Fiat 2012 500 User Manual page 48

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES
- Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) Light
• Each tire, including the spare (if provided), should be checked monthly, when cold and
inflated to the inflation pressure recommended by the vehicle manufacturer on the
vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label. (If your vehicle has tires of a different
size than the size indicated on the vehicle placard or tire inflation pressure label, you
should determine the proper tire inflation pressure for those tires.)
• As an added safety feature, your vehicle has been equipped with a Tire Pressure Moni-
toring System (TPMS) that illuminates a low tire pressure telltale when one or more
of your tires is significantly under-inflated. Accordingly, when the low tire pressure tell-
tale illuminates, you should stop and check your tires as soon as possible, and inflate
them to the proper pressure. Driving on a significantly under-inflated tire causes the
tire to overheat and can lead to tire failure. Under-inflation also reduces fuel efficiency
and tire tread life, and may affect the vehicle' s handling and stopping ability.
• IF THE LIGHT STARTS FLASHING INDICATING A LOW TIRE PRESSURE, ADJUST
THE AIR PRESSURE IN THE LOW TIRE TO THE AIR PRESSURE SHOWN ON THE
VEHICLE PLACARD OR TIRE INFLATION PRESSURE LABEL LOCATED ON THE
DRIVER'S DOOR.
NOTE:
AFTER INFLATION, THE VEHICLE MAY NEED TO BE DRIVEN FOR 20 MINUTES BE-
FORE THE FLASHING LIGHT WILL TURN OFF.
• Please note that the TPMS is not a substitute for proper tire maintenance, and it is the
driver' s responsibility to maintain correct tire pressure, even if under-inflation has not
reached the level to trigger illumination of the TPMS low tire pressure telltale.
• Your vehicle has also been equipped with a TPMS malfunction indicator to indicate
when the system is not operating properly. The TPMS malfunction indicator is com-
bined with the low tire pressure telltale. When the system detects a malfunction, the
telltale will flash for approximately one minute and then remain continuously illumi-
nated. This sequence will continue each time the vehicle is restarted as long as the
malfunction exists.
• When the malfunction indicator is illuminated, the system may not be able to detect
or signal low tire pressure as intended. TPMS malfunctions may occur for a variety of
reasons, including the installation of replacement or alternate tires or wheels on the
vehicle that prevent the TPMS from functioning properly. Always check the TPMS mal-
function telltale after replacing one or more tires or wheels on your vehicle, to ensure
that the replacement or alternate tires and wheels allow the TPMS to continue to
function properly.
NOTE:
Tire pressures change by approximately 1 psi (7 kPa) per 12° F (7° C) of air tempera-
ture change. Keep this in mind when checking tire pressure inside a garage, especially in
the Winter. Example: If garage temperature is 68°F (20°C) and the outside temperature
is 32°F (0°C), then the cold tire inflation pressure should be increased by 3 psi (21 kPa),
which equals 1 psi (7 kPa) for every 12°F (7°C) for this outside temperature condition.
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