Fiat 500 Owner's Manual page 205

into a higher gear if the engine speed is too low. An
audible beep will sound if an inappropriate gear is
selected.
• When coming to a stop the transmission will down-
shift through the gears based on vehicle speed. When
the vehicle is at a stop, first gear will be selected.
• Starting out in second or third gear can be helpful in
snow or icy conditions. To select second or third gear
after the vehicle is brought to a stop, tap the shift lever
rearward (+) once or twice.
• Avoid using speed control when Autostick is engaged
because the transmission will not shift automatically.
• Transmission shifting will be more noticeable when
AutoStick is engaged.
• If a downshift would cause the engine to over-speed,
that shift will not occur until it is safe for the engine.
An audible beep will sound if an inappropriate gear is
selected.
• The transmission will automatically upshift when nec-
essary to prevent engine over-speed.
• Mostly the transmission will stay in the manually
selected ratio, however:
− If the system detects powertrain overheating, the
transmission will revert to a special automatic shift
mode and remain in that mode until the powertrain
cools off.
− If the system detects a problem, it will disable the
AutoStick mode and the transmission will return to
the automatic mode until the problem is corrected.
STARTING AND OPERATING 205
5