technical specifications FIAT IDEA 2007 1.G Owners Manual

IMPORTANT When the air bag inflates it emits a small
amount of dusts. These dusts are harmless and is not
the beginning of a fire; then the unfold cushion surface
and the car interiors can be covered by a dusty
remains: this dust can irritate skin and eyes. In case of
contact, wash yourself using neutral soap and water.
The air bag system has a validity of 14 years as to the
pyrotechnic charge, and 10 years as to the twisted
contact. As this date approaches, contact Fiat
Dealership to have it replaced.
IMPORTANT Should an accident occur in which any
of the safety devices is activated, take the car to a Fiat
Dealership to have the devices activated replaced and
to have the system checked.All check, repair and replacement operations
concerning the air bags must only be carried out c/o
Fiat Dealership.
If you are having the car scrapped, have the air bag
system deactivated at a Fiat Dealership first. If the car
changes ownership, the new owner must be informed
of the method of use of air bags and the above
warnings and also be given this “Owner handbook”.
IMPORTANT The triggering of pretensioners, front
air bags and front side bags is decided in a
differentiated manner. The failure to deploy one or
more of them does not mean that the system is not
working properly.
174
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNINGNever rest head, arms and elbows on the door, on the windows and in the window
bag area to prevent possible injuries during the inflation phase.
WARNINGNever put head, arms and elbows out of the window.

175
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
GENERAL WARNINGS
WARNING
If warning light ¬does not come on when turning the key to MAR or if it stays on
when travelling it could indicate a failure in restraint systems; in this case air bags
or pretensioners could not trigger in the event of an accident, or in a restricted
numbers of cases they could trigger accidentally. Stop the car and contact Fiat
Dealership to have the system checked immediately.WARNING
WARNINGAlways keep your hands on the steering wheel rim when driving, so that if the air
bag is triggered, it can inflate without meeting any obstacles which could cause
serious harm to you. Do not drive with the body bent forwards, keep the seat back
rest in the erect position and lean your back well against it. Do not cover the back rest of front seats with trims or covers there are not set for
the use of side bags.
If the car has been stolen or an attempt to steal it has been made, if it has been
subjected to vandals or floods, have the air bag system checked by Fiat Dealership.WARNING
WARNINGRemember that with the key engaged and in the MAR position, even with the
engine not running, the air bags may be triggered on a stationary vehicle if it is
bumped by another moving car. Therefore, never seat children on the front seat
even when the vehicle is stationary. On the other hand remember that if the key is
at STOP, no safety system (air bags or pretensioners) is triggered in the event of an
impact; in these case, failure to come into action cannot be considered as a sign
that the system is not working properly.

176
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
WARNINGWhen the ignition key is turned to the MAR position, the warning light F(with
passenger’s front air bag deactivation (where required) switch in the ON position)
turns on and flashes for few seconds to remind that passenger’s air bag will be
deployed in a crash, after which it should go off.
Do not wash the seat back rest with pressurised water or steam (by hand or at
automatic seat washing stations).
Never travel with objects on your lap, in front of your chest or with a pipe, pencil,
etc. between your lips; injury may result in the event of the air bag being triggered.WARNING
The front air bag is triggered for shocks greater in magnitude than the
pretensioners. For impacts between these two thresholds, it is therefore normal
that only the pretensioners are triggered.WARNING
WARNINGThe air bag does not substitute the seat belts, but only increases their
effectiveness. Moreover, since the front air bags do not come into operation in
the event of front impact at low speed, side collisions, bumps from behind or
overturning, in these circumstances the occupants would only be protected by
the seat belts which must therefore always be fastened.
WARNINGDo not hook rigid objects to the coat hooks and to the support handles.

177
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
ENGINE STARTING ............................................................ 178
PARKING ................................................................................ 181
USING THE GEARBOX...................................................... 182
CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS ................................ 183
TOWING TRAILERS ........................................................... 185
SNOW TYRES ....................................................................... 188
SNOW CHAINS ................................................................... 189
CAR INACTIVITY ................................................................ 190
C C
O O
R R
R R
E E
C C
T T
U U
S S
E E
O O
F F
T T
H H
E E
C C
A A
R R

ENGINE STARTING
The car is fitted with an electronic engine lock device.
If the engine fails to start, see paragraph “Fiat CODE
system” in section “Dashboard and controls”.
The engine may be noisier than usual during the first
seconds of operation, especially after it has not been
used for a while. This characteristic feature of the
hydraulic tappet system does not compromise
functionality or reliability. The system devised for the
Fiat Idea was designed to limit maintenance
interventions.STARTING PROCEDURE FOR PETROL
VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒Ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒Put the gear lever into neutral;
❒Press the clutch pedal down to the floor without
touching the accelerator;
❒Turn the ignition key to AVV and let it go the
moment the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first attempt, return
the ignition key to STOP before repeating starting.
If, when the ignition key is on MAR, warning light
Y
remains lit together with warning light U, turn the
key to STOP and then back to MAR; if the warning
light remains on, try with the other keys provided with
the car.
178
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
We recommend that during the initial period you do not drive to full vehicle performance (e.g.:
excessive acceleration, long journeys at top speed, sharp braking, etc.).
When the engine is switched off never leave the ignition key in the MAR position to prevent
pointless current absorption from draining the battery.
WARNINGRunning the engine in confined areas is extremely dangerous. The engine consumes
oxygen and produces carbon monoxide which is a highly toxic and lethal gas.

If you are still unable to start the engine, perform the
emergency start-up procedure (see “Emergency start-
up” in section “In an emergency”) and contact Fiat
Dealership.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key at MAR
when the engine is off.
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR MULTIJET
VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒Ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒Put the gear lever into neutral;
❒Turn the ignition key to MAR: the warning lights
m, Uand Ywill light up on the instrument
panel;
❒Wait for the warning lights
Yand m. The
hotter the engine is, the quicker this will happen;
❒Press the clutch pedal down to the floor without
touching the accelerator;❒Turn the ignition key to AVV as soon as warning
light
mgoes out. If you wait too long you will
lose the benefit of the work done by the glow
plugs. Release the key as soon as the engine starts.
IMPORTANT With cold engine, the accelerator pedal
shall be completely released while turning the ignition
key to AVV.
If the engine does not start at the first attempt, return
the ignition key to STOP before repeating starting.
If, when the ignition key is on MAR, warning light Y
remains lit, turn the key to STOP and then back to
MAR; if the warning light remains on, try with the
other keys provided with the car.
If you still cannot start the engine, contact Fiat
Dealership.
IMPORTANT Never leave the ignition key at MAR
when the engine is off.
179
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
The warning light mwill flash for 60 seconds at start-up or during prolonged cranking to signal a
fault in the glow plug heating system. You can use the car as usual if the engine starts but you should
contact a Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.

HOW TO WARM UP THE ENGINE AFTER IT
HAS JUST STARTED (petrol and Multijet
versions)
Proceed as follows:
❒Drive off slowly, letting the engine turn at medium
revs. Do not accelerate abruptly;
❒Do not drive at full performance for the initial
kilometres. Wait until the coolant temperature
gauge starts moving.
EMERGENCY START-UP
If the instrument panel warning light
Ystays on with
fixed light, the emergency start-up can be performed
by using the CODE card code (see section “In an
emergency”).STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOP while the engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, you should allow
the engine to “catch its breath” before turning it off by
letting it idle to allow the temperature in the engine
compartment to fall.
180
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Never bump start the engine by pushing, towing or coasting downhill. This could cause fuel to flow
into the catalytic exhaust system and damage it beyond repair.
A quick burst on the accelerator before turning off the engine serves absolutely no practical
purpose, it wastes fuel and is damaging especially to turbocharged engines.
Remember that the servobrake and power steering are not operational until the
engine has been started, therefore much effort than usual is required on the brake
pedal and steering wheel.WARNING

PARKING
Proceed as follows:
❒stop the engine and engage the handbrake;
❒engage a gear (on a slope, engage first gear if the car is faced uphill or
reverse if it is faced downhill) and leave the wheels steered.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a stone if the car is parked on a steep
slope. Avoid leaving the car parked with a wheel on the sidewalk or
steered against the kerb. Do not leave the ignition key at MAR to
prevent draining the battery. Always remove the key when you leave
the car.
181
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever is located between the two front seats.
Pull the handbrake lever upwards until the car cannot be moved.
Four or five clicks are generally enough when the car is on level ground while nine or ten may be required if the car
is on a steep slope or laden.
IMPORTANT If this is not the case, contact Fiat Dealership to have the handbrake adjusted.
When the handbrake lever is pulled up and the ignition key is at MAR the panel warning light xwill come on.
To release the handbrake:
❒slightly lift the handbrake and press release button (A);
❒keep button (A) pressed in and lower the lever. Warning light xwill go out.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out this operation to prevent the car from moving accidentally.
IMPORTANT If the handbrake lever tends to approach the end of stroke (slot on central console), contact Fiat
Dealership to have the handbrake adjusted.
WARNINGNever leave children unattended in the car. Always remove the ignition key when
leaving the car and take it out with you.
F0H0149m

USING THE GEARBOX
To engage the gears, press the clutch pedal fully and shift the gear lever
into one of the required positions (the diagram is shown on the knob).
IMPORTANT The car can only be put into reverse gear when it has
stopped moving completely. With the engine running, before engaging the
reverse, wait at least 2 seconds with the clutch pedal fully down to
prevent damage and grating of the gears.
To engage 6
thgear (where fitted), press the lever to the right to prevent
engaging 4thgear by mistake. A similar action is required to shift down
from 6thto 5th
To engage reverse (R) from neutral, lift the sliding ring (A) under the
knob and shift the lever to the right and back (only for petrol versions).
For Multijet versions, just shift lever to the right and back.
182
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
F0H0150m
F0H0353m
To change gears properly you must push the clutch pedal fully down. It is therefore
essential that there is nothing under the pedals: make sure mats are lying flat and do
not get in the way of the pedals.WARNING
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 on the gearbox internal components.

CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS
Here are some suggestions which may help you to
keep the running costs of your car down and lower
the amount of toxic emissions released into the
atmosphere.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out in
accordance with the “Service schedule”.
Tyres
Check the pressure of the tyres routinely at an
interval of no more than 4 weeks: if the pressure is
too low, consumption levels increase as resistance to
rolling is higher.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much luggage stowed in the
boot. The weight of the car (especially when driving in
town) and its trim greatly affects consumption and
stability.Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack from the roof as
soon as they are no longer used. These accessories
lower air penetration and adversely affect
consumption levels. When needing to carry
particularly voluminous objects, preferably use a
trailer.
Electric devices
Use electric devices only for the amount of time
needed. Rear heated window, additional headlights,
windscreen wipers and heater fan need a considerable
amount of energy, therefore increasing the
requirement of current increases fuel consumption (up
to +25% in the urban cycle).
Climate control
The air conditioner is an additional load which greatly
affects the engine leading to higher consumption (on
average up to +20%). When the temperature outside
the vehicle permits it, use the air vents where possible.
Spoilers
The use of non-certified aerodynamic items may
adversely affect air drag and consumption levels.
183
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR