Looking After Emission Control Devices - Fiat 600 Owner's Manual

LOOKING AFTER EMISSION
CONTROL DEVICES
The correct use of pollution control
devices not only ensures respect for
the environment but also has an effect
on the car's performance. Keeping
these devices in good condition is
therefore a fundamental rule for dri-
ving that is easy on your pocket and
on the environment too.
The first step to take is to follow the
Service Schedule to the letter.
If your car has a petrol engine use
only unleaded petrol.
If you have trouble starting, do not
keep turning the ignition key for long
periods. Be especially careful to avoid
bump starting the car by pushing, tow-
ing or rolling down hill: these are all
manoeuvres that can damage the cat-
alytic exhaust. For emergency starts
use only an auxiliary battery.
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DRIVING YOUR CAR
If the engine begins to "lose its
smoothness" when travelling, con-
tinue your journey but reduce the de-
mands you are making on the engine
and go to a Fiat Dealership as soon
as you can.
When the instrument panel fuel re-
serve warning light comes on, fill up as
soon as possible. A low level of fuel
can cause an uneven supply of fuel to
the engine with the inevitable increase
in the temperature of the exhaust gas
and serious damage to the catalytic
converter.
Never run the engine with one or
more spark plugs disconnected, even
for testing purposes.
Do not warm up the engine by let-
ting it idle for a while before moving
off unless the outside temperature is
very low and, even in this case, only
do so for less than 30 seconds.
Do not install other heat shields
and do not remove those already fit-
ted to the catalytic converter and
exhaust pipe.
Do not allow anything to
be sprayed onto the cat-
alytic converter, Lambda
sensor or exhaust pipe.
When functioning nor-
mally the catalytic con-
verter reaches high tem-
peratures. For this reason do not
park the car over flammable ma-
terial (grass, dry leaves, pine nee-
dles etc.): fire hazard.
Ignoring the above rules
may lead to fire.