FIAT PANDA 2018 Owner handbook (in English)

SIDE BAGS (Side bag -
Window bag)
To help increase occupants protection
in the event of a side impact, the car
is equipped with front side bags (for
versions/markets, where provided) and
window bag (for versions/markets,
where provided).
Side bags protect occupants from
side-on crashes of medium/high
severity by placing the bag between the
occupant and the internal parts of the
side structure of the vehicle.
Non-activation of side bags in other
types of collisions (front collisions, rear
shunts, roll-overs, etc.) is not a system
malfunction.
Side bags
(for versions/markets, where provided)
These comprise two types of bags
located in the front seat backrests fig.
78 which protect the pelvic, chest
and shoulder area of the occupants in
the event of a side impact of
medium-high severity.
Window bag
This consists of two "curtain" bags
housed behind the roof side lining fig.
79 and covered with trims that protect
the heads of front and rear occupants
in the event of a side impact.The deployment of side bags in the
event of side impacts of low severity is
not required.
In the event of a side impact, the
system provides best protection if the
passenger sits on the seat in a correct
position, thus allowing correct window
bag deployment.
The window bag is not available for the
VAN version.
103) 104) 105) 106) 107) 108) 109) 110) 111) 112)
113) 114) 115)
Important notes
Do not wash the seats with water or
pressurised steam (wash by hand or at
automatic seat washing stations).
The front airbags and/or side bags may
be deployed in the event of sharp
impacts to the underbody of the car
(e.g. impact with steps, pavements,
potholes or road bumps etc.).
When the airbag deploys it emits a
small amount of dust: the dust is
harmless and does not indicate the
beginning of a fire. The dust may irritate
the skin and eyes however: in this
case, wash with neutral soap
and water.
Airbag checking, repair and
replacement must be carried out at a
Fiat Dealership.
78F1D0066
79F1D0067
89

If the car is scrapped, have the airbag
system deactivated at a Fiat Dealership.
Pretensioners and airbags are
deployed in different ways on the basis
of the type of collision. Failure to
activate one or more of the devices
does not indicate a system malfunction.
WARNING
99)Do not apply stickers or other objects
on the steering wheel, on the dashboard in
the passenger side airbag area, on the
side upholstery on the roof and on the
seats. Never put objects (e.g. mobile
phones) on the passenger's side
dashboard since they could interfere with
correct inflation of the airbag and also
cause serious injury to the passengers.
100)Always drive with your hands on the
rim of the steering wheel so that the airbag
can inflate freely if required. Do not drive
bent over the steering wheel, but rather sit
upright with your back firmly resting against
the seat back.101)When there is an active passenger
airbag, DO NOT install rearward facing
child restraint systems on the front seat.
Deployment of the airbag in a crash could
cause fatal injuries to the child regardless
of the severity of the collision. Therefore,
always deactivate the passenger side
airbag when a rearward facing child
restraint system is installed on the front
passenger seat. The front passenger seat
must also be positioned back as far as
possible in order to prevent the child
restraint system from coming into contact
with the dashboard. Immediately reactivate
the passenger airbag as soon as the child
restraint system has been removed.
102)To deactivate the airbags using the
instrument panel menu, see the description
in the "Knowing the instrument panel"
chapter, "Setup Menu" paragraph.
103)Do not affix rigid objects to the
garment hooks or support handles.
104)Do not rest your head, arms or
elbows on the door, windows or the area in
which the window bag is located to avoid
possible injury during airbag inflation.
105)Never lean your head, arms or
elbows out of the window.
106)If, when the ignition device is turned
to MAR, the
warning light does not
switch on or stays on whilst driving, a fault
may have occurred in the restraint
systems. In this case the airbags or
pretensioners may not be deployed in an
impact or, in a lower number of cases, they
may be deployed accidentally. Contact a
Fiat Dealership immediately to have the
system checked.107)In the event of “yellow”
warning
light failure, the “red”warning light
switches on and, for versions/markets
where provided, the explosive charges of
the passenger airbag and the side bags
are deactivated. When the "red" warning
light is on, before proceeding contact a Fiat
Dealership to have the system immediately
checked (see previous warning).
108)On vehicles with side bags, do not
cover the front seat backrests with extra
covers.
109)Do not travel carrying objects in your
lap, in front of your chest or between
your lips (pipe, pencils, etc.): they could
cause severe injury if the airbag is
deployed.
110)If the car has been stolen or in the
case of attempt to steal it, if it has been
subjected to vandalism or floods, have the
airbag system checked by a Fiat
Dealership.
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SAFETY

111)The airbags may also be deployed
when the car is not moving, if the key is in
the ignition and turned to MAR-ON or
when the engine is off, if the car is hit by
another moving car. Therefore, even if the
vehicle is stationary, when an active front
passenger airbag is fitted, DO NOT install
rearward facing child restraint systems
on the front passenger seat. Deployment of
the airbag following an impact could cause
fatal injuries to the child. Therefore, always
deactivate the passenger side airbag
when a rearward facing child restraint
system is installed on the front passenger
seat. The front passenger seat must also
be positioned back as far as possible in
order to prevent the child restraint system
from coming into contact with the
dashboard. Immediately reactivate the
passenger airbag as soon as the child
restraint system has been removed. Also
remember that, if the key is turned to
STOP, none of the safety devices (airbags
or pretensioners) will be deployed in the
event of collision. Non-deployment in such
cases does not indicate a system
malfunction.112)The airbag warning lightindicates
the passenger protection status. If the
warning light is off, the passenger side
protection is activated. It can be
deactivated from the menu, in which case
the warning light comes on. When the
car is started (ignition key in MAR position),
the warning light comes on for approx. 8
seconds, provided that at least 5 seconds
have elapsed from the previous switching
off. If this does not happen please contact
a Fiat Dealership. If the car is switched
off/on again in less than 5 seconds the
warning light may remain off. In this case,
to check correct warning light operation,
switch the car off, wait at least 5 seconds
and switch on again. During the first 8
seconds, the activation of the warning light
does not actually show the passenger
protection status, but only checks its
correct operation. The warning light may
light up with various intensity levels
depending on the car conditions. The
intensity may also vary during the same key
cycle. (The warning light is tested also for
markets where the passenger protection
deactivation function is not provided,
and the warning light switches on for less
than one second when the key is turned to
MAR, then switches off again.)
113)The airbag deployment threshold is
higher than that of the pretensioners.
For collisions in the range between the two
thresholds, it is normal for only the
pretensioners to be activated.114)The airbag does not replace seat
belts but increases their efficiency.
Because front airbags are not deployed for
low-speed crashes, side collisions,
rear-end shunts or rollovers, occupants are
protected, in addition to any side bags,
only by their seat belts, which must
therefore always be fastened.
115)If the “red”
warning light does not
switch on for a few seconds when the
key is turned to MAR, there may be a fault
with the “red” warning light. In this case,
after a few seconds, the
warning light
starts flashing. Contact a Fiat Dealership
immediately to have the system checked.
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STARTING AND DRIVING
Let’s get to the "heart" 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 ................. 93
WHEN PARKED .............................. 94
MANUAL TRANSMISSION .............. 95
DUALOGIC TRANSMISSION........... 96
MODE SELECTOR .......................... 97
DUALDRIVE ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING ...................................... 98
ECO FUNCTION ............................. 99
START&STOP SYSTEM ..................100
PARKING SENSORS.......................101
REFUELLING THE VEHICLE ...........102
TOWING TRAILERS ........................106
92
STARTING AND DRIVING

STARTING THE
ENGINE
116) 117)
38) 39) 40) 41)
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.For 0.9 TwinAir
and 0.9 TwinAir Turbo versions
engage 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 and 0.9 TwinAir Turbo)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 lights
and
on the instrument panel will turn
on;
wait for the warning lightsand
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 instrument panel
warning lights
andstay on (for
petrol versions only), it is advisable to
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. Contact a Fiat Dealership if
you still cannot start the engine.VERSIONS WITH
DUALOGIC
TRANSMISSION
118)
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 therefore 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.
42)
SWITCHING OFF THE
ENGINE
43)
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.
93

WARNING
116)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.
117)Remember that the power brake and
electrical power steering 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.
118)If the engine fails to start with a gear
engaged, the potentially dangerous
situation due to the fact that the gearbox is
automatically placed in neutral will be
signalled by an acoustic signal.
WARNING
38)If the warning lightflashes for 60
seconds after starting or during an
extended towing period, this indicates a
problem in the glow plug pre­heating
system. You can use the vehicle as usual if
the engine starts but you should contact
a Fiat Dealership as soon as possible.
39)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.40)When the engine is switched off never
leave the key turned to MAR-ON to prevent
useless current absorption from draining
the battery.
41)Never bump start the engine by
pushing, towing or coasting downhill. This
could cause fuel to flow into the catalytic
converter and damage it beyond repair.
42)There must therefore always be some
petrol in the tank to protect the petrol
pump and to guarantee temporary
switching from LPG or Methane to petrol
operation, if high performance is required.
43)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
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;
always remove the ignition key.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a
stone if the car is parked on a steep
slope.
On versions equipped with Dualogic
transmission, wait for the letter P to be
displayed before releasing the brake
pedal.
IMPORTANT NEVER leave the car with
the gearbox in neutral (or, on versions
equipped with Dualogic transmission,
before placing the gear lever at P).
Handbrake
199) 200) 201)
The handbrake lever is located between
the front seats.
Handbrake engagement: pull lever A
fig. 80 upwards until the vehicle is
braked.
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STARTING AND DRIVING

Handbrake disengagement: slightly
raise lever A and hold button B
pressed, checking that the
warning
light switches off in the instrument
panel.
WARNING
119)Never leave children unattended in
the car. Always remove the key from the
ignition when leaving the car and take
it with you.
120)The car should be braked after a few
clicks of the lever, if it is not, contact a
Fiat Dealership to have it adjusted.
121)In the case of parking manoeuvres on
roads on a gradient, the front wheels
must be steered towards the pavement
(when parking downhill), or in the opposite
direction if the vehicle is parked uphill.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a stone if
the car is parked on a steep slope.
MANUAL
TRANSMISSION
122)44)
To engage the gears, fully depress the
clutch pedal and put the gear lever
into the required position (the diagram
is shown on the knob fig. 81).
For 0.9 TwinAir, 0.9 TwinAir Turbo and
1.2 8V 69 HP versions, to engage
reverse gear R from neutral, lift the ring
A fig. 81 located under the knob and
at the same time shift the lever to
the right and back.
For 1.3 16V MultiJet version: to engage
reverse gear R from neutral position,
move the lever to the right and then
back.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
122)Press the clutch pedal fully to change
gears 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
44)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.
B
A
80F1D0146
A
81F1D0069
95

DUALOGIC
TRANSMISSION
(for versions/markets, where provided)
45)
The car may be equipped with an
electronically controlled manual
transmission known as "Dualogic"
which allows two operating logics:
MANUAL and AUTO.
GEAR LEVER
The gear lever A fig. 82, located on the
dashboard, is floating multistable type,
i.e. it has three stable positions 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 unstable positions, in other words
those that are abandoned as soon
as the lever is released, are the
positions for requesting a higher gear
(+), requesting a lower gear (–) and
requesting automatic operating mode
(A/M).
IMPORTANT With the engine started,
any error between the lever position
and the gear actually engaged is
signalled by a buzzer until consistency
is restored.
MANUAL MODE
Proceed as follows:
press the brake pedal and start the
engine;
if AUTO appears on the display,
move the lever A fig. 82 to A/M to
select MANUAL mode;
push gear lever A towards (+) to
engage first gear (if starting from N or
R, simply place the lever in the middle
position) or R to engage reverse;
release the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal;
in driving conditions, push lever A of
the gearbox towards (+) to engage
the next gear up or towards (–) to
engage the next gear down.AUTOMATIC MODE (AUTO)
Proceed as follows:
press the brake pedal;
start the engine;
if AUTO is not on the display, move
the shift lever A fig. 82 to A/M to select
AUTOMATIC mode;
push the gear lever towards (+) to
engage 1stgear (if starting from N or R,
simply place the lever in the middle
position) or R to engage reverse;
release the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal: the gear most
suited to the vehicle speed will be
engaged.
AUTO-ECO OPERATION
To activate the function, press the ECO
button fig. 83 on the central tunnel.
The ECO function can be only activated
only with automatic mode active.
82F1D0107
83F1D0108
96
STARTING AND DRIVING

With the ECO function active, the
system will select the most suitable
gear depending on the vehicle speed,
engine rpm and intensity with which the
accelerator pedal is pressed, with the
aim of limiting fuel consumption.
“Kick Down” FUNCTION
(for versions/markets, where provided)
If necessary (e.g. when overtaking),
the system downshifts one or more
gears when the accelerator pedal
is depressed beyond the point where it
becomes stiff (and if the rpm allow it)
in order to provide suitable power and
torque for the acceleration requested
by the driver.
IMPORTANT The use of the “Kick
Down” function is recommended only
when overtaking or accelerating quickly,
in order not to increase fuel
consumption.
WARNING
45)Avoid keeping your hand on this lever
except during gear change or AUTO/
MANUAL mode requests.
MODE SELECTOR
(Panda Cross 4x4 versions)
This device allows, using the ring of the
knob fig. 84 (on the central tunnel),
three car response modes to be
selected according to driving style and
road conditions:
1 = AUTO mode;
2 = OFF ROAD mode;
3 = Gravity Control function.
The ring nut is monostable type. In
other words, it always remains in a
central position. The selected driving
mode is indicated by the corresponding
LED switching on the knob and by an
indication on the display."AUTO" MODE
It is a driving mode aimed at comfort
and safety in normal grip and driving
conditions.
"OFF ROAD" MODE
It is a driving mode aimed at setting off
in poor grip conditions on low-grip
road surfaces (e.g. snow, ice, mid, etc.).
Activation
Rotate the ring fig. 84 to the right and
hold in this position for half a second,
until the corresponding LED lights
up and “Off Road” mode activation
indicator appears on the display with a
dedicated message.
Once released, the ring returns to the
central position.
When the "Off Road" mode is activated,
the presetting for ELD system
intervention activates automatically.
84F1D0116
97

IMPORTANT When the "Off Road"
mode is activated, the Start&Stop
system is temporarily disabled.
Temporary deactivation of the system
switches on the corresponding LED on
the trim (located on the central
dashboard). To activate the Start&Stop
function, with "Off Road" mode on,
press the
button on the dashboard
trim. However, when the "Off Road"
mode is deactivated, the Start&Stop
system is enabled again.
IMPORTANT When the "Off Road"
mode is activated, the City Brake
Control system is temporarily
deactivated. Temporarily deactivation of
the system results in the switching on
of the
warning light on the
instrument panel. When the "Off Road"
mode is deactivated, the City Brake
Control system is enabled again.
Turning off
To deactivate the "Off Road" mode and
return to the "Auto" mode, rotate the
ring nut to the left and hold in this
position for half a second. In this case,
the LED corresponding to “Auto” mode
will light up and the “Off Road” mode
deactivation indication will appear
on the display.IMPORTANT If “Off Road” or “Auto”
mode was active when the engine was
stopped, the next time it is started
the mode that was selected is
reactivated.
"GRAVITY CONTROL"
FUNCTION
This driving function permits a constant
vehicle speed to be maintained
downhill.
On/Off
For engaging/disengaging the Gravity
Control function refer to the "Active
safety systems" paragraph in the
"Safety" chapter.
FAILURE OF THE MODE
SELECTOR SYSTEM
IMPORTANT In the event of system
failure or a fault with knob, no driving
modes can be selected. The display will
show a dedicated message.
IMPORTANT In this case it is not
advisable trying to drive down roads
with a steep gradient, the system
cannot help the driver in any way.
DUALDRIVE
ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING
123) 124)
This only operates with the key turned
to MAR and the engine started. The
steering allows the force required at the
steering wheel to be adjusted to suit
driving conditions.
IMPORTANT When turning the ignition
key quickly, full power steering
functionality can be achieved after a
few seconds.
CITY FUNCTION
ACTIVATION/
DEACTIVATION
Press the CITY fig. 85 button to
activate/deactivate the function. The
activation of the function is signalled by
the word CITY on the display (in some
versions it is signalled by the word CITY
appearing on the instrument panel).
When the CITY function is on, the
steering wheel effort is lighter, making
parking easier: therefore, this function is
particularly useful for driving in city
centres.
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STARTING AND DRIVING