2008 Alfa Romeo 159 Engine

164
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
CAR INACTIVITY
If the car is to be left inactive for longer
than a month, the following precautions
should be noted:
❒ park the car in covered, dry and if
possible well-ventilated premises;
❒ engage a gear;
❒check that the handbrake is not en-
gaged;
❒disconnect battery negative terminal
and check the battery charge. This
check is to be repeated every three
months when the car is left inactive.
Recharge if the optical(where pro-
vided) indicator shows a dark colour
without the central green area (see
paragraph “Battery” in “Car main-
tenance” section);
❒clean and protect the painted parts
using protective wax;
❒clean and protect the shiny metal
parts using special compounds read-
ily available;
❒sprinkle talcum powder on the rubber
windscreen and rear window wiper
blades and lift them off the glass;
❒slightly open the windows;
❒cover the car with a cloth or perfo-
rated plastic sheet. Do not use sheets
of non-perforated plastic as they do
not allow moisture on the car body
to evaporate;
❒inflate tyres to +0.5 bar above the
normal specified pressure and check
it at intervals;
❒if you don’t disconnect the battery
from the electric system, check its
charge every month and recharge it
if the optical indicator shows a dark
colour without the central green area;
❒ do not drain the engine cooling sys-
tem.
IMPORTANTIf the car is fitted with
alarm system, switch off the alarm with
the remote control.

165
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
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

169
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
PASSENGER’S
FRONT AIR BAGS
DEACTIVATED
(amber)
The warning light (set on the front ceil-
ing light panel) turns on when passen-
ger’s front air bags, passenger’s knees
air bag (where provided) and passen-
ger’s front side bag are deactivated
through the relevant key switch (for ver-
sions/markets where applicable).
With passenger's air bags active, when
fitting the electronic key into the ignition
device the warning light will turn on for
about 4 seconds, will flash for the next
4 seconds and then it will turn off.
F
–Car heavy duty(e.g.: towing trail-
er uphill or fully laden car): decrease
speed, if the warning light stays on, stop
the car. Wait for 2 or 3 minutes leaving
the engine on and slightly accelerated to
further activate the circulation of the
coolant fluid, then switch the engine off.
IMPORTANTUnder severe use of the
car, keep the engine on and slightly ac-
celerated for few minutes before switch-
ing it off.
Warning light Ffailure
is indicated by warning
light
¬. In addition, the air bag
system will deactivate auto-
matically the passenger's front
air bag (front and side). Before
restarting contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services immedi-
ately to have the system
checked.
WARNING
ENGINE COOLANT
HIGH TEMPERATURE
(red)
Fitting the key into the ignition device,
the warning light (set on engine coolant
gauge) turns on but it shall go off after
a few seconds.
The warning light turns on (on certain
versions a dedicated message is dis-
played) to indicate engine overheating.
If the warning light comes on, proceed
as follows:
–Normal driving conditions: stop
the car, switch off the engine and check
whether the water level in the reservoir
is not below the MINmarl. Otherwise
wait for few seconds to allow engine
cooling, then open slowly and carefully
the cap, top up coolant and check
whether its level is falling between MIN
andMAXmarks in the reservoir. Check
visually any leak. If when restarting the
warning light comes on again, contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized Services.
u
With engine hot, do not
remove the cap: risk of
burnt.
WARNING

170
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
ENGINE OIL
HIGH TEMPERATURE
Fitting the key into the ignition
device, the warning light (set on engine
oil temperature gauge) turns on but it
should go off after a few seconds. Warn-
ing light turning on when travelling (on
certain versions together with the mes-
sage on the display) indicates that en-
gine oil is too hot; switch the engine off
and contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Ser-
vices.
If warning light
`
starts flashing when
travelling contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services.
LOW ENGINE
OIL PRESSURE
EXHAUST OIL
(diesel versions)
Low engine oil pressure
On certain versions, fitting the key into
the ignition device, the warning light
turns on but it should go off as soon as
the engine has started.After the first indication, at each engine
starting the warning light
vwill go
on flashing for about 1 minute and then
every 2 hours until oil is changed.
LOW BATTERY
CHARGE (red)
The warning light (where pro-
vided) turns on, but it should go off as
soon as the engine has started (with the
engine running at idle speed a brief de-
lay in going out is allowed).
If the warning light (or as an alternative,
on certain versions, a symbol and a mes-
sage are displayed) stays on glowing
steadily or flashing contact immediate-
ly Alfa Romeo Authorized Services.
w
`v
If the warning light
(or as an alternative,
on certain versions, a symbol
and a message are displayed)
comes on when travelling,
stop immediately and contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized Ser-
vices.
WARNING
If warning light v
starts flashing, contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized
Services as soon as possible to
have the engine oil changed and
the instrument panel (or symbol
von the display) switched
off.
Exhaust oil (diesel versions)
The warning light (where provided) with
turn on flashing (on certain versions a
message is displayed) when the system
detects that the engine oil is exhaust.

171
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
BOOT OPEN
On certain versions message
and symbol
R(red) are
displayed to indicate that boot is
open.
BONNET OPEN
(where provided)
On certain versions message
and symbol
S(red) are displayed to
indicate that bonnet is open.
INJECTION SYSTEM
FAILURE (diesel
versions - amber)
EOBD SYSTEM
FAILURE
(petrol versions -
amber)
(optional for
versions/markets
where applicable)
Injection system failure
Fitting the key into the ignition device
the warning light turns on, but it should
go off when the engine has started.
The warning light stays on or it turns on
when travelling to indicate a malfunc-
tion in the injection/exhaust system
with possible lack of performance, poor
driveability and high consumption.
In these conditions it is possible to con-
tinue driving without however requiring
heavy effort or high speed from the en-
gine. In any case, contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services as soon as possible.EOBD system failure
(optional for versions/
markets where applicable)
Under normal conditions, fitting the elec-
tronic key into the ignition device, the
warning light turns on, but it should go
off when the engine has started. This in-
dicates proper operation of the warn-
ing light.
If the warning light stays on or turns on
when travelling:
– glowing steadily (on certain ver-
sions together with the message on the
display): means a fault in the sup-
ply/ignition system which could cause
high emissions at the exhaust, possible
lack of performance, poor handling and
high consumption levels. In these con-
ditions it is possible to continue driving
without however requiring heavy effort
or high speed from the engine. Pro-
longed use of the car with the warning
light on may cause damages. Contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized Services as soon
as possible.
The warning light goes off if the fault
disappears, but it is however stored by
the system.
INCOMPLETE DOOR
LOCKING (red)
The warning light (where pro-
vided) (or symbol on the display) turns
on when one or more doors, the boot or
the bonnet (where provided) are not
properly shut.
U´
S
R

172
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
CAR PROTECTION
SYSTEM FAILURE
(amber)
STEERING LOCK
INHIBITION
(amber)
Car protection system failure
Warning light (where provided) coming
on (on certain versions a message is dis-
played) indicates car protecting system
failure: in this event contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services as soon as possible.
Steering lock inhibition
Warning light (where provided) turns on
(on certain versions a message is dis-
played) when removing the electronic
key from the ignition device when the
car has turned off while travelling.
ALARM FAILURE
(where provided)
(amber)
BREAK-IN ATTEMPT
(amber)
ELECTRONIC KEY
NOT RECOGNIZED
(amber)
Alarm failure
The turning on of the warning light (where
provided) (on certain versions a message
is displayed) indicates that there is a fail-
ure in the alarm system. Contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services as soon as
possible.
Break-in attempt
The turning on of the warning light (where
provided) (on certain versions a message
is displayed) indicates an attempt of
break-in. Contact Alfa Romeo Authorized
Services as soon as possible.
Electronic key not recognized
The turning on of the warning light (where
provided) (on certain versions a message
is displayed) indicates that the electronic
key being used is not enabled. – flashing: indicates the possibility of
damage to the catalyst (see “EOBD sys-
tem” in section “Dashboard and con-
trols”). If the light flashes, it is neces-
sary to release the accelerator pedal to
lower the speed of the engine until the
warning light stops flashing; continue
the journey at moderate speed, trying
to avoid driving conditions that may
cause further flashing and contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services as soon as
possible.
If when fitting the key in-
to the ignition device, the
warning light
Udoes
not turn on or if turns on with
fixed light or flashing when the
car is travelling, contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services as
soon as possible. Warning light
Uoperation can by checked by
traffic agents by proper equip-
ment therefore, comply with
laws and regulations in force in
the country where you are dri-
ving.
>Y

173
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
This cycle is performed only once when
the outside temperature read is lower
than or equal to 3°C and it can be re-
peated only when outside temperature
exceeds
6 °C and then falls down to 3 °C or be-
low.
IMPORTANTIn the event of outside
temperature sensor failure, the display
will show dashes instead of the value.PRE-HEATING
GLOW PLUGS
(diesel versions -
amber)
PRE-HEATING
GLOW PLUGS
FAILURE
(diesel
versions - amber)
Pre-heating glow plugs
Fitting the key into the ignition device
the warning light turns on and it will turn
off when glow plugs reach the preset
temperature. Start the engine immedi-
ately after warning light switching off.
IMPORTANTWith mild or hot ambi-
ent temperature, warning light stays on
for very short time.
m
POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF ICE
ON THE ROAD
When the outside temperature reaches
or falls below 3°C, the display will show
a warning message, symbol
√, and a
buzzer will sound to warn the driver of
the possible presence of ice on the road.
On certain versions, once the above
warning indication cycle is over or when
pressing briefly the button MENU:
– the displayed message goes off and
previously active screen is displayed
again;
– temperature indication stops flashing;
– symbol
√stays displayed at the bot-
tom right of the screen (until outside
temperature is lower than or equal to
6°C).

174
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
INERTIAL FUEL CUT-
OFF SWITCHED ON
On certain versions, the inter-
vention of the inertial fuel cut-off switch
is indicated by a message + symbol
(amber) on the display. Pre-heating glow plugs failure
The warning light (on certain versions
together with the message on the dis-
play) will flash to indicate a failure in
the pre-heating glow plugs system. Con-
tact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services as
soon as possible to have the failure elim-
inated.
WATER IN
FUEL FILTER
(diesel versions -
amber)
The warning light turns on glowing
steadily when travelling (on certain ver-
sions together with the message on the
display) to indicate that there is water
in the diesel fuel filter.
c
The presence of water in
the fuel circuit may
cause serious damage to
the entire injection system and
cause irregular engine opera-
tion. If the warning light
con
the dial turns on (on certain ver-
sions together with the mes-
sage on the display) contact Al-
fa Romeo Authorized Services
as soon as possible to have the
system relieved. If the above
indications come on immediate-
ly after refuelling, water has
probably been poured into the
tank: turn the engine off imme-
diately and contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services.
If, after a crash, you
smell fuel or see leaks
from the fuel system, do not
reset the switch to avoid fire
risk.
WARNING
s