Manual

158
IMPORTANT
Never use the “4WD LOCK” mode
when driving on dry paved roads.
Avoid using the “4WD LOCK” mode
when driving on wet paved roads as
much as possible. Use of the “4WD
LOCK” mode in above conditions will
apply excessive force to the driving
system and may cause a critical failure.
Also, the tires may wear faster and fu-
el consumption may be affected ad-
versely.
Note that 4WD vehicles are not al-
laround vehicles. Be sure to observe
following instructions when driving
your vehicle.
Do not drive through water like
crossing a river.
Do not drive continuously where
front wheels tend to race such as in
the sand and mud.
– When any wheel is in the air for such
reason as running off the road, do
not race it needlessly.
If the “4WD AUTO” and the “4WD
LOCK” indicator lights stay on and
come on simultaneously when driving,
there may be something wrong the
4WD system. Have the system in-
spected by an authorized Fiat Dealer-
ship.
IMPORTANT Unevenly worn tires can
cause problems in the operation of the
2WD/4WD switch. Be sure to rotate the
tires according to the maintenance sched-
ule. Refer to “Tires” and “Maintenance
Schedule” in the “INSPECTION AND
MAINTENANCE” section for proper tire
rotation procedures.
While making turns or accelerating and
decelerating, operating the 2WD/
4WD switch or turning off the key
switch in the “4WD AUTO” or “4WD
LOCK” mode may cause a shock, but
this is not a system malfunction.
While driving in the “4WD LOCK”
mode, as the vehicle speed increases,
the driving mode changes to the “4WD
AUTO” mode automatically. Even
when the vehicle speed reduces, on the
other hand, the driving mode does not
return to the “4WD LOCK” mode au-
tomatically. You should press the
“4WD LOCK” switch according to the
driving conditions.
Any forcible operation while driving of-
froad in the sand or water or when a
wheel has run off the road, the differ-
ence of the revolution between front
wheels and rear wheels increases
(wheels run idle). If this state continues,
the oil temperature of the driving sys-
tem parts rises.
In such case, the “4WD AUTO” indi-
cator light blinks and the driving mode
changes to the 2WD mode to protect
the driving system parts.
When you operate your vehicle in the
4WD mode continuously, park the ve-
hicle at a safe place and run the engine
idle. After some time, the “4WD AU-
TO” indicator light turns on again and
the driving mode returns to the “4WD
AUTO” mode.