Cheri Posted Monday at 11:34 PM Share Posted Monday at 11:34 PM My husband recently bought me this cutie for my birthday, what a sweetheart! However the owners manual is in Italian, not much help. I would love some help trying to see what the levers are for, and the dashboard switches. Please help me.. 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bloo Posted Tuesday at 05:21 AM Share Posted Tuesday at 05:21 AM (edited) Too long ago! This might be close. The two stalks on the steering column are signal lights and headlights. This is a pretty standard Italian setup. The one closest to you should be signal lights, and should work about like any other car. The farther away one from you controls the lights and maybe some other stuff. Up/down on the lever is high beam/low beam, and to turn them on you *probably* twist the stalk. Very carefully try to turn it anticlockwise (rotate away from you) and see what happens. If I'm right, then probably the first click is parking lights and the second is headlights. Then, up and down (like signalling) for high beam and low beam. Turn it back towards you to shut off. On any Italian car of that age there will be a green light on the dash somewhere to show you that you have some lights on. This can be the parking lights or the headlights. There should additionally be a red light to indicate high beam. Try pushing on the center emblem in the steering wheel for the horn. If it's not there, it is probably in the headlight control stalk somehow. *Carefully* try pushing the end of the headlight stock toward the center of the steering column. Very light touch in case I'm wrong! it should be super easy. It might also honk by pulling toward you *very carefully*. I might be wrong. Don't break it.... If it is meant to move it will be super easy. There are probably two levers between the seats. One is probably a choke, and the other might be heat? Heat comes up the center tunnel from the engine in the back. There has to be a control somewhere. Also some very old Fiats had a starter that needed to be engaged manually. It could be that. If there is no spring loaded second position on the key to start (like a modern car) then probably one of those levers engages the starter. Any remaining dash switches are probably stuff like heater fan and wipers. Try them and see. Welcome to the forum! EDIT: If the control stalks are little chrome rods with knobs, they may work like i said above, on the other hand if they look like this picture below, there will probably not be any "twist" or "push" functions. Even then you can expect the close one to be signals, and the long one to control the headlights somehow. Edited Tuesday at 05:35 AM by Bloo (see edit history) 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
rocketraider Posted Tuesday at 08:42 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 08:42 PM I like this little Italian car. Maybe someone speaks/reads enough Italian to help Cheri understand and enjoy the dolce vita in her car. Terry Bond? 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DFeeney Posted Tuesday at 11:41 PM Share Posted Tuesday at 11:41 PM 30 years ago I worked with a guy who had one of these. We worked midnight shift, one night as he was driving in to the plant around 10:30 PM. in late November he stopped to pick up a hitch hiker. It was a cold rain/sleet mix evening. The hitch hiker would not get in. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reynard Posted Wednesday at 12:46 AM Share Posted Wednesday at 12:46 AM (edited) On 9/30/2024 at 4:34 PM, Cheri said: ,,,the owners manual is in Italian, not much help. Make reservations at a good Italian restaurant, order the specialty of the house, find the owner or the waiter, or buss-boy who has a heavy Italian accent, tip him heavily, show him your manual, and then ask him all the questions you have about your car. You may make a new friend for life - and get a recommendation to a good Italian mechanic. Make sure to drive your Bianchina to the restaurant and park it in a prominent space by the door. Buon appetito E buona fortuna. Edited Wednesday at 04:31 AM by Reynard (see edit history) 4 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarNucopia Posted Wednesday at 12:52 AM Share Posted Wednesday at 12:52 AM (edited) Congrats on the fun car. Use the Google Translate ap to get the Italian converted to 'merican. Then, find an Autobianchi group on Facebook. I'd be surprised if there aren't a few to choose from. Enjoy! Edited Wednesday at 02:29 AM by CarNucopia (see edit history) 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bryankazmer Posted Wednesday at 01:58 AM Share Posted Wednesday at 01:58 AM Are there specific words/phrases you’re trying to translate? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ddavidv Posted Wednesday at 11:25 AM Share Posted Wednesday at 11:25 AM The Bianchina is essentially a Fiat 500. A manual for that will be mostly the same. Autobianchi really only changed the body. This is about the only place in the USA to get parts for rear engine Fiats: https://www.fiatplus.com/ He may have English language manuals. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
zipdang Posted Friday at 12:30 AM Share Posted Friday at 12:30 AM My 1967 Fiat 500 questions were answered pretty quickly with a search on ebay (a few years ago) for owner's manuals, service manuals, etc. Might be worth checking... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nzcarnerd Posted Friday at 03:48 AM Share Posted Friday at 03:48 AM Just type 'translate Italian to English' in the search line on your computer screen and it will likely tell you what you need to know. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TAKerry Posted Friday at 11:40 AM Share Posted Friday at 11:40 AM Seems kinda typical, lots of answers for a one and done! 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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