VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
224
ADDITIONAL
OPERATIONS
Every 1000 kmor before long journeys,
check and if necessary top up:
– engine coolant fluid level
– brake/hydraulic clutch control fluid level
– power steering fluid level
– windscreen/rearscreen and headlamp
washer fluid level
– tyre pressure and conditions.
Every 3000 kmcheck and if necessary
top up the engine oil level.
The use of products of the FL Seleniais
recommended which have been designed
and made expressly for Alfa Romeo cars
(see “Refuelling” in the “Technical Specifi-
cations” chapter).
ANNUAL INSPECTION
PROGRAMME
For cars with an annual mileage
of below 20,000 km (for example
about 10,000 km) the following
yearly inspection programme is ad-
vised:
– Check tyre conditions/wear and if nec-
essary adjust the pressure
– Check operation of lighting system
(headlights, direction indicators, hazard
warning lights, boot, passenger compart-
ment, glovebox lights, warning lights )
– Check operation of windscreen wiper
system, spray jet adjustment
– Check position/wear of windscreen/
rearscreen wiper blades
– Check front disk brake pad conditions
and wear
– Check for bonnet and boot lock clean-
ness, lever cleanness and lubrication– Sight check for conditions of: engine,
gearbox, transmission, pipes (exhaust - fu-
el supply - brakes) rubber parts (boots -
sleeves - bushes etc..), brake and fuel sup-
ply system hoses
– Check battery charge
– Sight check for conditions of various dri-
ve belts
– Check and if necessary top up fluid lev-
els (engine coolant, brakes, windscreen
washer, battery, etc...)
– Change engine oil
– Change engine oil filter
– Change pollen filter.
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
235
You are also reminded that services with
high current absorption switched on by the
user, such as for example: baby bottle warm-
ers, vacuum cleaner, mobile phone, mini
fridge, etc., quicken the battery draining
processif they are turned on with
the engine offor running at idle speed.
IMPORTANT When installing addition-
al systems on the vehicle, bear in mind that
improper branches on connections of the ve-
hicle wiring are dangerous, particularly if
safety devices are involved.
Battery
60 Ah
70 AhMaximum permissible
loadless absorption
36 mA
42 mA
The maximum absorption of all the ac-
cessories (standard and fitted afterwards)
should be 0.6 mA x Ah (of the battery), as
shown in the following table:CHANGING THE BATTERY
When changing the battery it should be re-
placed with another original one with the
same characteristics. If it is replaced by a
battery with different characteristics, the
maintenance intervals given in the Sched-
uled Maintenance Programme in this chap-
ter are no longer valid and for maintenance
it will be necessary to follow the battery
Manufacturer’s instructions.
USEFUL HINTS TO EXTEND
THE LIFE OF YOUR BATTERY
To avoid rapidly draining the battery and
ensure that it continues to work correctly,
the following should be noted:
– The terminals must always be firmly
tightened.
– Within reason, avoid using electrical de-
vices for a long time when the engine is
switched off (radio, hazard warning lights,
parking lights, etc.).– When the vehicle is parked in a garage,
ensure that the doors, bonnet, boot and in-
ner lids are closed properly so that the lights
do not stay on permanently.
– Before carrying out any work on the
electric system, disconnect the negative ca-
ble from the battery.
– If after buying the car, you wish to in-
stall electric accessories which require a per-
manent electric supply (alarm, voice feature,
radionavigator with satellite antitheft func-
tion etc.) or accessories that burden the elec-
tric system, contact Alfa Romeo Authorised
services whose qualified personnel, in ad-
dition to suggesting the most suitable de-
vices belonging to Lineaccessori Alfa Romeo,
will evaluate the overall electric absorption,
checking whether the vehicle’s electric sys-
tem is capable of withstanding the load re-
quired, or whether it should be integrated
with a more powerful battery. In fact, as
some of these devices continue absorbing
energy even when the ignition key is off (car
stationary, engine off), they gradually drain
the battery.
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
241
ADVICE FOR PRESERVING
THE BODYWORK
Paint
The paintwork does not only serve an aes-
thetic purpose but also protects the under-
lying sheet metal.
In the case of deep scrapes or scores, you
are advised to have the necessary touch-
ing up carried out immediately to avoid the
formation of rust.
Only original products should be used for
touching up paint (see “Body paint identi-
fication plate” in the “Technical Specifica-
tions” chapter).
Normal paint maintenance consists in
washing at intervals depending on the con-
ditions and environment of use. For exam-
ple, in highly polluted areas, or if the roads
are sprayed with salt, it is wise to wash the
car more frequently.Do not wash the vehicle after it has been
left in the sun or with the bonnet hot: this
may alter the shine of the paintwork.
Exterior plastic parts must be cleaned in
the same way as the rest of the vehicle.
Where possible, do not park under trees;
the resinous substance many species release
give the paint a dull appearance and in-
crease the possibility of triggering rust
processes.
IMPORTANTBird droppings must be
washed off immediately and thoroughly as
the acid they contain is particularly aggres-
sive.
Windows
Use specific products to clean the windows.
Use clean cloths to avoid scratching or al-
tering the transparency of the glass.
IMPORTANTThe inside of the
rearscreen should be wiped gently with a
cloth in the direction of the filaments to
avoid damaging the heating device. Detersives pollute water.
The car should therefore be
washed in areas equipped
for the collection and purification
of the liquid used in the washing
process.
To correctly wash the car:
1) Remove the aerial from the roof to pre-
vent damage to it if the car is washed in
an automatic system.
2) Spray the vehicle with a low pressure
jet of water.
3) Pass a sponge moistened with a light
detergent solution, rinsing the sponge fre-
quently.
4) Rinse well with water and dry with a
jet of air or chamois leather.
When drying, take particular care with the
less visible parts like door surrounds, bon-
net and around the headlights where wa-
ter may stagnate. The vehicle should not be
taken to a closed area immediately, but left
in the open so that residual water can evap-
orate.
RIGHT HAND DRIVE VERSION
260
DASHBOARD
1. Side swivel air vents - 2. Fixed side window air vents - 3. Passenger’s front Air bag - 4. Tailgate release button - 5. Card holder - 6. Radio -
7. Centre swivel air vents - 8. Fixed upper vent - 9. Glass holder - 10. Fog lamp button - 11. Hazard warning light switch - 12. Rear fog guard
button - 13. Outer light control lever - 14. Speedometer with mileage recorder and trip recorder and headlamp aiming display - 15. Fuel level
gauge with reserve warning light - 16. Multifunction display - 17. Engine coolant fluid temperature gauge - 18. Rev counter - 19. Wind-
screen/rearscreen wiper control lever - 20. Bonnet opening lever - 21. Set of controls: trip meter reset, headlamp aiming device, trip comput-
er - 22. Ignition key and switch - 23. Horn - 24. Steering wheel locking/release lever - 25. Driver’s front Air bag - 26. Door locking button -
27. Controls for heating, ventilation and climate control - 28. Ashtray - 29. Cigar lighter - 30. Temperature sensor - 31Glovebox.
fig. 1A0A0475m
RIGHT HAND DRIVE VERSION
271
BONNET
The bonnet opening lever is under the left
end of the dashboard.
To open:
– pull the lever (A-fig. 23) until the bon-
net clicks open.
– press the safety lever (A-fig. 24) up-
wards.
– raise the bonnet.
IMPORTANTBonnet raising is aided by
two gas springs. Do not tamper with these
springs and accompany the bonnet while
raising it.
fig. 23
A0A0481m
fig. 24
A0A0437m
To close:
– lower the bonnet until approx. 20 cm
from the engine compartment and then let
it drop, ensuring that it is fully closed and
not just held in position by the safety catch.
If the bonnet does not close properly do
not push it down but open it again and re-
peat the above procedure.
Scarves, ties and other
loose clothing might be
pulled by moving parts.
WARNING
Do this only with the car
stationary.
WARNING
For safety reasons the
bonnet shall always be
perfectly closed when travelling.
Always check for proper bonnet
locking. If the bonnet is left inad-
vertently open, stop the car im-
mediately and close the bonnet.
WARNING
DANGER-SERIOUS INJURY.
When carrying out checks
or maintenance operations in the
engine compartment, take special
care not to bump the head on the
raised bonnet.
WARNING
If checks are needed in the
engine compartment, when
it is still hot, do not approach the
fan: it might start working also
with the ignition key removed.
Wait for the engine to cool down.
WARNING
ALPHABETICAL INDEX
274
A A
L L
P P
H H
A A
B B
E E
T T
I I
C C
A A
L L
I I
N N
D D
E E
X X
ABS (Antilock braking system) ..... 134
Accessories purchased by the user... 125
Additional operations
(maintenance) .......................... 224
Additional stop light (third stop) ..... 205
Air bags, front and side ............ 35
- deactivating passenger’s
side air bags ...................... 37
- front air bags ..................... 36
- general cautions ...................... 40
- passenger’s front air bag........... 37
- right hand drive version ............ 259
- side air bags
(side bag - window bag)........... 38
Air cleaner................................... 232
Air re-circulation ........................... 102
Air vents ..................................... 90
Alfa Romeo CODE system .............. 6- operation................................ 9
Annual inspection programme
(maintenance) .......................... 224
Armrest (front) ........................... 18
Armrest (rear) ............................ 21
Ashtray
- front ...................................... 122
- rear ....................................... 123
ASR (system) .............................. 138
Battery ..................................... 233
- advice for preserving
the charge .............................. 235
- charging.......................... 216-234
- checking the charge ................. 234
- replacement............................ 235
- starting with an auxiliary
battery ................................... 216
Body (cleaning) ........................... 240Body marking.............................. 243
Body versions .............................. 244
Bonnet ................................ 130
Boot
- capacity ................................. 253
- extension ........................... 19-20
- lighting .................................. 129
- luggage net ............................ 21
- opening from inside ................. 128
- opening with remote
control ............................... 8-128
- restraining the load .................. 129
- tailgate closing ........................ 129
- warnings for carrying luggage.... 129
Boot light
- changing bulbs ........................ 208
Bose HI-FI system ........................ 172
ALPHABETICAL INDEX
277
- marking ................................. 244
- specifications .......................... 245
Engine codes ............................... 244
Engine compartment
- bonnet ................................... 130
- washing ................................. 242
Engine coolant fluid
- checking level
and topping up ........................ 231
- temperature gauge and
warning light........................... 52
Engine oil
- checking the level and
topping up .............................. 227
- consumption ........................... 227
Engine starting ............................ 175
- emergency starting .................. 177
- ignition switch ......................... 14
- switching off ........................... 176
- warming the engine ................. 176Engine oil consumption ................. 227
EOBD (system)............................ 139
Environment (safeguarding) .......... 174
- emission reducing devices ......... 174
- reducing running costs
and environment pollution......... 181
- running economy ..................... 183
- safeguarding emission
reduction devices ..................... 184
- use of non-toxic materials ......... 174
Extending the luggage compartment
- partial .................................... 20
- total ...................................... 19
External lights (switching on) ........ 42
First-aid kit................................. 220
Flashing high beams..................... 43
Fluids (specifications) ................... 255
Fluids and lubricants.............. 255-256
Follow me home device ................ 44Foglights
- changing bulbs................. 199-201
- switching on ........................... 106
Front ceiling light ......................... 120
- changing bulbs ........................ 206
Fuel
- automatic shut off switch .......... 107
- consumption ........................... 257
- fuel cap.................................. 173
- level gauge and reserve
warning light........................... 52
- refilling .................................. 173
Fuel flap ..................................... 173
Fuel reserve ................................ 52
Fuel supply (technical data)........... 246
Fuses
- in control box in engine
compartment .......................... 210
- in control box on battery post .... 211