Freeing A Stuck Vehicle - Fiat 500 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 DRIVE/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 overheating 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 efforts to free a stuck
vehicle.
• When "rocking" a stuck vehicle by moving between DRIVE/2nd 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 over-
heating 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 damage, or even failure, of the axle and tires. A tire could explode and injure
someone. Do not spin your vehicle's wheels faster than 30 mph (48 km/h) or for
longer than 30 seconds continuously without stopping when you are stuck and do not
let anyone near a spinning wheel, no matter what the speed.
CAUTION!
WARNING!
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