steering FIAT PUNTO 2012 Owner handbook (in English)
[x] Cancel search | Manufacturer: FIAT, Model Year: 2012, Model line: PUNTO, Model: FIAT PUNTO 2012Pages: 219, PDF Size: 9.58 MB
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56
SAFETY
STARTING 
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE 
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS 
AND DEVICES
fig. 52F0M0077m
fig. 51F0M0104m
fig. 53F0M0078m
INTERIOR FITTINGS
GLOVE BOX fig. 51-52
Use the handle to open the compartment
A-fig. 51.
Inside the compartment there is a space
A-fig. 52 to keep documents (for ver-
sions/markets, where provided).
GLOVE COMPARTMENTS
glove compartment A-fig. 53 is located in
the dashboard, on the left of the steering
wheel.
The following procedure should be car-
ried out to restore the correct operation
of the vehicle:❒turn the ignition key to 
MAR;
❒activate the right-hand indicator;
❒deactivate the right-hand indicator;
❒activate the left-hand indicator;
❒deactivate the left-hand indicator;
❒activate the right-hand indicator;
❒deactivate the right-hand indicator;
❒activate the left-hand indicator;
❒deactivate the left-hand indicator;
❒turn the key to STOP.
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SAFETY
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AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE 
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS 
AND DEVICES
“DUALDRIVE” 
ELECTRIC 
POWER
STEERING SYSTEM
The car is equipped with an electrically
controlled power steering system called
“Dualdrive”, working only with the igni-
tion key at  MARand the engine running,
that customises steering force according
to the driving conditions.
ACTIVATION/DEACTIVATION
(CITY function)
To activate/deactivate the function, press
the button on the dashboard.
Activation is indicated by:
❒the word CITYon the instrument
panel (for versions with multifunction
display);
❒the word CITY lit up on the button 
after it has been pressed  fig. 98.When the CITY
function is on, the steer-
ing wheel effort is lighter, making parking
easier: therefore, this function is particu-
larly useful for driving in city centres.
For the Sport version, this function guar-
antees improved driving comfort because
the accelerator pedal is better calibrated
for gradual acceleration/deceleration.
fig. 98F0M0621m
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78
SAFETY
STARTING 
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE 
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS 
AND DEVICES
FAILURE INDICATIONS
Any failure of the electric power steering
system is indicated by instrument panel
warning light 
gcoming on together with
a message on the multifunction display (for
versions/markets, where provided) (see
section “Warning lights and messages”).
In the event of electric power steering sys-
tem failure, the car can be driven with me-
chanical steering.
IMPORTANT In some circumstances, fac-
tors independent of the electric power
steering could cause the 
gwarning light
in the instrument panel to come on.
In this case, stop the car immediately,
switch off the engine for about 20 seconds
and then restart the car. If the warning
light 
gis still on, along with the message
on the multifunction display (for ver-
sions/markets, where provided), contact
a Fiat Dealership. IMPORTANT The steering may become
stiffer during parking manoeuvres that re-
quire a lot of turns of the wheel. This is
normal and is caused by the electric con-
trol motor overheating protection system.
No repairs are needed. The power steer-
ing system will start working properly
again the next time the car is used. 
It is absolutely forbidden to
carry out any after-market
operation involving steering system or
steering column modifications (e.g. in-
stallation of anti-theft device) that
could badly affect performance and
safety, invalidate the warranty and
also result in the car failing to com-
ply with regulations.
WARNING
Before servicing the car,
switch off the engine and re-
move the key from the ignition to ac-
tivate the steering lock. This is espe-
cially important when the car wheels
are not touching the ground. If this
is not possible (for example if the key
needs to be turned to MAR or the en-
gine must be running), remove the
main fuse that protects the electric
power steering.
WARNING
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103
STARTING 
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE 
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS 
AND DEVICES
SAFETY
FRONT AIRBAGS
The car is fitted with front airbags for the
driver and the passenger, and with a knee
bag on the driver’s side (for versions/mar  -
kets, where provided). 
The front driver/passenger airbags and the
driver’s knee bag (for versions/markets,
where provided) have been designed to
protect the occupants of the front seats
in the event of head-on crashes of medi-
um/high severity, by placing the bag be-
tween the occupant and the steering
wheel or dashboard.
Non-activation in other types of crash
(side-on collisions, rear shunts, roll-overs,
etc.) is therefore not a sign of system mal-
function.
An electronic control unit causes the bag
to inflate in the event of a head-on crash.
The bag will inflate instantaneously, placing
itself between the front occupant’s body
and the structures which could cause in-
jury. It will deflate immediately afterwards.
The front driver/passenger airbags and the
driver’s knee bag (for versions/markets,
where provided) are not a replacement
for, but rather complement the use of,
seat belts, which should always be worn,
as specified by law in Europe and most
non-European countries. The volume of the front airbags at maxi-
mum inflation fills most of the space 
between the steering wheel and the dri-
ver and between the dashboard and the
passenger.
In the event of an impact, someone not
wearing a seat belt will move forward and
come into contact with the bag which is
still in the opening stage. The protection
offered by the bag is reduced in such
a case.
Front airbags may not be activated in the
following situations:
❒in collisions against highly strainable ob-
jects that do not affect the front surface
of the car (e.g. bumper collision against
guard rail, piles of gravel etc.);
❒jamming of the car underneath other
vehicles or protective barriers (e.g. un-
derneath a truck or a guard rail); in this
case, the bags would offer no addition-
al protection with respect to the seat
belt and their deployment is unneces-
sary. In these cases, non-deployment of
the airbag does not necessarily indicate
a system malfunction. 
Do not apply stickers or oth-
er objects on the steering
wheel, passenger side airbag cover or
upper side upholstery. Do not place
objects (e.g. mobile phones) on the
passenger side dashboard because
these could interfere with the correct
opening of the airbag and cause se-
vere injury to occupants.
WARNING
The airbags are not deployed in the event
of minor collisions (for which the with-
holding action of the seat belts is suffi-
cient). For this reason, the seat belt must
be worn at all times. In the case of side-
on collisions, the seat belts hold occupants
in the correct position and prevent them
from being thrown out of the car by a very
violent collision.
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STARTING 
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IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE 
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS 
AND DEVICES
SAFETY
WARNING: Do not put child seats facing backwards on
the front seat if the passen-
ger’s airbag is enabled
(ON). Deployment of the
airbag in an accident could
cause fatal injuries to the baby.
Should it be absolutely necessary to
place a child seat on the front seat,
always deactivate the passenger
airbag. Also, the passenger seat
should be as far back as possible to
avoid contact between the child seat
and the dashboard. Although this is
not mandatory by law, the airbag
should be immediately reactivated
when children are no longer carried
to ensure better protection for adults.
WARNING
FRONT AIRBAG ON
PASSENGER’S SIDE fig. 16
This consists of an instant-inflating bag
contained in a special compartment in the
dashboard: this bag has a larger volume
than that of the driver’s. 
fig. 15F0M0627mfig. 16F0M0053m
FRONT AIRBAG ON DRIVER’S
SIDE fig. 15
This consists of an instant-inflating bag
contained in a special compartment in the
centre of the steering wheel.
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108
STARTING 
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WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE 
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS 
AND DEVICES
SAFETY
Do not wash the seats with
water or steam under pres-
sure (by hand or in automatic wash-
ing stations for seats). 
WARNING
Front airbag deployment
takes place at a higher level
of impact than the pretensioners. For
collisions in the range between the
two thresholds, it is normal for only
the pretensioners to be activated.
WARNING
Do not hang rigid objects on
the coat hooks and the sup-
port handles.
WARNING
Airbags do not replace seat
belts, but increase their effi-
ciency. Furthermore, since front
airbags are not deployed in low
speed collisions, side-on collisions,
rear-end shunts or roll-overs, the pas-
sengers are protected only by the
seat belts which must therefore be
fastened at all times.
WARNING
When the ignition key is
turned to MAR, the warning
light (with passenger’s front airbag
activated) turns on and flashes for
a few seconds to remind you that the
passenger’s air bag will be deployed
in a crash, after which it should go off.
WARNING
Always drive with your hands
on the steering wheel rim so
that the airbag can inflate freely if
needed. Do not drive with your body
bent forward. Keep your back straight
against the backrest.
WARNING
If the vehicle has been sub-
ject to theft or a theft at-
tempt, or if it has been affected by
vandalism or flooding, have the airbag
system checked at a Fiat Dealership.
WARNING
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110
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE 
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS 
AND DEVICES
STARTING 
AND DRIVING
STARTING THE ENGINE
The car is fitted with an electronic engine
lock device: if the engine fails to start, see
the paragraph on “The Fiat CODE sys-
tem” in the “Dashboard and controls”
section.
The engine may be noisier during the first
few seconds of operation, particularly af-
ter a long period of inactivity. This is a fea-
ture of hydraulic tappets, the timing sys-
tem chosen to reduce the number of
servicing interventions, and effects neither
functionality nor reliability.
We recommend that during
the initial period you do not
drive to full car performance
(e.g. excessive acceleration,
long journeys at top speed, sharp brak-
ing etc.).
When the engine is switched
off, never leave the key in
the ignition switch to prevent
draining the battery.
It is dangerous to have the
engine running indoors. The
engine consumes oxygen and pro-
duces carbon dioxide, carbon monox-
ide and other toxic gases. 
WARNING
Remember that the brake
booster and power steering
are not operational until the engine
has been started, therefore you need
to apply much more force than usu-
al to the brake pedal and steering
wheel.
WARNING
STARTING PROCEDURE 
FOR PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ensure that the handbrake is on;
❒put the gear lever into neutral;
❒press the clutch pedal all the way down
without touching the accelerator;
❒turn the ignition key to  AVVand re-
lease it the moment the engine starts.
If the engine does not start at the first at-
tempt, return the ignition key to  STOP
before repeating the starting procedure.
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112
SAFETY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE 
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS 
AND DEVICES
STARTING 
AND DRIVING
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition to STOP while the 
engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a long drive, you
should allow the engine to “catch its
breath” before turning it off by letting it
idle to allow the temperature in the en-
gine compartment to fall. 
A quick burst on the acceler-
ator before turning off the en-
gine serves absolutely no
practical purpose; it wastes
fuel and is especially damaging to tur-
bocharged engines.WARMING UP THE ENGINE
AFTER IT HAS JUST STARTED
(petrol and diesel versions)
Proceed as follows:
❒drive off slowly at medium revs, and ac-
celerate smoothly;
❒do not demand maximum performance
for the first few kilometres. Wait until
the engine coolant gauge starts moving.
Remember that the brake
booster and power steering
are not operational until the
engine has been started, so
you need to apply much more force
than usual to the brake pedal and
steering wheel.
Never jump start the engine
by pushing, towing or driving
downhill. This could cause fu-
el to flow into the catalytic
converter and damage it beyond repair.
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SAFETY
STARTING 
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IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE 
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS 
AND DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
GENERAL WARNINGS ..................................................... 122
LOW BRAKE FLUID LEVEL  .............................................. 122
HANDBRAKE ON  .............................................................. 122
AIRBAG FAULT  ................................................................... 123
OVERHEATED ENGINE COOLANT ............................ 123
LOW BATTERY CHARGE  ................................................ 124
LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE - 
EXHAUSTED ENGINE OIL  ............................................... 124
“DUALDRIVE” ELECTRIC POWER 
STEERING FAU LT ............................................................... 125
DOOR OPEN  .......................................................................\
 125
LOW ENGINE OIL LEVEL  ................................................ 125
EBD FAULT  .......................................................................\
.... 125
INJECTION SYSTEM FAULT 
(Multijet vers ions) ................................................................. 126
ENGINE CONTROL SYSTEM FAULT (EOBD) 
(petrol vers ions) ................................................................... 126
FRONT PASSENGER AIR BAG DEACTIVATED .......... 127
ABS FAULT  .......................................................................\
.... 127
FUEL RESERVE ...................................................................... 127
SEAT BELT NOT  FASTENED ........................................... 127
GLOW PLUG H EATING ................................................... 128
GLOW PLUG HEATIN G FAULT .................................... 128 WATER IN DIES
EL FILTER ............................................... 128
FIAT CODE CAR PROTECTION SYSTEM FAULT  .... 129
EXTERIOR LIG HTS FAULT .............................................. 129
REAR FOG  LAMPS .............................................................. 129
GENERIC WA RNING ........................................................ 129
DPF CLEANING IN PROGRESS
(Multijet versions)  ................................................................. 130
ESP SYSTEM FAU LT ............................................................ 130
WORN BRAKE PADS  ........................................................ 130
HILL HOLDER  FAULT ....................................................... 130
SIDELIGHTS AND DIPPED BEAM HEADLIG HTS ...... 131
FOLLOW ME HO ME .......................................................... 131
FOG LIGHTS  ........................................................................\
 131
LEFT-HAND DIRECTION INDICAT OR ....................... 131
RIGHT-HAND DIRECT ION INDICATOR ................... 131
“DUALDRIVE” ELECTRIC POWER STEERING ON  ... 131
MAIN BEAM  HEADLIGHTS  .............................................. 131
POSSIBLE ICE ON ROAD  ................................................. 132
LIMITED RAN
 GE ................................................................. 132
ASR SYSTEM ......................................................................\
... 132
SPEED LIMIT  EXCEEDED .................................................. 132
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125
SAFETY
STARTING 
AND DRIVING
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SERVICE 
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS 
AND DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
DOOR OPEN (red)
On certain versions, the warn-
ing light turns on when one or
more doors or the boot are not proper-
ly closed.
A specific message is displayed on certain
versions.
You will hear a warning sound if a door
is open and the car is moving.
´
“DUALDRIVE”
ELECTRIC POWER
STEERING FAILURE (red)
This warning light comes on
when the ignition key is turned to  MAR,
but it should go off after a few seconds.
If the warning light stays on, you will not
get the benefit from the electric power
steering and the effort needed to turn the
wheel will be greatly increased, although
it will still be possible to steer the car.
Contact a Fiat Dealership.
A specific message is displayed on certain
versions.
g
EBD FAULT
(red) 
(amber)
Warning lights 
xand >lit at the same
time with the engine running indicates an
EBD system failure or that the system is
not available. This may cause premature
locking of the rear wheels in the event of
violent braking, causing the car to swerve.
Drive very carefully to a Fiat Dealership to
have the system inspected immediately.
A specific message is displayed on certain
versions.
x>
LOW ENGINE OIL
LEVEL (red) 
(for versions/markets, where
provided)
When turning the ignition key to MAR,
the warning light turns on but it should go
off after a few seconds.
This warning light where provided comes
on when the engine oil level falls below the
minimum recommended value. Restore
the correct engine oil level (see “Check-
ing fluid levels” in the “Servicing and care”
section).
A specific message is displayed on certain
versions.
kExhausted engine oil should
be replaced as soon as pos-
sible after the warning light comes on,
never more than 500 km after the
warning light first comes on. Failure
to change the oil within the first 500
km may result in severe damage to
the engine and will result in forfeiture
of the warranty. Remember  that
when the warning light flashes, it does
not mean that the level of engine oil
is low, so if the light flashes you must
not top up.
WARNING
For versions/markets, where
provided:
the 
vwarning light turns on and flash-
es along with the message on the display
(if applied) when the system detects that
the engine oil is exhausted. The flashing of
the warning light should not be considered
as a fault, rather simply informs the driver
that oil needs to be changed after a stan-
dard period of car utilisation. If the oil is
not changed, when reaching a second de-
terioration threshold, also the warning
light 
Uswitches on in the instrument
panel and the engine operation is limited
at 3000 rpm. 
If the oil is still not changed, when reaching
a third deterioration threshold, the engine
is limited at 1500 rpm to avoid damage.
WARNING! To avoid dam-
aging the engine it is recom-
mended to change the en-
gine oil when the warning light 
v
flashes. Contact a Fiat Dealership.
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