tow FIAT PANDA 2018 Owner handbook (in English)

WARNING
33)The Fiat Panda Natural Power is
equipped with a high pressure methane
fuel supply system, designed to operate at
a rated pressure of 200 bar. It is dangerous
to stretch the system with higher
pressures. To prevent damage to the gas
system parts when towing or lifting the
vehicle, follow the instructions in the Owner
Handbook, in the paragraph: “Towing the
vehicle”. If there is a fault in the methane
system, only contact a Fiat Dealership. Do
not alter the methane system configuration
or components. They are designed
exclusively for the Fiat Panda Natural
Power. The use of other components or
materials could cause malfunctions and
prejudice safety.
34)When oven painting, the cylinders must
be removed from the vehicle and
subsequently refitted by a Fiat Dealership.
Although the methane system has
numerous safety features, it is advisable to
close the manual cocks for the cylinders
every time the vehicle is not in use for
a long period, transported on other
vehicles or moved in an emergency as a
result of a breakdown or accident.
35)Modifications or repairs to the supply
system that are not carried out correctly or
do not take the system technical
specifications into account can cause
malfunctions leading to the risk of fire.
36)Do not switch between the two
operating modes whilst starting the engine.
WARNING
20)If the fuel runs out while running on
methane, the car switches to petrol
automatically and all the bars of the digital
indicator on the display turn off. The
display remains in this state until the next
methane refuelling.
21)Regardless of the last fuel system
used, at the following engine starting, after
the initial petrol stage, the system will
automatically switch to methane.
22)When switching from petrol to methane
is requested, a metal noise from the valves
which pressurise the circuit can be heard,
as it happens while starting the car. As a
result of the switching logic described
above, a delay between the valve ticking
and the the green warning light
on
the instrument panel turning off is
completely normal.23)In particular usage conditions, such as
starting and operation at low ambient
temperature, the system may switch
temporarily to petrol operation, without
indicating the performed switching. In the
event of low methane levels in the tank or a
request for high performance (e.g.
overtaking, fully laden vehicle, steep hills)
the system may automatically switch to
petrol operation to guarantee the engine
power requested. The green warning light
on the instrument panel turns on to
indicate this. When the above conditions
are no longer present, the system
automatically restores methane operation.
The green warning light
turns off. To
achieve the automatic switching described
above, make sure that there is always
enough fuel in the petrol tank.
34
KNOWING YOUR CAR

Warning light What it means
redEngine oil degraded
(diesel versions with DPF)
The warning light comes on flashing, on some versions along with a dedicated message on the display.
The warning light flashes for 3 minute cycles with the warning light off for intervals of 5 seconds until oil is
changed.
After the initial warning, each time the engine is started up, the warning light will continue to flash in the
same mode, until the oil is changed. On certain versions a dedicated message is displayed.
The flashing warning light should not be considered a fault, it simply informs the customer that the oil
needs to be changed following normal car use.
Remember that the deterioration of the engine oil is accelerated by:mainly town use of the vehicle which makes the DPF regeneration process more frequent;
use of the vehicle for short drives, in which the engine does not have time to reach its regular operating
temperature;
repeated interruptions to the regeneration process signalled by the DPF warning light coming on.
41)
WARNING
41)If the warning light switches on, the degraded engine oil must be changed as soon as possible, and never more than 500 km from the
first time that the warning light switches on. Failure to observe the above may result in severe damage to the engine and invalidate the
warranty. Remember that the operation of this warning light is not related to the amount of oil in the engine. Therefore, never top up with oil
when the light starts flashing.
43

Warning light What it means
redENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATURE TOO HIGH
The warning light switches on when the ignition key is turned to MAR, but it should switch off after a few
seconds.
The warning light comes on, on some versions along with a message on the display, when the engine is
overheated.
In normal driving conditions: stop the car, switch off the engine and check that the water level in the
reservoir is not below the MIN mark. In this case, wait for the engine to cool down, then slowly and
carefully open the cap, top up with coolant and check that the level is between the MIN and MAX marks on
the reservoir itself. Also check visually for any fluid leaks. If, when restarting, the warning light switches on
again, contact a Fiat Dealership.
If the car is used under demanding conditions(e.g. towing trailers uphill or fully loaded): slow down
and, if the warning light stays on, stop the car. Wait for 2 or 3 minutes with the engine running and slightly
accelerated to further favour the coolant circulation. Then stop the engine. Check that the coolant level is
correct as described above.
IMPORTANT Over demanding routes, it is advisable to keep the engine on and slightly accelerated for a
few minutes before switching it off.
red“DUALDRIVE” ELECTRIC POWER STEERING FAILURE
When the key is turned to MAR, the warning light switches on but it should switch off after a few seconds.
If the warning light stays on, on some versions along with a dedicated message on the display, you may
not have steering assistance and the effort required to operate the steering wheel could be notably
increased; steering is, however, possible.
In this case, contact a Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANT In some circumstances, factors independent of the electric power steering could cause the
warning light on the instrument panel to switch on. In this case, stop the car immediately (should it be in
motion), stop the engine for about 20 seconds and then restart the engine. If the warning light, on some
versions along with a dedicated message on the display, remains on, contact a Fiat Dealership.
IMPORTANT After the battery is disconnected, the steering must be initialised. The warning light switches
on to indicate this. To carry out this procedure, simply turn the steering wheel all the way from one end to
the other or drive in a straight line for about a hundred metres.
44
KNOWING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL

Before carrying out the Reset
procedure, inflate the tyres to the rated
pressure values specified in the inflation
pressure table (see "Wheels" paragraph
in the "Technical specifications"
chapter).
If the Reset procedure is not carried
out, in all above cases, the
warning
light may give false indications on
one or more tyres.
To carry out the RESET procedure, with
the car stopped and the ignition device
at MAR, use the Main Menu as follows:
briefly press thebutton: the
display will show Reset;
press thebutton or the
button to select ("Yes" or "No");
briefly press thebutton: the
display will show "Confirm";
pressbutton orto select
("Yes" to Reset or "No" to exit the video
page);
press thebutton again to return
to the standard screen or to the main
menu according to where you are in the
menu.
At the end of the Reset procedure, the
display will show the message "Reset
saved", indicating that self-learning has
started.Operating conditions
The system is active for speeds above
15 km/h.
In a few situations such as sporty
driving, particular conditions of the road
surface (e.g. icy, snowy, unsurfaced
roads...) the signalling may be delayed
or partial in detecting the contemporary
deflation of more than one tyre.
Under special conditions (e.g. vehicle
loaded asymmetrically on one side,
towing a trailer, damaged or worn tyre,
fitting the space-saver wheel, use of the
"Fix&Go" kit, fitting snow chains, fitting
different tyres on the axles) the system
may give false indications or be
temporarily deactivated.
If the system is temporarily deactivated,
the warning light
flashes for about
75 seconds and then is continuously
on; at the same time, the display shows
a dedicated message.
This warning is also displayed after the
engine has been switched off and
then on again if the correct operating
conditions are not restored.
WARNING
67)The system is an aid for the driver, who
must always pay full attention while
driving. The responsibility always rests with
the driver, who must take into account
the traffic conditions in order to drive
in complete safety. The driver must always
maintain a safe distance from the vehicle
in front.
68)If the driver depresses the brake pedal
fully or carries out a fast steering during
system operation, the automatic braking
function may stop (e.g. to allow a possible
manoeuvre to avoid the obstacle).
69)The laser beam is not visible at the
naked eye. Do not look directly, or with
optical instruments (e.g. lenses), at the
laser beam from a distance lower than 10
cm: this may cause damage to the sight.
The laser beam is also present when
the key is at MAR but its operation is off,
not available or manually deactivated
with the display Setup Menu.
70)The system intervenes on vehicles
travelling in the same lane. Small sized
vehicles (e.g. bicycles or motorbikes)
or people, animals and things (e.g.
pushchairs) and more in general all those
obstacles with a low reflection of the light
emitted by the laser (e.g. vehicles soiled
with mud) are not taken into consideration.
68
SAFETY

71)If the car must be placed on a roller
bench (at a speed within 5 and 30 km/h)
for maintenance interventions or if it is
washed in an automatic roller washing
tunnel with an obstacle in the front part
(e.g. another car, a wall or another
obstacle), the system may detect its
presence and activate. In this case the
system must be deactivated through the
display Setup Menu.
72)If the system signals a pressure
decrease on a specific tyre, it is
recommended to check the pressure on all
four tyres.
73)The iTPMS does not relieve the driver
from the obligation to check the tyre
pressure every month; it is not to
be considered a system to replace
maintenance or a safety system.
74)Tyre pressure must be checked with
tyres cold. Should it become necessary for
whatever reason to check pressure with
warm tyres, do not reduce pressure even
though it is higher than the prescribed
value, but repeat the check when tyres are
cold.
75)The iTPMS cannot indicate sudden
tyre pressure drops (for example when
a tyre bursts). In this case, stop the vehicle,
braking with caution and avoiding abrupt
steering.
76)The system only warns that the tyre
pressure is low: it is not able to inflate
them.
77)Insufficient tyre inflation increases fuel
consumption, reduces the tread duration
and may affect the capacity to drive safely.
WARNING
30)The laser sensor may have limited or
absent operation due to weather
conditions such as: heavy rain, hail, thick
fog, heavy snow, formation of ice layers on
the windscreen.
31)Sensor operation may also be
compromised by the presence of dust,
condensation, dirt or ice on the
windscreen, by traffic conditions (e.g.
vehicles that are driving not aligned with
you car, vehicle driving in a transverse
or opposite way on the same lane, bend
with a small radius of curvature), by road
surface conditions and by driving
conditions (e.g. off-road driving). Make sure
the windscreen is always clean. Use
specific detergents and clean cloths to
avoid scratching the windscreen. The
sensor operation may also be limited or
absent in some driving, traffic and road
surface conditions.
32)Projecting loads on the roof of the car
may interfere with the correct operation
of the sensor. Before starting make sure
the load is correctly positioned, in order not
to cover the sensor operating range.
33)If the windscreen must be replaced
due to scratches, chipping or breakage,
contact exclusively a Fiat Dealership.
Do not replace the windscreen on your
own, risk of malfunction! It is advisable to
replace the windscreen if it is damaged
in the laser sensor area.34)Do not tamper nor operate on the laser
sensor. Do not close the openings in the
aesthetic cover located under the interior
rear view mirror. In the event of a sensor
failure, contact a Fiat Dealership.
35)Do not cover the operating range of the
sensor with stickers or other objects. Also
pay attention to other objects on the
bonnet (e.g. a layer of snow) and make
sure they do not interfere with the light
emitted by the laser.
36)If a trailer or a vehicle is towed the
system must be deactivated with the
display Setup Menu.
69

PRE-TENSIONERS
84) 85) 86) 87)
37)
The vehicle is equipped with front seat
belt pretensioners, which draw back
the seat belts by several centimetres in
the event of a strong frontal impact.
This guarantees the perfect adherence
of the seat belts to the occupant's
bodies before the retention action
begins.
It is evident that the pretensioners have
operated when the belt withdraws
towards the retractor.
This car is also equipped with a second
pretensioner on driver's side fitted in
the kick plate area (on some versions,
the second pretensioner is provided for
both front seats). Its activation is
signalled by the shortening of the metal
cable.
A slight discharge of smoke may be
produced during the activation of the
pretensioner which is not harmful and
does not involve any fire hazard.
The pretensioner does not require any
maintenance or lubrication. Any
changes to its original conditions will
invalidate its efficiency.If, due to unusual natural events (floods,
sea storms, etc.), the device has been
affected by water and/or mud, contact
a Fiat Dealership to have it replaced.
IMPORTANT To obtain the highest
degree of protection from the action of
the pretensioner, wear the seat belt
tight to the chest and pelvis.
LOAD LIMITERS
To increase occupant safety in an
accident, the retractors contain a load
limiter to dose the force acting on
the chest and shoulders during the belt
restraining action in the case of frontal
collisions.
GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS FOR
USING THE SEAT BELTS
Seat belts are also to be worn by
pregnant women: the risk of injury in
the case of impact is greatly reduced
for them and the unborn child if they
are wearing a seat belt. Pregnant
women must position the lower part of
the belt very low down so that it passes
over the pelvis and under the
abdomen (see fig. 63).While pregnancy increases, the driver
must adjust both seat and steering
wheel to have full control over the
vehicle (pedals and steering wheel
should be easily accessed). The
maximum clearance should be kept
between the abdomen and the steering
wheel.
The seat belt strap must not be twisted.
The upper part must pass over the
shoulder and cross the chest
diagonally. The lower part must adhere
to the pelvis (as shown in fig. 64) rather
than the abdomen of the occupant.
Do not use devices (clips, etc.) to hold
the seat belt away from your body.
Each seat belt must be used by only
one person. Never travel with a child
sitting on the passenger's lap and
a single belt to protect them both fig.
65. In general, do not place any objects
between the person and the belt.
63F1D0123
73

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

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.
94
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