wheel FIAT SEICENTO 2007 1.G Owner's Manual

74DRIVING YOUR CAR
WHEN TRAVELLING
– The first rule of safe driving is pru-
dence.
– Prudence also means putting your-
self into a position where you can pre-
dict wrong or imprudent behaviour
from other drivers.
– Stick closely to the rules of the
road in the particular country where
the vehicle is being driven and, above
all, do not exceed speed limits.
– Ensure that, besides yourself, all
the other passengers in the car have
their seat belts fastened, that children
are sitting in the appropriate child
seats and any animals in the car are
placed in suitable compartments.
– You should be physically fit and
mentally alert before setting out on
long journeys. Always fasten both front
and back seat belts and
those of any child seats.
Travelling with the seat belts un-
fastened increases the risk of in-
jury or death if you are in a colli-
sion.
Driving while drunk or
under the influence of
drugs or certain medi-
cines is dangerous for both you
and other road users.
Water, ice or salt on
road surfaces can deposit
on brake disks, reducing
braking efficiency on 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 effi-
ciency under conditions of violent
or repeated braking or long
downhill travel.
Do not drive with ob-
jects on the floor in front
of the driver’s seat: they
could get caught under the ped-
als making braking or accelerat-
ing impossible. Pay attention to the
mats: even a minor prob-
lem to the braking sys-
tem may require increases brake
pedal stroke with respect to nor-
mal.
– Do not drive too many hours at a
time but stop at intervals to stretch
your legs and recover your energies.
– Constantly change the air in the
passenger compartment.
– Never coast downhill (i.e. with the
engine off): if you do, you lose the aid
of the engine brake, brakes booster
and power steering, so that braking
and steering require greater effort.

75DRIVING YOUR CAR
DRIVING AT NIGHT
If you are driving at night these are
the main rules to follow.
– Drive especially carefully: it is
harder to drive at night.
– Slow down especially if the road is
not lit.
– At the first signs of sleepiness,
stop: continuing would be a risk for
yourself and everybody else. Only
start driving again when you have had
enough rest.
– Keep a greater safety distance
from the cars in front of you than dur-
ing daylight hours: it is hard to judge
how fast other cars are going when all
you can see are their lights.
– Make sure the headlight beams are
properly positioned: if they are too
low, they reduce visibility and strain
your eyes. If they are too high they
can dazzle other drivers.
– Only use main beam headlights
when you are driving outside town
and when you are sure they do not
annoy other drivers. – Dip main-beam headlights (if on) as
soon as you see cars coming in the
other direction and pass them with
the headlights dipped.
– Keep all lights clean.
– Be careful of animals crossing the
road when driving in the country.
DRIVING IN THE RAIN
Rain and wet road surfaces spell dan-
ger.
All manoeuvres are more difficult on
a wet road because the grip of the
wheels on the tarmac is greatly re-
duced. This is why braking distances
are much longer and road-holding is
lower.
Here is some advice for driving in
the rain:
– Reduce speed and maintain a
greater safety distance from the cars
in front.
– If it is raining particularly heavily,
visibility is also reduced. In these
cases, switch on the dipped headlightseven if it is still daylight so you can be
seen more easily.
– Do not drive through puddles at
speed and hold on tightly to the wheel
if you do: a puddle taken at high speed
might cause you to lose control of the
car (“aquaplaning”).
– Move the ventilation controls to
the position for demisting the win-
dows (see
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR
CAR
), to avoid visibility problems.
– Periodically check the condition of
the windscreen wiper blades.
DRIVING IN FOG
– If the fog is thick, do not start out
on a journey unless you absolutely
have to.
If driving in mist, blanket fog or when
there is the danger of fog patches:
– keep your speed down;
– turn on the dipped headlights, rear
fog lights and front fog lights, if fitted,
even during the day. Do not drive
with your headlights at full-beam.

76DRIVING YOUR CAR
IMPORTANT On stretches of
road with good visibility, switch off
your rear fog lights; the brightness of
these lights could annoy the people
travelling in the cars behind
– Remember that fog also means the
tarmac is wet and therefore manoeu-
vres of all kinds are more difficult and
stopping distances are longer.
– Keep a good distance from the
cars in front of you.
– As far as possible, avoid spurts of
speed or sudden deceleration.
– Do not overtake other vehicles if
you can help it.
– If you are forced to stop your car
(breakdown, limited visibility etc.) try
to stop off the road. Turn on the haz-
ard lights and, if possible, the dipped-
beam headlights. Rhythmically sound
the horn if you realise another car is
coming.DRIVING IN
THE MOUNTAINS
– When driving downhill use the en-
gine braking effect by engaging a low
gear so as not to overheat the brakes.
– Under no circumstances should
you drive downhill with the engine off
or with the car in neutral, let alone
with the ignition key out.
– Drive at a moderate speed with-
out cutting corners.
– Remember that overtaking while
going uphill is slower and therefore
requires more free road. If you are
being overtaken while driving uphill,
make it easier for the other vehicle to
pass. DRIVING ON SNOW
AND ICE
Here are some tips for driving in
these conditions:
– keep your speed down;
– use chains if the roads are covered
in snow: see paragraph
SNOW TYRESin
this chapter;
– mainly use the braking effect of the
engine and under all circumstances
avoid braking sharply;
– when braking in a car not fitted
with ABS, reduce the possibility of the
wheels locking by varying the pressure
you exert on the brake pedal;
– do not accelerate suddenly and
avoid swerving;
– in the winter, even apparently dry
roads may have icy patches. Be care-
ful therefore when driving over
stretches that do not get much expo-
sure to the sun or are lined with trees
or rock where ice might not have
melted;
– keep a good distance from the ve-
hicles in front;

77DRIVING YOUR CAR
– do not remain stationary in deep
snow with the engine running: the
snow could deviate the exhaust gas
into the passenger compartment.
DRIVING WITH ABS
ABS is a braking system that essen-
tially offers two advantages:
1)it prevents wheel lock-up and
consequent skidding in emergency
stops, particularly when the road does
not offer much grip;
2)it makes it possible to brake and
steer at the same time so you can
avoid unexpected obstacles and direct
the car where you want while braking.
The extent to which this can be done
will depend on the physical limits of
the tyre’s sideways grip.To get the most out of ABS:
– during emergency conditions or
when grip conditions are poor, you
will feel a slight pulsation on the brake
pedal. This is the sign that the ABS is
working. Do not release the brake
pedal but continue to press so as not
to interrupt the braking action;
– ABS prevents the wheels from
locking, but it does not increase actual
grip conditions between tyre and
road. Therefore, even if your car is fit-
ted with ABS, respect the safety dis-
tance from the car in front of you and
keep your speed down when driving
into bends;
– ABS serves to increase the con-
trollability of the car, not to enable
you to go faster.CONTAINING
RUNNING COSTS
AND POLLUTION
Some suggestions which may help
you to keep the running costs of the
vehicle down and lower the amount
of toxic emissions released into the
atmosphere are given below.
GENERAL
CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
The overall state of the car is an im-
portant factor which has a marked in-
fluence over fuel consumption and
driving comfort and on the life span of
your car. For this reason care should
be taken to maintain your car by car-
rying out the necessary checks and
regulations in accordance with the
specifications given in the
SERVICE
SCHEDULE
(see sections: SPARK PLUGS,
IDLING, AIR CLEANERS, TIMING).

78DRIVING YOUR CAR
Tyres
Tyre pressure should be checked at
least once every four weeks: if the
pressure is too low fuel consumption
increases as the resistance to the
rolling movement of the tyre is
greater. In this state, tyre wear is in-
creased and vehicle handling suffers
which will effect safety.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much luggage
stowed in the boot. The weight of the
vehicle and its trim greatly effects con-
sumption and stability.
Roof rack/ski rack
Remove roof racks and ski racks
from the roof of the car as soon as
they are no longer needed. These ac-
cessories reduce the aerodynamic
penetration of the vehicle and will in-
crease consumption. When having to
transport particularly large loads it is
better to use a trailer.Electric devices
Use electric devices for the neces-
sary time only. The heated rear win-
dow, fog lights, windscreen wipers,
heating system blower require large
amounts of electricity, and as a con-
sequence, the fuel consumption in-
creases (up to +25% in town).
Climate control system
The climate control system is a fur-
ther drag on the engine causing higher
fuel consumption (on average, up to
20%). When outside temperatures
permit, use the vents.
Aerodynamic accessories
The use of aerodynamic accessories
not certified for that specific purpose
can diminish the car’s aerodynamic
penetration and increase consump-
tion.BEHIND THE WHEEL
Starting-up
Do not warm up the engine when
the car is stationary, neither by idling
nor revving up. If you do, the engine
will warm up much more slowly and
increase fuel consumption and emis-
sions. It is therefore better to start
slowly and to keep the engine speed
down.
Unnecessary manoeuvres
Do not give quick bursts on the ac-
celerator when waiting at the traffic
lights or before turning off the engine.
This type of action, like the “double
clutch” are absolutely useless on mod-
ern cars. They only increase fuel con-
sumption and pollution.
Gear selection
As soon as traffic conditions allow,
shift up to a higher gear. Using a low
gear to have a sharp acceleration in-
creases the consumption. Likewise,
using a high gear when this is not
called for increases consumption,
emissions and wear on the engine.

82DRIVING YOUR CAR
For electrical connection, a 7 or 13
pole 12VDC coupling must be used
(CUNA/UNI and ISO/DIN standards).
Follow the instructions provided by
the manufacturer of the car and/or
the tow hitch.The electrical brake (where relevant)
or other devices (electrical winch,
etc.) must be powered directly from
the battery by means of a lead with a
cross-section area no smaller than
2.5 mm
2. In addition to the electrical
connections, only the power wire foran additional electrical brake and for
internal trailer lighting with a power
not exceeding 15W can be connected
to the car’s electrical system.
The coupling electrical connections
are shown in fig. 4.
ASSEMBLY DIAGRAM fig. 3
The trailer tow hitch is to be fixed in
the points indicated Øusing 8 M8
screws and 4 M10 screws.
All anchorage points (1) are to have
∅20 x 4.5 spacers.
The internal counterplates (2) are to
be at least 4 mm thick.
The internal counterplates (3) are to
be at least 5 mm thick.
43,543,5
15
≥65
3108
152
587
110
10 157
43,543,5
1
1
87
33
287
33
2
900
fig. 3
P4Q00220
Rear wheel axle
Load 385 ±35
Reference hole
∅25 existing
Standard tow ball

84DRIVING YOUR CAR
WINTER TYRES
These are tyres which have been
specifically designed for use on snow
and ice and should be fitted in place of
the existing tyres.
Use winter tyres of the same size as
the tyres provided with the car.
Fiat Dealerships will be glad to of-
fer advice on the right type of tyres
according to your needs.
For information on the tyres to be
fitted, inflation pressure and winter
tyre specifications, follow the pre-
scriptions given in
WHEELS, TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
.The performance of winter tyres is
greatly reduced when the depth of the
tread is less than 4 mm. In this situa-
tion it would be safer to have them
replaced.
The specific characteristics of the
winter tyres mean that under normal
driving conditions or when driving
long distances on motorways, their
performance is greatly reduced in
comparison to those normally fitted
to the car.
The use of these tyres should there-
fore be limited to the conditions for
which they were designed.
IMPORTANTWhen using winter
tyres with a maximum speed rating
lower than the speed which can be
reached by the car (plus 5%), place a
suitable notice is the passenger com-
partment to inform the driver of the
top speed which the winter tyre can
run at (as per EC Directive).All four tyres should be the same
(brand and track) to ensure greater
safety when driving, braking and cor-
nering.
Remember not to invert the tyre di-
rection of rotation.
The maximum speed
for winter tyres with “Q”
marking is 160 km/h. Re-
spect the highway code speed
limits.

85DRIVING YOUR CAR
SNOW CHAINS
The use of snow chains is regulated
by the legislation in force in the coun-
try the car is driven in.
The chains may only be applied to
the drive wheel tyres (front wheels).
Use only low profile chains (maxi-
mum height off the tyre: 12 mm).
We recommend using Lineaccessori
Fiat snow chains.
Check the tautness of the chains af-
ter driving some ten metres.Keep you speed down
when snow chains have
been fitted to the wheels.
Avoid potholes, steps and pave-
ments, and do not drive for long
stretches on snow-free roads,
otherwise you risk damaging the
tyres, suspension and steering.
IMPORTANTDo not fit snow
chains on a space-saver spare wheel.
If a front wheel (drive wheel) is punc-
tured and you require snow chains to
proceed, take a standard wheel from
the rear axle and fit the space-saver
spare wheel in its place. Having fitted
two standard wheels on the front
drive axle, you can use snow chains,
thus solving the emergency situation.

89IN AN EMERGENCY
BUMP STARTING IF A TYRE IS
PUNCTURED
General instructions
Observe the instructions on this and
the following pages to use the jack and
space-saver spare wheel correctly. The space-saver spare
wheel is vehicle-specific.
Never use the wheel on
other models. Never fit other
model spare wheels on your car.
If you change the type of wheels
(alloy rims instead of steel rims)
you will have to change the en-
tire set of fastening bolts with an-
other set of suitably sized bolts.
Only use the spare-saver wheel
for emergencies. Do not exceed
80 km/h with the spare wheel fit-
ted. When driving with a space-
saver spare wheel fitted, the dri-
ving performance of your car
may change. Avoid accelerating
or braking suddenly, steering
abruptly or fast cornering.
A space-saver spare wheel has a
maximum life of 3,000 km after
which is must be replaced with a
wheel of the same type. Do not bump start by
pushing, towing or coast-
ing downhill. This way of
starting could cause a rush of fuel
into the catalytic exhaust pipe
and damage it beyond repair.
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 press
the brake pedal or turn the
steering wheel.
Alert other drivers that
the car is stationary in
compliance with local
regulations: hazard warning
lights, warning triangle etc.
Any passengers on board should
leave the car, especially if it is
heavily laden. Passengers should
stay away from oncoming traffic
while the wheel is being changed.
If the wheel is being changed on
a steep or badly surfaced road,
place wedges or other suitable
material under the wheels to
stop the car.

90IN AN EMERGENCY
TAKE OUT THE TOOLS,
JACK AND SPARE WHEEL
These are in the boot.
– Lift the carpeting fig. 2.
– Take the tool bag and place it near
the wheel to be changed.
– Take the tools out and lift strap A-
fig. 3to remove the jack. Take the
spare wheel by removing the nut
screw securing it.
fig. 2
P4Q00091
Do not fit snow chains
on a space-saver spare
wheel. If a front wheel
(drive wheel) is punctured and
you require snow chains to pro-
ceed, take a standard wheel from
the rear axle and fit the space-
saver spare wheel in its place.
Having fitted two standard
wheels on the front drive axle,
you can use snow chains, thus
solving the emergency situation. The jack should only be
used to change a wheel
on the car for which it
was designed. It should not be
put to other uses or employed to
raise other models of cars. Under
no circumstances should it be
used when carrying out repairs
under the car.
An incorrectly positioned jack
may cause the car to fall.
Do not use the jack for loads
over the value indicated on the
plate.
Fasten the wheel cap correctly
to prevent the wheel from com-
ing free in motion.
Never tamper with the inflation
valve.
Never place tools between the
rim and tyre.
Check the tyre and space-saver
spare wheel pressure regularly.
The tyre inflation pressure is
shown in the
TECHNICAL SPECIFI-
CATIONSchapter. Never fit a traditional
tyre on a space-saver
spare wheel rim. Have
the replace wheel repair and re-
fitted as soon as possible.
Never use two or more spare
wheels at the same time.
Do not lubricate the bolt
threads before fitting them back:
they could come loose.