Freeing A Stuck Vehicle - Fiat 500 Abarth 2015 User Manual

WHAT TO DO IN EMERGENCIES

FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE

• If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can often be moved by a
rocking motion. Turn your steering wheel right and left to clear the area around
the front wheels. Then shift back and forth between 2nd gear and REVERSE.
Using minimal accelerator pedal pressure to maintain the rocking motion, without
spinning the wheels, is most effective.
NOTE:
If your vehicle is equipped with Traction Control or Electronic Stability Control (ESC), turn
the system OFF before attempting to "rock" the vehicle.
• Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead to transmission overheat-
ing and failure. Allow the engine to idle with the shift lever in NEUTRAL for at
least one minute after every five rocking-motion cycles. This will minimize
overheating and reduce the risk of transmission failure during prolonged ef-
forts to free a stuck vehicle.
• When "rocking" a stuck vehicle by moving between 1st and REVERSE, do not
spin the wheels faster than 15 mph (24 km/h), or drivetrain damage may result.
• Revving the engine or spinning the wheels too fast may lead to transmission
overheating and failure. It can also damage the tires. Do not spin the wheels
above 30 mph (48 km/h) while in gear (no transmission shifting occurring).
Fast spinning tires can be dangerous. Forces generated by excessive wheel
speeds may cause tire damage or failure. A tire could explode and injure some-
one. Do not spin your vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) when you
are stuck. Do not let anyone near a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
CAUTION!
WARNING!
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