Fiat 124 SPIDER ABARTH 2017 User Manual page 120

Do not drive the vehicle with the
tachometer needle in the red zone
while in manual shift mode.
During deceleration, the
transmission may automatically shift
down depending on vehicle speed.
You can start out, from a stop, in
first or second gear. Tapping the gear
selector rearward (+) (at a stop) will
allow starting in second gear. Starting
out in second gear can be helpful in
snowy or icy conditions.
Paddle Mode — If
Equipped
Tapping one of the steering
wheel-mounted shift paddles (+/-), if
equipped, while the gear selector is in
DRIVE (D), will activate Paddle Mode
(a temporary manual mode). The
current gear will be displayed in the
instrument cluster, with the "M" also
illuminated. The transmission will revert
back to normal operation (if the gear
selector remains in DRIVE) after a
period of time, depending on
accelerator pedal activity.
118
Note:
Because Paddle mode is only
temporary, use of the MANUAL (M)
position is recommended if you need to
drive the vehicle in a particular gear for
long periods.
Driving Tips
Overtaking
For extra power when passing another
vehicle or climbing steep grades, press
the accelerator fully. The transmission
will shift to a lower gear, depending on
vehicle speed.
Note:
The accelerator pedal may initially
feel heavy as it is being pressed, then
feel lighter as it is pressed further. This
change in pedal force controls whether
or not kickdown should be performed.
While the gear selector is in the
MANUAL (M) position and the Dynamic
Stability Control (DSC) is turned off,
manual shift mode does not switch to
automatic shift mode even if the
accelerator pedal is completely pressed.
Tap the gear selector forward or
rearward to select the appropriate gear.
Climbing steep grades from a stop
To climb a steep grade from a stopped
position:
1. Press the brake pedal.
2. Shift to DRIVE (D) or M1, depending
on the load weight and grade
steepness.
3. Release the brake pedal while
gradually accelerating.
Descending steep grades
When descending a steep grade, shift
to lower gears, depending on load
weight and grade steepness.
Descend slowly, using the brakes only
occasionally to prevent them from
overheating.