Get STARTING AND DRIVING Guide for Fiat Fiorino SUV Second Generation (1988-2014)

STARTING AND DRIVING

ENGINE STARTING ...........................................................

98

HANDBRAKE ....................................................................... 100

USING THE GEARBOX ..................................................... 101

CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS................................. 102

TOWING TRAILERS............................................................ 104

SNOW TYRES....................................................................... 105

SNOW CHAINS ................................................................... 106

PROLONGED VEHICLE INACTIVITY ........................... 106

97

ENGINE START-UP

PROCEDURE FOR

PETROL VERSIONS

ENGINE STARTING

When the engine is switched

off, never leave the ignition

The vehicle is provided with an electron-

ic engine lock device: refer to “The Fiat

CODE system” paragraph in the section

“Dashboard and controls” if the engine

will not start.

key in the MAR position to

prevent pointless current ab-

sorption from draining the battery.

Proceed as follows:

❒ ensure that the handbrake is up;

❒ put the gear lever into neutral;

The engine may be noisier during the first

seconds of operation, particularly after a

long period of inactivity. This does not im-

pair engine operation and reliability, and is

typical of hydraulic tappets: the distribu-

tion system for the petrol engine of your

vehicle has been selected to minimise

maintenance.

❒ press the clutch pedal all the way down

WARNING

It is dangerous to have the

engine running indoors. The

without touching the accelerator;

❒ turn the ignition key to AVV and let it

go the moment the engine starts.

engine depletes oxygen and dis-

charges carbon dioxide, carbon

monoxide and other toxic gases.

If the engine does not start at the first at-

tempt, return the ignition key to STOP

before repeating starting.

If with the ignition key on MAR the warn-

ing light Y remains lit together with

WARNING

Remember that the servo-

brake and electric power

warning light , turn the key to STOP

U

It is advisable not to demand

maximum performance from

and then back to MAR; if the warning light

remains on, try with the other keys pro-

vided with the vehicle.

your vehicle (e.g. excessive

steering are not operational until the

engine is started. Therefore, more ef-

fort than usual is required on the

brake pedal and steering wheel.

accelerations, long distances

at top rpm, excessive intense braking,

etc.) as soon as the engine is started.

If the engine still will not start, perform an

emergency start (see “Emergency start”

in section “In an emergency”) and then

contact a Fiat Dealership.

98

ENGINE START-UP

PROCEDURE FOR

DIESEL VERSIONS

If the engine does not start at the first at- WARMING THE

tempt, return the ignition key to STOP

ENGINE IMMEDIATELY AFTER

START-UP

before repeating starting.

If with the ignition key on MAR, the in-

strument panel warning light Y remains

on, turn the key to STOP and then back

to MAR; if the warning light remains on,

try with the other keys provided with the

vehicle.

Proceed as follows:

❒ ensure that the handbrake is up;

❒ put the gear lever into neutral;

❒ turn the ignition key to MAR: warning

❒ drive off slowly, letting the engine turn

at medium speed. Do not accelerate

abruptly;

❒ do not demand maximum performance

for the first few kilometres. Wait until

the engine coolant gauge starts moving.

lights Y and

will light up on the

m

Contact the Fiat Dealership if the engine

still will not start.

instrument panel;

❒ wait until the warning lights Y and

turn off. The hotter the engine, the

quicker this will happen;

m

EMERGENCY START

If the warning light Y stays on steadily on

the instrument panel, you can perform an

emergency start using the code on the

CODE card (see section “In an emer-

gency”).

❒ press the clutch pedal all the way down

without touching the accelerator;

The warning light

blinks

m

for 60 seconds after starting

or during prolonged cranking

to indicate a fault to the glow

plug heating system. Use the vehicle

normally if the engine starts, but con-

tact the Fiat Dealership as soon as pos-

sible.

❒ turn the ignition key to AVV as soon

as the warning light

turns off. Wait-

m

ing too long will waste the work done

by the glow plugs.

Release the key as soon as the engine

starts.

Never jump start the engine

by pushing, towing or driving

downhill. This could cause a

flow of fuel into the catalyt-

ic converter and damage it beyond re-

pair.

IMPORTANT When the engine is cold,

rotate the ignition key to AVV to com-

pletely release the accelerator pedal.

99

STOPPING THE ENGINE

HANDBRAKE

Turn the ignition to STOP while the en-

gine is idling.

The handbrake lever is located between

the two front seats.

IMPORTANT After a demanding dri-

ve, 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.

Pull the lever upwards until the vehicle is

blocked to operate the handbrake.

fig. 1

WARNING

The vehicle must be braked

after a few snaps of the

PARKING THE VEHICLE

A quick burst on the acceler-

ator before turning off the en-

gine serves absolutely no

practical purpose, it wastes

fuel and is damaging especially to tur-

bocharged engines.

lever, otherwise, contact the Fiat

Dealership for regulation.

Proceed as follows:

❒ stop the engine and engage the hand-

brake;

❒ engage a gear (on a slope, engage first

gear if the vehicle faces uphill or reverse

if it faces downhill) and leave the wheels

steered.

When the handbrake lever is pulled up

and the ignition key is on MAR, the in-

strument panel warning light x will turn

on.

If the vehicle is parked on a steep slope,

it is advisable to further block the wheels

with a wedge or stone.

Proceed as follows to release the hand-

brake:

❒ slightly lift the handbrake and press the

release button A-fig. 1;

Do not leave the ignition key on MAR to

prevent draining the battery. Always re-

move the key when you leave the vehi-

cle.

❒ hold button A pressed and lower the

lever. Warning light x on the instru-

ment panel will go out.

Never leave children unattended in the ve-

hicle. Always remove the ignition key

when leaving the vehicle and take it out

with you.

Press the brake pedal when carrying out

this operation to prevent the vehicle from

moving accidentally.

100

USING THE GEARBOX

Do not drive with your hand

resting on the gear lever as

To engage the gears, press the clutch ped-

al fully and shift the gear lever A-fig. 2

into one of the required positions (the di-

agram is shown on the knob fig. 2).

the force exerted, even if

slight, could lead to prema-

ture wear on the gearbox internal com-

ponents over time. The clutch pedal

must be used for gear shift only. Nev-

er drive with the foot resting, even if

slightly, on the clutch pedal. For ver-

sions/markets where applicable the

clutch pedal control electronics can in-

tervene interpreting the wrong drive

style as a fault.

IMPORTANT Reverse may only be en-

gaged when the vehicle is at a standstill.

With the engine running, wait for at least

2 seconds with the clutch pedal fully

pressed before engaging reverse to pre-

vent damage to the gears and grating.

fig. 2

WARNING

Press the clutch pedal fully

to shift the gears correctly.

For this reason, there must be no ob-

stacles on the floor under the pedals:

make sure that the mats are always

flat and do not interfere with the ped-

als.

101

GENERAL REMARKS

Vehicle maintenance

Electric devices

CONTAINING

Use electric devices only for the amount

of time needed. The rear heated window,

additional headlights, windscreen wipers

and heater fan need a considerable

amount of energy, therefore increasing fu-

el consumption (up to +25% in the urban

cycle).

RUNNING COSTS

Have checks and adjustments carried out

in accordance with the “Scheduled Service

Plan”.

Here are some useful tips to save fuel and

minimize polluting emissions of CO and

2

other pollutants (nitric oxide, unburnt hy-

drocarbons, fine dusts etc…).

Tyres

Check tyre pressure regularly at least

once every four weeks: excessively low

pressure will increase consumption be-

cause rolling resistance will be higher.

Climate control

The climate control system leads to high-

er fuel consumption (up to +20% on av-

erage): use air vents only when the ex-

ternal temperature allows it.

Unnecessary loads

Do not travel with an overloaded boot.

The weight of the vehicle (especially when

driving in town) and its trim greatly affect

fuel consumption and stability.

Spoilers

The use of non-certified spoilers may ad-

versely affect air drag and fuel consump-

tion levels.

Roof rack/ski rack

Remove the roof rack or the ski rack from

the roof after use. These accessories de-

crease aerodynamic penetration of the ve-

hicle and have a negative effect on fuel

consumption. It is better to use a trailer

to transport particularly bulky objects.

102

DRIVING STYLE

Starting

Gear selection

CONDITIONS OF USE

Cold starting

Use a higher gear as soon as traffic and road

conditions allow. Using a low gear for faster

acceleration will increase consumption.

Do not warm the engine up with the ve-

hicle running at min. or max. rpm: the en-

gine warms up very slowly in these con-

ditions, increasing consumption and emis-

sions. It is advisable to start off immedi-

ately and slowly keeping the engine speed

down: the engine will warm up much

faster this way.

Short distances and frequent cold start-

ups will prevent the engine from reach-

ing optimal running temperature.

In the same way improper use of a high gear

increases fuel consumption, emissions and

engine wear.

Consequently, both consumption (from

+15 to +30% on urban cycle ) and emis-

sions will increase.

Top speed

Fuel consumption considerably increases as

speed increases. Keep your speed as uni-

form as possible, avoiding unnecessary

braking and acceleration which cause ex-

cessive fuel consumption and increase emis-

sions.

Traffic and road conditions

Unnecessary manoeuvres

Quite high consumption is caused by

heavy traffic, for instance when travelling

in a queue with frequent use of low gears

or in cities with many traffic lights. Moun-

tain and rough roads also have a negative

effect on consumption.

Avoid revving up when starting at traffic

lights or before stopping the engine. The

latter manoeuvre, like doubling the clutch,

is unnecessary and causes increased fuel

consumption and pollution.

Acceleration

Sudden acceleration has a very negative

effect on consumptions and emissions: ac-

celerate gradually.

Traffic hold-ups

During prolonged hold-ups (e.g. level cross-

ings) the engine should be switched off.

103

The weight of the trailer on the vehicle tow

hitch will reduce the loading capacity of the

vehicle by the same amount.

TOWING TRAILERS

WARNING

The ABS with which the ve-

hicle may be equipped will

IMPORTANT NOTES

Consider the weight of the vehicle at full

load, including accessories and luggage to

make sure you do not exceed the maxi-

mum towable weight (shown on the reg-

istration certificate).

not control the braking system of the

trailer. Particular caution is required

on slippery roads.

The vehicle must be provided with a type-

approved tow hitch and adequate electri-

cal system to tow caravans or trailers. In-

stallation must be performed by specialised

personnel who will issue the required pa-

pers for travelling on roads.

Respect the speed limits specific for each

country for vehicles towing trailers. In all

cases, the top speed must not exceed 80

km/h.

WARNING

Install any specific and/or additional rear-

view mirrors as specified by law.

Never modify the braking

system of the vehicle to con-

trol the trailer brake. The trailer brak-

ing system must be fully independent

from the hydraulic system of the ve-

hicle.

Remember that when towing a trailer,

steep hills are harder to climb, the braking

spaces increase and overtaking takes longer

depending on the overall weight of the trail-

er.

Engage a low gear when driving downhill,

rather than constantly using the brake.

104

Due to their specific features, the perfor-

mance of snow tyres is much lower than

that of standard tyres in normal conditions

or long motorway stretches. Use them ex-

clusively according to the performance

levels for which they were type-approved.

SNOW TYRES

WARNING

The max. speed of snow

tyres with “Q” mark must

not exceed 160 km/h, respecting how-

ever the applicable rules of the High-

way Code.

Use snow tyres type 185/65 R15 only (see

paragraph “Tyres” in section “Technical

specifications”).

The Fiat Dealership will be happy to pro-

vide advice concerning the most suitable

type of tyre for customer’s requirements.

IMPORTANT When snow tyres are used

with a max speed index below the one

that can be reached by the vehicle (in-

creased by 5%), place a notice in the pas-

senger compartment, plainly in the driver’s

view, which states the max permissible

speed for snow tyres (as per EC Direc-

tive).

For the type of snow tyre to be used, in-

flation pressures and specifications, follow

the instructions given in paragraph “Tyres”

in section “Technical specifications”.

The winter performance of these tyres is

considerably reduced when the tread thick-

ness is less than 4 mm. Replace them in this

case.

All four tyres should be the same (brand

and track) to ensure greater safety when

driving and braking and better driveabili-

ty.

Remember that it is inappropriate to

change the rotation direction of tyres.

105

❒ clean and protect the shiny metal parts

SNOW CHAINS

PROLONGED VEHICLE

INACTIVITY

using special compounds readily available;

Use of snow chains should be in compli-

ance with local regulations.

❒ sprinkle talcum powder on the rubber

windscreen and rear window wiper

blades and lift them off the glass;

If the vehicle needs to be stopped for longer

than one month, the following precautions

must be taken:

The snow chains may be applied only to

the front wheel tyres (drive wheels).

❒slightly open the windows;

❒ park the vehicle indoors in a dry and, pos-

Check the tension of the chains after the

first few metres have been driven.

❒ cover the vehicle with a piece of fabric or

perforated plastic sheet; do not use com-

pact plastic tarpaulins, which prevent hu-

midity from evaporating from the surface

of the vehicle;

sibly, well-ventilated place;

❒ engage a gear and check that the hand-

brake is not engaged;

❒ disconnect the negative terminal of the

battery and check charge (see paragraph

“Battery” in section “Maintenance and

care”);

Keep your speed down when

snow chains are fitted. Do not

exceed 50 km/h. Avoid pot-

holes, steps and pavements

and also avoid driving long distances on

roads not covered with snow in order

to prevent damaging the vehicle and

the roadbed.

❒ inflate tyres to a pressure of +0.5 bar

above the normal specified pressure and

check it at intervals;

❒ do not drain the engine cooling system.

❒ clean and protect the painted parts using

protective wax;

106

STARTING AND DRIVING for Your Fiat Fiorino SUV Second Generation (1988-2014)

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