Fiat 500 Abarth (2016 year). Manual — part 4

Customer Action

Customer Will See

8. Turn Ignition OFF.

9. Turn Hazard Flashers

OFF (Manually).

System is now reset and

the engine may be

started.

If a reset procedure step is not completed within 60
seconds, then the turn signal lights will blink and the
reset procedure must be performed again in order to be
successful.

Air Bag Warning Light

The air bags must be ready to inflate for your protection

in a collision. The Occupant Restraint Control-
ler (ORC) monitors the internal circuits and
interconnecting wiring associated with air bag
system electrical components.

The ORC monitors the readiness of the electronic parts of
the air bag system whenever the ignition switch is in the

AVV/START or MAR position. If the ignition switch is in
the STOP position the air bag system is not on and the air
bags will not inflate.

The ORC contains a backup power supply system that
may deploy the air bags even if the battery loses power or
it becomes disconnected prior to deployment.

The ORC turns on the Air Bag Warning Light in the
instrument panel for approximately four to eight seconds
for a self-check when the ignition switch is first turned to
the MAR position. After the self-check, the Air Bag
Warning Light will turn off. If the ORC detects a mal-
function in any part of the system, it turns on the Air Bag
Warning Light, either momentarily or continuously. A
single chime will sound to alert you if the light comes on
again after initial startup.

The ORC also includes diagnostics that will illuminate
the instrument panel Air Bag Warning Light if a malfunc-
tion is detected that could affect the air bag system. The

52

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

diagnostics also record the nature of the malfunction.
While the air bag system is designed to be maintenance
free, if any of the following occurs, have an authorized
dealer service the air bag system immediately.

• The Air Bag Warning Light does not come on during

the four to eight seconds when the ignition switch is
first turned to the MAR position.

• The Air Bag Warning Light remains on after the four to

eight-second interval.

• The Air Bag Warning Light comes on intermittently or

remains on while driving.

NOTE:

If the speedometer, tachometer, or any engine

related gauges are not working, the Occupant Restraint
Controller (ORC) may also be disabled. In this condition
the air bags may not be ready to inflate for your protec-
tion. Have an authorized dealer service the air bag
system immediately.

WARNING!

Ignoring the Air Bag Warning Light in your instru-
ment panel could mean you won’t have the air bags
to protect you in a collision. If the light does not come
on as a bulb check when the ignition is first turned
on, stays on after you start the vehicle, or if it comes
on as you drive, have an authorized dealer service the
air bag system immediately.

Maintaining Your Air Bag System

WARNING!

• Modifications to any part of the air bag system

could cause it to fail when you need it. You could
be injured if the air bag system is not there to
protect you. Do not modify the components or

(Continued)

2

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

53

WARNING! (Continued)

wiring, including adding any kind of badges or
stickers to the steering wheel hub trim cover or the
upper right side of the instrument panel. Do not
modify the front bumper, vehicle body structure, or
add aftermarket side steps or running boards.

• It is dangerous to try to repair any part of the air

bag system yourself. Be sure to tell anyone who
works on your vehicle that it has an air bag system.

• Do not attempt to modify any part of your air bag

system. The air bag may inflate accidentally or may
not function properly if modifications are made.
Take your vehicle to an authorized dealer for any
air bag system service. If your seat, including your
trim cover and cushion, needs to be serviced in any
way (including removal or loosening/tightening of
seat attachment bolts), take the vehicle to your

(Continued)

WARNING! (Continued)

authorized dealer. Only manufacturer approved
seat accessories may be used. If it is necessary to
modify the air bag system for persons with dis-
abilities, contact your authorized dealer.

Event Data Recorder (EDR)

This vehicle is equipped with an event data recorder
(EDR). The main purpose of an EDR is to record, in
certain crash or near crash-like situations, such as an air
bag deployment or hitting a road obstacle, data that will
assist in understanding how a vehicle’s systems per-
formed. The EDR is designed to record data related to
vehicle dynamics and safety systems for a short period of
time, typically 30 seconds or less. The EDR in this vehicle
is designed to record such data as:

• How various systems in your vehicle were operating;

54

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

• Whether or not the driver and passenger safety belts

were buckled/fastened;

• How far (if at all) the driver was depressing the

accelerator and/or brake pedal; and,

• How fast the vehicle was traveling.

These data can help provide a better understanding of
the circumstances in which crashes and injuries occur.

NOTE:

EDR data are recorded by your vehicle only if a

non-trivial crash situation occurs; no data are recorded by
the EDR under normal driving conditions and no per-
sonal data (e.g., name, gender, age, and crash location)
are recorded. However, other parties, such as law en-
forcement, could combine the EDR data with the type of
personally identifying data routinely acquired during a
crash investigation.

To read data recorded by an EDR, special equipment is
required, and access to the vehicle or the EDR is needed.

In addition to the vehicle manufacturer, other parties,
such as law enforcement, that have the special equip-
ment, can read the information if they have access to the
vehicle or the EDR.

Child Restraints

Everyone in your vehicle needs to be buckled up at all
times, including babies and children.

Every state in the United States, and every Canadian
province, requires that small children ride in proper
restraint systems. This is the law, and you can be pros-
ecuted for ignoring it.

Children 12 years or younger should ride properly
buckled up in a rear seat, if available. According to crash
statistics, children are safer when properly restrained in
the rear seats rather than in the front.

2

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

55

WARNING!

In a collision, an unrestrained child can become a
projectile inside the vehicle. The force required to
hold even an infant on your lap could become so
great that you could not hold the child, no matter
how strong you are. The child and others could be
badly injured. Any child riding in your vehicle
should be in a proper restraint for the child’s size.

There are different sizes and types of restraints for
children from newborn size to the child almost large
enough for an adult safety belt. Always check the child
seat Owner’s Manual to make sure you have the correct
seat for your child. Carefully read and follow all the
instructions and warnings in the child restraint Owner’s
Manual and on all the labels attached to the child
restraint.

Before buying any restraint system, make sure that it has
a label certifying that it meets all applicable Safety
Standards. You should also make sure that you can install
it in the vehicle where you will use it.

NOTE:

• For additional information, refer to

www.seatcheck.org or call 1-866-732-8243.

• Canadian residents should refer to Transport Canada’s

website for additional information: www.tc.gc.ca/
eng/motorvehiclesafety/safedrivers-childsafety-
index-53.htm

56

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Summary Of Recommendations For Restraining Children In Vehicles

Child Size, Height, Weight Or Age

Recommended Type Of Child Restraint

Infants and

Toddlers

Children who are two years old or

younger and who have not reached the

height or weight limits of their child re-

straint

Either an Infant Carrier or a Convertible

Child Restraint, facing rearward in the rear

seat of the vehicle

Small Children

Children who are at least two years old or

who have out-grown the height or weight

limit of their rear-facing child restraint

Forward-Facing Child Restraint with a

five-point Harness, facing forward in the

rear seat of the vehicle

Larger Children

Children who have out-grown their

forward-facing child restraint, but are too

small to properly fit the vehicle’s seat belt

Belt Positioning Booster Seat and the ve-

hicle seat belt, seated in the rear seat of the

vehicle

Children Too Large

for Child Restraints

Children 12 years old or younger, who

have out-grown the height or weight limit

of their booster seat

Vehicle Seat Belt, seated in the rear seat of

the vehicle

2

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

57

Infants And Child Restraints

Safety experts recommend that children ride rear-facing
in the vehicle until they are two years old or until they
reach either the height or weight limit of their rear-facing
child restraint. Two types of child restraints can be used
rear-facing: infant carriers and convertible child seats.

The infant carrier is only used rear-facing in the vehicle.
It is recommended for children from birth until they
reach the weight or height limit of the infant carrier.
Convertible child seats can be used either rear-facing or
forward-facing in the vehicle. Convertible child seats
often have a higher weight limit in the rear-facing
direction than infant carriers do, so they can be used
rear-facing by children who have outgrown their infant
carrier but are still less than at least two years old.
Children should remain rear-facing until they reach the
highest weight or height allowed by their convertible
child seat.

WARNING!

• Never place a rear-facing child restraint in front of

an air bag. A deploying passenger Advanced Front
Air Bag can cause death or serious injury to a child
12 years or younger, including a child in a rear-
facing child restraint.

• Only use a rear-facing child restraint in a vehicle

with a rear seat.

Older Children And Child Restraints

Children who are two years old or who have outgrown
their rear-facing convertible child seat can ride forward-
facing in the vehicle. Forward-facing child seats and
convertible child seats used in the forward-facing direc-
tion are for children who are over two years old or who
have outgrown the rear-facing weight or height limit of
their rear-facing convertible child seat. Children should

58

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

remain in a forward-facing child seat with a harness for
as long as possible, up to the highest weight or height
allowed by the child seat.

All children whose weight or height is above the
forward-facing limit for the child seat should use a
belt-positioning booster seat until the vehicle’s seat belts
fit properly. If the child cannot sit with knees bent over
the vehicle’s seat cushion while the child’s back is against
the seatback, they should use a belt-positioning booster
seat. The child and belt-positioning booster seat are held
in the vehicle by the seat belt.

WARNING!

• Improper installation can lead to failure of an

infant or child restraint. It could come loose in a
collision. The child could be badly injured or
killed. Follow the child restraint manufacturer’s

(Continued)

WARNING! (Continued)

directions exactly when installing an infant or
child restraint.

• After a child restraint is installed in the vehicle, do

not move the vehicle seat forward or rearward
because it can loosen the child restraint attach-
ments. Remove the child restraint before adjusting
the vehicle seat position. When the vehicle seat has
been adjusted, reinstall the child restraint.

• When your child restraint is not in use, secure it in

the vehicle with the seat belt or LATCH anchor-
ages, or remove it from the vehicle. Do not leave it
loose in the vehicle. In a sudden stop or accident, it
could strike the occupants or seatbacks and cause
serious personal injury.

2

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

59

Children Too Large For Booster Seats

Children who are large enough to wear the shoulder belt
comfortably, and whose legs are long enough to bend
over the front of the seat when their back is against the
seatback, should use the seat belt in a rear seat. Use this
simple 5-step test to decide whether the child can use the
vehicle’s seat belt alone:

1. Can the child sit all the way back against the back of

the vehicle seat?

2. Do the child’s knees bend comfortably over the front

of the vehicle seat – while they are still sitting all the
way back?

3. Does the shoulder belt cross the child’s shoulder

between their neck and arm?

4. Is the lap part of the belt as low as possible, touching

the child’s thighs and not their stomach?

5. Can the child stay seated like this for the whole trip?

If the answer to any of these questions was “no,” then the
child still needs to use a booster seat in this vehicle. If the
child is using the lap/shoulder belt, check seat belt fit
periodically and make sure the seat belt buckle is latched.
A child’s squirming or slouching can move the belt out of
position. If the shoulder belt contacts the face or neck,
move the child closer to the center of the vehicle, or use
a booster seat to position the seat belt on the child
correctly.

WARNING!

Never allow a child to put the shoulder belt under an
arm or behind their back. In a crash, the shoulder belt
will not protect a child properly, which may result in
serious injury or death. A child must always wear
both the lap and shoulder portions of the seat belt
correctly.

60

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Recommendations For Attaching Child Restraints

Restraint Type

Combined

Weight of the

Child + Child

Restraint

Use any attachment method shown with an “X” Below

LATCH –

Lower Anchors

Only

Seat Belt Only

LATCH –

Lower Anchors

+ Top Tether

Anchor

Seat Belt + Top

Tether Anchor

Rear-Facing

Child Restraint

Up to 65 lbs

(29.5 kg)

X

X

Rear-Facing

Child Restraint

More than

65 lbs (29.5 kg)

X

Forward-Facing

Child Restraint

Up to 65 lbs

(29.5 kg)

X

X

Forward-Facing

Child Restraint

More than

65 lbs (29.5 kg)

X

2

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

61

Lower Anchors And Tethers For CHildren
(LATCH) Restraint System

Your vehicle is equipped with the child restraint anchor-
age system called LATCH, which stands for Lower
Anchors and Tethers for CHildren. The LATCH system
has three vehicle anchor points for installing LATCH-
equipped child seats. There are two lower anchorages
located at the back of the seat cushion where it meets the
seatback and one top tether anchorage located behind the
seating position. These anchorages are used to install
LATCH-equipped child seats without using the vehicle’s
seat belts. Some seating positions may have a top tether
anchorage but no lower anchorages. In these seating
positions, the seat belt must be used with the top tether
anchorage to install the child restraint. Please see the
following table for more information.

62

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

LATCH Positions For Installing Child Restraints In
This Vehicle

•

Lower Anchorage Symbol 2 anchorages per

seating position

•

Top Tether Anchorage Symbol

2

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

63

What is the weight limit (child’s weight +
weight of the child restraint) for using the
LATCH anchorage system to attach the child
restraint?

65 lbs (29.5 kg)

Use the LATCH anchorage system until

the combined weight of the child and the

child restraint is 65 lbs (29.5 kg). Use the

seat belt and tether anchor instead of the

LATCH system once the combined weight

is more than 65 lbs (29.5 kg).

Can the LATCH anchorages and the seat

belt be used together to attach a rear-

facing or forward-facing child restraint?

No

Do not use the seat belt when you use the

LATCH anchorage system to attach a rear-

facing or forward-facing child restraint.

Can two child restraints be attached using

a common lower LATCH anchorage?

No

Never “share” a LATCH anchorage with

two or more child restraints. If the center

position does not have dedicated LATCH

lower anchorages, use the seat belt to in-

stall a child seat in the center position next

to a child seat using the LATCH anchor-

ages in an outboard position.

64

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Can the rear-facing child restraint touch

the back of the front passenger seat?

Yes

The child seat may touch the back of the

front passenger seat if the child restraint

manufacturer also allows contact. See your

child restraint owner’s manual for more

information.

Can the head restraints be removed?

Yes

Yes, all may be removed

Locating LATCH Anchorages

The lower anchorages are round bars that are
found at the rear of the seat cushion where it
meets the seatback, below the anchorage sym-
bols on the seatback. They are just visible when

you lean into the rear seat to install the child restraint.
You will easily feel them if you run your finger along the
gap between the seatback and seat cushion.

LATCH Anchorages

2

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

65

Locating Tether Anchorages

There are tether strap anchorages behind each
rear seating position located on the back of the
seat.

LATCH-compatible child restraint systems will be
equipped with a rigid bar or a flexible strap on each side.
Each will have a hook or connector to attach to the lower
anchorage and a way to tighten the connection to the
anchorage. Forward-facing child restraints and some
rear-facing child restraints will also be equipped with a
tether strap. The tether strap will have a hook at the end
to attach to the top tether anchorage and a way to tighten
the strap after it is attached to the anchorage.

Center Seat LATCH

WARNING!

This vehicle does not have a center seating position.
Do not use the center lower LATCH anchorages to
install a child seat in the center of the back seat.

Rear Seat Tether Strap Mounting

66

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

Always follow the directions of the child restraint manu-
facturer when installing your child restraint. Not all child
restraint systems will be installed as described here.

To Install A LATCH-Compatible Child Restraint

If the selected seating position has a Switchable Auto-
matic Locking Retractor (ALR) seat belt, stow the seat
belt, following the instructions below. See the section
“Installing Child Restraints Using the Vehicle Seat Belt”
to check what type of seat belt each seating position has.

1. Loosen the adjusters on the lower straps and on the

tether strap of the child seat so that you can more
easily attach the hooks or connectors to the vehicle
anchorages.

2. Place the child seat between the lower anchorages for

that seating position. For some second row seats, you
may need to recline the seat and / or raise the head
restraint to get a better fit. If the rear seat can be moved

forward and rearward in the vehicle, you may wish to
move it to its rear-most position to make room for the
child seat. You may also move the front seat forward
to allow more room for the child seat.

3. Attach the lower hooks or connectors of the child

restraint to the lower anchorages in the selected seat-
ing position.

4. If the child restraint has a tether strap, connect it to the

top tether anchorage. See the section “Installing Child
Restraints Using the Top Tether Anchorage” for direc-
tions to attach a tether anchor.

5. Tighten all of the straps as you push the child restraint

rearward and downward into the seat. Remove slack
in the straps according to the child restraint manufac-
turer’s instructions.

2

THINGS TO KNOW BEFORE STARTING YOUR VEHICLE

67