2005 Alfa Romeo 147 battery

●●●●●●●●●
●●●●●●●●●
●●●●●●●●●
●●●●●●●●●
●●●●●●●●●
●●●●
●●●●●●●●●
●●●●●●●●●
●●
●●●●
●●
●●●●
●●●●●●●●●
●●●●●●●●●
●●
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
222
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180Thousands of km
Check tyre conditions/wear and adjust pressure if necessary
Check operation of lighting system (headlights, direction indicators, hazard
warning lights, boot, passenger compartment, glovebox lights, warning lights, etc..)
Check operation of windscreen washer system, adjust spray jets
Check position/wear of windscreen/rearscreen wiper blades
Check operation of front disk brake pad wear indicator
Check wear conditions of rear disk brake pads
Sight check the conditions of: body exterior, underbody protection, stiff pipes and
hoses (exhaust - fuel supply - brakes), rubber parts (boots - sleeves - bushes etc..)
Check for bonnet and boot lock cleanness, lever cleanness and lubrication
Sight check for accessory poly-V drive belt
Check handbrake lever stroke adjustment
Check antievaporation system
Change air cleaner cartridge
Top up fluid levels (engine coolant, brakes, windscreen washer, battery, etc..)
Check and if necessary top up the Selespeed automatic transmission oil level
Sight check for conditions of timing gear drive toothed belt

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
225
IMPORTANT
Engine oil
Should prevailing use of the car be under
one of the following specially heavy condi-
tions:
– trailer or caravan towing
– dusty roads
– frequently idling engines or long distance
low speed driving or in case of a long term
inactivity
– short distances (less than 7-8 km) re-
peated and with external temperatures be-
low zero replace engine oil more frequent-
ly than required on Service Schedule.
IMPORTANT
Air cleaner
Using the car on dusty roads change the
air cleaner more frequently than specified in
the Scheduled Maintenance Programme.
For any doubts concerning the intervals be-
tween engine oil and air cleaner replacement
in relation to how the vehicle is used, con-
tact Alfa Romeo Authorised Services.IMPORTANT
Battery
It is advisable to check the battery charge,
preferably at the onset of winter, to prevent
the possibility of the electrolyte freezing.
This check should be carried out more fre-
quently if the car is used mainly for short
trips, or if it is fitted with accessories that
permanently absorb electricity even with the
ignition key removed, especially in the case
of after market accessories.
If the vehicle is used in hot climates or par-
ticularly harsh conditions it is wise to check
the level of the battery fluid (electrolyte)
more frequently than specified in the Sched-
uled Maintenance Programme.Vehicle maintenance should
be entrusted to Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services. For
routine and minor maintenance op-
erations you wish to carry out your-
self, always make sure you have the
proper equipment, genuine Alfa
Romeo spares and the necessary flu-
ids;do not however carry out these
operations if you have no experi-
ence.IMPORTANT
Pollen filter
If the vehicle is used frequently in dusty or
heavily polluted environments it is advisable
to replace the filtering element more fre-
quently; in particular it should be replaced
if a reduction of the amount of air admitted
to the passenger compartment is noted.

VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
226
A0A0405m
fig. 1
CHECKING LEVELS
1Engine oil - 2Battery - 3Brake fluid - 4Power steering fluid - 5Windscreen/rearscreen/head-
lamp washer fluid - 6Engine coolant fluid When topping up take
care not to confuse the var-
ious types of fluids: they
are all incompatible with one an-
other and could seriously damage
the vehicle.
Never smoke while work-
ing in the engine compart-
ment; gas and inflammable vapours
may be present, with the risk of
fire.
WARNING

VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
233fig. 10
A0A0393m
BATTERY
The battery is of the “Limited Mainte-
nance” type and is fitted with an optical in-
dicator (A-fig. 9) for checking the elec-
trolyte level and charge.
Under normal conditions of use the elec-
trolyte does not need topping up with distilled
water. To make sure that it is in efficient con-
ditions, at routine intervals check the indica-
tor on the battery cover which should be dark
in colour with a green central area.
If the indicator is a bright light colour, or
dark without the green central area, contact
Alfa Romeo Authorised Services.
fig. 9
A0A0224m
Batteries contain harmful
substances for the environ-
ment. To change the bat-
tery we advise contacting Alfa
Romeo Authorised Services who
are equipped for disposal respect-
ing nature and the law.
The incorrect installation
of electric accessories may
cause serious damage to
the vehicle. If after buying the car
you wish to install accessories
(alarm, radio, radiotelephone etc.)
contact Alfa Romeo Authorised
Services who will be able to sug-
gest the most suitable devices and
above all advise about the need to
use a more powerful battery.
If the car is to remain in-
active for a long time in
very cold conditions, re-
move the battery and take it to a
warm place, otherwise it may
freeze.
The liquid contained in the
battery is poisonous and
corrosive. Avoid contact with the
skin or eyes. The battery should be
charged in a well ventilated place
away from naked flames or pos-
sible sources of sparks: danger of
explosion and fire.
WARNING
When working on the bat-
tery or near to it, always
protect the eyes with goggles.
WARNING

VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
234
CHARGING THE BATTERY
IMPORTANTThe battery charging pro-
cedure is described only for information pur-
poses. This operation should be carried out
by Alfa Romeo Authorised Services.
Charging should be slow at a low amp rat-
ing for 24 hours. Charging for a longer time
may damage the battery.
Charge the battery as follows:
– Disconnect the battery negative termi-
nal (–).
– Connect the charger cables to the bat-
tery terminals ensuring that the bias is cor-
rect.
– Turn on the charger.
CHECKING THE CHARGE
The battery charge may be checked satis-
factorily using the indicator, and acting ac-
cording to the colour the indicator shows.
Refer to the table below or to the label
(fig. 10) on the battery itself.
Brilliantwhite colour
Dark colour without green
area in the centre
Dark colour with green area in the centreTop up the electrolyte
Low charge level
Sufficient electrolyte
level and chargeContact Authorised Alfa Romeo
Services
Charge the battery
(you are advised to contact
Alfa Romeo Authorised Services)
No action
– After charging, turn off the charger be-
fore disconnecting it from the battery.
– Re-connect the battery negative termi-
nal (–).
IMPORTANTIf the battery is kept with
a charge of below 50% it is damaged by sul-
phation, its starting capability is reduced and
it is also more subject to the possibility of
freezing (this may occur already at -10 °C).
In the event of prolonged inactivity, refer
to the paragraph “Vehicle inactivity”, in the
chapter “Correct use of the car”.
Never attempt to charge a
frozen battery: it must
firstly be thawed, otherwise it
may burst. If freezing has occurred,
the battery should be checked be-
fore charging by specialised per-
sonnel, to make sure that the in-
ternal elements are not damaged
and that the body is not cracked,
with the risk of leaking poisonous
and corrosive acid.
WARNING
Working with a low fluid
level may damage the bat-
tery irreversibly, even causing it to
burst.
WARNING

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
236
– Do not check for current in the cables by
short-circuiting the ends.
– If electric welding is to be carried out on
the body, remember to disconnect the elec-
tronic control units, or remove them if the
work involves high temperatures.ELECTRONIC
CONTROL UNITS
With normal use of the vehicle. no partic-
ular precautions need to be taken.
In the event of work on the electric system
or emergency starting, the instructions giv-
en below must absolutely be adhered to:
– Always switch off the engine before dis-
connecting the battery from the electric sys-
tem.
– If it is necessary to charge the battery,
always disconnect it from the electric sys-
tem.
– When starting in an emergency, only
use an auxiliary battery and not a battery
charger.
– Check that the bias is correct and that
the connections between the battery and
the electric system are in efficient conditions.
– Before disconnecting or connecting the
terminals of electronic units, ensure that the
ignition key is not in the MARposition.
WHEELS AND TYRES
TYRE PRESSURE
Check the tyre pressure of every wheel, in-
cluding the spare.
The pressure should be checked with the
tyre rested and cold.
It is normal for the pressure to increase
when the car is in use. Should it become
necessary to restore the pressure with the
tyre hot, bear in mind that the pressure
should be +0.3 bar compared with the spec-
ified rating.
For the correct tyre inflation pressure, see
wheels in the “Technical Specifications”
chapter.
Alterations or repairs to
the electric system carried
out incorrectly and without taking
account of the specifications of the
system, may cause operating faults
with the risk of fire.
WARNING
Remember that vehicle
road holding also depends
on correct tyre inflation pressure.
WARNING