for approximately 5 minutes.
Once the conditions cease, the sys-
tem will continue its normal surveil-
lance function.To stop the electronic alarm, press
the remote control button. If this does
not work, turn the alarm off by turn-
ing the emergency key toOFF(see
next paragraph “How to turn the
alarm”).
HOW TO TURN
THE ALARM OFF fig. 10
Use the emergency key (two copies
are provided) to deactivate the elec-
tronic alarm when the remote control
batteries are flat or if there is a fault in
the system. Lift the bonnet and find
the control unit and siren (located in
front of the battery). Lift the rubber
protection cap A, insert the key and
turn anticlockwise (OFFposition).
The system is thus deactivated.“This key switch is not applicable for
the U.K. market”.
Do not leave the emergency key in
the switch. The keyhole must be cov-
ered with its rubber cap to prevent
dust and humidity from getting in.
fig. 10
P5S00618m

17
HOW TO KNOW IF
THE ALARM HAS GONE OFF
If the car alarm was triggered while
you were away, led A-fig. 8on the
central tunnel will flash to identify the
reason for it:
Light on: remote control battery
flat.
1 flash: right door.
2 flashes: left door.
5 flashes: passenger compartment
sensors (movement inside the pas-
senger compartment).6 flashes: bonnet.
7 flashes: boot.
8 flashes: ignition tampered with.
9 flashes: alarm power supply cables
cut.
10 flashes: at least three different
causes.
The led will go out when the ignition
key is turned toMARor after 2 min-
utes.IGNITION SWITCH
The key can turn through four dif-
ferent positions fig. 11:
– STOP: engine off, key can be re-
moved and the steering column is
locked. Some of the electrical devices
(e.g. the radio) can be used.
– MAR: drive position. All electri-
cal devices can be used.
– AVV: starting the engine.
– PARK: engine off, parking lights
on, key can be removed and the steer-
ing column is locked. Press button A
to turn the key to the PARKposition.
fig. 11
P5S00626m

ABS (ANTI-LOCK
BRAKING SYSTEM)
INEFFICIENT
(amber) (where fitted)
When the ABS device is faulty.
The normal braking system contin-
ues to work but you should have the
car seen to at a Fiat Dealership.
When the key is turned toMARthe
warning light will come on but should
go out after about 2 seconds. HANDBRAKE ON/
BRAKE FLUID
LEVEL LOW (red)
In two cases:
1. When the handbrake is applied.
2. When the brake fluid level falls be-
low the minimum.BATTERY NOT
RECHARGED
PROPERLY (red)
When there is a malfunction in the
current generating system.
The light comes on when you turn
the ignition key to MARbut it should
go out when the engine starts.
FRONT BRAKE
WEAR (red)
When the front brake
pads have worn out. When having
them replaced, have the rear brakes
checked, too.
31
w>
d
x
If the xwarning light
comes on while travelling,
check that the handbrake is not en-
gaged. If the warning light stays on
when the handbrake is disengaged,
stop immediately and contact a Fi-
at Dealership.
WARNING
The car is fitted with an
electronic braking device
(EBD). If the >and xwarning
light turn on at the same time, this
means that there is an EBD system
fault. In this case violent braking
may be accompanied by early rear
wheel locking with the possibility of
skidding. Drive the car extremely
carefully to the nearest Fiat Deal-
ership to have the system checked.
WARNING

41
FRONT AND REAR
FOGLIGHTS fig. 43
The controls are situated on the cen-
tre tunnel.
They only function if the ignition key
is at MAR.
When a button is pushed to turn the
lights on, it lights up itself.
A- ON/OFF button for the front
foglights (where fitted). The dipped
beam headlights must be on to oper-
ate these lights.B- ON/OFF button for the rear fog-
lights (where fitted). The dipped beam
headlights or the front foglights must
be on to operate these lights.
The rear foglights will be switched off
when the ignition key is turned to
STOP. If required, you will need to
turn them on again the next time you
start the engine.FUEL CUT-OFF SWITCH fig. 44
This is a safety cut-out which comes
into play in the case of an accident to
block the fuel supply and thus stop the
engine.
If you cannot see any fuel leaks and
the car is in a fit state to continue its
journey, press button Ato reactivate
the fuel supply system.
After an accident, remember to turn
the ignition key toSTOPto avoid the
battery running down.
fig. 44
P5S00653m
fig. 43
P5S00652m
If, after an accident, you
can smell petrol or see that
the fuel feed system is leaking, to
avoid the risk of fire, do not reset
the switch.
WARNING

70
PARKING
Turn off the engine, pull up the hand-
brake, put the car in gear (1st if the car
is pointing uphill, reverse if downhill)
and turn the wheels. If the car is on a
steep incline, you should put a stone
or wedge under the wheels to block
them.
Do not leave the ignition key at
MAR because it drains the battery.
Always remove the key when you
leave the car.IMPORTANTIf this is not the
case, have the handbrake adjusted at
a Fiat Dealership.
When the hand brake is on and the
ignition key is at MAR, panel indica-
tor light xcomes on.
To release the handbrake:
1) Slightly lift the handbrake and
press release button A.
2) Keep the button pressed in and
lower the lever. Instrument panel in-
dicator light xwill go out.
3) To prevent the vehicle acciden-
tally moving, carry out this manoeuvre
with the brake pedal pressed. HANDBRAKE fig. 1
The handbrake lever is situated be-
tween the two front seats.
To operate the handbrake pull the
lever upwards until the car is pre-
vented from moving: pulling the lever
through four or five “clicks” is gener-
ally enough on level ground while nine
or ten might be necessary on a steep
incline and with a load in the car.
fig. 1
P5S00678mDo not leave children
unsupervised in the car.
WARNING

78
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Frequent cold starting will not enable
the engine to reach optimal running
temperature. It follows therefore that
consumption will be higher (from
+15% to +30% in towns) as will the
production of toxic emissions.
Traffic and road conditions
Heavy traffic and higher consumption
are synonymous; for example, when
driving slowly with frequent use of the
lower gears or in large towns where
there are numerous traffic lights.
Winding roads, mountain roads and
bumpy roads also have a negative ef-
fect on consumption.
Enforced halts
During prolonged hold-ups (traffic
lights, level crossings) the engine
should be switched off.CHEAP RUNNING THAT RESPECTS
THE ENVIRONMENT
LOOKING AFTER EMISSION
CONTROL DEVICES
The correct use of pollution control
devices not only ensures respect for
the environment but also has an effect
on the car’s performance.
Keeping these devices in good con-
dition is therefore a fundamental rule
for driving that is easy on your pock-
et and on the environment too.
The first step to take is to follow the
Service Schedule to the letter.
Use only unleaded petrol in petrol
engines.
If you have trouble starting, do not
keep turning the ignition key for long
periods. Be especially careful to avoid
bump starting the car by pushing, tow-
ing or rolling down hill: these are all
manoeuvres that can damage the cat-
alytic exhaust. For emergency starts
use only an auxiliary battery. Environmental protection has been
one of the guiding principles in the
production of the Fiat barchetta. It is
no accident that its pollution control
equipment is much more effective than
that required by current legislation.
Nonetheless, the environment can-
not get by without a concerted effort
from everyone.
By following a few simple rules you
can avoid harming the environment
and often cut down fuel consumption
at the same time.
On this subject, a few useful tips have
been given below to supplement those
marked by symbol #, at various points
of the handbook.
You are asked to read both the for-
mer and latter carefully.

81
VEHICLE
STORAGE
Do the following if the car is not to
be used for several months:
– Park the car with the hood closed
in covered, dry and if possible well-
ventilated premises.
– Engage a gear.
– Make sure the handbrake is not
engaged.
– Disconnect the terminals from
the battery poles (negative pole first)
and check the battery charge. When
the vehicle is in storage, this check
should be carried out once a month.
If the no-load voltage is less than
12.5V, recharge the battery.– Inflate the tyres to 0.5 bar above
the normal specified pressure and
check it at intervals.
– Check battery charge once a
month.
– Do not drain the engine cooling
system. IMPORTANTIf the car is fitted
with an electronic car alarm, turn off
the alarm with the remote control
and deactivate the system by turning
the emergency key to “OFF”(see
the “Electronic alarm” in the
“Getting to know your car” section).
– Clean and protect the painted
parts using a protective wax.
– Clean and protect the shiny metal
parts using special compounds avail-
able on the market.
– Sprinkle talcum powder on the
rubber windscreen wiper blades and
lift them off the glass.
– Open the windows slightly.
– Cover the car with a cloth or
perforated plastic sheet. Do not use
sheets of imperforated plastic as
they do not allow moisture on the
car body to evaporate.

85
Under no circumstances
should a battery charger
be used to start the en-
gine: it could damage the elec-
tronic systems and in particular
the control units governing igni-
tion and fuel feed.
JUMP STARTING
If the battery is flat, you can use an-
other battery to start the engine. Its
capacity must be the same or slightly
greater than the flat battery (see the
chapter “Technical specifications”).
This is what to do fig. 1:
1)Connect positive terminals (signal
+in proximity of the terminal) of the
two batteries with a jump lead.
2)With a second lead, connect the
negative terminal (–) of the auxiliary
battery to an earth point Eon the en-
gine or transmission of the vehicle to
be started.IMPORTANTDo not connect the
two negative terminals directly: sparks
could ignite the explosive gas output
from the battery. If the other battery
is fitted in a vehicle, prevent acciden-
tal contacts between the metal parts
of the two vehicles.
3)Start the engine.
4)When the engine has been start-
ed, remove the leads in the reverse
order.
If the engine fails to start after a few
attempts, do not keep turning the key
but have the car seen to at a Fiat
Dealership.
fig. 1
P5S00677m
Do not carry out this pro-
cedure if you lack experi-
ence; if it is not done correctly it
can cause very intense electrical
discharges. Furthermore, the fluid
in the battery is poisonous and cor-
rosive, avoid contact with your skin
and eyes.
Do not put naked flames or light-
ed cigarettes near the battery and
do not cause sparks.
WARNING

105
JUMP STARTING
See “Jump starting” in this chapter. 2)Connect the battery terminals to
the charger.
3)Turn on the charger.
4)When you have finished, turn the
charger off before disconnecting the
battery.
5) Reconnect the cables to the bat-
tery posts. Make sure the polarity is
correct.IF THE BATTERY
IS FLAT
First of all, read the “Car mainte-
nance” chapter for the steps to be tak-
en to avoid the battery running down
and to ensure it has a long life.
RECHARGING THE BATTERY
You are advised to recharge the bat-
tery slowly for a period of approxi-
mately 24 hours at a very low amper-
age. Charging for too long could result
in the battery being damaged.
Proceed as follows:
1) Disconnect the electrical system
terminals from the battery posts.
IMPORTANTIf the car is fitted
with an electronic car alarm, use the
remote control to turn the alarm off
with the remote control and deacti-
vate the system by turning the emer-
gency key to “OFF” (see the “Elec-
tronic alarm” in the “Getting to know
your car” section).
The liquid in the battery is
poisonous and corrosive.
Do not let it touch the skin or eyes.
Recharging the battery should be
done in a well-ventilated area and
away from naked flames or possi-
ble sources of sparks: explosion and
fire risk.
WARNING
Do not attempt to recharge
a frozen battery. Thaw it
first otherwise it could explode. If
the battery froze, make sure the in-
ternal elements are not broken
(short-circuit risk) and that the cas-
ing is not cracked (risk of spilling
the poisonous and corrosive fluid).
WARNING

116
This check should be carried out
more frequently if the vehicle is main-
ly used for short trips, or if it is fitted
with accessories that permanently ab-
sorb electricity even with the ignition
key removed, especially in the case of
after market accessories.
You should check the battery fluid
(electrolyte) level more frequently
than shown in the Service Schedule if
the car is used in hot climates or par-
ticularly demanding conditions. IMPORTANT - Engine oil
Change the engine oil more fre-
quently than specified in the Service
Schedule if the vehicle is mainly used
under one of the following particular-
ly severe conditions:
– towing a trailer or caravan
– on dirt roads
– short, repetitive trips (less than 7
or 8 kilometres) in outside tempera-
tures below zero.
– engines that are frequently left to
idle or drive slowly over long dis-
tances.
IMPORTANT - Air cleaner
If you drive your car on dirt roads
change the air cleaner more frequently
than specified in the Service Schedule.If you are in doubt about how often
the engine oil or the air cleaner should
be changed in relation to how you use
the car, contact a Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANT - Pollen filter
If the car is often used in dusty or ex-
tremely polluted environments, you
should change the filter element more
frequently. It should be changed espe-
cially if the amount of air introduced
into the passenger compartment is re-
duced.
IMPORTANT - Battery
You should check the status of the
battery charge preferably at the be-
ginning of the cold season to avoid the
possibility of the electrolyte freezing.Maintenance of your car
should be entrusted to a
Fiat Dealership. For in-
terventions of routine mainte-
nance and small repairs you wish
to carry out yourself, make sure
you always have the proper
equipment, genuine Fiat spare
parts and fluids available. Do not,
carry out these operations if you
have no experience.