2005 Alfa Romeo 156 maintenance schedule

3
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
A system for continuously monitoring emission system components to ensure greater environmental protection is fitted in
your car.
ELECTRICAL ACCESSORIES
If, after buying the car, you decide to add electrical accessories (that will gradually drain the battery), contact Alfa Romeo Au-
thorized Services. They can calculate the overall electrical requirement and check that the car’s electric system can support the
required load.
U
CODE CARD
Keep the code card in a safe place, not in the car. You should always keep the electronic code written on the CODE card with
you in case you need to carry out an emergency start-up procedure.
SCHEDULED SERVICING
Correct maintenance of the car is essential for ensuring it stays in tip-top condition and safeguards its safety features, its en-
vironmental friendliness and low running costs for a long time to come.
THE OWNER’S MANUAL CONTAINS…
…information, tips and important warnings regarding the safe, correct driving of your car, and its maintenance. Pay partic-
ular attention to the symbols
"
(personal safety)
#
(environmental protection)
â
(car well-being).

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR64
INFOCENTER DISPLAY(where required)The Infocenter display is able to display all
the useful and necessary information during
driving, in particular:
INFORMATION AVAILABLE ON STANDARD
SCREEN
– Date (A-fig. 87)
– Outside temperature (B)
– Failure and warning symbol (e.g.: pos-
sible presence of ice on the road C).The standard screen will remain on until
a function is activated which requires be-
ing shown on the display (e.g. “Infocenter
display rheostat lights adjustment”).
INFORMATION ABOUT VEHICLE
CONDITION (for each event)
– Scheduled maintenance programme ex-
piry
– Trip computer information
– Rheostat brightness adjustment
– Engine oil level (only JTD versions).
Moreover, a menu is available which al-
lows the driver to perform, by operating the
control buttons (see “Control buttons” in the
next pages) the following controls and set-
tings:Set-up menu
SPEED LIMIT
– Switching on/off the relevant signal
(ON/OFF)
– Speed limit setting
TRIP B ON/OFF
– Switching on/off the relevant function
(ON/OFF)
DATE SETTING/TIME SETTING
– Day setting
– Month setting
– Year setting
– Hour setting
– Minute setting
LANGUAGE SELECTION
– Setting the language for the messages
shown on the displayfig. 87
A0B2126g

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 CAR69
The Programmed Maintenance Schedule includes car maintenance every 20,000 km
(or 12,000 miles) or one year; this is shown automatically, with the ignition key at
MAR
,
starting from 2,000 km (or 1,240 miles) or 30 day from this deadline and it is shown again
every 200 km (or 124 miles) or 3 days. When a programmed maintenance interval
(“coupon”) is near to come, turning the ignition key to
MAR
, will display the message
SCHEDULED SERVICE WITHIN followed by the number of kilometers, days or miles to go before
vehicle maintenance. The PROGRAMMED MAINTENANCE message is displayed in km,
mi or days, according to the approaching service interval. At the very moment the value
of 0 km, 0 miles or 0 days is reached, the display will show, every time the ignition key
is turned to
MAR
, the message SCHEDULED SERVICE EXPIRED, followed by the number
of kilometers, miles or days. In this case, to reset this visual information contact
Authorised Alfa Romeo Services.
continued from previous page

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR83
The Programmed Maintenance Schedule includes vehicle maintenance
every 20,000 km (or 12,000 miles) or one year; this is shown
automatically, with the ignition key at
MAR
, starting from 2,000
km (or 1,240 miles) or 30 day from this deadline and it is shown
again every 200 km (or 124 miles) or 3 days. When a programmed maintenance interval
(“coupon”) is near to come, turning the ignition key to
MAR
, will display the message
SCHEDULED SERVICE WITHIN followed by the number of kilometers, days or miles to go
before vehicle maintenance. The PROGRAMMED MAINTENANCE message is displayed in km,
mi or days, according to the approaching service interval. At the very moment the value of 0
km, 0 miles or 0 days is reached, the display will show, every time the ignition key is turned
to
MAR
, the message SCHEDULED SERVICE EXPIRED, followed by the number of
kilometers, miles or days. In this case, to reset this visual information contact Authorized Alfa
Romeo Services.
WARNINGProducts shown in the SERVICE screen and to be used for scheduled maintenance could be subject to modifications. Refer to
paragraph “Fluids and lubricants” in section “Technical specifications”.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
104
Warning light Message
on display
SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED The message + symbol turns on, together with the sound of the buzzer, on the display when the
vehicle exceeds the speed limit set previously (see “Speed limit” in this section).
ç
FUEL RESERVEThe warning light comes on when about 7 litres of fuel are left in the tank, and when the car
range is below 50 km.REDUCED RANGE This message is displayed when the car range is below 50 km.SCHEDULED MAINTENANCEThis message appears on the display 2,000 kilometres from the deadline given in the Scheduled
Maintenance Programme (every 20,000 km) and it is shown again at timed intervals, turning the
ignition key to MARevery 200 km.

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
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