2004 Alfa Romeo 156 Owner handbook (in English)

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
199
TOWING TRAILERSWARNINGS AND
SUGGESTIONS For towing caravans or trailers the vehi-
cle must be fitted with a certified tow hook
and an adequate electric system. Installa-
tion should be carried out by specialised per-
sonnel who release a special document for
circulation on the road.
Install any specific and/or additional rear-
view mirrors as specified by law. Remember
that when towing a trailer, steep hills are
harder to climb, the braking spaces increase
and overtaking takes longer depending on
the overall weight.
Engage a low gear when driving downhill,
rather than constantly using the brake.
The weight the trailer exerts on the vehi-
cle tow hook reduces by the same amount
the actual vehicle loading capacity. To make sure the maximum towable
weight is not exceeded (given in the log
book) account should be taken of the fully
laden trailer, including accessories and per-
sonal belongings.
Drive within the permitted speed limits for
vehicles with trailers. In any case the maxi-
mum speed should never exceed 100 km/h.
INSTALLING THE TOW HOOKThe towing device should be fastened to
the body by specialised personnel according
to the following instructions and any addi-
tional and/or integrative information sup-
plied by the Manufacturer of the device.
The towing device must meet current reg-
ulations with reference to 94/20/EC Di-
rective and subsequent amendments.
For any version the towing device used
must match the towable weight of the ve-
hicle on which it is to be installed.
For the electric connection a unified con-
nector should be used which is generally
placed on a special bracket normally fas-
tened to the towing device.
The ABS system with
which the car may be fitted
does not control the trailer braking
system. Particular care is therefore
necessary on slippery surfaces.
WARNING
Under no circumstances
should the vehicle brake
system be altered to control the
trailer brake. The trailer braking
system must be fully independent
of the vehicle’s hydraulic system.
WARNING

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
200
INSTALLATION LAYOUT
(fig. 1)
The tow hook structure must be fastened
in the points shown by the symbol
Ø
us-
ing 4 M8 screws and 7 M10 screws.
Inner plate (2) should be at least 6 mm
thick.
Inner plate (3) should be at least 4 mm
thick.
Outer plate (4) should be at least 5 mm
thick.
The fastening points (1) must be fitted
with spacers with 25 mm diameter and 6
mm thickness. For the electrical connection, a 7 pin
12VDC connection is to be used
(CUNA/UNI - 9128 Standard). Follow the
instructions provided by the car manufac-
turer and/or the tow hitch manufacturer.
An electric brake should be supplied directly
by the battery through a cable with a cross
section of no less than 2.5 mm
2. In addition
to the electrical branches, the car’s electric
system can only be connected to the supply
cable for an electric brake and to the cable
for an internal light, though not above 15W.WARNINGIt is compulsory to fasten a
label (clearly visible) of suitable size and
material at the height of the hook ball with
the wording:
MAX. LOAD ON BALL 60 kg
After assembly, the fas-
tening screw holes should
be sealed to prevent the infiltra-
tion of exhaust gas.
WARNING

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
201
fig. 1
A0B0143m
Existing holes
Section A-A
Fully laden vehicle
Existing holes
Existing holes
2 M10 screws
Regulation ball 3 M10 screws
4 M8 screws2 M10 screws

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
202
It is therefore necessary to limit their use
to the purposes for which they are certified.
WARNINGWhen snow tyres are used
with a max. speed index below the one that
can be reached by the car (increased by
5%), place a notice in the passenger com-
partment, plainly in the driver’s view which
states the max. permissible speed of the
snow tyres (as per EC Directive).
All four tyres should be the same (brand
and track) to ensure greater safety when
driving and braking and better driveability.
Remember that it is inappropriate to
change the direction of rotation of tyres.
WINTER TYRESThese tyres are specially designed for dri-
ving on snow and ice, to be fitted in place
of the existing tyres.
Use snow tyres of the same size as the
normal tyres provided with the car.
Alfa Romeo Authorized Services will be
glad to provide advice concerning the most
suitable type of tyre for the customer’s re-
quirements.
For the type of tyre to be used, inflation
pressures and the specifications of snow
tyres, follow the instructions given in chap-
ter “Technical Specifications”.
The winter features of these tyres are re-
duced considerably when the tread depth
is below 4 mm. In this case, they should be
replaced. Due to the snow tyre features, un-
der normal conditions of use or on long mo-
torway journeys, the performance of these
tyres is lower than that of normal tyres.
SNOW CHAINSUse of snow chains should be in compli-
ance with local regulations.
Use snow chains with reduced size:
– for tyres 185/65 R15” e 205/60
R15” use snow chains with reduced size
with max. protrusion beyond the tyre pro-
file of 12 mm.
– for tyres 205/55 R16” use snow
chains with reduced size with max. protru-
sion beyond the tyre profile of 9 mm.
Tyres 215/45 R17” can-
not be fitted with snow
chains due to interference
with front suspension support. Snow chains should only be applied to the
driving wheels (front wheels).
Alfa Romeo Authorized Services should first
be contacted before purchasing or using
snow chains.
Check the tension of the chains after the
first few metres have been driven.
The max. speed for snow
tyres with “Q” marking is
160 km/h, 190 km/h for tyres
with “T” marking and 210 km/h
for tyres with “H” marking. The
Road Traffic Code speed limits must
however be always strictly ob-
served.
WARNING

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
203
Keep your speed
down when snow
chains are fitted.
Do not exceed 50 km/h. Avoid
potholes, steps and pavements and
avoid also to drive for long dis-
tances on roads not covered with
snow to prevent damaging the car
and the roadbed.
VEHICLE INACTIVITYIf the car is to be left inactive for long pe-
riods, the following precautions should be
noted:
– House the vehicle under cover in a dry
and possibly ventilated place.
– Engage a gear.
– Check that the handbrake is not en-
gaged.
– Clean and protect the painted parts us-
ing protective wax.
– Disconnect the negative terminal (–)
and check the battery charge. This check is
to be repeated every three months.
Recharge if the optical indicator shows a
dark colour without the central green area.
WARNINGWhere applicable, switch off
the electronic car alarm with the remote con-
trol.– Clean and protect the shiny metal parts
using special compounds readily available.
– Sprinkle talcum powder on the rubber
windscreen and rear window wiper blades
and lift them off the glass.
– Slightly open the windows.
– Cover the car with a cloth or perforated
plastic sheet. Do not use sheets of non-per-
forated plastic as they do not allow mois-
ture on the car body to evaporate.
– Inflate the tyres to 0.5 bar above the
normal specified pressure and check it at in-
tervals.
– If you don’t disconnect the battery from
the electric system, check its charge every
month and recharge it if the optical indica-
tor shows a dark colour without the central
green area.
– Do not drain the engine cooling system. Snow chains cannot be
fitted to the spare wheel
so, if a front (drive) tyre is
punctured and chains must be fit-
ted, the rear wheel should be fit-
ted to the front of the vehicle (in-
flate the tyres to the specified
pressure as soon as possible) and
the spare tyre should be fitted to
the rear. A snow chain can then be
safely fitted to the front wheel.

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
204
REMOVING FROM STORAGEBefore using your vehicle after a long pe-
riod of inactivity, the following operations
should first be carried out:
– Do not dust the outside of the vehicle.
– Visually check that there are no leaks
(oil, brake and clutch fluid, engine coolant,
etc.).
– Replace engine oil and filter.
– Check:
- brake-clutch fluid level
- level of engine coolant fluid.
– Check the air cleaner and replace if nec-
essary.
– Check tyre pressure and ensure that they
are not damaged, cracked or cut. If they are
they must be replaced.– Check the state of the drive belts.
– Reconnect the battery negative termi-
nal (–) after checking that the charge is ad-
equate.
– With the gear lever in neutral start the
engine and allow the engine to run for a few
seconds whilst repeatedly working the clutch
pedal.
USEFUL ACCESSORIESIn addition to the legal requirements, we
recommend keeping the following in the car
(fig. 1):
– first aid kit with non-alcoholic base dis-
infectant, steril gauzes, a roll of gauze, plas-
ters, etc.;
– torch;
– round-ended scissors;
– work gloves.fig. 1
A0B0389m
This operation must be per-
formed in the open. The
exhaust gases contain carbon
monoxide which is extremely toxic
and may also be lethal.
WARNING

IN AN EMERGENCY
205
3)Fully depress the accelerator pedal and
keep it pressed. The warning light
U
will
come on for eight seconds approximately
and will then go out; now release the ac-
celerator pedal.
4)The warning light
U
begins to flash:
after it has flashed for the same number of
times as the first digit on the code of the
card, press completely and hold down the
accelerator pedal until the warning light
U
comes on (for 4 seconds) and then goes out
again; now release the accelerator pedal.
5)The warning light
U
will begin to
flash: after it has flashed for the same num-
ber of times as the second digit on the code
of the card, press completely and hold down
the accelerator pedal.
6)Repeat this procedure in the same way
for the other digits on the CODE card code.
7)After entering the last figure, keep the
accelerator pedal pressed. The warning light
U
turns on (for four seconds) and then goes
off; now release the accelerator pedal.8)A quick flash of the warning light
U
(for appr. 4 seconds) confirms that the op-
eration has taken place correctly.
9)Start the car turning the ignition key
from theMAR position to the AVV posi-
tion without returning the key to theSTOP
position.
Conversely, if the warning light
U
stays
on, turn the ignition key to STOPand re-
peat the procedure starting from point 1.
WARNINGAfter emergency starting it
is advisable to turn to an Alfa Romeo Au-
thorized Service, because the procedure de-
scribed must be repeated each time the en-
gine is started.
EMERGENCY
STARTINGIf the Alfa Romeo CODE system is not able
to deactivate the engine inhibitor, warning
lights
Y
and
U
remain lit and the engine
cannot be started. To start the engine it is
necessary to follow the emergency starting
procedure.
WARNINGYou are advised to careful-
ly read the entire procedure before carry-
ing it out.
If a mistake is made during the emergency
procedure, the ignition key should be turned
to STOPand the operations must be re-
peated from the start (point 1).
1)Read the 5-figure electronic code on
the CODE card.
2)Turn the ignition key to theMAR po-
sition.
I I
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IN AN EMERGENCY
206
STARTING WITH AN
AUXILIARY BATTERYIf the battery is flat (for battery with op-
tical hydrometer: dark in colour with no
green area in the centre), the engine can be
started using another battery of the same
or a little higher capacity than the flat one.
This is what you should do fig. 1:
1)Remove the protecting cover on the
battery positive pole by pressing the related
side wings (front side), then connect the
positive terminals (plus sign +next to the
terminal) of the two batteries with a special
cable.
2)Connect a second cable to the negative
terminal (–) of the auxiliary battery with
an earth point
Eon the engine or the gear-
box of the car to be started.WARNINGDo not directly connect the
negative terminals of the two batteries: any
sparks may set fire to the gas that may be
released from the battery. If the auxiliary bat-
tery in installed on another car, no metal part
shall accidentally come into contact with this
car and the one with the flat battery.
3)Start the engine.
4)When the engine is running remove the
cables in reverse order.
If after a few attempts the engine does not
start, do not insist but contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services.
fig. 1
A0B0181m
Never use a quick battery
charger to start the engine
in an emergency as this
could damage the electronic sys-
tems of your vehicle, particularly
the control units which manage the
starting and supply functions.
The battery terminal con-
necting and disconnecting
operations generate cur-
rent that may cause problems to
the car’s electronic systems. There-
fore, this operation should be car-
ried out by skilled personnel.This starting procedure
must be carried out by
qualified personnel as incorrect op-
erations may provoke electrical
discharge of great intensity. The
liquid contained in the battery is
toxic and corrosive. Avoid contact
with skin and eyes. Keep naked
flame and lighted cigarettes away
from the battery. Do not cause
sparks.
WARNING