2005 Alfa Romeo 159 check engine light

118
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
The car can be equipped with the
T.P.M.S. (Tyre Pressure Monitoring Sys-
tem). This system consists of a radio-fre-
quency sensor, installed on each wheel
(on the rim inside the tyre) that sends
pressure information to the control unit.IMPORTANT NOTES
Failure indications will not be stored and
therefore will not be displayed when
turning the engine off and on again. If
failure persists, the control unit will send
warning indications to the instrument
panel only after a few seconds when the
car is moving.
Tyre pressure should be checked with
tyres cold. Should it become necessary
for whatever reason to check pressure
with hot tyres, do not reduce pressure
although it is higher than the prescribed
value but repeat the check when tyres
are cold (see section “Wheels” in sec-
tion “Technical Specifications”).
TYRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM -
T.P.M.S. (where provided)
The T.P.M.S. does not
exempt the driver from
checking tyre pressure, includ-
ing the space-saver spare
wheel (where provided) at
regular intervals.
WARNING
T.P.M.S. cannot indicate sudden tyre
pressure drops (e.g.: tyre burst). In this
event, brake the car cautiously and
avoid sudden steering.
The T.P.M.S. system requires special
equipment. Consult Alfa Romeo Autho-
rized Services to know what type of ac-
cessories are compatible with the sys-
tem (wheels, wheel caps, etc.). Using
other accessories could cause system
malfunctioning. Due to inflation valve
special characteristics, use only tyre re-
pair sealants approved by Alfa Romeo;
other sealants could cause system mal-
functioning.

153
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Climate control
The air conditioner is an additional load
which greatly affects the engine leading
to higher consumption. When the tem-
perature outside the car 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 aero-
dynamic penetration of the vehicle and
increase consumption. Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much luggage
stowed in the boot. The weight of the
car (especially when driving in town)
and its trim greatly affects consumption
and stability.
Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack
from the roof as soon as they are no
longer used. These accessories lower air
penetration and adversely affect con-
sumption levels. When needing to car-
ry particularly voluminous objects, prefer-
ably use a trailer.
Electric devices
Use electric devices only for the amount
of time needed. Rear heated window,
additional headlights, windscreen wipers
and heater fan need a considerable
amount of energy, therefore increasing
the requirement of current increases fu-
el consumption (up to +25% in the ur-
ban cycle).CONTAINING
RUNNING COSTS
Here are some suggestions which may
help you to keep the running costs of
your car down and lower the amount of
toxic emissions released into the at-
mosphere.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out
in accordance with the “Service sched-
ule”.
Tyres
Check the pressure of the tyres routine-
ly at an interval of no more than 4
weeks: if the pressure is too low, con-
sumption levels increase as resistance
to rolling is higher.

160
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
CAR INACTIVITY
If the car is to be left inactive for longer
than a month, the following precautions
should be noted:
❒ park the car in covered, dry and if
possible well-ventilated premises;
❒ engage a gear;
❒check that the handbrake is not en-
gaged;
❒disconnect battery negative terminal
and check the battery charge. This
check is to be repeated every three
months when the car is left inactive.
Recharge if the optical indicator
shows a dark colour without the cen-
tral green area (see paragraph “Bat-
tery” in “Car maintenance” section);
❒clean and protect the painted parts
using protective wax;
❒clean and protect the shiny metal
parts using special compounds read-
ily 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 perfo-
rated plastic sheet. Do not use sheets
of non-perforated plastic as they do
not allow moisture on the car body
to evaporate;
❒inflate tyres to +0.5 bar above the
normal specified pressure and check
it at intervals;
❒if you don’t disconnect the battery
from the electric system, check its
charge every month and recharge it
if the optical indicator shows a dark
colour without the central green area;
❒do not drain the engine cooling sys-
tem.
IMPORTANTIf the car is fitted with
alarm system, switch off the alarm with
the remote control.

161
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
W W
A A
R R
N N
I I
N N
G G
L L
I I
G G
H H
T T
S S
A A
N N
D D
M M
E E
S S
S S
A A
G G
E E
S S
LOW BRAKE FLUID/HANDBRAKE ON ..................... 163
BRAKE PAD WEAR ............................................. 163
SEAT BELTS NOT FASTENED ................................. 163
AIR BAG FAILURE................................................ 164
FRONT AIR BAGS DEACTIVATED ............................ 164
ENGINE COOLANT
HIGH TEMPERATURE ........................................... 165
ENGINE OIL HIGH TEMPERATURE .......................... 166
LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE/
EXHAUST OIL..................................................... 166
LOW BATTERY CHARGE ....................................... 166
INCOMPLETE DOOR LOCKING ............................... 167
BONNET OPEN ................................................... 167
BOOT OPEN....................................................... 167
INJECTION SYSTEM FAILURE/
EOBD SYSTEM FAILURE....................................... 167
CAR PROTECTION SYSTEM FAILURE/
STEERING LOCK INHIBITION................................. 168
ALARM FAILURE/BREAK-IN ATTEMPT
ELECTRONIC KEY NOT RECOGNIZED ...................... 169
POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF ICE ON THE ROAD............ 169
PRE-HEATING GLOW PLUGS/
PRE-HEATING GLOW PLUG FAILURE ....................... 169
WATER IN DIESEL FUEL FILTER ............................. 170
INERTIAL FUEL CUT-OFF
SWITCHED ON .................................................. 170
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE......................................... 171
EBD SYSTEM FAILURE......................................... 171
VDC SYSTEM .................................................... 171HILL HOLDER FAILURE ........................................ 172
ASR SYSTEM (WHEEL ANTISKID SYSTEM) ............. 172
EXTERNAL LIGHTS FAILURE .................................. 172
BRAKE LIGHTS FAILURE ....................................... 173
REAR FOGLIGHTS ............................................... 173
FRONT FOG LIGHTS ............................................ 173
SIDE/TAILLIGHTS/FOLLOW ME HOME .................. 173
DIPPED BEAM HEADLIGHTS.................................. 173
MAIN BEAM HEADLIGHTS .................................... 173
LEFT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR ........................ 173
RIGHT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR ...................... 173
LIGHT SENSOR FAILURE........................................ 174
RAIN SENSOR FAILURE......................................... 174
PARKING SENSORS FAILURE ................................ 174
FUEL RESERVE – LIMITED CRUISING RANGE .......... 174
CRUISE CONTROL .............................................. 174
DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER CLOGGED .................. 174
ANTIPINCH SYSTEM FAILURE ............................... 175
WINDSCREEN WASHER FLUID LOW LEVEL ............. 175
SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED ..................................... 175
T.P.M.S. SYSTEM FAILURE ................................... 175
CHECK TYRE PRESSURE ...................................... 175
LOW INFLATION PRESSURE ................................. 176
TYRE PRESSURE UNSUITABLE FOR SPEED ............. 176

165
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
–Car heavy duty(e.g.: towing trail-
er uphill or fully laden car): decrease
speed, if the warning light stays on, stop
the car. Wait for 2 or 3 minutes leaving
the engine on and slightly accelerated to
further activate the circulation of the
coolant fluid, then switch the engine off.
IMPORTANTUnder severe use of the
car, keep the engine on and slightly ac-
celerated for few minutes before switch-
ing it off.
Warning light Findi-
cates also warning light
¬failures. This is indicated by
intermittent flashing, over 4
seconds, of warning light
F. In
this event warning light
¬could
not indicate safety system fail-
ures. Contact Alfa Romeo Au-
thorized Services to have the
system checked immediately.
WARNINGENGINE COOLANT
HIGH TEMPERATURE
(red)
Fitting the key into the ignition device,
the warning light (set on engine coolant
gauge) turns on but it shall go off after
a few seconds.
The warning light turns on (on certain
versions a dedicated message is dis-
played) to indicate engine overheating.
If the warning light comes on, proceed
as follows:
–Normal driving conditions: stop
the car, switch off the engine and check
whether the water level in the reservoir
is not below the MINmarl. Otherwise
wait for few seconds to allow engine
cooling, then open slowly and carefully
the cap, top up coolant and check
whether its level is falling between MIN
andMAXmarks in the reservoir. Check
visually any leak. If when restarting the
warning light comes on again, contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized Services .
u
With engine hot, do not
remove the cap: risk of
burnt.
WARNING

168
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
CAR PROTECTION
SYSTEM FAILURE
(amber)
STEERING LOCK
INHIBITION
(amber)
Car protection system failure
Warning light (where provided) coming
on (on certain versions a message is dis-
played) indicates car protecting system
failure: in this event contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services as soon as possible.
Steering lock inhibition
Warning light (where provided) turns on
(on certain versions a message is dis-
played) when removing the electronic
key from the ignition device when the
car has turned off while travelling.
ALARM FAILURE
(where provided)
(amber)
BREAK-IN ATTEMPT
(amber)
ELECTRONIC KEY
NOT RECOGNIZED
(amber)
Alarm failure
The turning on of the warning light (where
provided) (on certain versions a message
is displayed) indicates that there is a fail-
ure in the alarm system. Contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services as soon as
possible.
Break-in attempt
The turning on of the warning light (where
provided) (on certain versions a message
is displayed) indicates an attempt of
break-in. Contact Alfa Romeo Authorized
Services as soon as possible.
Electronic key not recognized
The turning on of the warning light (where
provided) (on certain versions a message
is displayed) indicates that the electronic
key being used is not enabled. – flashing: indicates the possibility of
damage to the catalyst (see “EOBD sys-
tem” in section “Dashboard and con-
trols”). If the light flashes, it is neces-
sary to release the accelerator pedal to
lower the speed of the engine until the
warning light stops flashing; continue
the journey at moderate speed, trying
to avoid driving conditions that may
cause further flashing and contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services as soon as
possible.
If when fitting the key in-
to the ignition device, the
warning light
Udoes
not turn on or if turns on with
fixed light or flashing when the
car is travelling, contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services as
soon as possible. Warning light
Uoperation can by checked by
traffic agents by proper equip-
ment therefore, comply with
laws and regulations in force in
the country where you are dri-
ving.
>Y

171
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
EBD SYSTEM
FAILURE
(red)
(amber)
With the engine running the
turning on at the same time of
the
>andxwarning lights (on cer-
tain versions together with the message
on the display) indicates that the EBD
system is inefficient; in this case heavy
braking may cause the rear wheels to
lock before time, with the possibility of
skidding.
Drive with the utmost care to the near-
est Alfa Romeo Authorized Service to
have the system checked.
VDC SYSTEM
(where provided)
(amber)
Fitting the key into the ignition device
the warning light turns on, but it should
go off after few seconds.
The warning light flashes when the VDC
cuts in, to alert the driver that the sys-
tem is adapting to the road surface grip
conditions.
VDC deactivation
When the VDC is deactivated manually
(pressing the ASR/VDC button for 2 sec-
onds) (see paragraph “VDC system” in
section “Dashboard and controls”) the
instrument panel warning light turns on
(on certain versions a message is dis-
played).
VDC failure
In case of failure, the VDC system will
deactivate automatically and the in-
strument panel warning light
áwill turn
on glowing steadily (on certain versions
a message will also be displayed). In
this case contact Alfa Romeo Authorized
Services as soon as possible.
ABS SYSTEM
FAILURE (amber)
Fitting the key into the ignition
device the warning light turns on, but
it should go off after few seconds.
The warning light turns on (on certain
versions a dedicated message is dis-
played) when the system is inefficient.
In this case the braking system keeps
its effectiveness unchanged, but without
the potential offered by the ABS system.
Drive carefully and contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services as soon as possible.
>
>
xá

181
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
IN AN
EMERGENCY
Please note:
❒the jack weight is 1.76 kg;
❒the jack requires no adjustment;
❒the jack cannot be repaired. If it
breaks it must be replaced with a
new jack;
❒no tool other than its cranking device
may be fitted on the jack.To change a wheel proceed as follows:
❒Stop the car in a position that is not
dangerous for oncoming traffic where
you can change the wheel safely. The
ground should be flat and adequate-
ly firm;
❒Turn the engine off, pull up the hand-
brake and engage first gear or re-
verse;
❒Using handle A-fig. 2, lift the stiff
coverBand secure it as shown in
fig. 3;
Never tamper with the
inflation valve. Never
place tools between the rim
and tyre. Check and restore, if
required, the pressure of tyres
and spare wheel to the values
given in section “Technical
Specifications”.
WARNING
A0E0132mfig. 2A0E0133mfig. 3