2006 Alfa Romeo 156 tow

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
155
N - Neutral
This is the neutral position to be used when
the car has to be pushed or towed.D - Automatic forward gear
This is the position to be used always un-
der “normal” driving conditions, for exam-
ple on the motorway and urban roads and
when wanting to minimise fuel consumption
(combined with the CITYdriving mode).
When the lever is in this position, the gear-
box automatically selects the four available
speeds. It is also the position to be used
for the ICEdriving mode.Shifting to lower gear
(Kick down)
In the event of the need to accelerate
heavily (e.g. for overtaking) pressing the
accelerator fully home beyond the stiff point
will cause automatic kick down to a shorter
ratio, engine speed conditions permitting.
Releasing the accelerator pedal as soon as
the stiff point has been passed, the gearbox
shifts to the optimum ratio in relation to the
driving mode, throttle opening position and
selector lever position.
The Kick-down function is advised only for
overtaking or fast accelerating to avoid in-
creasing fuel consumption.
Kick-down is cut off automatically in the
ICEdriving mode.
With the engine idling,
when moving the lever to
position N the car tends to move
even if it is on level ground: keep
the brake pedal pressed when the
lever is in position N.
WARNING
With the engine idling and
the lever in position D the
vehicle tends to move: always
keep the brake pedal pressed un-
til moving off.
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
191
EMERGENCY STARTINGIf the Alfa Romeo CODE system does not
recognise the code transmitted by the igni-
tion key (Alfa Romeo CODE
Y
warning
light on the instrument cluster on glowing
steadily) emergency starting may be carried
out using the code of the CODE card.
For the correct procedure see the chapter
“In an emergency”.
PARKINGWhen the vehicle is parked, proceed as fol-
lows:
– Switch off the engine.
– Engage the handbrake.
– Engage first gear if the car is facing up-
hill or reverse if the car is facing downhill.
– Turn the front wheels so that the car will
immediately come to a half if the handbrake
slips. Starting by pushing, tow-
ing or running downhill
must absolutely be
avoided. These manoeuvres may
cause fuel to flow into the catalyst
and damage it irreparably.
To avoid useless con-
sumption of power and
possible draining the bat-
tery, never leave the ignition key
in the MAR position when the en-
gine is not running.
For vehicles equipped
with turbocharger in par-
ticular and for other vehi-
cles in general, revving the engine
before switching off should be
avoided.
Revving the engine serves no pur-
pose and consumes fuel for no rea-
son. It may also cause damage to
the bearings on the rotor of the
turbocharger.
WARNINGIf the engine turns off with
the car on the move, the next time it is
started, the Alfa Romeo CODE warning lightY
may turn on. In this case, check that
switching off and starting the engine again
with the car stationary, the warning light
stays off. If not, contact Alfa Romeo Au-
thorized Services.
Remember that the servo-
brake and power steering
are not activated until the engine
is started, therefore considerably
greater effort is required on the
brake pedal and steering wheel.
WARNING
Never leave children unat-
tended in the car. Always
remove the key from the ignition
when leaving the car and take it
with you.
WARNING

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