2007 Alfa Romeo 166 Owner handbook (in English)

56
Never travel with objects
on your lap, in front of
your chest or with a pipe, pencil,
etc. between your lips; injury may
result in the event of the air bag
being triggered.
WARNING
Always keep your hands
on the steering wheel rim
when driving, so that if the Air bag
is triggered, it can inflate without
meeting any obstacles which could
cause serious harm to you. Do not
drive with the body bent for-
wards, keep the seat back rest in
the erect position and lean your
back well against it.
WARNING
If the car has been stolen
or an attempt to steal it
has been made, if it has been sub-
jected to vandals or floods, have
the Air bag system checked by Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services.
WARNING
Do not wash the seat
back rest with pres-
surised water or steam (by hand
or at automatic seat washing sta-
tions).
WARNING
When the ignition key is
turned to the MAR posi-
tion, the warning light
F(with
passenger’s front air bag deacti-
vation switch in the ON position)
turns on and flashes for few sec-
onds to remind that passenger’s
air bag will be deployed in a crash,
after which it should go off.
WARNING
Please remember that
with the ignition key at
MAR, the air bags can be triggered
also on a stationary vehicle, if it is
bumped by another moving vehi-
cle. Therefore, even with the car
stationary, never allow children on
the front seat. On the other hand,
remember that with the car sta-
tionary and ignition key at STOP
no safety device (air bags or pre-
tensioners) will be triggered in the
event of an impact; in this case the
failure to trigger safety devices
should not be considered as a sys-
tem failure.
WARNING
Please don’t apply stickers
or other objects to the
steering wheel, to the air-bag cover
on the passenger's side or on the
side roof lining to the upholstery on
the roof side. Don’t place objects on
the dashboard passenger’s side
(such as mobile phones) because
they could tamper with the correct
opening of the passenger’s air-bag
and than cause serious injuries to
the vehicle occupants.
WARNING

57
LIGHTS SWITCH AND
STEERING WHEEL
LEVERS
The device and services controlled by
the levers on the steering wheel can only
be activated when the ignition key is in
theMARposition (except the parking
lights which can always be switched on).
LIGHTS SWITCH (fig. 66)
Lights switched off
When the pointer on the knurled ring
(A) is opposite the symbol O, the exter-
nal lights are switched off.
The front air bag is trig-
gered for shocks greater
in magnitude than the pretension-
ers. For impacts between these
two thresholds, it is therefore nor-
mal that only the pretensioners are
triggered.
WARNING
Do not hook rigid objects
to the coat hooks and to
the support handles.
WARNING
The air bag does not sub-
stitute the seat belts, but
only increases their effectiveness.
Moreover, since the front air bags
do not come into operation in the
event of front impact at low
speed, side collisions, bumps from
behind or overturning, in these cir-
cumstances the occupants would
only be protected by the seat belts
which must therefore always be
fastened.
WARNING
fig. 66
A0D0146m

58
Sidelights
The sidelights are switched on by turn-
ing the knurled ring (A) from Oto
6.
The
3warning light on the instru-
ment panel will come on at the same
time.
Dipped-beam headlights
These are switched on by turning the
knurled ring (A) from
6to2.
Parking lights
When the pointer of the switch (A) cor-
responds with the
Fsymbol, the side
lights stay on regardless of the position of
the ignition key.
If moving the left-hand lever (fig. 67)
downward, only the left-hand side park-
ing lights switch on, while moving the
lever upward, only the right-hand side
parking lights switch on.Main-beam headlights (fig. 68)
When the knurled ring in the
2posi-
tion the headlights can be changed form
dipped-beam to main-beam by pushing
the lever towards the dashboard (stable
position).
The
1warning light will come on the
instrument panel.
To return from main-beam to dipped-
beam, once again pull the lever towards
the steering wheel and then release.
LEFT LEVER (fig. 67)
The left lever operates the high beam
lights and the direction indicators.
fig. 67
A0D0014m
A0D0017m
fig. 68

59
Flashing(fig. 69)
The headlights are flashed by pulling the
lever towards the steering wheel (unsta-
ble position) regardless of the position of
the light switch.
The warning light
1on the instrument
panel will come on at the same time.
IMPORTANT Only the main beam
lights are flashed. To avoid penalties, fol-
low local regulations.Direction indicators (fig. 70)
Moving the lever to the stable position:
Up (A) - engages the right-hand direc-
tion indicators.
Down (B) - engages the left-hand direc-
tion indicators.One of the warning lights
Îo¥will
light up on the instrument panel at the
same time.
The lever returns to its home position
automatically and the indicators are
switched off when the steering wheel is
straightened.
IMPORTANT If you wish to signal a
rapid change of direction involving only a
minimum movement of the steering
wheel, the lever can be moved up or
down without it clicking (unstable posi-
tion). When released the lever will return
to its home position.
A0D0018m
fig. 69
A0D0016m
fig. 70

60
RIGHT-HAND LEVER (fig. 72)
The right-hand lever is used to operate
the windscreen wiper and the windscreen
washer.
The control used to activate the wind-
screen washer also activates the head-
light washers (optional for versions/mar-
kets where applicable). “Follow me home” device
(fig. 71)
This function allows the illumination of the
space in front of the car for the length of
time set, and is activated with the ignition
key at STOPor removed, pulling the left-
hand lever towards the steering wheel.This function is activated pulling the lever
within 2 minutes from when the engine is
turned off. At each single movement of the
lever, the staying on of the dipped beams
and sidelights is extended by 30 seconds up
to a maximum of 3.5 minutes; the lights
switch off automatically after the time set.
Each time the lever is operated, the
1
warning light on the cluster turns on.
This function can be interrupted by keep-
ing the lever pulled towards the steering
wheel for more than 2 seconds.
fig. 72
A0D0015m
A0D0018m
fig. 71

61
Windscreen wiper (fig. 72-73)
The lever can be moved to five different
positions corresponding to:
A- Stationary (off)
B- Intermittent.
With the lever in position B, turning the
ring (1-fig. 73) four possible intermit-
tent speeds are obtained (except versions
with rain sensor):
■= intermittent slow
■■= intermittent medium
■■■= intermittent medium-fast
■■■■= intermittent fast.
C- Continuous, slow
D- Continuous, fast
E- Fast, temporary (unstable position).
Operation in position Eis limited to the
time the lever is held in this position.
When the lever is released, it returns to
positionAautomatically stopping the
wiper.Rain sensor (fig. 72-73)
(optional for versions/markets where
applicable)
The rain sensor is an electronic device
coupled with the windscreen wiper and its
purpose is to automatically adapt the fre-
quency of the wiper strokes according to
the intensity of the rain during intermit-
tent operation.
All the other functions controlled by the
right-hand lever (switching the wiper off,
slow and fast continuous operation, fast
temporary operation, windscreen washer
and headlight washer) remain un-
changed.
The rain sensor is activated automatical-
ly moving the right-hand lever to position
(B) and its field of adjustment changes
gradually.Operating the windscreen washer with
the rain sensor activated (lever in position
B) the normal washing cycle is carried
out at the end of which the rain sensor
resumes normal operation automatically.
Moving the key to the STOPposition
the rain sensor is deactivated and the
next time the car is started (key in MAR
position) it is not reactivated even if the
lever is still in position (B). In this case to
activate the rain sensor, simply move the
lever to position (A) or (C) and then
back to position (B).
When the rain sensor is reactivated in
this way, the wiper performs at least one
stroke, even if the windscreen is dry, to
signal that the sensor has been reactivat-
ed.
The rain sensor is fastened to the wind-
screen inside the area cleaned by the
wiper and it controls an electronic control
unit, which in turn controls the wind-
screen wiper motor.
A0D0019m
fig. 73

62
At each start the rain sensor automati-
cally (in about 2 minutes) stabilises at a
temperature of about 40°C to eliminate
any condensation from the control surface
and prevent the formation of ice.
The rain sensor is capable of detecting
and adapting automatically to the pres-
ence of the following particular conditions
which call for different sensitivity:
– impurities on the control surface
(saline deposits, dirt, etc.)
– streaks of water caused by partial
wear of the windscreen wiper
– difference between day and night
(the human eye is more disturbed during
the night by a wet windscreen surface.Headlight washer (fig. 75)
(optional for versions/markets where
applicable)
These are operated when the low beam
headlights are on and the windscreen
washer is switched on. Windscreen washer (fig. 74)
The windscreen washer is operated by
pulling the lever towards the steering
wheel.
Keeping the lever pulled the windscreen
wiper is turned on continuously. When
the lever is released the wiper continues
for a few strokes and then stops or con-
tinues at the speed set.
A0D0020m
fig. 74
A0D0021m
fig. 75

63
STR SYSTEM
(SPORT THROTTLE
RESPONSE)
(optional for versions/markets where
applicable)
The STR system offers the driver the
possibility of brilliant, sporty driving with-
out forsaking relaxing driving in other cir-
cumstances with smoother, more gradual
engine response.
In fact, according to preference, the dri-
ver can choose between sporty fast accel-
eration control and smoother more grad-
ual control, for example in city driving.To engage the sporty response (also
when travelling), press the switch (A-
fig. 76) on the centre console. To pre-
vent this function from being engaged un-
intentionally, the system requires the ac-
celerator pedal to be completely released
for engagement. When the sporty re-
sponse is enabled warning light (B) on
the switch lights up.
To restore the most comfortable re-
sponse press the button again (A) and
completely release the accelerator: the
warning light (B) on the switch goes out.
Whenever the engine is switched on,
the control unit positions on the most
comfortable response. If before switching
off the sporty response was stored, it will
automatically be retrieved releasing the
accelerator pedal after the first accelera-
tion.Automatic engagement
The system allows passing from the s-
tandard map to the sporty one with a
quick press on the accelerator. This func-
tion is useful in all situations, such as for
example overtaking or emergency ma-
noeuvres, where maximum acceleration
is needed.
When the need for maximum power
ceases, the system automatically resumes
the standard map.
A0D0022m
fig. 76