towing FIAT ULYSSE 2008 2.G Owners Manual

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
131
When cleaning parking
sensors make sure they
do not get damaged. Do
not use dry, rough or hard cloth,
but clean water with the addition
of some car washing detergent, if
possible. At seat washing stations
where pressurised water or
steam are used to wash the car,
have the sensors cleaned rapidly,
with the nozzle at a distance of
10 cm.TOWING A TRAILER
Parking sensors are automatically de-
activated when the trailer is connect-
ed electrically to the vehicle.
When the trailer is disconnected, the
sensors turn on automatically. Anyway, parking de-
pends on the driver’s abil-
ity and it is important to
make always sure that there are
no people or animals in the park-
ing area. The system should be
considered as a help for the dri-
ver who, however, must always
be very careful during parking op-
erations, even if carried out at
low speed.The sensors on the
bumper must always be
cleared from mud, dirt,
snow or ice to ensure the system
works properly.
fig. 171
F0B0023b

DRIVING YOUR CAR
147
CHEAP RUNNING THAT RESPECTS
THE ENVIRONMENT
LOOKING AFTER EMISSION
CONTROL DEVICES
The correct use of pollution control
devices not only ensures respect for
the environment but also has an effect
on the car’s performance. Keeping
these devices in good condition is
therefore a fundamental rule for dri-
ving that is easy on your pocket and
on the environment too.
The first step to take is to follow the
Service Schedule to the letter.
Only use diesel for motor vehicles
(EN590 specification). Environmental protection has been
one of the guiding principles in the
production of the Ulysse. It is no ac-
cident that its pollution control equip-
ment is much more effective than that
required by current legislation.
Nonetheless, the environment can-
not get by without a concerted effort
from everyone.
By following a few simple rules the
motorist can avoid harming the envi-
ronment and often cut down fuel con-
sumption at the same time.
On this subject, a number of useful
tips have been given below to supple-
ment those marked by symbol
#, at
various points of the manual.
You are asked to read both the for-
mer and latter carefully.If you have trouble starting, do not
turn the ignition key for long periods.
Be especially careful to avoid bump
starting the vehicle by pushing, towing
or rolling downhill: these are all ma-
noeuvres that can damage the catalyt-
ic exhaust.
For emergency starts only use an
auxiliary battery.
If the engine begins to “lose its
smoothness” when travelling, contin-
ue your journey but reduce the de-
mands you are making on the engine
and have the vehicle checked at a Fi-
at Dealership.
When the instrument panel fuel re-
serve warning light comes on, fill up as
soon as possible. A fuel level that is
too low can cause an uneven supply of
fuel with the inevitable increase in ex-
haust temperature; this would seri-
ously damage the catalytic converter.

DRIVING YOUR CAR
148
Do not warm up the engine by let-
ting it idle for a while before moving
off unless the outside temperature is
very low and, even in this case, only
do so for less than thirty seconds.
Do not install other heat shields and
do not remove those already fitted to
the catalytic converter and exhaust
pipe.Do not spray anything
on the Lambda sensor
and exhaust pipe.TOWING A TRAILER
IMPORTANT
The car must be fitted with a ho-
mologated tow hitch and suitable elec-
trical system for towing a caravan or
trailer.
To prevent damages to the electric
system of the car, it is recommended
to install a dedicated trailer electron-
ic control unit.
Have the tow hitch fitted by an ex-
pert who will issue specific documen-
tation for use on roads.
Fit special and/or additional rearview
mirrors in accordance with the High-
way Code.
Remember that towing a trailer
makes it harder for the car to climb
the maximum gradients specified, in-
creases braking and overtaking dis-
tance, proportionally to the overall
weight of the trailer.
Engage a low gear when driving down-
hill rather than constantly braking. When functioning nor-
mally the catalytic con-
verter develops high tem-
peratures. For this reason, do not
park the vehicle over inflamma-
ble material (grass, dry leaves,
pine needles, etc.): fire hazard.Failure to heed these
precautions could cause a
fire.

DRIVING YOUR CAR
149
The weight the trailer exerts on the
vehicle’s tow hitch coupling reduces
the vehicle’s payload capacity by the
same amount.
In order to be sure you are not ex-
ceeding the maximum towing weight
(shown in the vehicle’s registration pa-
pers) you have to take into account the
trailer’s weight fully laden including the
accessories and personal luggage.
Do not exceed the speed limits for
towing a trailer either abroad or at
home. In any case, do not exceed the
top speed of 100 km/h.WINTER TYRES
These tyres have been specifically de-
signed for use on snow and ice and
should be fitted in place of the exist-
ing tyres.
Use winter tyres of the same size as
the tyres provided with the car.
Fiat Dealershipwill be glad to of-
fer advice on the right type of tyres ac-
cording to your needs.
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 re-
placed.
The ABS system does
not control the trailer
braking system. Particu-
lar care must therefore be taken
on slippery road surfaces.Under no circumstances
modify the vehicle’s brak-
ing system for trailer
braking control. The trailer’s
braking system must be com-
pletely independent of the vehi-
cle’s hydraulic system.

IN AN EMERGENCY
154
Do not carry out this
procedure if you lack ex-
perience; if it is not done
correctly it can cause very in-
tense electrical discharges. In ad-
dition, the fluid contained in the
battery is poisonous and corro-
sive. Avoid contact with skin and
eyes. You are also advised not to
put naked flames or lighted cig-
arettes near the battery and not
to cause sparks.
Remember that until
the engine has started the
brake booster and elec-
trical power steering systems will
not work and a greater effort will
therefore be required to press
the brake pedal or turn the steer-
ing wheel.IF A TYRE
IS PUNCTURED
Certain versions (where provided)
are fitted with wheel identification and
tyre inflation sensors; pressure loss is
signalled to the driver in the follow-
ing way:
pressure loss- the infotelematic
CONNECT system displays the relat-
ed message and a “gong” is emitted by
the system. Contact a Fiat Dealer-
ship;
punctured tyre- warning light
“STOP” comes on and the in-
fotelematic CONNECT system dis-
plays the related message together
with 3 consecutive “gong” sounds.
Change the wheel in the following
way.
The system can also display a dedi-
cated message in the event it should
not be able to detect the tyre pres-
sure. Under no circumstances
should a battery charger
be used to start the en-
gine: it could damage the elec-
tronic systems and in particular
the ignition and injection control
units.
BUMP STARTING
Do not bump start by
pushing, towing or coast-
ing downhill. This way of
starting could cause a rush of fu-
el into the catalytic converter and
damage it beyond repair.

IN AN EMERGENCY
155
An incorrectly posi-
tioned jack may cause the
vehicle to fall. Do not use
the jack to lift loads exceeding
that indicated on the label at-
tached to the jack itself.Do not lubricate the bolt
threads before fitting
them back: they could
come loose.
Never start the engine when the
vehicle is jacked up.
If you are towing a trailer, re-
move the trailer before jacking
up the vehicle.Never tamper with the
inflation valve. Never
place tools between the
rim and the tyre.
Check the tyre and space-saver
spare wheel pressure regularly.
The tyre inflation pressure is
shown in the “Technical specifi-
cations” chapter.
The jack should only be
used to change a wheel
on the vehicle for which it
was designed. It should not be put
to other uses or employed to
raise other models. Under no cir-
cumstances should it be used
when carrying out repairs under
the vehicle.
Check the inflation pres-
sure of the tyres and the
spare wheel regularly. If
you change the type of wheels (al-
loy rims instead of steel rims) you
will have to change the entire set
of fastening bolts with another
set of suitably sized bolts.
You should keep the bolts in
case you decide to use the origi-
nal type of wheel later on.Signal the presence of
the stopped car according
to the laws in force: haz-
ard lights, reflecting 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.
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
Observe the instructions on this and
the following pages to use the jack and
space-saver spare wheel correctly.

IN AN EMERGENCY
180
WITH AN ARM HOIST
Jack up the vehicle by arranging the
ends of the arms in the areas shown
in fig. 41:
A- front arm;
B- rear arm.TOWING THE CAR
A tow hitch is provided with the car
and is placed in the engine compart-
ment.
To fasten the tow hitch:
– open the bonnet (see the instruc-
tions given in the “Bonnet” paragraph
of “Getting to know your car” chapter);
– remove the tow hitch A-fig. 42
from its supports B;– remove cap Cclipped on the front
fig. 43or rear bumper fig. 44;
– fasten the hitch Aon the thread-
ed pin.
fig. 41
F0B0043b
fig. 42
F0B0044bfig. 43
F0B0156b
fig. 44
F0B0157b

IN AN EMERGENCY
181
Before fastening the tow
hitch clean the threaded
housing accurately. Be-
fore starting to tow, make sure
the tow hitch is well fastened on
the threaded pin.While the vehicle is be-
ing towed with the engine
off, remember that the
brake pedal and steering will re-
quire more effort as you no
longer have the benefit of the
power brakes and power steer-
ing. Do not use flexible cables to
tow. Avoid jerking. Whilst tow-
ing, ensure that the coupling to
the vehicle does not damage the
surrounding components.IMPORTANTFor versions with
automatic gearbox, make sure the
gear is in neutral position (N) and pro-
ceed as described for vehicles with
mechanical gearbox. If the gear cannot
be put in neutral position (N) do not
tow the vehicle and contact a Fiat
Dealership.
Before starting to tow,
turn the ignition key to M
and then to S. Do not re-
move the key. If the key is re-
moved, the steering lock engages
automatically which prevents the
wheels being turned.
When towing the vehi-
cle, you must comply
with the specific traffic
regulations regarding the tow
hitch and how to tow on the
road.
Do not start the engine
when being towed.

CAR MAINTENANCE
188
Should prevailing use of the vehicle
be under one of the following special-
ly heavy conditions:
– trailer or caravan towing;
– dusty roads;
– short distances (less than 7-8 km)
repeated and with external tempera-
tures below zero;– frequently idling engines or long
distance low speed driving (e.g. door-
to-door deliveries) or in case of a long
term inactivity;
– driving in the city;
carry out the following checks more
frequently than required in the Service
Schedule:
– check front disk brake pad condi-
tions and wear;– check cleanness of locks, bonnet
and boot and lever cleanness and lu-
brication;
– sight inspect the conditions of: en-
gine, gearbox, transmission, pipes and
hoses (exhaust - fuel - brakes), rubber
parts (boots, sleeves, bushes, etc.);
– check battery charge and fluid lev-
el (electrolyte);
– visual check on various drive belt
conditions;
– check and replace pollen filter, if re-
quired;
– check and replace air cleaner, if re-
quired.
HEAVY-DUTY

INDEX
242
- switching the alarm
system off.................................. 16
- when the alarm is triggered.. 16
Electronic automatic
transmission ............................... 90
- display ....................................... 91
- driving in automatic mode .... 94
- driving in sequence mode ..... 94
- failure indication ..................... 95
- lever position ........................... 91
- moving the car ......................... 93
- selection lever.......................... 91
- sound warnings (buzzers) .... 96
- starting the engine ................. 93
- stopping the engine ................ 96
- technical specifications ......... 221
- towing the car ........................ 180
Electronic braking force
distributor EBD ......................... 118
Electronic control units
(warnings) ................................... 204
Engine
- engine marking ....................... 218
- identification code ................. 219
- technical specifications ......... 219
Engine compartment
(washing) ..................................... 212Engine coolant level .................... 194
Engine coolant temperature
gauge ............................................ 53
Engine oil
- checking the level .................. 193
Engine oil consumption ............. 193
Engine oil level .............................. 193
EOBD system .............................. 122
ESP system .................................... 119
- ASR function ........................... 121
- ESP action ................................. 121
- failure indication ...................... 121
- MSR function ........................... 122
- operation ................................. 120
- TC function ............................. 121
Exterior lights (controls) ........... 79
Fiat CODE system ..................... 11
- CODE card ............................. 14
Flashing
(main beam headlights) ............ 81
Follow me home .......................... 79
Front and side airbags ................ 124
- deactivating the passenger’s
front air bag manually............. 127
- general notes .......................... 128
- passenger’s front airbag ........ 125- side airbags
(side bag -window bag) ......... 127
Front ceiling light ........................ 102
- bulb replacement ................... 168
Front doors
- autoclose ................................... 19
- opening/closing ........................ 19
- super lock ................................. 22
Front fog lights
- bulb replacement .................... 165
- control ...................................... 81
Front seats .................................... 24
- adjustment ....................... 24-25
- armrests ................................... 33
- head restraints ........................ 32
- heating ...................................... 25
- interior settings .............. 31-32
- storing the driver’s
seat position ............................ 25
- swivel ......................................... 26
Fuel
- consumption ........................... 232
- fuel cut off switch.................... 87
- fuel filler cap ............................ 134
- fuel level gauge ....................... 53
Fuel consumption ........................ 232
Fuel cut off switch ....................... 87