2008 Alfa Romeo 166 rims

55
IMPORTANTSThe triggering of air
bags releases a small amount of powder.
This powder is not harmful and does not
indicate a start of fire; also the surfaces
of the deployed bag and the car interior
may be covered with dusty residue: this
may irritate the skin and eyes. In the
event of exposure, wash with neutral
soap and water.
The air bag system has a validity of 14
years as concerns the pyrotechnic charge
and 10 years as concerns the coil contact.
Contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services as
this date approaches.IMPORTANTIf an accident has trig-
gered the air bag, Alfa Romeo Authorized
Services must be contacted to have the de-
vices activated replaced and to have the
whole system checked.
All operations involving checking, repair-
ing and replacing components concerning
the Air bag must be carried out by Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services.
If the car is to be demolished, Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services should be contacted be-
forehand to have the system deactivated.
If the car changes ownership, the new
owner must be informed of the instructions
for use and of the above warnings and be
given this “Owner’s Manual”.
IMPORTANTThe triggering of the pre-
tensioners, front air bags and side bags is
decided by the electronic control unit in a
differentiated manner depending on the
type of crash. The failure to trigger one or
more of them does not necessarily indicate
a system malfunction.GENERAL WARNINGS
Never lean head, arms
and elbows out of the
window.
WARNING
If the ¬warning light
does not turn on when
turning the ignition key to MAR or
if it stays on when travelling, this
could indicate a failure in safety re-
taining systems; under this condi-
tion air bags or pretensioners could
not trigger in the event of collision
or, in a restricted number of cases,
they could trigger accidentally.
Stop the car and contact a Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services to
have the system checked.
WARNING
Do not cover back rest of
front seats with trims or
covers there are not set for the
use of side bags.
WARNING

115
Braking on corners always requires the
utmost caution, even with the help of the
ABS.
The most important piece of advice
however, is the following:WARNINGCars fitted with ABS must
only be fitted with wheel rims, tyres and
brake linings of the type and brand ap-
proved by the Manufacturer.
The braking system is completed by the
EBD (Electronic Brake Distributor) which
distributes the braking action through the
ABS control unit and sensors.
Following these instructions you will be
in a condition to obtain peak braking per-
formance at all times.
If the ABS cuts in, it
means that the grip limit
between the tyres and the road
surface has been reached: it is nec-
essary to slow down and adapt
driving to the grip available.
WARNING
In the event of a system
fault, with lighting up of
the
>warning light, have the ve-
hicle checked immediately by Au-
thorized Alfa Romeo Services, driv-
ing slowly to be able to regain full
system performance.
WARNING
When the ABS cuts in and
you feel the pedal pulse,
do not reduce the pressure, but
keep the brake pedal firmly
pressed with no fear; this way you
will stop in the shortest space pos-
sible, compatibly with the condi-
tions of the road surface.
WARNING
The car is fitted with an
electronic brake distrib-
utor (EBD). If the
>andxwarn-
ing lights come on at the same time
when the engine is running, there
is an EBD system fault; in this case,
violent braking may lock the rear
wheels too early, with the possibil-
ity of skidding. Drive extremely
carefully to the nearest Authorized
Alfa Romeo Services to have the
system checked over.
WARNING

143
WHEELS
The wheels (rims and tyres) installed in
the factory are those which are most suit-
ed to the characteristics of the vehicle
and guarantee the greatest degree of
safety and comfort under all normal dri-
ving conditions.
Before replacing the rims or tyres in-
stalled on your vehicle consult the table
indicating the permitted types given in
the “Technical specifications” chapter of
this manual or contact Alfa Romeo Autho-
rized Services.
The original rim-tyre match should be
followed when changing tyres.IMPORTANTS (when using a s-
pare wheel different from the
other wheels of the car)
– The spare wheel should only be used in
an emergency.
– Use of the spare wheel should be kept
to a minimum. Do not drive at speeds of
over 80 km/h.
– The car will handle differently when the
spare wheel is fitted. Avoid sudden acceler-
ation or braking, sharp corners and fast
bends.
– Check at regular intervals that spare
wheel pressure is equal to 2.7 bar (2.7
kg/cm
2).
SPARE WHEEL
Cars fitted with steel rims and tyres
215/55 R16 (*) have spare wheel iden-
tical with the standard wheels. Cars fitted
with aluminium alloy rims and tyres
215/55 R16 (*), 225/45 R17 and
235/40 R18 have the spare wheel with
steel rim and tyre 215/55 R16 (*).
(*) For versions/markets where applic-
able tyres 205/55 R16.
The jack should only be
used when changing a
wheel; Do not work under the ve-
hicle when this is only supported
using the jack.
WARNING
While the specified di-
mensions remain un-
changed, for travelling safety and
correct operation of the VDC, ASR
and ABS systems the tyres must
absolutely be of the same brand
and type on all wheels, in perfect
conditions and above all of the
specified type and brand.
WARNING
On cars fitted with tyres
215/55 R16 (*), 225/45
R17, 235/40 R18 and spare wheel
with tyre 215/55 R16 (*), since
the spare wheel is different from
the standard wheels, observe the
instructions for use given below.
(*) For versions/markets where ap-
plicable tyres 205/55 R16.
WARNING

144
– Two or more spare wheels should never
be used together. Have the wheel changed
repaired and refitted as soon as possible.
Rims
The bolts should be tightened to a
torque of 86 Nm (8.8 kgm).
Tyres
The tyres installed on the vehicle are of
the tubeless type and do not have an in-
ner tube. To obtain the greatest degree of
comfort, safety and length of life of the
tyres, the following recommendations
should be observed.
– With new tyres do not drive at full
speed until the first 100 km have been
reached.
– Before entering a tight bend, even if
the vehicle permits it, reduce speed.
– Avoid sharp acceleration and unneces-
sary braking.
– Do not travel for long periods at sus-
tained high speed especially on rough
roads.– Have the wheels balanced and the
front and rear axles set correctly.
– Avoid hitting the side walls of the
tyres, for example when parking.
– Never tamper with the valve on the
tyre.
– Do not insert anything between the
rim and the tyre.
– If the rim is bent, have it replaced.
– In the event of an abnormal drop in
the tyre pressure replace the wheel and
have it checked.
– When balancing the wheels use the
counterweights which are specifically de-
signed for tubeless tyres. To balance light
alloy rims only Alfa Romeo original
weights should be used.
– The tyre pressure, including that of
the spare wheel must reflect the indica-
tions given in the “Technical specifica-
tions” of this manual.
– Have the tyres checked periodically to
ensure that they are not damaged in any
way.– Second-hand tyres of unknown origin
or over 6 years old must only be used in
emergencies and with great care.
– Inner tubes must not be fitted to
tubeless tyres.
– Avoid parking the vehicle on the edge
of a step or other irregularities in the road
surface.
– Have the tyre tread checked periodi-
cally and replace when the legal mini-
mum is reached.
IMPORTANT Some types of tyres are
fitted with wear indicators. As soon as
these wear indicators appear on the tyre
tread, the tyres must be replaced.
Periodically check that the tyres are not
showing signs of irregular tread wear. If
they are, contact Alfa Romeo Authorized
Services who will eliminate the cause of
irregular wear.
Tread wear increases the danger of
aquaplaning on wet surfaces.

148ECONOMY AND
ENVIRONMENT-
FRIENDLY DRIVING
How you use and how you drive your
vehicle directly influence fuel consump-
tion and environmental impact.
By following a few simple guidelines
and without incising on the “liveliness”
of the vehicle, it is possible to avoid dam-
aging the environment and often, at the
same time, to limit fuel consumption.
The following helpful suggestions will al-
low you to save in running costs and re-
duce harmful emissions.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Vehicle maintenance
The conditions of the vehicle are an im-
portant factor which affects fuel consump-
tion as well as driving tranquillity and the
life of the car itself. For this reason, care
should be given to maintenance, having
the checks and adjustments given in the
scheduled maintenance programme car-
ried out (see ... spark plugs, idle speed,
air/fuel oil filter, timing).
Tyres
Check the tyre pressure at least every 4
weeks: if the pressure is too low, consump-
tion increases as resistance to rolling is
higher. It should also be underlined that in
these conditions, tyre wear increases re-
sulting in poor handling and lower safety. Drive at a moderate
speed when snow chains
have been fitted to the
wheels. Avoid potholes, steps and
pavements, and do not drive for
long stretches on snow-free roads,
otherwise you risk damaging the
tyres, suspension and steering.
Snow chains can be fit-
ted only on wheels with
6.5J x 16” rims and
215/55 R16 tyres or 7.5J x 17”
rims and 225/45 R17 tyres.
(*) Pour versions/marchè lorsqu’il
est prèvu pneus 205/55 R16.

160
– Remove the wheel cap (A-fig. 4)
(only for versions with steel rims) lever-
ing on the edge with the flat-tipped
screwdriver provided in the tool bag.– Using the L-wrench (B-fig. 5) pro-
vided, loosen the fastening bolts (A) by
about one turn.
– Position the jack under the car next
to the wheel to be replaced (fig. 6):Position1: changing a rear wheel;
Position2: changing a front wheel.
– Turn the knob (A-fig. 7) of the jack
to extend it until the pin (B), on the on
the upper part of the jack inserts correctly
in the seat on the body (C).
– Fit the L-wrench (A-fig. 8) on the
jack pin (B).
– Work the jack and raise the car, until
the wheel is a few centimetres above
ground.
– Completely unscrew the fastening
bolts (A-fig. 9) and remove the wheel.
– Make sure the spare wheel is clean
and free of impurities on the hub contact
surface which could cause slackening of
the fastening bolts later.
– Install the spare wheel making the
hub pin (A-fig. 10) coincide with one
of the holes (B-fig. 11) of the wheel.
A0D0038m
fig. 4
A0D0132m
fig. 5
346PGSm
fig. 2
A0D0144m
fig. 3

161
– Tighten the five fastening bolts (A-
fig. 12).– Lower the car and remove the jack
(fig. 13).– Completely tighten the bolts in the se-
quence shown (fig. 14).
– On cars having the same alloy rims
as the spare wheel ones, wheel cap can
be fitted following the instructions given
in the following paragraph.
IMPORTANTNever fit the wheel cap
to the spare wheel if the spare wheel is
different from the standard one.
After refitting a wheel:
– Stow the spare wheel in the space
provided in the luggage compartment and
fasten it with the ring nut (A-fig. 2).
– Put jack and tools back in the bag and
stow it in the boot.
fig. 7
A0D0041m
fig. 6
A0D0040m
A0D0133m
fig. 8

163
– Work the jack and raise the car, until
the wheel is a few centimetres above
ground.
– Completely unscrew the fastening
bolts (A-fig. 16) and remove the
wheel.
– Make sure that the wheel to be in-
stalled is clean and free of impurities on
the hub contact surface which could cause
slackening of the fastening bolts later.
– Install the wheel making the hub pin
(A-fig. 10) coincide with one of the
holes (B-fig. 11) of the wheel.
– Tighten the five fastening bolts (A-
fig. 17).
For cars with alloy rims it is easier to in-
sert the wheel bolts using the specific
centering pin.– Screw the centering pin (A-fig. 18)
in one of the fastening bolt holes.
– Push the wheel on the pin and fasten
it with four bolts.
– Remove the centering pin (A-fig. 19)
and screw the last fastening bolt.– Lower the car and remove the jack
(fig. 20).
– Completely tighten the bolts in the se-
quence shown (fig. 21).
– If present, fit the hub cap so that the
valve can come out through the tapered
hole. Press the edges of the hub cap s-
tarting from near the valve hole (A-
fig. 22) and proceeding round until it is
securely attached.
IMPORTANT Incorrect fitting might
cause the wheel cap to come off when
the car is on the move.
After refitting a wheel:
– Stow the spare wheel in the space
provided in the luggage compartment and
fasten it with the ring nut (A-fig. 2).
A0D0139m
fig. 16
A0D0138m
fig. 15
A0D0136m
fig. 13
A0D0137m
fig. 14