steering FIAT PALIO 2003 178 / 1.G India Version User Guide

58
The bag inflates instantly and acts as
a soft protective barrier between the
driver’s body and the structures that
could cause injury. The bag deflate im-
mediately afterwards.
A person not wearing the seat belt
may crash into the bag before it is ful-
ly inflated. In this case the protection
is considerably decreased.
As a consequence, the air bag is not
a replacement for the use of seat belts
but rather a complement. We rec-
ommend that seat belts are worn at all
times as prescribed by legislation in Eu-
rope and most other countries world-
wide.In the event of a less severe collision
(for which seat belts are sufficient pro-
tection) the airbag is not activated.
For impacts against very deformable
or mobile objects (traffic sign poles,
heaps of gravel or snow, parked vehi-
cles), side impacts, wedging under oth-
er vehicles or barriers (e.g. under a
track or guard rail), the airbag is not
necessary. In the event of frontal im-
pacts involving, for example, the mud-
guard against a guardrail, the airbags
are not triggered as they would not of-
fer additional protection with respect
to the seat belts.
Therefore, the fact that the airbag
does not inflate is not a sign of sys-
tem malfunction.AIR BAG
DESCRIPTION
AND OPERATION fig. 68
The air bag is a safety device which is
immediately triggered in the event of
a frontal impact. It is available only for
the driver.
It consists of an instantly inflatable
bag housed in a special compartment
located in the centre of the steering
wheel.
The air bag is a device designed to
protect the driver in the event of a
frontal collision of medium-high sever-
ity, by interposing the cushion be-
tween the occupant and the steering
wheel.
In a collision, an electronic control
unit processes the signals from a de-
celeration sensor and, where required,
inflates the airbag.
fig. 68
P4E02039
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59
When the ignition key is
turned to MAR, the indi-
cator û
comes on after
about four seconds. If the warn-
ing light does not come on, or it
remains on while travelling go
immediately to a Fiat Dealership.
Do not apply stickers or
other objects on the
steering wheel. Do not
travel with items on your lap, in
front of you or with a pipe, pencil
etc. between your lips. In a colli-
sion where the airbag is triggerd
you could seriously hurt yourself
GENERAL WARNINGS
It may happen that the air bag
inflates if the car is involved in
hard impacts or collisions in the
area of the underbody, for exam-
ple hard knocks against steps,
kerbs or raised road bumps, or if
the car drops into large pot-holes
or road dips.
When the airbag inflates it
emits a small amount of dust and
smoke. This dust and smoke is
harmless and it is not the begin-
ning of a fire.
If the warning light
ûcomes on
while travelling (indication of a
fault) go as soon as possible to a
Fiat Dealership.
The air bag system is valid for 10
years. When the expiry date is
near, contact a Fiat Dealership.
Should an accident occur in
which the airbag is activated,
take the car to a Fiat Dealership
to have the whole device re-
placed (electronic control unit,
seat belts, pretensioners) and tohave the electrical system
checked.
Any diagnostic, repair or re-
placement operations concerning
the airbag system must exclu-
sively be carried out at a Fiat
Dealership.
If you are having the car
scrapped, have the airbag system
deactivated at a Fiat Dealership.
If the car changes hands, the
new owner must be made aware
of the indications given above and
be given this Owner’s Handbook.
Pretensioners (if electronically
controlled) and air bag are trig-
gered by the electronic control
unit according to different types
of impact. Therefore, if some de-
vices do not trigger this does not
indicate a fault in the system.
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60
Always drive with both
hands on the rim of the
steering wheel so that the
airbag is free to inflate and pro-
tect you from serious injury in a
collision. Do not drive with your
body bending toward the steer-
ing wheel, but sit in an upright po-
sition with your back resting
against the seat.
If the car has been stolen
or an attempt has been
made to steal it, or it has
been vandalised in any way, or
subjected to flooding, have the
airbag system checked at a Fiat
Dealership.The air bag does not
substitute seat belts, but
increases its efficiency.
Furthermore, since the airbag is
not inflated in frontal collisions at
low speed, side collisions, rear
end shunts or overturns, in such
cases the occupants are protect-
ed by the seat belts only and
therefore they should always be
fastened.Correct functioning of
airbag and pretensioners
is only guaranteed when
the car is not overloaded.SOUND SYSTEMRemember that airbag
can be triggered when
the ignition key is insert-
ed and set to MAR, even with the
car stationary, if another vehicle
crashes into it. On the other
hand, when the car is stationary
and the ignition key is removed,
the airbag does not trigger in the
event of an impact.
Visit the Fiat Dealership
if you want to fit a sound
system after purchasing
your car. Qualified, trained staff
will provide useful advice for safe-
guarding the battery. Excessive
intake when the engine is not
running will damage the battery
and may invalidate the battery
warranty.
Fiat recommends wide range of
music systems as Fiat acces-
sories, which are available with
Fiat dealerships.
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66
BUMP STARTING STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOPwhile
the engine is idling.
HOW TO WARM UP THE
ENGINE AFTER IT HAS JUST
STARTED
– Begin to move forward slowly let-
ting the engine turn over at medium
revs. Do not accelerate abruptly.
– Do not push the engine to its lim-
its for the first few kilometers. You are
recommended to wait until the water
temperature achieves 50°C÷60°C.
Remember that until
the engine has started the
brake booster and hy-
draulic power steering systems
they will not work and a greater
effort will therefore be required
to depress the pedal or turn the
steering wheel.Never bump start the
engine (by pushing, tow-
ing or coasting downhill)
as this could cause fuel to flow in-
to the catalytic exhaust system
and damage it beyond repair.
A quick burst on the ac-
celerator before turning
off the engine serves ab-
solutely no practical purpose and
wastes fuel.
IMPORTANT
After a taxing drive
you should allow the engine to “catch
its breath” before turning it off by let-
ting it idle to allow the temperature in
the engine compartment to fall.
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69
Water, ice or salt sprin-
kled on the road can de-
posit on the brake discs
and reduce efficiency of the first
braking.
Consider that fitting ex-
tra spoilers, alloy rims or
non standard wheel caps
can reduce ventilation of the
brakes and reduce their efficien-
cy under conditions of violent or
repeated braking or long down-
hill travel.
BEFORE GETTING BEHIND
THE WHEEL
– Make sure all lights including the
headlights are working properly.
– Adjust the position of the seats, the
steering wheel and the rearview mir-
rors properly for the best driving po-
sition.
– Carefully adjust the head restraints
so the back of the head and not the
nape of the neck is supported.
– Make sure that nothing (mats etc.)
gets in the way of the pedals when
they are pushed down.
– Do not drive using the clutch ped-
al as a foot rest. Such behaviour can
cause a premature wear of the clutch.
– Make sure that any child restraint
systems (child seats, carriers, etc.) are
properly fixed preferably on the back
seat. Follow the precautions listed in
the “Transporting children in safety”
paragraph in the “Getting to know the
car” chapter.
– Arrange the load in the boot in such
a way that it cannot be thrown for-
wards in the event of an accident.– Do not place clear objects or
sheets of paper on the dashboard that
reflect on the windscreen.
– Do not eat a heavy meal before
travelling. Light eating will help keep
your reflexes prompt. Above all, do
not have anything alcoholic to drink.
The use of some medicines can reduce
the driving capability: carefully read the
relevant use warnings.
Remember to periodically carry out
the checks specified in the “Repeated
checks before long trips” paragraph
given in this section.
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78
RECURRENT
CHECKS AND
BEFORE LONG
DISTANCE TRIPS
Periodically, remember to check:
– tyre pressure and conditions
– level of battery fluid
– engine oil level
– coolant level and conditions of the
system
– brake fluid level
– windscreen washer liquid level
– power steering fluid level.
STORING THE
CAR
The following precautions should be
taken if the car will not be used for
more than a month:
– Park the car in covered, dry and if
possible well-ventilated premises.
– Engage a gear.
– Make sure the handbrake is not en-
gaged.
– Remove the cables from the bat-
tery terminals (first remove the cable
to the negative terminal), and check
the battery charge. If the car is to be
stored for long periods the battery
charge should be checked every
month and recharged if it falls below
12,5V.
– Clean and protect the painted parts
using protective wax.– Clean and protect the shiny metal
parts using special compounds readi-
ly available.
– Sprinkle talcum powder on the
rubber windscreen and rear window
wiper blades and lift them off the glass.
– Slightly open the windows.
– Cover the car with a cloth or per-
forated plastic sheet. Do not use
sheets of no-perforated plastic as they
do not allow moisture on the car body
to evaporate.
– Inflate the tyres to +0.5 bar above
the normal specified pressure and
check it at intervals.
– Do not drain the engine cooling
system.
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82
BUMP STARTING IF A TYRE IS
PUNCTURED
Follow the instructions on this and
the following pages to use the jack and
spare wheel correctly.
Remember that until
the engine has started the
brake booster and power
steering systems will not work
and a greater effort will therefore
be required to depress the brake
pedal or turn the steering wheel.
An incorrectly posi-
tioned jack may cause the
car to fall.
Do not use the jack to lift loads
exceeding that indicated on the
label attached to the jack itself.
The jack should only be used to
change a wheel on the car for
which it is designed. It should not
be put to other uses or employed
to raise other models of cars. Un-
der no circumstances should it be
used when carrying out repairs
under the car.
Do not lubricate the bolt
threads before fitting them back:
they could come loose.
Never start the engine,
when the car is raised on
a jack. Never tamper with
the inflation valve. Never place
tools between the rim and tyre.
Check the tyre and spare wheel
pressure regularly. The tyre in-
flation pressure is shown in the
“Technical specifications” chap-
ter.
Never bump start the
engine (by pushing, tow-
ing or coasting downhill).
This could cause fuel to flow in-
to the catalytic exhaust system
and damage it beyond repair.
If the car is fitted with al-
loy rims, a specific spare
wheel is provided. It is dif-
ferent from the one provided for
the cars fitted with steel rims. In
the event of successive purchase
of alloy rims, replacing the steel
rims, we suggest you to keep at
disposal 4 genuine bolts, which
will be used only with the spare
wheel. Danger of damaging the
wheel hubs
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101
Do not tow the car by
using flexible elements
(metallic cables, ropes or
strings); only the use of a rigid
bar, with the ends supplied with
adequate joints, is allowed. Make
sure to fix the joint to the car in
order not to damage the near el-
ements.
Before starting to tow, turn the
ignition key to MAR and then to
STOP. Do not remove the key. If
the key is removed, the steering
lock engages automatically which
prevents the wheels being turned.
While the car is being towed
with the engine off, remember
that the brake pedal and steering
will require more effort as you no
longer have the benefit of the
brake booster and the power
steering.
The towing vehicle must be dri-
ven as evenly and softly as possi-
ble to prevent counterblows.IF THE CAR
NEEDS TO BE
TOWED
The tow hitch is supplied as standard
with the car. It is in the tool kit at-
tached to the spare wheel.
To fasten the tow hitch:
1)Take the tow ring.
2) Remove the cover from the rear
bumper
fig. 40or from the front
bumper
fig. 41by lever with a screw-
driver in the point shown by the ar-
row.
fig. 40
P4E02196
fig. 41
P4E02197
When towing the car,
you must comply with the
specific traffic regulations
regarding the tow hitch and how
to tow on the road.
3)Fasten the ring on the threaded
pin, rear
fig. 40or front fig. 41.
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107
Thousands of Kilometers 15 3045 6075 90105 120135 150165 180









(*) or every 3 years if the car is used in the following harsh conditions:
- Prolonged use in cold/hot climates, sity driving with prolonged lengths of time at idle speed, driving on dusty roads or roads covered with sand/salt.
- or every 5 years regardless of km covered and use conditions.
NOTE: For every 7,500 km service please refer Owner’s Warranty & Service Policy book.
For every 7,500 km or 6 months (whichever is erlier from previous service) replace engine oil and oil filter.
Top up fluids (engine coolant, brakes, power steering, windscreen washer etc.)
Timing command toothed belt check
Timing command toothed belt replacement
Spark plugs replacement, wire control (*)
Engine control system functionality check
(through autodiagnostic socket)
Change gear/differential gear oil level check
Changing engine oil (every 7,500 km or 6 months)
Replace engine oil filter (every 7,500 km or 6 months)
Brake fluid replacement (or every 24 months)
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108
ADDITIONAL
INTERVENTIONS
Every 1000 kmor prior to long
travels, check and possibly restore:
– engine coolant level
– brake - clutch fluid level
– Power steering fluid level
– battery fluid level
– windscreen washer fluid level
– pressure and condition of the tyres.
Every 3000 kmcheck and top up
as necessary: engine oil level.We suggest the use of
FL Group
product expressly recommended,
studied and realized for Fiat cars (see
the “Refuelling” table in the “Techni-
cal Specifications” chapter).
IMPORTANT - Engine oil
Replace the engine oil more fre-
quently than indicated in the Sched-
uled Servicing Plan, in the event that
the car is mainly used in one of the fol-
lowing particularly severe conditions:
– dusty, sandy or muddy roads;
– repeated and short distances (less
than 7-8 km) and with external tem-
perature less than zero;– with engine frequently idling or for
long distances at low speed (e.g. taxi,
door-to-door deliveries or for long
storage).
For any doubt on the engine oil re-
placement, in relation to how the car
is used, contact the
Fiat Dealership.
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