GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
38
The key-operated switch (fig. 51) has
two positions:
1) Passenger’s front Air bag activated:
(ONposition
P) warning light on instru-
ment cluster off; it is absolutely prohibited
to carry a child on the front seat.
2) Passenger’s front Air bag deactivated:
(OFFposition
F) warning light on in-
strument cluster on; it is possible to carry a
child protected by special restraint systems
on the front seat.
The warning light
Fon the cluster stays
on permanently until the passenger’s Air bag
is reactivated.
Deactivation of the passenger’s front Air
bag does not inhibit operation of the side Air
bag.
When the door is open, the key can be
inserted and removed in both positions.
SIDE AIR BAGS
(SIDE BAG - WINDOW BAG)
The side bag and window bag have the
task of increasing protection of the occu-
pants in the event of a side crash of medi-
um-high severity.
They are formed of an instantaneously-in-
flating cushion:
– the side bag is housed in the back rest
of the front seats; with this solution it is al-
ways possible to have the cushion in the op-
timum position in relation to the passenger,
regardless of the adjustment of the seat;
– the window bags, which are “curtain“
cushions, are housed in the side roof lining
covered by a special trim, which makes it
possible to extend the cushion downwards.
This solution, designed to protect the head,
makes it possible to offer the highest degree
of protection to the front and rear occupants
in the event of side crash, thanks to the wide
cushion inflation surface.
In the event of a side crash, an electronic
control unit processes the signals leading
from a deceleration sensor and activates,
when necessary, inflation of the bags.The bags inflate instantaneously, setting
themselves between the body of the front
passengers and the car door. The bags de-
flate immediately afterwards.
In the event of minor side crashes (for
which the restraining action of the seat belts
is sufficient), the air bags are not deployed.
Also in this case it is of vital importance to
wear the seat belts since in case of side
crash they guarantee proper positioning of
the occupant and prevent the occupant to
be pitched out of the car in case of violent
crashes.
Therefore the side air bags do not replace
but are complementary to the use of belts,
which you are recommended to always
wear, as specified by law in Europe and most
non-European countries.
Operation of the side air bags and window
bags is not disabled by the front air bag de-
activation switch, as described in the previ-
ous paragraphs.
Use the switch only with
the engine off and the ig-
nition key removed.
WARNING
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
40
GENERAL CAUTIONS
You are reminded that
when the ignition key is
engaged and in the MAR position,
the Air bags can be triggered also
on a stationary vehicle, if it is
bumped by another moving vehi-
cle. Therefore, even with the car
stationary, never allow children on
the front seat. You are also re-
minded that with the car station-
ary, without the key engaged and
turned, the Air bags are not trig-
gered in the event of an impact; in
this case the failure to trigger the
air bags should not be considered
a system failure.
WARNING
Do not cover the back rest
of front seats with trims or
covers there are not set for the use
of side bags.
WARNING
If the ¬warning light does
not turn on when turning the
ignition key to MAR or if it stays on
when travelling, this could indicate a
failure in safety retaining systems; un-
der this condition air bags or preten-
sioners could not trigger in the event
of collision or, in a restricted number
of cases, they could trigger acciden-
tally. Stop the car contact Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services to have the sys-
tem checked immediately.
WARNING
Never travel with objects
on your lap, in front of the
chest or with a pipe, pencil, etc. be-
tween your lips. Serious injury may
result in the case of the air bag be-
ing triggered.
WARNING
If the car has been stolen
or an attempt to steal it
has been made, if it has been sub-
jected to vandals or floods, have
the Air bag system checked by Al-
fa Romeo Authorized Services.
WARNING
Always keep your hands
on the steering wheel rim
when driving, so that if the Air bag
is triggered, it can inflate without
meeting any obstacles. Do not dri-
ve with the body bent forwards,
keep the seat back rest in the erect
position and lean your back well
against it.
WARNING
Please don’t apply stickers
or other objects to the
steering wheel, to the air-bag cov-
er on the passenger's side or on the
side roof lining to the upholstery
on the roof side. Don’t place ob-
jects on the dashboard passenger’s
side (such as mobile phones) be-
cause they could tamper with the
correct opening of the passenger’s
air-bag and than cause serious in-
juries to the vehicle occupants.
WARNING
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
41
Turning the ignition key to
MAR the
Fwarning light
(with the passenger’s front Air bag
deactivation switch at ON) turns
on for about 4 seconds, and then
flashes for another 4 seconds to
remind that the passenger’s Air
bag and corresponding side Air
bags will be activated in the event
of a crash, then it goes off.
WARNING
Do not hook rigid objects to
the coat hooks and to the
support handles.
WARNING
Do not wash the seat back
with pressurised water or
steam (by hand or at automatic
seat washing stations).
WARNING
The front Air bags are de-
signed to be triggered for
heavier crashes than the preten-
sioners. It is therefore normal for
the pretensioners only to be trig-
gered for crashes within the two
activation thresholds.
WARNING
The air bag does not re-
place the seat belts, but in-
creases their effectiveness. Addi-
tionally, as the front air bags are
not triggered for head-on collision
at low speed, side crashes, crash-
es from behind or overturning, in
these cases the occupants are pro-
tected only by the seat belts, which
must, therefore, always be fas-
tened.
WARNING
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
42
STEERING
WHEEL LEVERS
The devices and services controlled by the
levers on the steering wheel can only be ac-
tivated with the ignition key at MAR.
LEFT-HAND LEVER
The left-hand lever controls the outer lights
except the fog lamps and rear fog guards.
When the outer lights are switched on, the
various controls on the dashboard are illu-
minated.
Only with the ignition key at PARK, re-
gardless of the position of the knurled ring,
the side lights and number plate lights stay
on.
Position (1or2-fig. 57) of the lever
causes the turning on only of the side lights
(front and rear), on the right or left respec-
tively.
Lights switched off (fig. 52)
When the pointer on the knurled ring is op-
posite the symbol Othe outer lights are
switched off.Sidelights(fig. 53)
The sidelights are switched on by turning
the knurled ring from Oto
6.
The
3warning light on the instrument
cluster will come on at the same time.
Dipped-beam headlights (fig. 54)
These are switched on by turning the
knurled ring from
6to2.
fig. 52
A0A0063m
fig. 53
A0A0064m
Main beams (fig. 55)
To turn main beams on, set knurled ring
to position
2, push the lever towards the
dashboard (stable position); warning light
1on the instrument panel will turn on.
To set dipped-beams back pull the lever to-
wards the steering wheel.
fig. 54
A0A0065m
fig. 55
A0A0066m
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
44
“Follow me home” device
(fig. 58)
This function allows the illumination of the
space in front of the car for the length of
time set, and is activated with the ignition
key at STOPor removed, pulling the left-
hand stalk towards the steering wheel.
This function is activated pulling the lever
within 2 minutes from when the engine is
turned off. At each single movement of the
lever, the staying on of the dipped beams
and sidelights is extended by 30 seconds up
to a maximum of 3.5 minutes; the lights
switch off automatically after the time set.
Each time the lever is operated, the
1
warning light on the cluster turns on.
This function can be interrupted by keep-
ing the lever pulled towards the steering
wheel for more than 2 seconds.
RIGHT-HAND LEVER
The right-hand lever is used to operate the
windscreen wiper-washer and rearscreen
wiper-washer. The windscreen washer con-
trol also activates the headlamp washers,
if fitted.
fig. 59
A0A0070m
Windscreen wiper - washer
(fig. 59-60)
The lever can be moved to five different
positions, corresponding to:
A- Windscreen wiper off.
B- Intermittent.
With the lever in position (B), turning the
ring (F) four possible intermittent speeds
are obtained:
■= intermittent slow.
■■= intermittent medium.
■■■= intermittent medium-fast.
■■■■= fast intermittent.
C- Continuous, slow.
D- Continuous, fast.
E- Fast, temporary (unstable position).
Operation in position (E) is limited to the
time the lever is held in this position. When
the lever is released, it returns to position
(A) automatically stopping the wiper.
IMPORTANTWhen the wiper is on, en-
gaging reverse gear automatically turns on
the rearscreen wiper.
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
45
Rain sensor (fig. 61)
The rain sensor (A), fitted only on cer-
tain versions, is an electronic device com-
bined with the windscreen wiper which has
the purpose of automatically adjusting the
number of wipes during intermittent opera-
tion, to the intensity of the rain.
All the other functions controlled by the
right-hand lever remain unchanged.
The rain sensor is activated automatically
moving the right-hand lever to position (B-
fig. 59) and it has a range of adjustment
that gradually varies between wiper sta-
tionary (no wiping) when the windscreen is
dry, to wiper at first continuous speed (con-
tinuous, slow) with heavy rain.Turning the knurled ring (F-fig. 59) it
is possible to increase the sensitivity of the
rain sensor, obtaining a quicker change from
stationary when the windscreen is dry, to
first continuous speed (continuous, slow).
Operating the windscreen washer with the
rain sensor activated (lever at position B)
the normal washing cycle is performed at
the end of which the rain sensor resumes its
normal automatic function.
Turning the ignition key to STOPthe rain
sensor is deactivated and the next time the
engine is started (MARposition) it will not
be reactivated even if the lever has remained
in position (B). In this case to activate the
rain sensor, simply move the lever to (A)
or (C) and then back to (B).
When the rain sensor is reactivated in this
way, the wiper performs at least one stroke,
even if the windscreen is dry, to indicate that
reactivation has occurred.
The rain sensor is located behind the inner
rear-view mirror in contact with the wind-
screen and inside the area cleaned by the
wiper and it controls an electronic control
unit which in turn controls the wiper motor. “INTELLIGENT WASHING” FUNCTION”
Pulling the lever towards the steering
wheel (instable position) operates the wind-
screen washer.
Keeping the lever pulled, with only one
movement it is possible to operate the wash-
er jet and the wiper at the same time; in-
deed, the latter comes into action auto-
matically if the lever is pulled for more than
half a second.
The wiper stops working a few strokes af-
ter releasing the lever; a further “cleaning
stroke” after a few seconds completes the
wiping operation.
fig. 60
A0A0071m
fig. 61
A0A0489m
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
47
The device is disengaged automatically in
any one of the following cases:
– pressing the brake pedal;
– pressing the clutch pedal;
– if the ASR or VDC, MSR system cuts in.
CONTROLS(fig. 65)
Cruise Control is controlled by the
ON/OFFknurled ring (A), by the +/–
ring (B) and by the RESbutton (C).
Ring (A) has two positions:
–OFFin this position the device is deac-
tivated;
–ONis the normal operating position of
the device. When the knurled ring (A) is
in this position, the warning light
Üon the
instrument cluster turns on.Ring (B) serves for memorising and main-
taining the car speed or for increasing or low-
ering the speed memorised.
Turn the ring (B) to (+) to memorise the
speed reached or increase the speed mem-
orised.
Turn the ring (B) to (–) to lower the speed
memorised.
Each time the ring is actuated (B) the speed
increases or lowers by about 1.5 km/h.
Keeping the ring turned the speed changes
continuously. The new speed reached will
be maintained automatically.
TheRESbutton (C) resets the memorised
speed.
IMPORTANTTurning the ignition key to
STOPor the ring (A) to OFF, the speed
memorised is cleared and the system is
switched off.
CRUISE CONTROL
GENERAL
The speed regulator (CRUISE CON-
TROL), with electronic control, makes it
possible to drive the car at the required
speed without pressing the accelerator ped-
al. This reduces driving fatigue during long
journeys because the speed memorised is
automatically maintained.
IMPORTANTThe device can only be en-
gaged at speeds above 30 km/h.
fig. 65
A0A0077m
Cruise control must be ac-
tivated only when the
route and traffic allow a constant
speed for a sufficiently long dis-
tance completely safely.
WARNING
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
50
DASHBOARD
1. Side swivel air vents - 2. Fixed side window air vents - 3. Outer light control lever - 4. Speedometer with mileage recorder and trip recorder
and headlamp aiming display - 5. Fuel level gauge with reserve warning light - 6. Multifunction display - 7. Engine coolant fluid temperature
gauge - 8. Rev counter - 9. Tailgate release button - 10. Card holder - 11. Radio - 12. Centre swivel air vents - 13. Fixed upper vent - 14.
Glass holder - 15. Fog lamp button - 16. Hazard warning light switch - 17. Rear fog guard button - 18. Passenger’s front Air bag - 19. Glove-
box - 20. Door locking button - 21. Controls for heating, ventilation and climate control - 22. Cigar lighter - 23. Ashtray - 24. Temperature
sensor - 25. Windscreen/rearscreen wiper control lever - 26. Ignition key and switch - 27. Horn - 28. Steering wheel locking/release lever -
29. Driver’s front Air bag - 30. Set of controls: trip meter reset, headlamp aiming device, trip computer - 31. Bonnet opening lever. fig. 66
A0A0426m