tow FIAT FREEMONT 2014 1.G User Guide

WARNING!
Do not operate this vehicle with a con-
sole compar t

ment lid in the open posi-
tion. Cellular phones, music players, and other
handheld electronic devices should be stowed
while driving. Use of these devices while driving
can cause an accident due to distraction, result-
ing in death or injury.
Sliding Armrest (for automatic transmission
only)
The center console armrest can also be slid rearward
for easy access to the storage area.
(fig. 80)
FLIP 'N STOW™ FRONT PASSENGER SEAT
STORAGE (for versions/markets, where
provided)
The seat latch release-loop is located in the center of
the seat cushion between the seat cushion and the
seatback. Pull the loop upward to release the latch and
then forward to open the seat to the detent position.
(fig. 81)
NOTE: Make sure that objects inside the bin do not
interfere with the latch before closing the seat. Push
the seat cushion downward after closing it to make
sure it latches to the base.
(fig. 80)
Sliding Armrest(fig. 81)Front Passenger Seat Storage Compartment
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LIFTGATE
The liftgate can be unlocked or locked with the Re-
mote Keyless Entry (RKE) transmitter, the Keyless
Enter-N-Go™ (Passive Entry) or by activating the
power door lock switch located on either front door
trim panel.
For further information on Keyless Enter-N-Go™
(Passive Entry), refer to “Keyless Enter-N-Go™” in
“Starting And Driving”.
NOTE:The liftgate cannot be unlocked or locked with
the manual door lock plungers on the door trim panels
or the door lock cylinder on the driver's door.
To open the unlocked liftgate, squeeze the handle and
pull the liftgate toward you. Gas props will raise and
support the liftgate in the open position.
(fig. 105)
NOTE: Because the gas pressure drops with tempera-
ture, it may be necessary to assist the props when
opening the liftgate in cold weather.
WARNING!
• Driving with the liftgate open can al-
low poison

ous exhaust gases into your
vehicle. These fumes could injure you and your
passengers. Keep the liftgate closed when you are
operating the vehicle.
• If you are required to drive with the liftgate
open, make sure that all windows are closed, and
the blower switch on the climate control is set at
high speed. Do not use the recirculation mode.
(fig. 105)
Liftgate Unlock/Lock Button
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Insert the spring-loaded post on the opposite end of
the cover housing into the attachment point on the
opposite side of the vehicle.
Grab the cover handle and pull it toward you. As the
cover nears the liftgate opening, guide the rear attach-
ment posts (on both ends of the cover) into the
notches in the trim panels. Lower the cover to position
the posts into the bottom of the notches and release
the handle.
(fig. 110)
WARNING!
A cargo cover that is unsecured in the
vehicle c

ould cause injury in a collision. It
could become airborne during a sudden stop and
strike someone inside the vehicle. Do not store
thecargocoveronthecargofloororinthe
passenger compartment . Remove the cover from
the vehicle when taken from its mounting. Do not
storeitinthevehicle.
(fig. 110)
Positioning Retractable Cargo Area Cover
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HSA Activation Criteria
The following criteria must be met in order for HSA to
activate:
• Vehicle must be stopped.
• Vehicle must be on a 6% (approximate) grade orgreater hill.
• Gear selection matches vehicle uphill direction (i.e., vehicle facing uphill is in forward gear; vehicle backing
uphill is in REVERSE gear).
WARNING!
There may be situations on minor hills
with a

loaded vehicle, or while pulling a
trailer where the system will not activate and
slight rolling may occur, which could cause a
collision with another vehicle or object . Always
remember the driver is responsible for braking
the vehicle.
HSA will work in REVERSE and all forward gears when
the activation criteria have been met. The system will
not activate if the vehicle is placed in NEUTRAL or
PARK. Towing With HSA
HSA will provide assistance when starting on a grade
when pulling a trailer.
WARNING!
• If you use a trailer brake controller
wit h

your trailer, your trailer brakes may
be activated and deactivated with the brake
switch. If so, when the brake pedal is released,
there may not be enough brake pressure to hold
the vehicle and trailer on a hill and this could
cause a collision with another vehicle or object
behind you. In order to avoid rolling down the hill
while resuming acceleration, manually activate
the trailer brake prior to releasing the brake
pedal. Always remember the driver is responsible
for braking the vehicle.
• HSA is not a parking brake. If you stop the
vehicle on a hill without putting the transmission
in PARK and using the parking brake, it will roll
down the hill and could cause a collision with
another vehicle or object . Always remember to
use the parking brake while parking on a hill, and
that the driver is responsible for braking the
vehicle.
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HSA Off
If you wish to turn off the HSA system, it can be done
using the Customer Programmable Features in the
Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC). Refer to
“Electronic Vehicle Information Center (EVIC)” in
“Knowing your vehicle” for further information.
TRAILER SWAY CONTROL (TSC)
TSC uses sensors in the vehicle to recognize an exces-
sively swaying trailer. TSC activates automatically once
the excessively swaying trailer is recognized. When
TSC is functioning, the “ESC Activation/Malfunction
Indicator Light” will flash, the engine power will be
reduced, and you will feel the brake being applied to
individual wheels in an attempt to stop the trailer from
swaying.NOTE:
The TSC is disabled when the ESC system is in
the “Partial Off ” mode.
WARNING!
• TSC cannot stop all trailers from
sw ayin

g. Always use caution when tow-
ing a trailer and follow the tongue weight recom-
mendations. Refer to “Trailer Towing” in “Starting
and Driving” for further information.
• If TSC activates while towing a trailer, stop the
vehicle at the nearest safe location and adjust
the trailer load to eliminate the trailer sway.
• Failure to follow these warnings can result in an
accident or serious personal injury.
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ONBOARD DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM —
OBD II
Your vehicle is equipped with a sophisticated onboard
diagnostic system called OBD II. This system monitors
the performance of the emissions, engine, and auto-
matic transmission control systems. When these sys-
tems are operating properly, your vehicle will provide
excellent performance and fuel economy, as well as
engine emissions well within current government regu-
lations.
If any of these systems require service, the OBD II
system will turn on the “Malfunction Indicator Light”
(MIL). It will also store diagnostic codes and other
information to assist your service technician in making
repairs. Although your vehicle will usually be drivable
and not need towing, see your authorized dealer for
service as soon as possible.
•Prolonged driving with the MIL on
could cause further damage to the emis-
sion control system. It could also affect
fuel economy and driveability.The vehicle must be
serviced before any emissions tests can be per-
formed.
• If the MIL is flashing while the engine is running,
severe catalytic converter damage and power loss
will soon occur. Immediate service is required.
LOOSE FUEL FILLER CAP MESSAGE
(for versions/markets, where provided)
If the vehicle diagnostic system determines that the
fuel filler cap is loose, improperly installed, or damaged,
a “Check Gascap” message will display in the Electronic
Vehicle Information Center (EVIC). If this occurs,
tighten the fuel filler cap properly and press the TRIP
ODOMETER button to turn off the message. If the
problem continues, the message will appear the next
time the vehicle is started.
A loose, improperly installed, or damaged fuel filler cap
may also turn on the MIL.
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•Park Assist is only a parking aid and it is
unable to recognize every obstacle, in-
cluding small obstacles. Parking curbs
might be temporarily detected or not detected at
all. Obstacles located above or below the sensors
will not be detected when they are in close prox-
imity.
• The vehicle must be driven slowly when using
Park Assist in order to be able to stop in time when
an obstacle is detected. It is recommended that
the driver looks over his/her shoulder when using
Park Assist .
WARNING!
• Drivers must be careful when backing
up e v

en when using Park Assist . Always
check carefully behind your vehicle, look behind
you, and be sure to check for pedestrians, ani-
mals, other vehicles, obstructions, and blind spots
before backing up.You are responsible for safety
and must continue to pay attention to your sur-
roundings. Failure to do so can result in serious
injury or death.
(Continued)(Continued)
• Before using Park Assist , it is strongly recom-
mended that the ball mount and hitch ball as-
sembly is disconnected from the vehicle when the
vehicle is not used for towing. Failure to do so can
result in injury or damage to vehicles or obstacles
because the hitch ball will be much closer to the
obstacle than the rear fascia when the loud-
speaker sounds the continuous tone. Also, the
sensors could detect the ball mount and hitch ball
assembly, depending on its size and shape, giving
a false indication that an obstacle is behind the
vehicle.
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Remote Control Storage
The video screen(s) come with a built in storage
compartment for the remote control which is acces-
sible when the screen is opened. To remove the re-
mote, use your index finger to pull and rotate the
remote towards you. Do not try to pull the remote
straight down as it will be very difficult to remove. To
return the remote back into its storage area, insert one
long edge of the remote into the two retaining clips
first, and then rotate the remote back up into the other
two retaining clips until it snaps back into position.
(fig. 123)
Locking The Remote Control
All remote control functionality can be disabled as a
parental control feature.
• To disable the Remote Control from making anychanges, press the Video Lock button and follow the
radio’s instructions (select menu, rear ves, lock). If
the vehicle is not equipped with a DVD player, follow
the radio’s instructions to turn Video Lock on. The
radio and the video screen(s) indicate when Video
Lock is active.
• Pressing the Video Lock again or turning the ignition OFF turns Video Lock OFF and allows remote con-
trol operation of the VES™.
Replacing The Remote Control Batteries
The remote control requires two AAA batteries for
operation. To replace the batteries:
• Locate the battery compartment on the back of the remote, then slide the battery cover downward.
• Replace the batteries, making sure to orient them according to the polarity diagram shown.
• Replace the battery compartment cover.
(fig. 123) The Remote Control Storage
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WARNING!
• A lap belt worn too high can increase
th e

risk of internal injury in a collision.
Thebeltforceswon'tbeatthestronghipand
pelvic bones, but across your abdomen. Always
wear the lap belt as low as possible and keep it
snug.
• A twisted belt may not protect you properly. In
a collision, it could even cut into you. Be sure the
belt is straight . If you can't straighten a belt in
your vehicle, take it to your authorized dealer
immediately and have it fixed.
5. Position the shoulder belt on your chest so that it is comfortable and not resting on your neck. The
retractor will withdraw any slack in the belt.
6. To release the belt, push the red button on the buckle. The belt will automatically retract to its
stowed position. If necessary, slide the latch plate
down the webbing to allow the belt to retract fully.
WARNING!
A frayed or torn belt could rip apart in a
collision an

d leave you with no protec-
tion. Inspect the belt system periodically, check-
ing for cuts, frays, or loose parts. Damaged parts
(Continued)(Continued)
must be replaced immediately. Do not disas-
semble or modify the system. Seat belt assem-
blies must be replaced after a collision if they
have been damaged (bent retractor, torn web-
bing, etc .).
Adjustable Upper Shoulder Belt Anchorage
In the driver's seat and front passenger's seat, the
shoulder belt can be adjusted upward or downward to
position the belt away from your neck. Push and fully
depress the button above the webbing to release the
anchorage, then move it up or down to the position
that fits you best.
(fig. 132)
(fig. 132) Adjusting Upper Shoulder Belt
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As a guide, if you are shorter than average you will
prefer a lower position and if you are taller than
average you will prefer a higher position. When you
release the anchorage try to move it up and down to
make sure that it is locked in position.
In the rear seat, move toward the center of the seat to
position the belt away from your neck.
Lap/Shoulder Belt Untwisting Procedure
Use the following procedure to untwist a twisted
lap/shoulder belt:
1. Position the latch plate as close as possible to theanchor point.
2. At about 15 to 30 cm above the latch plate, grasp and twist the belt webbing 180 degrees to create a
fold that begins immediately above the latch plate.
3. Slide the latch plate upward over the folded web- bing. The folded webbing must enter the slot at the
top of the latch plate.
4. Continue to slide the latch plate up until it clears the folded webbing.
SEAT BELT PRETENSIONERS
The seat belts for both front seating positions are
equipped with pretensioning devices that are designed
to remove slack from the seat belt in the event of a
collision. These devices may improve the performance of the seat belt by assuring that the belt is tight about
the occupant early in a collision. Pretensioners work
for all size occupants, including those in child restraints.
NOTE:
These devices are not a substitute for proper
seat belt placement by the occupant. The seat belt still
must be worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by the Occupant Re-
straint Controller (ORC). Like the air bags, the preten-
sioners are single use items. A deployed pretensioner
or a deployed air bag must be replaced immediately.
Supplemental Active Head Restraints (AHR)
These head restraints are passive, deployable compo-
nents, and vehicles with this equipment cannot be
readily identified by any markings, only through visual
inspection of the head restraint. The head restraint will
be split in two halves, with the front half being soft
foam and trim, the back half being decorative plastic.
How The Active Head Restraints (AHR) Work
The Occupant Restraint Controller (ORC) determines
whether the severity, or type of rear impact will require
the Active Head Restraints (AHR) to deploy. If a rear
impact requires deployment, both the driver and front
passenger seat AHRs will be deployed.
When AHRs deploy during a rear impact, the front half
of the head restraint extends forward to minimize the
gap between the back of the occupant’s head and the
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