2005 Alfa Romeo GT maintenance

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
147fig. 149
A0A0707b
Do this only with the car
stationary.
DANGER-SERIOUS IN-
JURY. When carrying out
checks or maintenance op-
erations in the engine compart-
ment, take special care not to bump
the head on the raised bonnet.
If checks are needed in
the engine compartment,
when it is still hot, do not
approach the fan: it might start
working also with the ignition key
removed. Wait for the engine to
cool down.
BONNET
The bonnet opening lever is under the left
end of the dashboard.
To open:
– pull the lever (A-fig. 148) until the
bonnet clicks open.
– press the safety lever (A-fig. 149)
upwards.
– raise the bonnet.
IMPORTANTBonnet raising is aided by
two gas springs. Do not tamper with these
springs and accompany the bonnet while
raising it.
fig. 148
A0A0135b
Do not load the boot
above the permitted max-
imum (see “Technical spec-
ifications”). Also make sure that
the objects contained in the boot
are well secured to prevent them
from being thrown forward, caus-
ing harm to the passengers.
A heavy load that has not
been secured may cause
serious harm to passen-
gers.
If you want to carry re-
serve fuel in a can, follow
legal regulations, only us-
ing a certified can, suitably fastened
to the load securing eyelets. Even
in this way the risk of fire is in-
creased in the case of an accident.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
157
Compact Disc
Remember that the presence of dirt, marks
or distortion on Compact Discs can cause
skipping and poor sound quality.
For top performance conditions, we give
the following advice:
only use Compact Discs which have the fol-
lowing brand:– do not expose Compact Discs to direct
sunlight, high temperatures or damp for pro-
longed lengths of time to prevent them from
bending;
– do not stick labels or write on the
recorder surface of Compact Discs.
To remove a Compact Disc from its con-
tainer, press the centre and raise the disc
carefully, holding it by the outer circumfer-
ence.
Always take the Compact Disc by the out-
er circumference. Never touch the surface.
To remove fingerprints and dust, use a soft
cloth starting from the centre of the Com-
pact Disc outwards.
Do not use highly scratched, cracked, or
distorted discs, etc. The use of these discs
will involve malfunctioning or damage to the
player.
To obtain the best sound quality, use orig-
inal CD supports. Correct operation is not en-
sured if not correctly written CD-R/RW sup-
ports and/or with capacity higher than 650
MB are used. IMPORTANT During the reception of
traffic information, the volume may be high-
er than normal.
ATTENTION
Care and maintenance
The radio is made in such a way that it
does not require particular maintenance. In
the event of a failure, contact Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services.
To clean the front panel only use a soft,
antistatic cloth. Cleaning and polishing prod-
ucts might spoil the surface.
– carefully clean all Compact Discs of fin-
gerprints and dust using a soft cloth. Hold
Compact Discs from the outer circumference
and clean them from the centre outwards;
– never use chemical products for clean-
ing (e.g. spray cans, antistatic or thinners)
as they might damage the surface of Com-
pact Discs;
– after use put Compact Discs back in their
container, to avoid marks or scratches that
may cause skipping when playing;

Never leave children
unattended in the vehicle.
Always remove the igni-
tion key when leaving the vehicle
and take it with you.To avoid useless con-
sumption of power and
possible draining of the
battery, never leave the ignition
key in the MAR position when
the engine is not running.
CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
203
PARKING
When the vehicle is parked, proceed as
follows:
– Switch off the engine.
– Engage the handbrake.
– Engage first gear if the vehicle is faced
uphill or reverse if the vehicle is facing
downhill.
– Turn the front wheels so that the vehi-
cle will immediately come to a halt if the
handbrake slips.
REDUCING RUNNING
COSTS AND
ENVIRONMENT
POLLUTION
By following a few simple guidelines, it
is possible to save vehicle running costs
and reduce harmful emissions.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Vehicle maintenance
To take care of the car maintenance
have the checks and adjustments carried
out in accordance with the “Scheduled
Maintenance Programme”.
Tyres
Check the pressure of the tyres routinely
at an interval of no more than 4 weeks: if
the pressure is too low consumption levels
increase as resistance to rolling is higher.
Useless loads
Never travel with an overload in the
boot. The weight of the vehicle (especial-
ly in urban traffic), and its geometry heav-
ily affect consumption levels and stability.Electric services
Use electric devices only for the amount
of time needed. Rearscreen heating, addi-
tional headlights, windscreen wipers and
heater fan need a considerable amount of
energy, therefore increasing the require-
ment of current increases fuel consump-
tion (up to +25% in the urban cycle).
Climate control system
The climate control system is a further
load bearing heavily on the engine induc-
ing higher consumption levels(up to
+20% on average). Outside temperature
permitting, preferably use the air vents.
Aerodynamic items
The use of non-certified aerodynamic
items may adversely affect air drag and
consumption levels.

IN AN EMERGENCY
243
IN THE EVENT OF A FLAT BATTERY
Before anything else, you are advised to
read the precautions for preventing the
battery from draining and for ensuring
long life in the “Vehicle maintenance”
chapter.
CHARGING THE BATTERY
IMPORTANTThe battery charging
procedure is described only for information
purposes. This operation should be carried
out by Alfa Romeo Authorised Services.
Charging should be slow at a low amp
rating 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 terminal ensuring that the bias is cor-
rect.
– Turn on the charger.
– After charging, turn off the charger
before disconnecting it from the battery.
– Re-connect the battery negative termi-
nal (–).The liquid contained in
the battery is poisonous
and corrosive. Avoid con-
tact with the skin or eyes. The
battery should be charged in a
well ventilated place, away from
naked flames or possible sources
of sparks: danger of explosion
and fire.
Do not attempt to
charge a frozen battery:
it must firstly be thawed,
otherwise it may burst. If freez-
ing has occurred, the battery
should be checked by skilled per-
sonnel to make sure that the
internal elements are not dam-
aged and that the body is not
cracked, with the risk of leaking
poisonous and corrosive acid.

VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
247
It is however wise to remember that
Programmed Maintenance does not com-
pletely cover all the car’s requirements:
also in the initial period before the
20,000 km service coupon and later,
between one coupon and another, ordi-
nary care is still necessary such as for
example routinely checking and topping
up the level of fluids, checking the tyre
pressure, etc...
IMPORTANTThe Programmed Mainte-
nance coupons are specified by the Manu-
facturer. The failure to have them carried out
may invalidate the warranty.
The Programmed Maintenance service is
carried out by all Alfa Romeo Authorised
Services, at pre-established times.If during each operation, in addition to
the ones programmed, the need arises for
further replacements or repairs, these may
be carried out only with the explicit agree-
ment of the customer.
IMPORTANTYou are advised to con-
tact Alfa Romeo Authorised Services in the
event of any minor operating faults, with-
out waiting for the next service coupon. SCHEDULED
SERVICING
Correct maintenance is determined in
ensuring long vehicle life under the best
conditions.
This is why Alfa Romeo has programmed
a series of checks and maintenance oper-
ations every 20,000 km.
IMPORTANTOn versions fitted with
reconfigurable multifunction display, at
2000 km from the maintenance deadline,
the display will show “REFER TO SERVICE
MANUAL” which is shown again turning
the ignition key to MAR, every 200 km.
For further details, see “Service” in the
“Reconfigurable multifunction display”.
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VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
248
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 drive belt conditions
Check handbrake lever stroke adjustment
Check antievaporation system (petrol versions)
Change air cleaner cartridge (petrol versions)
Change air cleaner cartridge (JTD versions)
Top up fluid levels (engine coolant, brakes, windscreen washer, battery, etc..)
Check and if necessary top up the Selespeed automatic transmission oil level
(2.0 JTS versions)
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VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
249
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180Thousands of km
(*) Or every 3 years for harsh conditions (cold climates, city driving or prolonged lengths of time at idle speed, dusty roads or roads covered with sand and/or salt).
Or every 5 years, regardless of mileage.
Sight check for conditions of timing gear drive toothed belt
Change counter-rotating shaft drive belt
Change timing gear drive belt (*)
Change accessory poly-V drive belt
Change spark plugs
Check operation of engine control system (through diagnosis socket)
Check mechanical transmission oil level
Change engine oil and engine oil filter
Change brake fluid (or every 2 years)
Change fuel filter (JTD versions)
Change pollen filter (or every year)
Check emissions/smoke at the exhaust (JTD versions)

VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
250
ADDITIONAL
OPERATIONS
Every 1000 kmor before long jour-
neys, check and if necessary top up:
– engine coolant fluid level
– brake/hydraulic clutch control fluid
level
– power steering fluid level
– windscreen and headlamp washer
fluid level
– tyre pressure and conditions.
Every 3000 kmcheck and if necessary
top up the engine oil level.
The use of FL Seleniaproducts is rec-
ommended which have been designed
and made expressly for Alfa Romeo cars
(see “Refuelling” in the “Technical
Specifications” chapter).
ANNUAL INSPECTION
PROGRAMME
For cars with an annual mileage
of below 20,000 km (for exam-
ple about 10,000 km) the follow-
ing yearly inspection programme
is advised:
– Check tyre conditions/wear and if
necessary adjust the pressure (including
spare wheel)
– Check operation of lighting system
(headlights, direction indicators, hazard
warning lights, boot, passenger compart-
ment, glovebox lights, warning lights,
etc.)
– Check operation of windscreen wiper
system, spray jet adjustment
– Check position/wear of windscreen
– Check front disk brake pad conditions
and wear– Sight check for conditions of: engine,
gearbox, transmission, pipes (exhaust -
fuel supply - brakes), rubber parts (boots
- sleeves - bushes etc..), brake and fuel
supply system hoses
– Check for bonnet and boot lock clean-
ness, lever cleanness and lubrication
– Check battery charge
– Sight check for conditions of various
drive belts
– Check and if necessary top up fluid
levels (engine coolant, brakes, wind-
screen washer, battery etc. )
– Change engine oil and engine oil filter
– Change pollen filter.