Owner manual

74
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
SER VICE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CONTROLS
AND DEVICES
ABS SYSTEM
If you have never driven a vehicle with
ABS before, it is advisable to perform
a few tests on slippery ground, naturally in
conditions of safety and respecting the
highway code of the country where you
are driving. Read the following informa-
tion carefully.
ABS is an integral part of the braking sys-
tem which prevents, whatever the road
conditions and force applied to the brake
pedal, the wheels from locking and con-
sequently sliding under braking, thus en-
suring that the vehicle remains under con-
trol even during emergency braking.
The system is completed by EBD (Elec-
tronic Brakeforce Distribution), which dis-
tributes the braking action between front
and rear wheels.
IMPORTANT For the maximum efficien-
cy of the braking system, a bedding-in pe-
riod of about 500 km is needed (for a new
vehicle or after having replaced the brake
pads/discs): during this period it is better
to avoid sharp, repeated and prolonged
braking.
The ABS gets the most from
the available grip, but it can-
not improve it; you should therefore
take every care when driving on slip-
pery surfaces and not take unneces-
sary risks.
WARNING
SYSTEM INTERVENTION
The driver can tell the ABS system has
been activated because the brake pedal
pulsates slightly and the system gets nois-
ier: this means that the car speed should
be altered to fit the type of road surface.
MECHANICAL BRAKE ASSIST
(emergency braking assistance)
(for versions/markets, where provided)
This system (which cannot be deactivat-
ed) recognises emergency braking condi-
tions according to the speed of operation
of the brake pedal and provides an addi-
tional hydraulic braking pressure to sup-
port that provided by the driver. This al-
lows faster and more powerful operation
of the braking system.
IMPORTANT When the Mechanical
Brake Assist is activated noises can be
heard from the system. This is normal.
Anyway, while braking keep the brake
pedal depressed.
If the ABS cuts in, it is a sign
that the grip between tyre
and the road surface has reached the
limit: you must slow down to match
the speed to the road grip available.
WARNING
FAILURE INDICATIONS
ABS failure
This is indicated by the > warning light
on the instrument panel together with the
dedicated message on the multifunction
display (for versions/markets, where pro-
vided) coming on (see “Warning lights and
messages” section).
In this case, the braking system will work
as normal, but without the extra capacity
offered by the ABS system. Drive care-
fully to the nearest Fiat Dealership to have
the system checked.
072-092 ACTUAL 1ed EN 26-07-2010 10:54 Pagina 74