Useful Advice For Lengthening The Life Of Your Battery - Fiat Ducato Owner's Manual

IMPORTANT Check the battery charge once a year,
preferably before the beginning of the winter, to prevent
freezing of the electrolyte. This check should be carried
out more often if the vehicle is mainly used for short
journies or if it is equipped with consumers that perma-
nently absorb energy with the ignition off, especially if they
have been fitted in the after market.
IMPORTANT If a tachograph is fitted, if the vehicle is
parked up for a long period of 5 days, it is advisable to
disconnect the battery negative terminal to maintain its
charge.
If the vehicle is equipped with a battery disconnection
function (disconnector), see the description of the pro-
cedure in the "Controls" paragraph in the "Dashboard
and controls" section.
USEFUL ADVICE FOR LENGTHENING
THE LIFE OF YOUR BATTERY
To avoid draining your battery and make it last longer,
observe the following instructions:
❒ when you park the vehicle, ensure the doors, tail-
gate and bonnet are closed properly to avoid that the
ceiling lights remain on;
❒ the ceiling lights must be off. The vehicle is however
provided with an automatic system for switching off
internal lights;
❒ with the engine off, do not leave devices on for long
periods (e.g. radio, hazard lights etc.);
❒ before performing any operation on the electrical
system, disconnect the battery negative cable;
❒ battery terminals shall always be perfectly tightened.
IMPORTANT A battery which is kept at a charge of less
than 50% (optical indicator with dark colour without green
area in the middle) for any length of time will be damaged
by sulphating leading to a reduction in cranking power.
The battery will also be more at risk of freezing (e.g. al-
ready at −10 °C). Refer to the paragraph "Vehicle inac-
tivity" in "Starting and driving" if the car is left parked for
a long time.
If, after buying the vehicle, you want to install electric ac-
cessories which require permanent electric supply (alarm,
etc.) contact the Fiat Dealership whose qualified person-
nel, in addition to suggesting the most suitable devices of
the Lineaccessori Fiat, will evaluate the overall electric ab-
sorption, checking whether the vehicle electric system is
capable of withstanding the load required, or whether it
should be integrated with a more powerful battery.
Since these devices continue absorbing energy even when
the ignition key is off, they gradually run down the battery.
DASHBOARD
AND CONTROLS
SAFETY
STARTING
AND DRIVING
WARNING LIGHTS
AND MESSAGES
IN AN EMERGENCY
MAINTENANCE
AND CARE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
215