2005 Alfa Romeo 156 light

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
194
DRIVING IN THE RAINRain and wet roads can be dangerous.
If the road is wet, the traction between
wheel and asphalt is greatly reduced, thus
increasing the stopping distance and de-
creasing road holding.
Here are few suggestions in the case of
rain:
– Reduce speed and keep further back
from the vehicle in front.
– If it is raining particularly heavily, visi-
bility is also reduced. In these cases, switch
on the dipped headlights even if it is still day-
light so you can be seen more easily.
– Do not drive through puddles at speed
and hold on tightly to the wheel if you do: a
puddle taken at high speed might cause you
to lose control of the car (“aquaplaning”).
– Position the ventilation controls for
demisting (see chapter “Getting to know
your car”), to prevent visibility from wors-
ening.
– Routinely check the conditions of the
windscreen wiper blades.
DRIVING IN THE FOG– If fog is very thick, avoid travelling
where possible. If travelling with mist,
ground fog or the possibility of fog banks:
– Drive at moderate speed.
– Also in the day turn on the dipped-beam
headlights, rear fog guards and front fog
lights. Do not use the main beam headlights.
WARNINGOn stretches of road with
good visibility, switch off your rear foglights;
the brightness of these lights could annoy
the people travelling in the cars behind.
– Remember that fog also involves wet
asphalt, thus greater difficulty in all types of
manoeuvres and longer stopping distances.
– Keep well away from the vehicle in
front.
– Where possible avoid sudden changes
in speed.
– Possibly avoid overtaking other vehicles.
– If the vehicle is forced to stop (faults,
impossibility to continue due to poor visi-
bility, etc.), firstly try to pull off the road.
Then turn on the hazard warning lights and,
if possible the dipped beam headlights. Ry-
thmically sound the horn if you note another
car coming.
MOUNTAIN DRIVING– When driving downhill, use the engine
braking by engaging a low gear, to prevent
the brakes from overheating.
– Never coast downhill with the engine off
or in neutral and especially not with the ig-
nition key removed.
– Drive at moderate speed and avoid “cut-
ting” corners.
– Remember that overtaking up hill is
slower and therefore requires a greater
length of clear road. If you are being over-
taken on a hill, move over to enable the
other vehicle to pass in safety.

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
195
DRIVING ON SNOW AND ICEHere are few suggestions for driving in
these conditions:
– Keep your speed down.
– On a snowy road, fit winter tyres or
snow chains; see the related paragraphs in
this section.
– Use exhaust brake where possible and
avoid abrupt braking.
– Avoid abrupt acceleration and changes
of direction.
– During cold weather even apparently dry
roads may be covered with occasional
patches of ice. Pay great attention therefore
when driving on roads which are in the
shade, or where rocks or trees line the road
and on which ice may persist.
– Keep further back from the vehicle in
front.
DRIVING WITH ABSThe ABS is a part of the braking system
which essentially offers two advantages:
1)It prevents wheel lock-up and conse-
quent skidding in emergency stops, partic-
ularly when the road does not offer much
grip;
2)It makes it possible to brake and steer
at the same time so you can avoid unex-
pected obstacles and direct the car where
you want while braking. The extent to which
this can be done will depend on the physi-
cal limits of the tyre’s sideways grip.
To make the most of the ABS:
– In emergency braking or when grip is
low, a slight pulsing can be felt on the brake
pedal: this means that the ABS has come
into action. Do not release the pedal, but
continue pressing it to give continuity to the
braking action.
– The ABS prevents the wheels from lock-
ing but it does not increase the physical lim-
its of grip between the asphalt and the road.
Therefore, also with a car fitted with ABS,
keep within a safety distance from the ve-
hicle in front and limit speed when ap-
proaching bends.
The ABS serves to increase car controlla-
bilty not to go faster.
REDUCING RUNNING
COSTS AND
ENVIRONMENT
POLLUTIONSome suggestions which may help you to
keep the running costs of your vehicle down
and lower the amount of toxic emissions re-
leased into the atmosphere are given below.GENERAL CONSIDERATIONSVehicle maintenance
The overalll state of the vehicle is an im-
portant factor which has a marked influence
over fuel consumption and driving comfort
and on the life span of your vehicle. For this
reason care should be taken to maintain
your vehicle by carrying out the necessary
checks and regulations in accordance with
specifications given in the “Scheduled Main-
tenance Programme” (see sections... spark
plugs, air cleaner, timing).

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
196
Tyres
Tyres should be checked at least every four
4 weeks: if the pressure is too low, fuel con-
sumption increases as the resistance to the
rolling movement of the tyre is higher. In
this state, tyre wear is increased
and vehicle handling suffers which will af-
fect safety.
Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much luggage stowed
in the boot. The weight of the vehicle (es-
pecially when driving in town) and its trim
greatly affects consumption and stability.
Luggage/ski rack
Remove luggage or ski racks from the roof
of the vehicle as soon as they are no longer
needed. These accessories reduce the aero-
dynamic penetration of the vehicle and will
increase consumption. When transporting
particularly large objects, use a trailer where
possible.Electrical devices
Use the electric devices for the necessary
time only. The heated rear window, supple-
mentary lights, windscreen wipers, heating
system blower require large amounts of en-
ergy and, increasing the request for power
also increases fuel consumption (up to
+25% when driving in built-up areas).
Air conditioner
The air conditioner is an additional load
which greatly affects the engine leading to
higher consumption (on average up to
+20%). When the temperature outside the
vehicle permits it, use the air vents where
possible.
Spoilers
The use of aerodynamic optional extras
which are not certified for the specific use
on the vehicle, may reduce the aerodynamic
penetration of the vehicle and increase con-
sumption.
STYLE OF DRIVINGStarting
Do not warm the engine when the vehicle
is stationary or at high or low revs: in this
way the engine will warm up gradually in-
creasing consumption and emissions. You
should drive off slowly straight away avoid-
ing high revs so that the engine will warm
up more quickly.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid revving the engine when stopped at
traffic lights or before switching off the en-
gine and avoid doubling the clutch as these
actions have no purpose on modern vehicles
and serve only to increase consumption and
pollution.
Gear selection
As soon as the traffic and road conditions
allow it, shift to a higher gear. Using a lower
gear to liven up acceleration greatly in-
creases consumption. In the same way, im-
proper use of the higher gears will increase
consumption, emissions and wear and tear
on the engine.

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
197
Top speeds
Fuel consumption increases considerably
as speed increases. For example, when ac-
celerating from 90 to 120 kph, fuel con-
sumption increases by about +30%. Your
speed should be kept as even as possible
and superfluous braking and acceleration
avoided as this increases both consumption
and emissions. A “soft” way of driving
should be adopted by attempting to antici-
pate manoeuvres to avoid imminent danger
and to keep a safe distance from the vehi-
cle in front in order to avoid braking sharply.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently increasing the revs
will greatly affect consumption and emis-
sions: acceleration should be gradual and
should not exceed the maximum torque.
CONDITIONS OF USECold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starting
will not enable the engine to reach optimal
running temperature. It follows therefore
that consumption will be higher (from +15%
to +30% in built-up areas) as will the pro-
duction of toxic emissions.
Traffic and road conditions
Heavy traffic and higher consumption are
synonymous; for example, when driving
slowly with frequent use of lower gears or
in large towns where there are numerous
traffic lights.
Winding roads, mountain roads and
bumpy roads also have a negative effect on
consumption.
Enforced halts
During prolonged hold-ups (traffic lights,
level crossings) the engine should be
switched off.
ECONOMY AND
ENVIRONMENT-
FRIENDLY DRIVINGEnvironment protection is one of the prin-
ciples that guided the development of your
Alfa 156.
It is not merely by chance that its antipol-
lution devices obtain results far beyond those
specified by current regulations.
The environment, however, still needs the
utmost care from all of us.
By following few simple rules it is possible
to avoid damage to the environment and
very often at the same time to limit fuel con-
sumption. On this subject we are giving
some helpful suggestions to be added to
those marked with the
#, in various points
of this manual.
Kindly read them all carefully.

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
198
PROTECTING EMISSION
REDUCING DEVICESCorrect operation of the antipollution de-
vices not only guarantees respect for the en-
vironment but also influences car perfor-
mance. Keeping these devices in good con-
dition is therefore the first rule for both en-
vironment-friendly and economy driving.
The first precaution is to closely follow the
“Scheduled Maintenance Programme ”. For
petrol engines only use unleaded petrol (95
RON) (specification EN228), for diesel en-
gines only use fuel oil for motor vehicles
(specification EN590).
If difficulty with starting is experienced do
not insist with extended attempts. Especially
avoid bump, tow or coast starts: these may
all damage the catalyst. Only use an auxil-
iary battery to start the car in an emergency.If the engine is “not running smoothly”
when the vehicle is travelling, reduce the re-
quest for performance to a minimum and
contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services as
soon as possible.
When the fuel reserve warning light comes
on fill up as soon as possible. A low fuel level
may cause an irregular supply to the engine
with inevitable increase of the exhaust gas
temperature; this would result in serious
damage to the catalyst.
Never run the engine, even as a test, with
one or more spark plugs disconnected. Do
not warm the engine at idle speed before
moving off, unless the outside temperature
is very low and, in this case too, for no more
than 30 seconds.
Do not install other heat
guards and do not remove
the existing ones on the catalyst
and exhaust pipe.
WARNING
Do not spray anything on
the catalyst, lambda sen-
sor and exhaust pipe.
WARNING
The failure to follow these
rules may cause a fire
hazard.
WARNING
During normal service the
catalyst reaches high tem-
peratures. Do not therefore park
the car over inflammable materials
(grass, dry leaves, pine needles,
etc.): fire hazard.
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
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.

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.
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