2004 Alfa Romeo 156 tyre

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR65
PROGRAMMED MAINTENANCE
– Displaying the expiry date of the next
car service check (strictly related to the
Programmed Maintenance Schedule)
DISPLAY CONTRAST ADJUSTMENT
– Infocenter display graphics brightness
setting (dimming/brightening) UNITS SELECTION
– Selection of the following units: km or
mi (miles), °C or °F, l/100 km or km/l
WARNING/FAILURE BUZZER VOLUME
SETTING
– Volume setting of warning/failure
buzzer
“WINTER” TYRES SPEED LIMIT
– Switching on/off the relevant function
(ON/OFF)
– Setting the limit speed value among the
available ones (160 km/h, 190 km/h
or 210 km/h)DEFAULT VALUE RESET
– Switching on/off the relevant function
(ON/OFF)
EXIT MENU
– Exiting the menu
WARNINGThe use of polarized glasses
may reduce Infocenter display readability.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR67
MENU OFFSPEED
TRIP B
DATE
DEFAULT VALUES
CONTRAST
WINTER TYRESLANGUAGE
UNITS
BUZZER SERVICE
MENU DESCRIPTIONThe menu is made up of a set of functions arranged in a “circular fashion”, which can be selected by means of buttons
â
and
ã
, for ac-
cess to the different select operations and settings (see the examples “LANGUAGE” and “DATE” in the table below); for further details, also
refer to “Access to the menu screen” in the following pages.
English
Nederlands
EspãnolFrançais
DeutschItalianoPortoguese
Day
Minutes
MonthYear
Hour
ç
ç ç

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR72
ACCESS TO THE MENU SCREENAfter the INITIAL CHECK, it is possible to access the menu screen by pressing button
ç
.
To navigate use the
â
and
ã
buttons.
WARNING If you access the Menu and no setting/adjustment is made within about 60 seconds, the system automatically leaves the Menu
and displays the screen previously set. In this case, the latest setting selected but not confirmed (by means of button
ç
) is not stored; there-
fore, the operation must be performed again.
– When the car is running, only the short menu can be accessed (SPEED LIMIT setting).
– When the car is stopped, the extended menu can be accessed.
The following table gives the description of the cases provided.
Example of standard
screen
Is the car
moving?
Short menu screen
SPEED
TRIP B
DATE
LANGUAGE
UNITS
BUZZER
WINTER TYRES
SERVICE
INTENSITY
DEFAULT VALUES
MENU OFF
ç
See
INITIAL CHECK
NO
YES
Extended menu
screen

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR81
“WINTER” TYRES SPEED LIMIT (WINTER TYRES)With this function it is possible to set the speed limit when travelling with winter tyres. The speed limit can be chosen between: 160 km/h,
190 km/h or 210 km/h (see paragraph “Winter tyres” in section “Correct use of the car”).
çé
See INITIAL CHECK and ACCESS
TO THE MENU SCREEN
â
ã
Select, by means of buttons
â
or ã
activation or deactivation
(ON/OFF). The set option will be highlighted.
éç
é ç
Return to previously
set screen, e.g.
Return to
menu screen
â
ã
Menu
screen

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR85
DEFAULT VALUE RESET (DEFAULT VALUES)The following function:
– If ON restores: Speed limit, Trip B, Light rheostat, Language, Temperature unit, km/mi unit, Consumption unit, Buzzer, Winter tyres, Contrast,
with the following values Speed limit = 120 km/h, Trip B ON, Light rheostat ON = 4, Light rheostat OFF = 1, Language = Italian, Temperature
unit =
°C, Distance unit = km, Consumption unit = l/100 km, Buzzer = 2, Winter tyres OFF (value set at 160 km/h), contrast value = 3
– If OFF, the above parameter values can be set manuallyMenu screen
Return to menu screenReturn to previously
set screen, e.g.
â
ã
â
ãSee INITIAL CHECK and ACCESS
TO MENU SCREEN
çé
çé

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
178
Braking on corners always requires the ut-
most caution, even with the help of the ABS.
The most important piece of advice, how-
ever, is the following:Following these instructions you will be
in a condition to obtain peak braking per-
formance at all times.
WARNINGCars fitted with ABS must
only be fitted with wheel rims, tyres and
brake linings of the type and brand approved
by the Manufacturer.
The braking system is completed by the
electronic control braking distribution system
called EBD(Electronic Braking Force Dis-
tributor) which distributes the braking action
through the ABSsystem control unit and
sensors.
In the event of a system
fault, with lighting up of
the
>
warning light on the instru-
ment cluster (together with the
message + symbol shown by the
display), have the vehicle checked
immediately by Alfa Romeo Au-
thorized Services, driving slowly
to be able to regain full system
performance.
WARNING
When the ABS cuts in and
you feel the pedal pulse, do
not reduce the pressure, but keep
the brake pedal firmly pressed
with no fear; this way you will
stop in the shortest possible space,
compatibly with the conditions of
the road surface.
WARNING
The car is fitted with an
electronic brake distributor
(EBD). If the
>
and
x
warning
lights, where required, come on at
the same time (together with the
message + symbol shown by the
display) when the engine is run-
ning, there is an EBD system fault;
in this case, violent braking may
lock the rear wheels too early, with
the possibility of skidding. Drive
extremely carefully to the nearest
Alfa Romeo Authorized Services to
have the system checked over.
WARNING
In order to be able to exploit as far as pos-
sible the possibility of the antilock system
in the case of need, it is wise to follow a few
pieces of advice:
The ABS exploits the avail-
able grip in full, but it can-
not increase it; therefore, caution
is required on slippery surfaces,
without running unnecessary risks.
WARNING
If the ABS cuts in, it means
that the grip limit between
the tyres and the road surface has
been reached: it is necessary to
slow down and adapt driving to
the grip available.
WARNING

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
179
If the
x
low brake fluid
warning light comes on (to-
gether with the message + symbol
shown by the display), stop the car
immediately and contact the near-
est Alfa Romeo Authorized Ser-
vices. Indeed, any leak of fluid
from the hydraulic system com-
promises the effectiveness of both
the conventional brake system and
the system with antilock system.
WARNING
The turning on of the
>
warning light (together
with the message + symbol shown
by the display) with the engine
running normally indicates an ABS
system fault. In this case the brak-
ing system preserves its effec-
tiveness, without however making
use of the antilock device. Under
these circumstances, the EBD sys-
tem may fail to give top perfor-
mance. In this case, too, you are
recommended to contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services imme-
diately, driving in such a way as to
avoid abrupt braking, to have the
system checked.
WARNING
VDC AND ASR
SYSTEMS(where required)VDC SYSTEM (VEHICLE
DYNAMICS CONTROL):
GENERALThe VDC is an electronic vehicle stability
control system which, acting on the torque
and braking the wheels in a differentiated
manner, helps to bring the car back to the
correct course in the event of loss of grip.
While travelling the car is subjected to lat-
eral and longitudinal forces that may be
controlled by the driver up to when the
tyres offer adequate road-holding; when
this falls below the minimum level, the car
starts to deviate from the course required
by the driver.
Above all on rough surfaces (such as cob-
bles, or due to the presence of water, ice
or soil), changes in speed (when accelerat-
ing or braking) and/or course (bends or the
need to avoid obstacles) can cause the tyres
to lose grip.When the sensors detect the conditions
that would lead to skidding, the VDC system
acts on the engine and brakes generating
a stabilising torque.
The system performance
levels, in terms of active
safety, should not induce the dri-
ver to run pointless and unjustified
risks. Driving conduct should al-
ways be suited to the conditions of
the road surface, vision and traf-
fic. The responsibility for road
safety is always and anyway the
vehicle driver’s concern.
The VDC system helps the driver
to keep control of the car in the
event of loss of tyre grip.
The forces induced by the VDC sys-
tem to control the lack of stability
of the car always and anyway de-
pend on the grip between the tyre
and the road surface.
WARNING

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
180
The heart of the VDC system is the VDC
control unit which with the data supplied by
the sensors installed on the car, calculates
the centrifugal forces generated when the
car is cornering. The yawing sensor detects
the rotations of the car around its own ver-
tical axis. The centrifugal forces generated
when the car is cornering are detected by
a highly sensitive lateral acceleration sensor.
The stabilising action of the VDC system is
based on calculations made by the
system’s electronic control unit which
processes the signals received from the
steering wheel rotation, lateral acceleration
and individual wheel rotation sensors. These
signals allow the control unit to recognise
the manoeuvre the driver intends to do
when turning the steering wheel.
The control unit processes the information
received from the sensors and is therefore
capable of detecting the position of the car
and comparing it with the trajectory the dri-
ver would like to follow instant by instant.
In the event of a discrepancy, the control
unit chooses and commands the most suit-
able action to bring the car back to the re-
quired course within a fraction of a second:
braking one or more wheels at a different
braking force and, if necessary it reduces the
power transmitted by the engine. The corrective actions are changed and con-
trolled continuously until the car returns to
the required course.
The action of the VDC system considerably
increases the active safety of the vehicle un-
der many critical situations and it is partic-
ularly useful also when the road surface grip
conditions change.
For the VDC, ASR and ABS
systems to work correctly,
the tyres must be of the same
brand and type on all wheels, in
perfect conditions and above all of
the specified type, brand and size.
WARNING
During use of the compact
spare wheel, the VDC sys-
tem continues working. It should be
borne in mind that the spare wheel
is smaller than a normal tyre,
therefore its grip is lower than that
of the other tyres of the car.
WARNING
VDC SYSTEM OPERATIONThe VDC system turns on automatically
when the car is started and cannot be
switched off. It is however possible to cut
off operation of the ASR system pressing the
corresponding button on the centre console.
The main components of the VDC system
are:
– an electronic control unit which
processes the signals received from the var-
ious sensors and brings about the most ap-
propriate strategy;
– a sensor that detects the position of the
steering wheel;
– four sensors that detect the rotation
speed of each wheel;
– a sensor that detects rotation of the car
around the vertical axis;
– a sensor that detects lateral acceleration
(centrifugal force).