Fiat Idea Owner's Handbook Manual page 175

USEFUL ADVICE FOR
LENGTHENING THE LIFE OF
YOUR BATTERY
To avoid draining your battery and
lengthen its life, observe the following in-
dications:
❒ when the car is parked, make sure that
the doors, bonnet and tailgate are clo-
sed properly to make sure that the li-
ghts inside the passenger compart-
ment go out;
❒ switch off all lights inside the vehicle:
the car is however equipped with a sy-
stem which switches all internal lights
off automatically;
❒ do not keep devices (e.g. sound sy-
stem, hazard lights, etc.) on for a long
time with the engine off;
❒ before performing any operation on the
electrical system, disconnect the bat-
tery negative cable;
❒ battery terminals shall always be per-
fectly tightened.
174
IMPORTANT A battery which is kept at
a charge of less than 50% for any length of
time will be damaged by sulphation leading
to a reduction in cranking power.
The battery will also be more at risk of
freezing (already at –10 °C).
Refer to the paragraph "Car inactivity" in
"Starting and driving" if the car is left
parked for a long time.
If after buying the car, you want to install
electric accessories which require per-
manent electric supply (alarm, etc.) con-
tact Fiat Dealership whose qualified per-
sonnel, in addition to suggesting the mo-
st suitable devices from Lineaccessori Fiat,
will evaluate the overall electric absorp-
tion, checking whether the car's electric
system is capable of withstanding the load
required, or whether it should be inte-
grated with a more powerful battery.
Since these devices continue absorbing
energy even when the ignition key is off,
they gradually run down the battery.
Batteries contain very dange-
rous substances for the envi-
ronment. You are recommen-
ded to go to a Fiat Dealership
to have the battery replaced where the
old battery will be disposed of respec-
ting both the environment and the laws
in force.
WARNING
If the vehicle needs to be off
the road for a long period
under conditions of intense cold, re-
move the battery and take it to a
heated place, otherwise it may free-
ze.
WARNING
When performing any ope-
ration on the battery or near
it, always protect your eyes with the
special goggles.