FIAT SPIDER ABARTH 2017 Owners Manual

In the following cases, it may be difficult
to view the illumination/flashing of the
BSM warning lights equipped on the
door mirrors:
Snow or ice adheres to the door
mirrors.
The door glass is fogged or covered
in snow, frost or dirt.
Turn off the RCTA system while pulling
a trailer or while an accessory such as a
bicycle carrier is installed to the rear of
the vehicle.
Otherwise, the sound system waves
emitted by the radar will be blocked
causing the system to not operate
normally. TPMS (Tire Pressure
Monitoring System)
Tire Pressure Monitoring System —
Abarth
The TPMS system monitors the
pressure for each tire.
If tire pressure is too low in one or more
tires, the system will inform the driver
via the
warning light in the
instrument cluster and by the warning
beep sound.
The tire pressure sensors installed on
each wheel send tire pressure data by
radio signal to the receiver unit in the
vehicle.
TPMS does not alleviate your need to
check the pressure and condition of all
four tires regularly.
Each tire, including the spare (if
equipped), should be checked monthly
when cold and inflated to the inflation
pressure recommended by the vehicle
manufacturer on the vehicle placard or
tire inflation pressure label. (If your
vehicle has tires of a different size than
the size indicated on the vehicle placard
or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire
inflation pressure for those tires.)05281200-03A-004
Another Vehicle Approaching
Directly To The Rear Of Your
Vehicle 05281200-03A-005
Your Vehicle Parked On An Incline
119

As an added safety feature, your vehicle
has been equipped with a tire pressure
monitoring system (TPMS) that
illuminates a low tire pressure telltale
when one or more of your tires is
significantly under-inflated. Accordingly,
when the low tire pressure telltale
illuminates, you should stop and check
your tires as soon as possible, and
inflate them to the proper pressure.
Driving on a significantly under-inflated
tire causes the tire to overheat and can
lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also
reduces fuel efficiency and tire tread life,
and may affect the vehicle's handling
and stopping ability. Please note that
the TPMS is not a substitute for proper
tire maintenance, and it is the driver's
responsibility to maintain correct tire
pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination
of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
Your vehicle has also been equipped
with a TPMS malfunction indicator to
indicate when the system is not
operating properly. When the system
detects a malfunction, the telltale will
flash for approximately one minute and
then remain continuously illuminated.
This sequence will continue upon
subsequent vehicle start-ups as long as
the malfunction exists. When the
malfunction indicator is illuminated, the
system may not be able to detect or
signal low tire pressure as intended.
TPMS malfunctions may occur for a
variety of reasons, including the installation of replacement or alternate
tires or wheels on the vehicle that
prevent the TPMS from functioning
properly. Always check the TPMS
malfunction telltale after replacing one
or more tires or wheels on your vehicle
to ensure that the replacement or
alternate tires and wheels allow the
TPMS to continue to function properly.
System Error Activation
When the
warning light flashes,
there may be a system malfunction.
Contact your authorized dealer.
A system error activation may occur in
the following cases:
When there is equipment or a device
near the vehicle using the same radio
frequency as that of the tire pressure
sensors.
When a metallic device such as a
non-genuine navigation system is
equipped near the center of the
dashboard, which may block radio
signals from the tire pressure sensor to
the receiver unit.
When using the following devices in
the vehicle that may cause radio
interference with the receiver unit.
A digital device such as a personal
computer.
A current converter device such as a
DC-AC converter. When excess snow or ice adheres to
the vehicle, especially around the
wheels.
When the tire pressure sensor
batteries are discharged.
When using a wheel with no tire
pressure sensor installed.
When using tires with steel wire
reinforcement in the side walls.
When using tire chains.
Tires And Wheels
Note: When inspecting or adjusting the
tire air pressures, do not apply
excessive force to the stem portion of
the wheel unit. The stem portion could
be damaged.
Changing Tires And Wheels
The following procedure allows the
TPMS to recognize a tire pressure
sensor's unique ID signal code
whenever tires or wheels are changed,
such as changing to and from winter
tires.
Note:
Each tire pressure sensor has a
unique ID signal code. The signal code
must be registered with the TPMS
before it can work. The easiest way to
do it is to have your authorized dealer
change your tire and complete ID
signal code registration.
120
SAFETY

When your authorized dealer
changes your vehicle's tires, they will
complete the tire pressure sensor ID
signal code registration.
If you or someone else changes tires,
you or someone else can also
undertake the steps for the TPMS to
complete the ID signal code
registration:
After tires have been changed, place
the ignition in the ON mode, then back
to ACC or OFF modes.
Wait for about 15 minutes.
After about 15 minutes, drive the
vehicle at a speed of at least 16 mph
(25 km/h) for 20 minutes and the tire
pressure sensor ID signal code will be
registered automatically.
Note: If the vehicle is driven within
about 15 minutes of changing tires, the
warning light will flash because the
sensor ID signal code would not have
been registered. If this happens, park
the vehicle for about 15 minutes, after
which the sensor ID signal code will
register upon driving the vehicle for
20 minutes.
Replacing Tires And Wheels
Note:
When replacing/repairing the tires or
wheels or both, have the work done by
your authorized dealer, or the tire
pressure sensors may be damaged. The wheels equipped on your
vehicle are specially designed for
installation of the tire pressure sensors.
Do not use non-genuine wheels,
otherwise it may not be possible to
install the tire pressure sensors.
Be sure to have the tire pressure
sensors installed whenever tires or
wheels are replaced.
When having a tire or wheel or both
replaced, the following types of tire
pressure sensor installations are
possible:
The tire pressure sensor is removed
from the old wheel and installed to the
new one.
The same tire pressure sensor is
used with the same wheel. Only the tire
is replaced.
A new tire pressure sensor is
installed to a new wheel.
Note:
The tire pressure sensor ID signal
code must be registered when a new
tire pressure sensor is purchased. For
purchase of a tire pressure sensor and
registration of the tire pressure sensor
ID signal code, consult your authorized
dealer.
When reinstalling a previously
removed tire pressure sensor to a
wheel, replace the grommet (seal
between valve body/sensor and wheel)
for the tire pressure sensor. Caution! The TPMS has been optimized for the
original equipment tires and wheels. TPMS
pressures and warning have been
established for the tire size equipped on
your vehicle. Undesirable system operation
or sensor damage may result when using
replacement equipment that is not of the
same size, type, and/or style. The TPM
sensor is not designed for use on
aftermarket wheels and may contribute to a
poor overall system performance or sensor
damage. Customers are encouraged to
use OEM wheels to assure proper TPM
feature operation.
Using aftermarket tire sealants may
cause the Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS) sensor to become inoperable. After
using an aftermarket tire sealant it is
recommended that you take your vehicle to
an authorized dealership to have your
sensor function checked.
After inspecting or adjusting the tire
pressure always reinstall the valve stem
cap. This will prevent moisture and dirt
from entering the valve stem, which could
damage the TPMS sensor.
121

The following regulatory statement
applies to all radio frequency (RF)
devices equipped in this vehicle:
This device complies with Part 15 of the
FCC Rules and with Industry Canada
license-exempt RSS standard(s).
Operation is subject to the following
two conditions:
(1) This device may not cause harmful
interference, and
(2) This device must accept any
interference received, including
interference that may cause undesired
operation.
Note: Changes or modifications not
expressly approved by the party
responsible for compliance could void
the user’s authority to operate the
equipment. OCCUPANT
RESTRAINT
SYSTEMS The most important safety equipment
of the vehicle comprise the following
protection systems:
Seat Belts
SBA (Seat Belt Alert) System
Head Restraints
Child Restraint Systems
Front Air Bags And Side Air Bags
Read the information given in the
following pages with the utmost care.
It is of fundamental importance that the
protection systems are used in the
correct way to guarantee the maximum
possible safety level for the driver and
the passengers. SEAT BELT
SYSTEMS Buckle up even though you are an
excellent driver, even on short trips.
Someone on the road may be a poor
driver and could cause a collision that
includes you. This can happen far away
from home or on your own street.
Research has shown that seat belts
save lives, and they can reduce the
seriousness of injuries in a collision.
Some of the worst injuries happen
when people are thrown from the
vehicle. Seat belts reduce the possibility
of ejection and the risk of injury caused
by striking the inside of the vehicle.
Everyone in a motor vehicle should be
belted at all times.
122
SAFETY

Seat Belt Precautions
Seat belts help to decrease the
possibility of severe injury during
accidents and sudden stops. FCA
recommends that the driver and
passengers always wear seat belts.
Mexico
All the seats have lap/shoulder belts.
These belts have retractors with inertia
locks that keep them out of the way
when not in use.
The locks allow the belts to remain
comfortable on users, but they will lock
in position during a collision.
Except Mexico
All of the seat belt retractors are
designed to keep the lap/shoulder belts
out of the way when not in use.
The driver's seat belt has no provisions
for child-restraint systems and has only
an emergency locking mode.
The driver may wear it comfortably, and
it will lock during a collision.
However, the passenger's seat
lap/shoulder belt retractor operates in
two modes: emergency locking mode,
and for child-restraint systems,
automatic locking mode. If you must
use the passenger seat for a child, slide
the passenger seat as far back as
possible and make sure any child
restraint system is secured properly.
Belt retraction may become difficult if
the belts and seat belt guides are
soiled, so try to keep them clean. Refer to “Lap/Shoulder Belt” in ”Interiors,”
found in Servicing And Maintenance”
for further information.
Warning!Relying on the air bags alone could lead
to more severe injuries in a collision. The air
bags work with your seat belt to restrain
you properly. In some collisions, the air
bags won’t deploy at all. Always wear your
seat belt even though you have air bags.
In a collision, you and your passengers
can suffer much greater injuries if you are
not properly buckled up. You can strike the
interior of your vehicle or other passengers,
or you can be thrown out of the vehicle.
Always be sure you and others in your
vehicle are buckled up properly.
It is dangerous to ride in a cargo area,
inside or outside of a vehicle. In a collision,
people riding in these areas are more likely
to be seriously injured or killed. Do not allow people to ride in any area
of your vehicle that is not equipped with
seats and seat belts.
Be sure everyone in your vehicle is in a
seat and using a seat belt properly.
Occupants, including the driver, should
always wear their seat belts whether or not
an air bag is also provided at their seating
position to minimize the risk of severe injury
or death in the event of a crash.
Wearing your seat belt incorrectly could
make your injuries in a collision much
worse. You might suffer internal injuries, or
you could even slide out of the seat belt.
Follow these instructions to wear your seat
belt safely and to keep your passengers
safe, too.
Two people should never be belted into
a single seat belt. People belted together
can crash into one another in a collision,
hurting one another badly. Never use a
lap/shoulder belt or a lap belt for more than
one person, no matter what their size.
A lap belt worn too high can increase
the risk of injury in a collision. The seat belt
forces won’t be at the strong hip and pelvic
bones, but across your abdomen. Always
wear the lap part of your seat belt as low
as possible and keep it snug.
A twisted seat belt may not protect you
properly. In a collision, it could even cut into
you. Be sure the seat belt is flat against
your body, without twists. If you can’t
straighten a seat belt in your vehicle, take it
to your authorized dealer immediately and
have it fixed. 03020100-12A-001
Seat Belt Routing Guide
123

A seat belt that is buckled into the
wrong buckle will not protect you properly.
The lap portion could ride too high on your
body, possibly causing internal injuries.
Always buckle your seat belt into the
buckle nearest you.
A seat belt that is too loose will not
protect you properly. In a sudden stop, you
could move too far forward, increasing the
possibility of injury. Wear your seat belt
snugly.
A seat belt that is worn under your arm
is dangerous. Your body could strike the
inside surfaces of the vehicle in a collision,
increasing head and neck injury. A seat belt
worn under the arm can cause internal
injuries. Ribs aren’t as strong as shoulder
bones. Wear the seat belt over your
shoulder so that your strongest bones will
take the force in a collision.
A shoulder belt placed behind you will
not protect you from injury during a
collision. You are more likely to hit your
head in a collision if you do not wear your
shoulder belt. The lap and shoulder belt are
meant to be used together.
A frayed or torn seat belt could rip apart
in a collision and leave you with no
protection. Inspect the seat belt system
periodically, checking for cuts, frays, or
loose parts. Damaged parts must be
replaced immediately. Do not disassemble
or modify the seat belt system. Seat belt
assemblies must be replaced after a
collision. Seat Belts And Pregnant
Women
Pregnant Women And Persons With
Serious Medical Conditions
Pregnant women should always wear
seat belts. Ask your doctor for specific
recommendations.
The lap belt should be worn SNUGLY
AND AS LOW AS POSSIBLE OVER
THE HIPS. The shoulder belt should be
worn across your shoulder properly, but
never across the stomach area.
Persons with serious medical
conditions also should wear seat belts.
Check with your doctor for any special
instructions regarding specific medical
conditions. Emergency Locking
Mode
When the seat belt is fastened, it will
always be in the emergency locking
mode.
In the emergency locking mode, the
belt remains comfortable on the
occupant and the retractor will lock in
position during a collision.
If the belt is locked and cannot be
pulled out, retract the belt once, and
then try pulling it out slowly. If this fails,
pull the belt strongly one time and
loosen, then pull it out again slowly.
Seat Belt With Automatic Locking
Mode
When the seat belt is fastened, it will
always be in the emergency locking
mode until it is switched to automatic
locking mode by pulling it all the way
out to its full length.
If the belt feels tight and hinders
comfortable movement while the
vehicle is stopped or in motion, it may
be in the automatic locking mode
because the belt has been pulled too
far out.
To return the belt to the more
comfortable emergency locking mode,
wait until the vehicle has stopped in a
safe, level area, retract the belt fully to
convert it back to emergency locking
mode and then extend it around you
again. 06050100-CHD-003
Seat Belts And Pregnant Women
124
SAFETY

Automatic Locking Mode
Always use the automatic locking mode
to keep the child-restraint system from
shifting to an unsafe position in the
event of an accident.
To enable seat belt automatic locking
mode, pull it all the way out and
connect it as instructed on the child
restraint system. It will retract down to
the child restraint system and stay
locked on it.
Warning!The seat belt assembly must be
replaced if the switchable Automatic
Locking Retractor (ALR) feature or any
other seat belt function is not working
properly when checked according to the
procedures in the Service Manual.
Failure to replace the seat belt assembly
could increase the risk of injury in collisions.
Do not use the Automatic Locking Mode
to restrain occupants who are wearing the
seat belt or children who are using booster
seats. The locked mode is only used to
install rear-facing or forward-facing child
restraints that have a harness for
restraining the child. Lap/Shoulder Belts
Fastening The Seat Belt
Position the lap belt as low as possible,
not on the abdominal area 2, then
adjust the shoulder belt 3 so that it fits
snugly against your body. 1
2 03020201121001
Fastening The Seat Belt
1 — Seat Belt
Tongue 2 — Seat Belt
Buckle 1 3
2 03020201122002
Adjusting The Seat Belt
1 — Position Lap Belt Across Lap Area
2 — Lap Belt Routing
3 — Shoulder Belt Routing
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Unfastening The Seat Belt
Depress the button on the seat belt
buckle. If the belt does not fully retract,
pull it out and check for kinks or twists.
Then make sure it remains untwisted as
it retracts.
Note:
If a belt does not fully retract,
inspect it for kinks and twists. If it is still
not retracting properly, have it
inspected: contact an authorized
dealer.
Always wear the seat belt with it
correctly routed in its guide. Wearing a
seat belt without the seat belt routed in
its guide is dangerous because the
seat belt would not be able to provide
adequate protection in an accident,
which could result in serious injury. Seat Belt Warning
Systems
If it detects that the occupant seat belt
is unfastened, the warning light or beep
alerts the occupant.
Referto“WarningLightsAnd
Messages” in “Getting To Knowing Your
Instrument Panel” for further
information.
Refer to “Seat Belt Warning Light” in
“Getting To Knowing Your Instrument
Panel” for further information.
Seat Belt Extender
If your seat belt is not long enough,
even when fully extended, a seat belt
extender may be available to you at no
charge from authorized dealer.
This extender will be only for you and
for the particular vehicle and seat. Even
if it plugs into other seat belts, it may not hold in the critical moment of a
crash.
When ordering an extender, only order
one that provides the necessary
additional length to fasten the seat belt
properly. Please contact authorized
dealer for more information.
When not in use, remove the seat belt
extender and store it in the vehicle. If
the seat belt extender is left connected,
the seat belt extender might get
damaged as it will not retract with the
rest of the seat belt and can easily fall
out of the door when not in use and be
damaged.
In addition, the seat belt warning light
will not illuminate and function properly.
Warning! Do not use a seat belt extender unless it
is necessary. Using a seat belt extender
when not necessary is dangerous. The
seat belt will be too long and not fit
properly. In an accident, the seat belt will
not provide adequate protection and you
could be seriously injured. Only use the
extender when it is required to fasten the
seat belt properly.
Do not use an improper extender. Using
a seat belt extender that is for another
person or a different vehicle or seat is
dangerous. The seat belt will not provide
adequate protection and the user could be1 03020202UNF001
Latching/Unlatching The Seat Belt
1 — Seat Belt Release Button 1 0302020012A001
Seat Belt Routing Guides
1 — Shoulder Belt Routing Guides
126
SAFETY

seriously injured in an accident. Only use
the extender provided for you and for the
particular vehicle and seat.
NEVER use the extender in a different
vehicle or seat. If you sell your vehicle, do
not leave your seat belt extender in the
vehicle. It could be used accidentally by the
new owner of the vehicle. After removing
the seat belt extender, discard it. Never use
the seat belt extender in any other vehicle
you may own in the future.
Do not use an extender that is too long.
Using an extender that is too long is
dangerous. The seat belt will not fit
properly. In an accident, the seat belt will
not provide adequate protection and you
could be seriously injured. Do not use the
extender or choose one shorter in length if
the distance between the extender's
buckle and the center of the user's body is
less than 6 inches (15 cm).
Do not leave a seat belt extender
connected to the buckle. Leaving a seat
belt extender connected to the buckle
without using the seat belt is dangerous.
When the seat belt extender is connected
to the driver's seat belt buckle (or
passenger) seat, the SRS driver's (or
passenger's) air bag system will determine
that the driver (or passenger) is wearing the
seat belt even if the driver (or passenger) is
not wearing it. This condition could cause
the driver's (or passenger's) air bag to not
activate correctly and result in death or
serious injury in the event of collision.
Always wear the seat belt with the seat belt
extender.
Do not use the seat belt extender when
installing a child restraint system on the
passenger seat. Using a seat belt extender
to fasten a child restraint system on any
seat is dangerous. Always follow the child restraint system manufacturer's installation
instructions and never use a seat belt
extender.
Driver And Passenger
BeltAlert (If Equipped)
Seat Belt Warning Systems
The LED on dashboard trim turns on if
the driver or passenger's seat is
occupied and the seat belt is not
fastened with the ignition switched ON.
If the driver or passenger's seat belt is
unfastened (only when the passenger
seat is occupied) and the vehicle is
driven at a speed faster than about
12 MPH (20 km/h), the
LED flashes.
After a short time, the LED stops
flashing, but remains illuminated.
If a seat belt remains unfastened, the
LED flashes again for a given period of
time. In this case, fasten the seat belt.
Seat Belt Pretensioner
For optimum protection, the driver and
passenger seat belts are equipped with
pretensioner and load limiting systems.
For both these systems to work
properly you must wear the seat belt
properly.
The seat belt pretensioners are
designed to deploy in moderate or
severe frontal, near frontal collisions. In
addition, during a side collision, the
pretensioner operates on the side in
which the collision occurs. The pretensioners operate differently
depending on what types of air bags
are equipped. For details on the seat
belt pretensioner operation, refer to the
“SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria”
paragraph in this chapter.
When a collision is detected, the
pretensioners deploy simultaneously with
the air bags. For deployment details, refer
to the “SRS Air Bag Deployment Criteria”
paragraph in this chapter.
The seat belt retractors remove slack
quickly as the air bags are expanding. Any
time the air bags and seat belt
pretensioners have fired they must be
replaced.
With Passenger Occupant
Classification System
In addition, the pretensioner system for
the passenger, like the front and side
passenger Air Bag, is designed to only
deploy when the passenger occupant
classification sensor detects a passenger
sitting on the passenger's seat.
Note:
These devices are not a substitute
for proper seat belt placement by the
occupant. The seat belt still must be
worn snugly and positioned properly.
The pretensioners are triggered by
the Occupant Restraint Controller
(ORC). Like the air bags, the
pretensioners are single use items. A
deployed pretensioner or a deployed
air bag must be replaced immediately.
127

Load Limiter
The load limiting system releases belt
webbing in a controlled manner to
reduce belt force on the occupant's
chest.
While the most severe load on a seat
belt occurs in frontal collisions, the load
limiter has an automatic mechanical
function and can activate in any
accident mode with sufficient occupant
movement.
Even if the pretensioners have not fired,
the load limiting function must be
checked by an authorized dealer. CHILD RESTRAINT
PRECAUTIONS Child Restraints
FCA strongly urges the use of
child-restraint systems for children small
enough to use them.
FCA recommends use of a genuine
child-restraint system or one that
complies with regulation. If you would
like to purchase a FCA genuine
child-restraint system, please contact a
authorized dealer.
Check your local and state or provincial
laws for specific requirements regarding
the safety of children riding in your
vehicle.
Whatever child-restraint system you
consider, please pick the appropriate
one for the age and size of the child,
obey the law and follow the instructions
that come with the individual
child-restraint system.
A child who has outgrown
child-restraint systems should use seat
belts, both lap and shoulder. If the
shoulder belt crosses the neck or face,
move the child closer to the center of
the vehicle.
A rear-facing child-restraint system
should NEVER be used on the
passenger seat with the Air Bag system
activated. In the event of an impact the
Air Bag activation may cause fatal
injuries to the transported child. With Passenger Occupant
Classification System
To reduce the chance of injuries caused
by deployment of the passenger Air
Bag, the passenger occupant
classification sensor work as a part of
the supplementary restraint system.
This system deactivates the passenger
front and side Air Bags and also the
passenger seat belt pretensioner
system when the
OFF passenger Air
Bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates.
When an infant or small child sits on the
passenger seat, the system shuts off
the passenger front and side Air Bags
and seat belt pretensioner system, so
make sure the
OFF passenger Air
Bag deactivation indicator light
illuminates. For more details, refer to
"Passenger Occupant Classification
Sensor" in “Supplementary Restraint
System SRS — Air Bag” for additional
information.
Note: A seat belt or child-restraint
system can become very hot in a
closed vehicle during warm weather. To
avoid burning yourself or a child, check
them before you or your child touches
them.
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SAFETY