User Manual - Page 239

For 2018 FIAT 500L.

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FREEING A STUCK VEHICLE
If your vehicle becomes stuck in mud, sand or snow, it can
often be moved using a rocking motion. Turn the steering
wheel right and left to clear the area around the front
wheels. Push and hold the lock button on the gear selector.
Then, shift back and forth between DRIVE and REVERSE,
while gently pressing the accelerator. Use the least amount
of accelerator pedal pressure that will maintain the rocking
motion, without spinning the wheels, or racing the engine.
NOTE: Push the ESC Off switch, to place the Electronic
Stability Control (ESC) system in Partial Off mode, before
rocking the vehicle. Refer to “Electronic Brake Control
System” in “Safety” for further information. Once the
vehicle has been freed, push the ESC Off switch again to
restore ESC On mode.
WARNING!
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
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
seconds continuously without stopping when you are
stuck and do not let anyone near a spinning wheel, no
matter what the speed.
CAUTION!
Racing the engine or spinning the wheels may lead
to transmission overheating and failure. Allow the
engine to idle with the transmission 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 pro-
longed efforts to free a stuck vehicle.
When “rocking” a stuck vehicle by shifting between
DRIVE 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 transmis-
sion shifting occurring).
7
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY 237
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