2005 Alfa Romeo 156 towing

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR94
Warning light Message
on display
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HIGH ENGINE COOLANT TEMPERATUREWhen the ignition key is turned to MAR, the warning light comes on but must go out after a
few seconds.
The engine coolant temperature warning light comes on (together with the message + symbol
shown on the display) when the engine is overheated.
If the warning light comes on, proceed as follows:
– Normal driving conditions: stop the car, switch the engine off and check if the water
level inside the tank is not below the reference mark MIN.
In this case, wait a few minutes to let the engine cool down, then open the cap slowlyand care-
fully, fill with coolant, making sure its level is between reference marks MINand MAXon the
tank. Moreover, perform a visual check for any fluid leakage. If the warning light comes on again
the next time the engine is started, contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services.
– Car heavy duty(e.g. towing a trailer uphill or car fully loaded): slow down and, if the
warning light stays on, stop the car. Pause for 2 or 3 minutes, keeping the engine on and slightly
accelerated to facilitate better coolant circulation, then switch the engine off.
Check correct fluid level, as described above.
WARNINGIn case of highly demanding use of the car, you are recommended to keep the en-
gine on and slightly accelerated for a few minutes before switching it off.
When the engine is very hot, do not remove the tank cap: danger of
burns.
WARNING

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
151
SIGNALLING WITH THE BUZZERThe buzzer is activated when:
– reverse gear (R) is engaged;
– the vehicle is parked with the gearbox
at neutral (N); this can be seen turning the
ignition key to STOP;
– clutch overheating takes place during
pick-up;
– the car moves in the opposite direction
to the gear engaged (e.g.: the car tends to
do downhill with reverse gear engaged);
– in the event of gearbox failure;
– the system has automatically engaged
neutral (N) after:•
there is no action on the accelerator
and/or brake pedal for at least 3 min-
utes;
•
the brake pedal is pressed for over 10
minutes;
•
the driver’s door is opened and the ac-
celerator and brake pedal are not
pressed for at least 1 second;
•
detection of a gearbox fault.
PARKING THE VEHICLETo park the car safely it is absolutely
necessaryto engage first gear (1) or re-
verse (R) and, when on a sloping road, also
engage the hand-brake.
Turning the engine off with the car facing
uphill and a gear engaged, it is absolutely
necessaryto wait for the display on the
rev counter to go off before releasing the
brake pedal, so that the clutch has innested
completely.
If the gearbox is in neutral (N) and you
want to engage a parking gear, it is neces-
sary to activate the system and engage the
gear (1) or reverse (R) with your foot on
the brake pedal.
TOWING THE VEHICLEWARNINGFor towing the vehicle, ad-
here to local regulations. Make sure that the
gearbox is in neutral (N) (checking that the
car moves when pushed) and proceed as for
towing a normal car with mechanical gear-
box following the instructions given in the
chapter “In an emergency”.
Should it be impossible to set to neutral,
do not tow the vehicle; contact Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services.
Do not start the engine
when towing the vehicle.
WARNING

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
159
If the indicator light re-
mains flashing, contact the
Alfa Romeo Authorized
Service Centers as soon as possi-
ble to remove the fault.
If a fault is indicated when the engine is
started, this means that the gearbox control
system had detected and memorised a fault
during the journey prior to switching the en-
gine off. In this case, too, contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services to have the au-
tomatic gearbox checked over.It is possible to engage reverse gear.
ACOUSTIC WARNINGThis comes into operation for about 18 sec-
onds when:
– the driver’s door is open and/or the en-
gine is off with the selector lever in a posi-
tion other than P;
– position R(reverse) is engaged.PUSH STARTINGStarting the car by pushing or towing is not
possible. In the event of an emergency,
when the battery is flat, start the car with
a suitable emergency battery, following the
instructions given in the chapter “In an emer-
gency”.
When driving with a faulty
gearbox, drive with the ut-
most care considering the restricted
performance levels (in terms of ac-
celeration and speed) the car can
offer.
WARNING
When travelling with a
faulty gearbox, the reverse
lock might not work: absolutely
never move the lever to position
R with the car on the move.
WARNING

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
160
The failure to follow the
above instructions may
cause serious damage to
the automatic gearbox.
TOWING THE CARWARNINGFor towing the car, abide by
current local regulations. Also follow the in-
structions given in the chapter “In an emer-
gency”.
If the car needs to be towed, observe the
following recommendations:
– if possible, put the car on a rescue ve-
hicle;
– if this is not possible, tow the car by rais-
ing the driving wheels (front) from the
ground;
– if this, too, is not possible, the car may
only be towed for 50 km at a speed below
50 km/h.
The gearshift lever should be at position N
for towing.Cars with automatic gear-
box may be towed only for
short distances and at low
speed: if longer towing is neces-
sary, the driving wheels must be
raised to prevent the gearbox from
being pulled into rotation during
towing.
Do not start the engine
when the vehicle is being
towed.
WARNING

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
199
TOWING TRAILERSWARNINGS AND
SUGGESTIONS For towing caravans or trailers the vehi-
cle must be fitted with a certified tow hook
and an adequate electric system. Installa-
tion should be carried out by specialised per-
sonnel who release a special document for
circulation on the road.
Install any specific and/or additional rear-
view mirrors as specified by law. Remember
that when towing a trailer, steep hills are
harder to climb, the braking spaces increase
and overtaking takes longer depending on
the overall weight.
Engage a low gear when driving downhill,
rather than constantly using the brake.
The weight the trailer exerts on the vehi-
cle tow hook reduces by the same amount
the actual vehicle loading capacity. To make sure the maximum towable
weight is not exceeded (given in the log
book) account should be taken of the fully
laden trailer, including accessories and per-
sonal belongings.
Drive within the permitted speed limits for
vehicles with trailers. In any case the maxi-
mum speed should never exceed 100 km/h.
INSTALLING THE TOW HOOKThe towing device should be fastened to
the body by specialised personnel according
to the following instructions and any addi-
tional and/or integrative information sup-
plied by the Manufacturer of the device.
The towing device must meet current reg-
ulations with reference to 94/20/EC Di-
rective and subsequent amendments.
For any version the towing device used
must match the towable weight of the ve-
hicle on which it is to be installed.
For the electric connection a unified con-
nector should be used which is generally
placed on a special bracket normally fas-
tened to the towing device.
The ABS system with
which the car may be fitted
does not control the trailer braking
system. Particular care is therefore
necessary on slippery surfaces.
WARNING
Under no circumstances
should the vehicle brake
system be altered to control the
trailer brake. The trailer braking
system must be fully independent
of the vehicle’s hydraulic system.
WARNING

IN AN EMERGENCY
207
STARTING BY INERTIA
IN THE EVENT OF A
PUNCTUREWARNINGIf the car is equipped with
“Fix&Go kit for tyre quick repair”, see the
instructions contained in the following
chapter.GENERAL INSTRUCTIONSWheel changing and correct use of the jack
and compact spare wheel call for some pre-
cautions as mentioned below. Never push, tow or coast
start the vehicle. This could
cause fuel to flow into the
catalyst damaging it irreversibly.
Remember that the engine
brake and power steering
are not operational until the engine
is started, therefore, much greater
effort than usual is needed on the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
WARNING
Signal the presence of the
stationary vehicle accord-
ing to the current regulations: haz-
ard warning lights, reflecting tri-
angle, etc.
Any passengers should leave the
car and wait for the wheel to be
changed out of harm of the traffic.
If parked on a slope or uneven road
surfaces, place wedges or other
suitable devices under the wheels
to prevent the car from rolling.
Never start the engine when the
car is raised on the jack.
When towing a trailer, always
remove the trailer before lifting
the car.
WARNING

IN AN EMERGENCY
243
IF THE VEHICLE IS TO BE TOWEDThe tow ring supplied with the vehicle is
housed in the tool box under the boot mat.
To install the tow ring, proceed as follows:
– Take the tow ring from the tool box.
– Remove the cover (A) snap-fitted on the
front (fig. 77) or rear bumper (fig. 78).
If the supplied flat screwdriver is used to car-
ry out this operation, protect the tip with a
soft cloth to prevent damaging the car.– Firmly screw the ring in its housing.fig. 77
A0B0593m
fig. 78
A0B0594m
Carefully clean the thread-
ed housing before tighten-
ing the ring. Before beginning to
tow the car make sure that the
tow ring is firmly tightened in its
threaded housing.
WARNING
Before beginning to tow
the car, turn the ignition
key to MAR and then to STOP, do
not remove it. Removing the key
automatically engages the steering
lock resulting in the impossibility
to steer the wheels. When towing
remember that without the help of
the servo-brake and power steer-
ing, it is necessary to exert more
effort on the brake pedal and for
steering. Do not use flexible cables
for towing and avoid jerks. Dur-
ing towing operations make sure
that fastening the joint to the car
does not damage the components
in contact with it. When towing the
car it is compulsory to comply with
the specific traffic regulations con-
cerning both the towing device and
behaviour on the road.
WARNING

IN AN EMERGENCY
244
TOWING THE 2.0 JTS
SELESPEED VERSIONWARNINGFor version with Selespeed
gearbox, make sure that it is in neutral (N)
(checking that the car moves when pushed)
and proceed as for towing a normal car with
mechanical gearbox following the instruc-
tions given on the previous page.
Should it be impossible to set to neutral,
do not tow the vehicle; contact Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services.
TOWING THE VERSION WITH
AUTOMATIC GEARBOX
(2.5 V6 24V Q-SYSTEM)WARNINGFor towing the vehicle com-
ply with current local regulations. Also fol-
low the instructions given on the previous
page.
If the car needs to be towed, observe the
following recommendations:
– if possible, put the car on a rescue ve-
hicle;
– if this is not possible, tow the car rais-
ing the driving wheels (front) from the
ground;
– if this, too, is not possible, the car may
only be towed for 50 Km at a speed of
50 km/h.
The gearshift lever should be at position N
for towing.The failure to follow the
above instructions may
cause serious damage to
the automatic gearbox.
Cars with automatic gear-
box may be towed only for
short distances and at a
low speed: if longer towing is nec-
essary, the driving wheels must be
raised to prevent the gearbox from
being pulled into rotation during
towing.
Do not start the engine
when towing the vehicle.
WARNING
Do not start the engine
when the vehicle is being
towed.
WARNING