Get Starting and Operating -> Driving Tips Guide for Fiat 124 Spider 2 Door Second Generation (2016-2020)

Emergency Fuel Filler

Door Release

2. Partially peel back the cover inside

the trunk, then pull the emergency

release lever.

Warning!

If the battery is discharged, the fuel filler

door cannot be opened. In this case,

the fuel filler door can be opened by

taking care of the discharged battery

situation.

Never have any smoking materials lit in

or near the vehicle when the gas cap is

removed or the tank is being filled.

Never add fuel when the engine is

running. This is in violation of most state

and federal fire regulations and may cause

the MIL to turn on.

If the fuel filler door cannot be opened

even if the discharged battery situation

has been resolved, the electrical system

may have a malfunction.

A fire may result if gasoline is pumped

into a portable container that is inside of a

vehicle. You could be burned. Always

place gas containers on the ground while

filling.

In this case, the fuel filler door can be

opened using the following procedure

as an emergency measure:

08100100-122-001

Fuel Door Emergency Release

1. Open the trunk and pull the center

section of the plastic fastener and

remove the fastener.

3 — Emergency Release Lever

Do not apply any object/plug to the end

of the filler which is not provided for the

vehicle. The use of non-compliant

objects/plugs could cause a pressure

increase inside the tank, resulting in

dangerous situations.

Do not use a mobile phone near the

refueling pump: risk of fire.

08100100-121-002

Trunk Interior

1 — Plastic Fasteners

2 — Cover

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Gross Axle Weight Rating

(GAWR)

Inflation Pressure

VEHICLE LOADING

Certification Label

This is the cold tire inflation pressure for

your vehicle for all loading conditions up

to full GAWR.

The GAWR is the maximum permissible

load on the front and rear axles. The

load must be distributed in the cargo

area so that the GAWR of each axle is

not exceeded.

As required by National Highway Traffic

Safety Administration regulations, your

vehicle has a certification label affixed to

the driver's side door or pillar.

Curb Weight

The curb weight of a vehicle is defined

as the total weight of the vehicle with all

fluids, including vehicle fuel, at full

capacity conditions, and with no

occupants or cargo loaded into the

vehicle. The front and rear curb weight

values are determined by weighing your

vehicle on a commercial scale before

any occupants or cargo are added.

This label contains the month and year

of manufacture, Gross Vehicle Weight

Rating (GVWR), Gross Axle Weight

Rating (GAWR) front and rear, and

Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).

A Month-Day-Hour (MDH) number is

included on this label and indicates the

Month, Day and Hour of manufacture.

The bar code that appears on the

bottom of the label is your VIN.

Each axle GAWR is determined by the

components in the system with the

lowest load carrying capacity (axle,

springs, tires or wheels). Heavier axles

or suspension components sometimes

specified by purchasers for increased

durability does not necessarily increase

the vehicle's GVWR.

Tire Size

Gross Vehicle Weight Rating

(GVWR)

The actual total weight and the weight

of the front and rear of your vehicle at

the ground can best be determined by

weighing it when it is loaded and ready

for operation.

The tire size on the Vehicle Certification

Label represents the actual tire size on

your vehicle. Replacement tires must be

equal to the load capacity of this tire

size.

The GVWR is the total permissible

weight of your vehicle including driver,

passengers, vehicle, options and cargo.

The label also specifies maximum

capacities of front and rear axle

systems (GAWR). Total load must be

limited so GVWR and front and rear

GAWR are not exceeded.

The entire vehicle should first be

Rim Size

weighed on a commercial scale to

insure that the GVWR has not been

exceeded. The weight on the front and

rear of the vehicle should then be

determined separately to be sure that

the load is properly distributed over the

This is the rim size that is appropriate

for the tire size listed.

Payload

The payload of a vehicle is defined as

the allowable load weight a truck can

carry, including the weight of the driver,

all passengers, options and cargo.

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front and rear axle. Weighing the vehicle

may show that the GAWR of either the

front or rear axles has been exceeded

but the total load is within the specified

GVWR. If so, weight must be shifted

from front to rear or rear to front as

appropriate until the specified weight

limitations are met. Store the heavier

items down low and be sure that the

weight is distributed equally. Stow all

loose items securely before driving.

TOWING TRAILERS

Trailer Towing

DRIVING TIPS

Engine Break-In

Recommendation

Your car is not designed for towing.

Recreational Towing

No special break-in is necessary, but a

few precautions in the first 620 miles

(1000 km) may add to the performance,

economy, and life of the vehicle:

An example of "recreational towing" is

towing your vehicle behind a

motorhome.

Do not race the engine.

The transmission is not designed for

towing this vehicle on all four wheels.

Do not maintain one constant speed,

either slow or fast, for a long period of

time.

Improper weight distributions can have

an adverse effect on the way your

vehicle steers and handles and the way

the brakes operate.

Caution!

Do not drive constantly at full-throttle

or high engine rpm for extended

periods of time.

DO NOT flat tow this vehicle. Damage to

the drivetrain will result. If this vehicle

requires towing, make sure the drive

wheels are OFF the ground.

Caution!

Avoid unnecessary hard stops.

Avoid full-throttle starts.

Do not load your vehicle any heavier than

the GVWR or the maximum front and rear

GAWR. If you do, parts on your vehicle can

break, or it can change the way your

vehicle handles. This could cause you to

lose control. Also overloading can shorten

the life of your vehicle.

Towing this vehicle in violation of the

above requirements can cause severe

transmission damage. Damage from

improper towing is not covered under the

New Vehicle Limited Warranty.

Saving Fuel And

Protection Of The

Environment

How you operate your vehicle

determines how far it will travel on a

tank of fuel.

Use these suggestions to help save fuel

and reduce CO ₂:

Avoid long warm-ups. Once the

engine runs smoothly, begin driving.

Avoid fast starts.

Drive at lower speeds.

Anticipate when to apply the brakes

(avoid sudden braking).

183

Follow the maintenance schedule

and contact your authorized dealer.

For more traction in starting on

slippery surfaces such as ice or packed

snow, use sand, rock salt, chains,

carpeting, or other nonslip material

under the rear wheels.

Warning!

Use the air conditioner only when

necessary.

An improperly attached, damaged, folded, or

stacked floor mat, or damaged floor mat

fasteners may cause your floor mat to

interfere with the accelerator, brake, or clutch

pedals and cause a loss of vehicle control. To

prevent SERIOUS INJURY or DEATH:

Slow down on rough roads.

Note: Use snow chains only on the

rear wheels.

Keep the tires properly inflated.

Do not carry unnecessary weight.

Floor Mat Safety

Information

Do not rest your foot on the brake

pedal while driving.

ALWAYS securely attach

your floor

Always use floor mats designed to fit

the footwell of your vehicle. Use only

floor mats that leave the pedal area

unobstructed and that are firmly

secured so that they cannot slip out of

position and interfere with the pedals or

impair safe operation of your vehicle in

other ways.

mat using the floor mat fasteners. DO NOT

install your floor mat upside down or turn

your floor mat over. Lightly pull to confirm

mat is secured using the floor mat

fasteners on a regular basis.

Keep the wheels in correct

alignment.

Keep windows closed at high

speeds.

ALWAYS REMOVE THE EXISTING

FLOOR MAT FROM THE VEHICLE

before installing any other floor mat.

NEVER install or stack an additional floor

mat on top of an existing floor mat.

Slow down when driving in

crosswinds and headwinds.

Hazardous Driving

ONLY install floor mats designed to fit

your vehicle. NEVER install a floor mat that

cannot be properly attached and secured

to your vehicle. If a floor mat needs to be

replaced, only use a FCA approved floor

mat for the specific make, model, and year

of your vehicle.

When driving on ice or in water, snow,

mud, sand, or similar hazards:

Be cautious and allow extra distance

for braking.

Avoid sudden braking and sudden

maneuvering.

ONLY use the driver’s side floor mat on the

driver’s side floor area. To check for

interference, with the vehicle properly parked

with the engine off, fully depress the

Do not pump the brakes. Continue to

press down on the brake pedal.

04090400-USA-001

Floor Mat Retention Post Location

accelerator, the brake, and the clutch pedal (if

present) to check for interference. If your floor

mat interferes with the operation of any pedal,

or is not secure to the floor, remove the floor

mat from the vehicle and place the floor mat

in your trunk.

If you get stuck, select a lower gear

and accelerate slowly. Do not spin the

rear wheels.

184

Winter Driving

ONLY use the passenger’s side floor mat

on the passenger’s side floor area.

Warning!

Carry emergency gear, including tire

chains, window scraper, flares, a small

shovel, jumper leads, and a small bag

of sand or salt.

ALWAYS make sure objects cannot fall

or slide into the driver’s side floor area

when the vehicle is moving. Objects can

become trapped under accelerator, brake,

or clutch pedals and could cause a loss of

vehicle control.

Fast spinning tires can be dangerous.

Forces generated by excessive wheel

speeds may cause damage, or even

failure, of the axle and tires. A tire could

explode and injure someone. Do not spin

your vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph

(48 km/h) or for longer than 30 seconds

continuously without stopping when you

are stuck and do not let anyone near a

spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.

Contact an authorized dealer to check

the following:

Have the proper ratio of antifreeze in

the radiator.

NEVER place any objects under the floor

mat (e.g., towels, keys, etc.). These

objects could change the position of the

floor mat and may cause interference with

the accelerator, brake, or clutch pedals.

Inspect the battery and its leads.

Cold reduces battery capacity.

Use an engine oil appropriate for the

lowest ambient temperatures that the

vehicle will be driven in.

If the vehicle carpet has been removed

and re-installed, always properly attach

carpet to the floor and check the floor mat

fasteners are secure to the vehicle carpet.

Fully depress each pedal to check for

interference with the accelerator, brake, or

clutch pedals then re-install the floor mats.

Caution!

Inspect the ignition system for

damage and loose connections.

When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by

shifting between DRIVE and REVERSE, do

not spin the wheels faster than 15 mph

(24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may result.

Use winter windshield washer fluid

that will not freeze.

It is recommended to only use mild soap

and water to clean your floor mats. After

cleaning, always check your floor mat has

been properly installed and is secured to

your vehicle using the floor mat fasteners

by lightly pulling mat.

Note:

Revving the engine or spinning the

wheels too fast may lead to transmission

overheating and failure. It can also damage

the tires. Do not spin the wheels above

30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no

transmission shifting occurring).

Remove snow before driving. Snow

left on the windshield is dangerous as

it could obstruct vision.

Drive slowly. Braking performance

can be adversely affected if snow or

ice adheres to the brake components.

If this situation occurs, drive the vehicle

slowly, releasing the accelerator pedal

and lightly applying the brakes several

times until the brake performance

returns to normal.

Rocking The Vehicle

Note: Too much rocking may cause

engine overheating, transmission failure,

and tire damage.

If you must rock the vehicle to free it

from snow, sand or mud, depress the

accelerator slightly and slowly move the

gear selector from 1 (D) to R.

185

Starting and Operating -> Driving Tips for Your Fiat 124 Spider 2 Door Second Generation (2016-2020)

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