2008 Alfa Romeo 147 engine

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
179
– Do not drive for long periods without a
break. During breaks get out of the vehicle
and move around a bit to shake off the
drowsiness.
– Make sure the air in the passenger com-
partment is changed constantly.
– Never coast the vehicle downhill with
the engine switched off: this eliminates the
engine braking and power steering effect
thus requiring a greater effort on the pedal
and steering wheel.
NIGHT DRIVING
Here are some suggestions for night dri-
ving.
– Drive with particular care: night driving
involves a greater degree of concentration.
– Reduce speed, especially on unlit roads.
– At the first signs of drowsiness stop the
car: continuing the journey is dangerous for
yourself and others. Continue driving only
after sufficient rest.
– Maintain a greater distance from the ve-
hicle in front than in the day: it is more dif-
ficult to judge the speed of a vehicle when
only the lights can be seen.
– Ensure that the headlights are correctly
aimed: if they are too low, visibility is re-
duced and eyesight is tired. If they are too
high they may cause disturbance to other
road users.
– Use the main beams only outside built-
up areas and only when you are certain that
other drivers are not disturbed by their use.
– When meeting oncoming vehicles,
switch off the main beams and drive with
the dipped-beam headlights on.
– Keep the headlights and light units
clean.
– Outside built-up areas take care of ani-
mal crossings.Always fasten the front and
rear seat belts including
those of any children’s seat. Trav-
elling without seat belts increases
the risks of serious injury or even
death in the event of an accident.
WARNING
Take car when fitting addi-
tional spoilers, alloy wheels
and wheel caps: they might reduce
ventilation of the brakes, thus their
efficiency, during abrupt and re-
peated braking, or long downhill
slopes.
WARNING
Never drive with objects
on the floor in front of the
driver’s seat: they might get stuck
under the pedals making it impos-
sible to accelerate or brake.
WARNING
Make sure any mats are
appropriate in size: even a
slight inconvenience to the braking
system may require a higher ped-
al stroke than normal.
WARNING
Water, ice and salt on the
roads may deposit on the
brake disks, reducing the effec-
tiveness of the brakes the first
time they are used.
WARNING

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
180
DRIVING WITH RAIN
Rain and wet roads can be dangerous.
If the road is wet, the traction between
wheel and asphalt is greatly reduced, thus
increasing the stopping distance and de-
creasing road holding.
Here are a few suggestions in the case of
rain:
– Reduce speed and keep further back
from the vehicle in front.
– Heavy rain also reduces visibility. In
these cases, turn on the headlights even dur-
ing the day to make yourself more visible
to others.
– Do not drive over puddles at high speed
and hold the steering wheel firmly: you may
lose control of the car (aquaplaning).
– Position the ventilation controls for
demisting (as described in the chapter (“Get-
ting to know your car”), to prevent visibili-
ty from worsening.
– Routinely check the conditions of the
windscreen wiper blades.
DRIVING IN FOG
– If fog is very thick, avoid travelling
where possible. If travelling with mist,
ground fog or the possibility of fog banks:
– Drive at moderate speed.
– Also in the day turn on the dipped-beam
headlights, rear fog guards and front fog
lights. Do not use the main-beam headlights.
IMPORTANTIf visibility in some parts
improves, switch off the rear fog guards; the
intense light disturbs the occupants of ve-
hicles behind.
– Remember that fog also involves wet
asphalt, thus greater difficulty in all types of
manoeuvres and longer stopping distances.
– Keep well away from the vehicle in
front.
– Where possible avoid sudden changes
in speed.
– Possibly avoid overtaking other vehicles.
– If the vehicle is forced to stop (faults,
impossibility to continue due to poor visi-
bility, etc.), firstly try to pull off the road.
Then turn on the hazard warning lights and,
if possible the dipped-beam headlights.
Rhythmically sound the horn if you note an-
other car coming.
MOUNTAIN DRIVING
– When travelling down hill use the en-
gine braking by engaging lower gears to pre-
vent the brakes from overheating.
– Never coast down hill with the engine
off or in neutral and especially not with the
ignition key removed.
– Drive at a moderate speed and avoid
cutting corners.
– Remember that overtaking up hill is
slower and therefore requires a greater
length of clear road. If you are being over-
taken on a hill, move over to enable the oth-
er vehicle to pass in safety.

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
181
DRIVING ON SNOW AND ICE
Here are a few suggestions for driving in
these conditions:
– Drive very slowly.
– On a snowy road, fit winter tyres or
snow chains; see the related paragraphs in
this chapter.
– Use engine braking where possible and
avoid abrupt braking.
– Braking with a car without ABS, avoid
locking the wheels, modulating the pressure
on the brake pedal.
– Avoid abrupt acceleration and changes
of direction.
– During cold weather even apparently dry
roads may be covered with occasional patch-
es of ice. Pay great attention therefore when
driving on roads which are in the shade, or
where rocks or trees line the road and on
which ice may persist.
– Keep further back from the vehicle in
front.
DRIVING WITH ABS
The ABS is a part of the braking system
which essentially offers 2 advantages:
1) it prevents locking, thus skidding, of the
wheels during emergency braking and es-
pecially under conditions with poor grip;
2) it allows braking and steering at the
same time, to avoid any sudden obstacles
or to direct the car as required when brak-
ing, compatibly with the physical limits of
lateral grip of the tyre.
To make the most of the ABS:
– In emergency braking or when grip is
low, a slight pulsing can be felt on the brake
pedal: this means that the ABS has come in-
to action. Do not release the pedal, but con-
tinue pressing it to give continuity to the
braking action.
– The ABS prevents the wheels from lock-
ing but it does not increase the physical lim-
its of grip between the asphalt and the road.
Therefore, also with a car fitted with ABS,
keep within a safety distance from the ve-
hicle in front and limit speed when ap-
proaching bends.
The ABS serves to increase vehicle con-
trollability not to go faster.
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
The conditions of the vehicle represent an
important factor which affects fuel con-
sumption as well as travelling tranquillity
and the life of the vehicle. For this reason,
it is wise to take care of its maintenance
have the checks and adjustments carried out
in accordance with the “Scheduled Mainte-
nance Programme” (see... spark plugs, air
cleaner, timing).

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
182
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 in-
crease as resistance to rolling is higher. It
should be underscored that in these condi-
tions tyre wear increases and vehicle per-
formance is lower, therefore also its safety.
Useless loads
Never travel with an overload in the boot.
The weight of the vehicle (especially in ur-
ban traffic), and its geometry heavily affect
consumption levels and stability.
Luggage/ski racks
Remove the luggage rack or ski rack from
the roof as soon as they are no longer used.
These accessories lower air penetration and
adversely affect consumption levels. When
needing to carry particularly voluminous ob-
jects, preferably use a trailer.Electric services
Use electric devices only for the amount of
time needed. Rearscreen heating, addition-
al headlights, windscreen wipers and heater
fan need a considerable amount of energy
therefore, increasing the requirement of cur-
rent increases fuel consumption (up to
+25% in the urban cycle).
Climate control system
The climate control system is a further load
bearing heavily on the engine inducing high-
er consumption levels (up to +20% on av-
erage). Outside temperature permitting,
preferably use the air vents.
Aerodynamic items
The use of non-certified aerodynamic items
may adversely affect air drag and con-
sumption levels.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 consump-
tion and emissions. It is therefore advisable
to move off immediately, slowly, avoiding
high speeds. This way the engine will warm
faster.
Pointless manoeuvres
Avoid accelerating when waiting at traffic
lights or before switching off the engine. This
and also double declutching is absolutely
pointless on modern cars and also increase
consumption and pollution.
Gear shifting
As soon as the conditions of the traffic and
road allow, use a higher gear. Using a low
gear to obtain brilliant performance increases
consumption. In the same way improper use
of a high gear increases consumption, emis-
sions and engine wear.

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
183
Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increases
with speed: it is helpful to note that passing
from 90 to 120 km/h consumption in-
creases by about +30%. Also maintain an
even as possible speed, avoiding superflu-
ous braking and accelerating again, which
cost in terms of both fuel and emissions. It
is therefore advisable to adopt a “smooth”
driving style trying to anticipate manoeuvres
to avoid imminent hazards and respect safe-
ty distances to avoid sudden slowing.
Acceleration
Accelerating heavily taking the engine to
a high speed, has a considerably adverse ef-
fect on consumption and emission levels;
it is wise to accelerate gradually and not ex-
ceed the maximum torque.CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts do
not allow the engine to reach optimum op-
erating temperature. This results in a sig-
nificant increase in consumption levels (from
+15 to +30% on the urban cycle) and emis-
sion of harmful substances.
Traffic situations and
road conditions
Rather high consumption levels are tied to
situations with heavy traffic, for example
in queues with frequent use of the lower
gears or in cities with many traffic lights.
Also winding mountain roads and rough
road surfaces adversely affect consumption.
Stopping in the traffic
During prolonged stops (e.g. level cross-
ings) it is advisable to switch the engine off.
ECONOMY AND
ENVIRONMENT
FRIENDLY DRIVING
Environment protection is one of the prin-
ciples that guided the development of your
Alfa 147 GTA.
It is not merely by chance that its antipol-
lution devices obtain results far beyond those
specified by current regulations.
However, the environment still needs the
utmost care from all of us.
By following a few simple rules it is pos-
sible to avoid damage to the environment
and very often at the same time to limit fu-
el consumption. On this subject we are giv-
ing some helpful suggestions to be added
to those marked with the
#in various points
of this booklet.
Kindly read them all carefully.

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
184
PROTECTING EMISSION
REDUCING DEVICES
Correct operation of the anti-pollution de-
vices not only guarantees respect for the en-
vironment but also influences vehicle per-
formance. Keeping these devices in good
condition is therefore the first rule for both
environment-friendly and economy driving.
The first precaution is to closely follow the
“Programmed Maintenance Schedule”. Use
only unleaded petrol (95 RON) (Specifica-
tion EN228).
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 when driving the engine is not running
smoothly, continue, minimising the need for
engine performance and contact Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services as soon as possible.
When the fuel reserve warning light turns
on, fill up as soon as possible. A low fuel lev-
el may cause an irregular supply to the en-
gine 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 spray anything on
the catalyst, lamda sensor
and exhaust pipe.
WARNING
The failure to follow these
rules may cause a fire
hazard.
WARNING
Do not install other heat
guards and do not remove
the existing ones on the catalyst
and exhaust pipe.
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

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
187
USEFUL ACCESSORIES
Independently of current regulations, we
suggest you keep the following on board
(fig. 2):
– first aid kit containing non-alcoholic dis-
infectant, sterile gauzes, gauze roll, plas-
ters, etc.;
– electric torch;
– rounded scissors;
– work gloves.
fig. 2
A0A0148m
– Disconnect the battery negative termi-
nal (–) from the battery and check the bat-
tery charge. This check should be repeated
once a month during stowage. Charge the
battery if the loadless voltage is below
12.5V.
– Do not empty the engine cooling sys-
tem.
– Cover the vehicle with a fabric or per-
forated plastic cover. Do not use compact
plastic covers which prevent the humidity on
the surface of the vehicle from evaporating.
USING AGAIN
Before using the car again after a pro-
longed period of inactivity, the following op-
erations are recommended:
– Do not dust the outside of the car.
– Check for leaks of fluids (oil, brake and
clutch fluid, engine coolant fluid, etc.).
– Change the engine oil and filter.
– Check the level of brake and clutch flu-
id engine coolant fluid.– Check the air cleaner and change it if
necessary.
– Check the tyre pressure and the tyres
for signs of damage, cuts or cracks. In this
case they need to be changed.
– Check the conditions of the engine belts.
– Re-connect the battery negative termi-
nal (–) after checking the battery charge.
– With the gears in neutral, start the en-
gine and let it idle a few minutes, pressing
the clutch pedal repeatedly.
This operation must be car-
ried out in the open.
Exhaust gas contains carbon
monoxide which highly toxic and
lethal.
WARNING

IN AN EMERGENCY
188
3) Fully depress the accelerator pedal and
keep it pressed. The
Uwarning light will
come on for eight seconds and then go off,
now release the accelerator pedal.
4) The
Uwarning light begins to flash:
after it has flashed the same number of
times as the first digit on the CODE card,
press the accelerator pedal and keep it
pressed until the
Uwarning light turns on
(for four seconds) and then goes off, now
release the accelerator pedal.
5) The
Uwarning light starts to flash: af-
ter the number of flashes corresponding to
the second digit on the CODE card, press the
accelerator pedal and keep it pressed.
6) Repeat this procedure for the remain-
ing digits on the CODE card.
7) After entering the last figure, keep the
accelerator pedal pressed. The
Uwarn-
ing light turns on (for four seconds) and
then goes off; now release the accelera-
tor pedal.8) A quick flash of the
Uwarning light
(for about 4 seconds) confirms that the op-
eration has been carried out correctly.
9) Start the engine turning the ignition key
fromMARtoAV Vwithout returning the
key to the STOPposition.
Conversely, if the
Uwarning light stays
on, turn the key to STOPand repeat the
procedure starting from point 1).
IMPORTANTAfter emergency starting
it is advisable to contact an Alfa Romeo Au-
thorised Service, because the emergency
procedure must be repeated each time the
engine is started.
EMERGENCY
STARTING
If it is not possible to deactivate the engine
inhibitor with the Alfa Romeo CODE system,
the
YandUwarning lights stay on and
the engine will not start. Emergency start-
ing is needed to start the engine.
IMPORTANTYou are advised to care-
fully read the entire procedure before car-
rying it out.
If a mistake is made during the emergency
procedure, the ignition key should be turned
toSTOPand the operations must be re-
peated from the start (point 1).
1) Read the 5-figure electronic code on the
CODE card.
2) Turn the ignition key to MAR.
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