2008 Alfa Romeo 8C brake

5
USING THE VEHICLE
Starting the engine ............................................................................................................ 114
Q-Select gearbox ............................................................................................................... 116
Using the brakes ................................................................................................................ 124
Using the engine ............................................................................................................... 125
Constant speed regulator (Cruise Control) .............................................................................. 126
Headlights ........................................................................................................................ 130
Driving conditions .............................................................................................................. 130
Anti-pollution devices ......................................................................................................... 135
Parking ............................................................................................................................ 136
Tyres ................................................................................................................................ 141
Useful accessories to keep in the vehicle ............................................................................... 142

114
5
MAR
STARTING THE
ENGINE
CAUTION
Hold the brake pedal depressed
when starting the engine.
CAUTION
It is dangerous to operate the
engine in an enclosed space. The engine
consumes oxygen and discharges
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and
other toxic gases.
WARNING: Before start-up, switch off the
electrical devices with a high power consumption
(air-conditioning and heating system, heated
rear window, headlights, etc.).
WARNING: Do not start the engine if the fuel
level in the tank is low.
1) Make sure that the parking brake is applied
and that the doors are closed.
2) Hold the brake pedal depressed when
starting the engine.
3) Do not depress the accelerator pedal.
4) Set the gear to neutral by pulling both
paddles UP and DOWN towards the
steering wheel and check that the gear
display indicates N not fl ashing.
5) Turn the ignition key to MAR.
6) press button START button and release it as
soon as the engine starts.
Do not hold the START button for a long time.If the engine does not start, turn the key back to
position STOP and wait for the gear display to go
off before retrying.
The engine can also be started with a gear
engaged; turning the key to position MAR, with
the brake pedal depressed, press the START
button. The system allows the clutch to open and
the gearshift to engage neutral gear; then the
starter motor receives clearance for start-up. This
procedure usually requires one second. At very
low temperatures, the procedure could take a
slightly longer time.
If the gearbox is instead in the N position,
starting is immediate.
If the engine does not start after turning the key
to position STOP, wait for the gear display to go
off and then repeat the entire procedure.

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5
A
B
WARNING: Do not use a battery-charger for
emergency starting under any circumstances:
you could damage the electronic systems,
particularly the control units that manage the
ignition and fuel supply functions.
CAUTION
Remember that when the
engine is not started, the power
braking and power steering systems
are not activated and so the effort
required on the brake pedal and
steering wheel is much greater.
TURNING OFF THE
ENGINE
With the engine idling, rotate the ignition key to
the STOP position.
A burst on the accelerator pedal before turning
off the engine has no purpose and increases fuel
consumption.
Q-SELECT
GEARBOXThe “Q-Select gearbox” is controlled with
the paddles on the steering wheel for gear
engagement and with the buttons on the centre
console for reverse gear engagement and
activation of the “automatic gearshift” and “low
grip” functions.
The “Q-Select gearbox” controls are the
following:A - Lower gear engagement paddle DOWNB - Upper gear engagement paddle UPC - Reverse gear engagement button

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5
If the symbol
remains on, there is a system
failure. This condition is also indicated by a beep
when the key is turned to position MAR.
WARNING: Contact an Authorised Service
Centre of the Manufacturer’s Network to have
the malfunction corrected.
OPERATION WITH THE
ENGINE OFF
After completing the “system start-up” stage,
the gear currently engaged will appear on the
display:
- N (Neutral)
- R (Reverse)
- D(1
st).
If the indication flashes (may also occur with N)
it means that the gear is not properly engaged or
is disengaged; therefore, request neutral (N) and
then the desired gear.CAUTION
If a horizontal dash appears on
the display, there is a system failure.
When the engine is off, 1st gear, reverse (R) and
neutral (N) can be engaged. Keeping the brake
pedal pressed during the request, you must
proceed as follows:
- N (Neutral): pull both paddles found behind
the steering wheel.
- R (Reverse): press button
C.
- Engaging 1
st gear: pull the UP paddle
towards the steering wheel.
CAUTION
To engage reverse gear, hold
the button C down until the letter R is
displayed.
WARNING: Immediately release the paddles
UP, DOWN and the button R after the gearshift
request. A prolonged manoeuvre may cause
the failure warning light
and the buzzer
to activate. Do not operate the system with the
engine off, to prevent discharging the battery.
Avoid useless gearshifting with the engine off, to
prevent overheating of the pump.

119
5
USING THE VEHICLE
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
With the engine running, the vehicle stationary
and the brake pedal pressed, release the brake
and depress the accelerator to start off.
With the engine on and the vehicle stationary,
you can shift directly from 1
st gear to R (reverse
gear), by pressing the button C, and from reverse
gear to 1
st gear by pulling the paddle
B UP
towards the steering wheel.
WARNING: Reverse gear engagement is
accompanied by a safety acoustic signal, which
sounds intermittently for the entire reversing
manoeuvre. When shifting from reverse to 1
st gear, if the
system automatically engages 2nd gear, it
indicates that jamming has occurred with 1
st
gear. Therefore, this is not a failure, as it falls
within the logic of the system operation.
For the same reason, the system automatically
engages neutral (N) in case of jamming
when shifting from 1
st gear to reverse. During
prolonged stops with the engine running, it is
advisable to keep the gearshift in neutral (N).Hill Holder Strategy
The Hill Holder system helps the driver when
starting-off on an uphill slope. It activates only
following a vehicle stop when the brake pedal
is released, keeping the vehicle stationary for a
moment, so as to allow the driver to move from
the brake to the accelerator pedal.
The system is capable of varying its activation
time depending on the road slope. This time
ranges from a minimum (0.06 seconds)
on downhill stretches and a maximum (1.2
seconds) on uphill stretches, so that the driver
will not perceive the vehicle as “braking”
downhill.
The function that measures the gradient is active
only at speeds over 8 km/h, therefore gradient
changes at lower speeds will not be detected.
Example: if you are driving uphill and you make
a manoeuvre to change your driving direction,
the system will not detect a gradient change,
and its maximum activation time will remain 1.2
seconds.
WARNING: If, on downhill slopes, you let the
vehicle move in neutral (N), when you request
a gearshift UP, the gear engaged will depend on
the current speed of the vehicle. For safety reasons, the system activates the
warning buzzer and automatically engages
neutral (N) when, with the vehicle stationary,
the engine running and a gear engaged:
- the brake pedal or the accelerator are not
depressed for over 1 minute
- the brake pedal is depressed for more than
10 minutes
- the door is opened without depressing the
brake pedal or the accelerator
- the engine compartment lid is opened.WARNING: The warning buzzer is activated
even if the clutch overheats during the “pickup”
manoeuvre. In these cases, you must start off
immediately or release the accelerator pedal and
depress the brake pedal.

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In any event, it is best to:
- Shift gears without releasing the accelerator
pedal if it is pressed.
- If a DOWNshift is requested in order to
start overtaking where rapid acceleration is
required, depress the accelerator pedal just
before moving the lever.
- Wait until gearshifting has been completed
before requesting another one, avoiding
multiple requests in rapid sequence.
DOWNSHIFT FOR
ENGINE UNDERREVVING
The system “automatically” shifts gear at an
engine speed of approximately 1200 RPM.
A DOWNshift request will be ignored if a
gearshift is already in progress due to engine
underrevving. Important
- With the vehicle stationary and a gear
engaged, keep the brake pedal depressed
until starting-off.
- Engage the reverse gear only when the
vehicle is at a full stop and with the brake
pedal pressed.
- When the VDC system is turned off, the
antiskid system is deactivated.UPSHIFTING (UP)
Use the right-hand
B UPpaddle without releasing
the accelerator pedal.
An UPshift request will not be accepted if
engagement of the requested gear would force
the engine to run at low speeds (underrevving)
or if an upshift is already in progress due to
overrevving.
Gearshifting time depends on the accelerator
pedal travel and on the engine RPM: the closer
the pedal is to the end of travel and the greater is
the engine RPM, the faster will be the gearshift.In any event, it is best to:
- Shift gears without releasing the accelerator
pedal if it is depressed.
- Wait until one gearshift is completed before
requesting the next one, thereby avoiding a
rapid sequence of multiple requests.
UPSHIFT FOR ENGINE
OVERREVVING
The system “automatically” engages a higher
gear if, with the accelerator pedal depressed, the
engine approaches the “runaway speed rate”
(overrevving). This condition does not occur with
the system in the “SPORT” mode.
DOWNSHIFTING
(DOWN)
Use the left-hand
A DOWN paddle without
releasing the accelerator pedal.
A DOWNshift request will not be accepted if
the requested gear would force the engine to
overrev, or if a DOWNshift is already in progress
due to underrevving

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5
USING THE VEHICLE
REQUESTING
NEUTRAL (N)
If necessary, neutral (N) can be requested at any
speed.
If you then operate the UP paddle, the system
will engage a gear suited to the vehicle speed.
STOPPING THE VEHICLE
When the vehicle stops, the system
automatically engages 1
st gear (unless N has
already bee requested).
With the vehicle stationary and the engine
running, hold the brake pedal depressed until
you are ready to start off again. TURNING OFF
THE ENGINE AND
DEACTIVATING THE
SYSTEM
The engine can only be turned off with the
gearbox in 1
st, or reverse gear R.
If the gear is in neutral and the key is turned
from MAR to position STOP, the display remains
on for a few seconds showing the letter (N)
flashing and activating the acoustic signal.
For safety reasons, to avoid undesired and
sudden vehicle movements:
CAUTION
Never leave the vehicle with
the gear in neutral (N), but engage
1
st or reverse gear and check that the
parking brake has been engaged. Do
not leave the vehicle with the engine
running.CAUTION
Do not remove the key when
the vehicle is moving! The system (and
thus the display) would remain active
but malfunctioning, until the vehicle
stops; in addition, the steering wheel
would lock automatically at the first
turn of the wheel.
In this case, the failure symbol
will
illuminate and, before starting-off again, the
system must be turned off and the “system start-
up” phase repeated.
In any event, it is best to:
- Turn off the engine and the system holding
the brake pedal depressed.
- Do not request a gearshift while the system
is turning off.

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5
WARNING: In the event that the control lever
assembly is malfunctioning, in addition to
activating the buzzer and the failure warning
light
, the system enables “automatic
gearshift” mode and any gearshift command,
including the request for N and R, will be
ignored.
WARNING: If the malfunction persists,
contact an Authorised Service Centre of the
Manufacturer’s Network as soon as possible to
have the malfunction corrected.
PUSH START
In the case of malfunctioning of the starter
system, you can push-start the vehicle
proceeding as follows
- perform the “system start-up” stage
- request UP while the vehicle is picking up
speed with the gearbox in N.WARNING: This procedure should not be used
unless there is an emergency situation!
USING THE
BRAKESTo allow the brake pads and discs to run in
properly, avoid sudden braking during the first
300 km.
The ABS is a component of the braking system
that provides two basic advantages:
- It avoids locking of the wheels and thus
skidding during emergency braking,
especially under low grip conditions.
- It makes it possible to brake and steer at
the same time in order to avoid unexpected
obstacles or to direct the vehicle where
desired when braking: this is in keeping
with the physical limits of the tyre side grip. In order to fully exploit the ABS:
- You will note a light vibration of the brake
pedal during emergency braking or braking
under low grip conditions: This indicates
that the ABS is operating. Do not release
the pedal but continue to press it to give
continuity to the braking action.
- The ABS prevents the wheels from locking,
but it does not increase the physical grip
limits between the tyres and the road.
So, even with vehicles equipped with
ABS, always ensure that you keep to a
safe distance from the vehicle in front and
reduce your speed when entering a bend.