2006 Alfa Romeo 159 tyres

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Performance of the
VDC system, in terms
of active safety should not in-
duce the driver to take point-
less and unnecessary risks.
The style of driving must in
any case always be adapted to
the conditions of the road sur-
face, visibility an traffic. Road
safety is always the driver’s
responsibility.
WARNING
During the use of the
space-saver spare
wheel (where provided), the
VDC system carries on work-
ing. However, you must re-
mind that the space-saver
spare wheel has dimensions
smaller than the standard tyre
and therefore its grip is re-
duced as to the other car tyres.
WARNING
For correct operation of
the VDC system, the
tyres must absolutely be of
the same brand and type on all
wheels, in perfect conditions
and, above all, of type, brand
and size specified.
WARNING
HILL HOLDER SYSTEM
(where provided)
This system is an integral part of the VDC
system and it is provided to facilitate
starting on slopes:
❒uphill: car at a standstill on a road
with a gradient higher than 6%, en-
gine running, clutch and brake ped-
al depressed, gearbox to neutral or
engaged gear other than reverse;
❒downhill: car at a standstill on a road
with a gradient higher than 6%, en-
gine running, clutch and brake ped-
al depressed and reverse gear en-
gaged.
At pickup the VDC system control unit
will keep brake force on wheels until
reaching the torque suitable for starting,
or in any case for about 1 second in or-
der to pass easily from the brake pedal
to the accelerator pedal.

Failure warnings
In the event of malfunctioning, the ASR
system is automatically disconnected
and on versions fitted with “Reconfig-
urable multifunction display” symbol
Vis displayed. In this case contact Al-
fa Romeo Authorized Services as soon
as possible.
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MSR system (engine braking
torque control)
It is an integral part of the ASR system
that in case of sudden gear shifting, cuts
in providing torque to the engine thus
preventing excessive driving wheel dri-
ve that, specially in poor grip conditions,
can lead to loss of stability.
For correct operation of
the ASR system, the
tyres must absolutely be of
the same brand and type on all
wheels, in normal conditions of
use, at the proper inflation
pressure values and, above all,
of type, brand and size speci-
fied (see paragraph “Wheels”
in section “Technical Specifica-
tions”).
WARNING

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LIGHTS AND
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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.

123
SAFETY
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LIGHTS AND
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DASHBOARD
AND
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If after repairing a punctured tyre with
the Fix&Go automatic kit and restoring
the initial conditions the flat tyre warn-
ing light continues to stay on, contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized Services.
Tyre pressure could change according to
outside temperature. For this reason the
T.P.M.S. system could temporarily indi-
cate low tyre pressure. In this event
check pressure with cold tyres and re-
store proper inflation values if required. If the car is fitted with T.P.M.S. system,
when changing a tyre, change also the
rubber seal of the valve and the fas-
tening ring of the sensor. Contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services.
Strong radio-frequency disturbances
could inhibit proper TPMS system oper-
ation. This condition is indicated by a
dedicated massage on the display. This
indication will go off automatically as
soon as the radio-frequency disturbance
ceases.If the car is fitted with T.P.M.S. system,
tyre and/or rim removal and refitting
operations involve special precautions;
to prevent damages or wrong sensor re-
fitting, contact Alfa Romeo Authorized
Services to have tyre and/or rim
changed.

124
SAFETY
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LIGHTS AND
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TECHNICAL
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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
In order to use the system properly, refer to the following table when you have to change wheels/tyres:
(*) Given as an alternative on the owner's manual and to be found in Lineaccessori Alfa Romeo.
(**) Not crossed (tyres shall remain on the same side).
Operation
–
Wheel change
with space-saver spare wheel
Wheel change
with snow tyres
Wheel change
with snow tyres
Wheel change
with others of different
size (*)
Wheel cross switching
(front/rear) (**)Sensor presence
–
NO
NO
YES
YES
YESFailure Indication
YES
YES
YES
NO
NO
NOAlfa Romeo Authorized
Services operation
Contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services
Repair damaged
wheel
Contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services
–
–
–

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CORRECT USE
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C C
O O
R R
R R
E E
C C
T T
U U
S S
E E
O O
F F
T T
H H
E E
C C
A A
R R
ENGINE STARTING .............................................. 152
PARKING ........................................................... 155
USING THE GEARBOX ......................................... 156
CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS ............................. 157
TOWING TRAILERS.............................................. 159
SNOW TYRES .................................................... 162
SNOW CHAINS .................................................. 163
CAR INACTIVITY ................................................ 164

157
SAFETY
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CAR
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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.

162
SAFETY
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LIGHTS AND
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EMERGENCY
CAR
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Due to the snow tyre features, under
normal conditions of use or on long mo-
torway journeys, the performance of
these tyres is lower than that of normal
tyres. It is therefore necessary to limit
their use to the purposes for which they
are certified.
IMPORTANTWhen snow tyres are
used with a max speed index below the
one that can be reached by the car (in-
creased by 5%), place a notice in the
passenger compartment, plainly in the
driver’s view which states the max per-
missible speed of the snow tyres (as per
EC Directive).
All four tyres should be the same (brand
and track) to ensure greater safety
when driving and braking and better dri-
veability.
Remember that it is inappropriate to
change the direction of rotation of tyres.SNOW TYRES
Use snow tyres of the same size as the
normal tyres provided with the car.
Alfa Romeo Authorized Services will be
glad to provide advice concerning the
most suitable type of tyre for the cus-
tomer’s requirements.
For the type of tyre to be used, inflation
pressures and the specifications of snow
tyres, follow the instructions given in para-
graph “Wheels” in section “Technical
specifications”.
The winter features of these tyres are re-
duced considerably when the tread
depth is below 4 mm. In this case, they
should be replaced.
The max speed for
snow tyres with “Q”
marking is 160 km/h; 190
km/h for tyres with “T”
marking and 210 km/h for
tyres with H marking. The
Road Traffic Code speed lim-
its must however be always
strictly observed.
WARNING