2007 Alfa Romeo 159 ABS

136
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
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SAFETY
DEVICES
GROUP 0 and 0+
Babies up to 13 kg must be carried fac-
ing backwards fig. 7on a cradle seat,
which, supporting the head, does not in-
duce stress on the neck in the event of
sharp deceleration.
The cradle is restrained by the car seat
belts and in turn it must restrain the child
with its own belts.
SERIOUS DANGER If it
is absolutely necessary
to carry a child on the
front passenger seat
with the cradle child’s
seat facing backwards, the
front passenger’s air bags
(front air bag, knees air bag,
where provided, and side bag
on seat), must be deactivated
using the key switch. In this
case it is absolutely necessary
to check the warning light
F
on the front ceiling light pan-
el (see paragraph “Passen-
ger’s front air bag”) to make
sure that deactivation has ac-
tually taken place. Moreover,
the front passenger’s seat
shall be adjusted in the most
backward position to prevent
any contact between the
child’s seat and the dashboard.
WARNING
A0E0106mfig. 7
The figure is only an ex-
ample for mounting. At-
tain to the instructions for fas-
tening which must be enclosed
with the specific child restrain-
ing system you are using.
WARNING
A0E0106mfig. 8
GROUP 1
Starting from 9 kg to 18 kg in weight,
children may be carried facing forwards,
with seat fitted with front cushion fig.
8, through which the car seat belt re-
strains both child and seat.

145
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SAFETY
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MANUAL DEACTIVATION (where provided) OF PASSENGER’S
FRONT AIR BAG , KNEES AIR BAG (where provided) AND
PASSENGER’S FRONT SIDE BAG DRIVER’S AND
PASSENGER’S KNEES AIR
BAG (where provided)
Knees air bag consists of an instant-in-
flating cushion housed into a special
compartment provided for the purpose
under the steering wheel for the driver
fig. 16and into the lower part of the
dashboard for the passenger fig. 17,
to give further protection in the event of
frontal crash.
A0E0092mfig. 17A0E0079mfig. 16
Should it be absolutely necessary to car-
ry a child on the front seat, the pas-
senger’s front air bag, knees air bag
(where provided) and the side bag can
be deactivated. Deactivation/activation
shall be performed (with key removed
from ignition device) using the key
switch set on the right side of dashboard
fig. 18. You can reach the switch on-
ly if the door is opened. When the door
is open, the metal insert of the key can
be inserted and removed in both posi-
tions.IMPORTANTOperate the switch on-
ly when the engine is not running and
the ignition key is removed.
The key-operated switch has two posi-
tions:
❒passenger's front air bag and knees
air bag (where provided) and side
bag activated (ONposition
P):
warning light
Fon front ceiling light
panel off; it is absolutely prohibited
to carry a child on the front seat;
A0E0062mfig. 18

152
SAFETY
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WARNING
LIGHTS AND
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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒ Ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒Put the gear lever neutral;
❒Fit the electronic key into the ignition
device to stop limit;
❒Press the clutch (or brake) pedal down
to the floor without pressing the ac-
celerator;
❒Press button START/STOPand re-
lease it as soon as the engine starts.
We recommend that
during the initial period
you do not drive to full
car performance (e.g.: excessive
acceleration, long journeys at
top speed, sharp braking, etc.).
Running the engine in
confined areas is ex-
tremely dangerous. The engine
consumes oxygen and pro-
duces carbon monoxide which
is a highly toxic and lethal gas.
WARNING
When the engine is
switched off never leave
the electronic key into the
ignition device to prevent point-
less current absorption from
draining the batter.STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
DIESEL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒Ensure that the handbrake is up;
❒Put the gear lever neutral;
❒fit the electronic key down into the
ignition device until it stops. The in-
strument panel warning light
m
will turn on;
❒Wait for the warning light mto
turn off. The hotter the engine is, the
quicker this will happen;
❒Press the clutch (or brake) pedal
down to the floor without pressing the
accelerator;
❒Press button START/STOPas soon
as warning light
mgoes out. If you
wait too long you will lose the ben-
efit of the work done by the glow
plugs. Release the button as soon as
the engine starts.
ENGINE STARTING
The car is fitted with an electronic engine
immobilising system. If the engine fails
to start, see paragraph “Alfa Romeo
CODE system” in section “Dashboard
and controls”.
IMPORTANTTampering with the ig-
nition device can cause unrequired steer-
ing lock.
IMPORTANT Fit completely the elec-
tronic key into the ignition device until
it locks into place.
IMPORTANT Never take the elec-
tronic key out of the ignition device while
the car is moving unless you have to car-
ry out an emergency removal (see para-
graph “Removing the electronic key from
the ignition device in an emergency”),
this ensures that the steering column lock
is deactivated while the car is moving
(e.g.: towing the car).

154
SAFETY
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WARNING
LIGHTS AND
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AND
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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IMPORTANTAfter a taxing drive, you
should allow the engine to “catch its
breath” before turning it off by letting it
idle to allow the temperature in the en-
gine compartment to fall.
IMPORTANTTurning the car off will
deactivate the electronic safety systems
and turn off the external lights.IMPORTANTIn the event of engine
locking while the car is running, due to
safety reasons it will not be possible to
take the electronic key out of the igni-
tion device. To remove it, turn the in-
strument panel on and off by pressing
buttonSTART/STOPwith brake ped-
al (and clutch pedal) released and car
stopped.
REMOVING THE ELECTRONIC
KEY FROM THE IGNITION
DEVICE IN AN EMERGENCY
In the event of a failure at engine switch-
ing off system or at electronic key un-
locking system proceed as follows:
❒press the unlocking button to remove
the metal insert (see paragraph
“Electronic key” in section “Dash-
board and controls”);
STOPPING THE ENGINE
With car stopped press button START/
STOP. When the engine is off it will be
possible to remove the electronic key
from the ignition device.
A quick burst on the ac-
celerator before turning
off the engine serves
absolutely no practical purpose,
it wastes fuel and is damaging
especially to turbocharged en-
gines.❒fit the metal insert B-fig. 1of the
electronic key into the slot A;
❒remove the electronic key from the
ignition device.
IMPORTANTOnly fit the metal insert
Bof the electronic key into slot A-fig.1.
IMPORTANTStop the car before
emergency removal of the key, since re-
moving the key with the engine running
will turn both the engine and the in-
strument panel off and the steering lock
will not be engaged.
A0E0043mfig. 1In an emergency, and
for safety reasons the
engine can be turned off when
the car is running by pressing
repeatedly (3 times within
2 seconds) or by keeping
pressed button START/STOP
for a few seconds. In this case
the steering lock cannot be en-
gaged.
WARNING

158
SAFETY
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WARNING
LIGHTS AND
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EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
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AND
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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Gear selection
As soon as the conditions of the traffic
and road allow, use a higher gear. Us-
ing a low gear to obtain brilliant perfor-
mance increases consumption. In the
same way improper use of a high gear
increases consumption, emissions an en-
gine wear.
Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increas-
es with speed. Avoid superfluous brak-
ing and accelerating, which cost in terms
of both fuel and emissions.
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 USE
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts
do not allow the engine to reach opti-
mum operating temperature. This results
in a significant increase in consumption
levels (from +15 to +30% on the urban
cycle) and emission of harmful sub-
stances.
Traffic and road conditions
Rather high consumption levels are tied
to situations with heavy traffic, for ex-
ample in queues with frequent use of
the lower gears or in cities with many
traffic lights. Also winding mountain
roads and rough road surfaces adverse-
ly affect consumption.
Traffic hold-ups
During prolonged hold-ups (e.g.: level
crossings) the engine should be
switched off.
DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine with the car
at a standstill or at idle or high speed:
under these conditions the engine
warms up much more slowly, increasing
electrical consumption and emissions. It
is therefore advisable to move off im-
mediately, slowly, avoiding high speeds.
This way the engine will warm faster.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid accelerating when waiting at traf-
fic lights or before switching off the en-
gine. This and also double declutching
is absolutely pointless on modern cars
and also increase consumption and pol-
lution.

159
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Engage a low gear when driving down-
hill, rather than constantly using the
brake.
The weight the trailer exerts on the car
tow hook reduces by the same amount
the actual car 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
personal belongings.
Do not exceed the speed limits of the
country you are driving in. In any case
do not exceed 100 km/h.TOWING TRAILERS
IMPORTANT NOTES
For towing caravans or trailers the car
must be fitted with a certified tow hook
and an adequate electric system. In-
stallation should be carried out by spe-
cialised personnel 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 brak-
ing spaces increase and overtaking takes
longer depending on the overall weight.
The ABS system with
which the car may be
fitted does not control the
trailer braking system. Drive
with extreme care on slippery
roadbeds.
WARNING
Under no circumstances
should the car brake
system be altered to control
the trailer brake. The trailer
braking system must be fully
independent of the car hy-
draulic system.
WARNING

165
SAFETY
DEVICES
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EMERGENCY
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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 ..................... 167
BRAKE PAD WEAR ............................................. 167
SEAT BELTS NOT FASTENED ................................. 167
AIR BAG FAILURE................................................ 168
PASSANGER’S FRONT AIR BAGS DEACTIVATED ........ 169
ENGINE COOLANT HIGH TEMPERATURE.................. 169
ENGINE OIL HIGH TEMPERATURE .......................... 170
LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE/
EXHAUST OIL..................................................... 170
LOW BATTERY CHARGE ....................................... 170
INCOMPLETE DOOR LOCKING ............................... 171
BONNET OPEN ................................................... 171
BOOT OPEN....................................................... 171
INJECTION SYSTEM FAILURE/
EOBD SYSTEM FAILURE....................................... 171
CAR PROTECTION SYSTEM FAILURE/
STEERING LOCK INHIBITION................................. 172
ALARM FAILURE/BREAK-IN ATTEMPT
ELECTRONIC KEY NOT RECOGNIZED ...................... 172
POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF ICE ON THE ROAD............ 173
PRE-HEATING GLOW PLUGS/
PRE-HEATING GLOW PLUG FAILURE ....................... 173
WATER IN DIESEL FUEL FILTER ............................. 174
INERTIAL FUEL CUT-OFF SWITCHED ON ................. 174
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE......................................... 175
EBD SYSTEM FAILURE......................................... 175VDC SYSTEM .................................................... 175
HILL HOLDER FAILURE ........................................ 176
ASR SYSTEM (WHEEL ANTISKID SYSTEM) ............. 176
EXTERNAL LIGHTS FAILURE .................................. 176
BRAKE LIGHTS FAILURE ....................................... 177
REAR FOGLIGHTS ............................................... 177
FRONT FOG LIGHTS ............................................ 177
SIDE/TAILLIGHTS/FOLLOW ME HOME .................. 177
DIPPED BEAM HEADLIGHTS.................................. 177
MAIN BEAM HEADLIGHTS .................................... 177
LEFT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR ........................ 177
RIGHT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR ...................... 177
LIGHT SENSOR FAILURE........................................ 178
RAIN SENSOR FAILURE......................................... 178
PARKING SENSORS FAILURE ................................ 178
FUEL RESERVE – LIMITED CRUISING RANGE .......... 178
CRUISE CONTROL .............................................. 178
DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER CLOGGED .................. 178
ANTIPINCH SYSTEM FAILURE ............................... 179
WINDSCREEN WASHER FLUID LOW LEVEL ............. 179
SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED ..................................... 179
T.P.M.S. SYSTEM FAILURE ................................... 179
CHECK TYRE PRESSURE ...................................... 179
LOW INFLATION PRESSURE ................................. 180
TYRE PRESSURE UNSUITABLE FOR SPEED ............. 180

175
SAFETY
DEVICES
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EMERGENCY
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TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
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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.
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