Abarth Grande Punto Owner's Handbook Manual - page 173

172

W

ARNING

LIGHTS AND MESSAGES

TECHNICAL

SPECIFICA

TIONS

INDEX

DASHBOARD AND CONTROLS

SAFETY DEVICES

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR

IN AN

EMERGENCY

CAR

MAINTENANCE

IMPORTANT If the charge level remains

for a long time under 50%, the battery is

damaged by  sulphation, reducing its ca-

pacity and starting attitude.

The battery will also be more at risk of

freezing (e.g. already at -10°C). Refer to

the paragraph “Car inactivity” in “Starting

and driving” if the car is left parked for a

long time.

If after buying the car, you want to install

electric accessories which require per-

manent electric supply (alarm, etc.) con-

tact Abarth Dealership whose qualified

personnel, in addition to suggesting the

most suitable devices, will evaluate the

overall electric absorption, checking

whether the car’s electric system is capa-

ble of withstanding the load required, or

whether it should be integrated with a

more powerful battery.

Since these devices continue absorbing en-

ergy even when the ignition key is off, they

gradually run down the battery.

USEFUL ADVICE FOR

LENGTHENING THE LIFE OF

YOUR BATTERY

To avoid draining your battery and length-

en its life, observe the following indica-

tions:

❒ when you park the car, ensure the

doors, tailgate and bonnet are closed

properly;

❒ switch off all lights inside the car: the

car is however equipped with a system

which switches all internal lights off au-

tomatically;

❒ do not keep accessories (e.g. sound sys-

tem, hazard lights, etc.) switched on for

a long time when the engine is not run-

ning;

❒ before performing any operation on the

electrical system, disconnect the bat-

tery negative cable;

❒ battery terminals shall always be per-

fectly tightened.

If the vehicle must remain

unused for a long time at

very low temperature, remove the

battery and carry it to a warm place,

to avoid freezing.

WARNING

When you must perform any

operation on the battery or

near it, always protect your eyes with

the special goggles. 

WARNING

161-180 Abarth GB:161-180 Abarth GB  8-06-2009  14:03  Pagina 172