FIAT Multipla User Manual
Page 224
223
SAFETY DEVICES
CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
W
ARNING
LIGHTS AND MESSAGES
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICA
TIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD AND CONTROLS
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
USEFUL ADVICE FOR LENGTHENING
THE LIFE OF YOUR BATTERY
To avoid draining your battery and lengthen its life,
observe the following indications:
❒ when you park the car, ensure the doors, tailgate
and bonnet are closed properly. Passenger’s
compartment lights must be off;
❒ ceiling lights must be off. The car is however
provided with an automatic system for switching off
internal lights;
❒ do not keep accessories (e.g.: sound system, hazard
lights, etc.) switched on for a long time when the
engine is not running;
❒ before performing any operation on the electrical
system, disconnect the battery negative cable;
❒ battery terminals shall always be perfectly tightened.
IMPORTANT A battery which is kept at a charge of
less than 50% (optical indicator with dark colour
without green area in the middle) for any length of
time will be damaged by sulphation leading to a
reduction in cranking power.
Moreover, this might lead to a higher risk of the
battery electrolyte freezing (this may even occur at -
10°C). If the car is inactive for a long period of time,
refer to “Storing the car”, in section “Driving your
car”.
If after buying the car, you want to install electric
accessories which require permanent electric supply
(alarm, etc.) contact Fiat 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 capable
of withstanding the load required, or whether it
should be integrated with a more powerful battery.
In fact, since these devices continue absorbing energy
even when the ignition key is off, they gradually run
down the battery.
The total intake of these systems (factory and after-
market) must be less than 0.6 mA x Ah (of the
battery) as shown in the following table:
Battery
Maximum admitted stand-by intake
40 Ah
24 mA
50 Ah
30 mA