2008 Alfa Romeo Brera/Spider Owner handbook (in English)

136
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
The front air bag is trig-
gered for shocks
greater in magnitude than the
pretensioners. For impacts be-
tween these two thresholds,
it is therefore normal that on-
ly the pretensioners are trig-
gered.
WARNING
Do not hook rigid ob-
jects to the coat hooks
and to the support handles.
WARNING
The air bag does not
substitute 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
Never wash seat back-
rests with pressurised
water or steam (by hand or at
automatic seat washing sta-
tions).
WARNING
When the key is fitted
into the ignition device,
the warning light
F(with pas-
senger’s front air bags deacti-
vation switch at ON) turns on
and flashes for few seconds to
remind that passenger’s front
air bag, knees air bag and side
bag will be deployed in a crash,
after which it should go off.
WARNING

137
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
C C
O O
R R
R R
E E
C C
T T
U U
S S
E E
O O
F F
T T
H H
E E
C C
A A
R R
ENGINE STARTING .............................................. 138
PARKING ........................................................... 143
USING THE GEARBOX ......................................... 144
CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS ............................ 145
TOWING TRAILERS.............................................. 147
SNOW TYRES .................................................... 150
SNOW CHAINS .................................................. 151
CAR INACTIVITY ................................................ 152

138
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
We recommend that
during the initial period
you do not drive to full
car performance (e.g.: excessive
acceleration, long journeys at
top speed, sharp braking, etc.).
Running the engine in
confined areas is ex-
tremely dangerous. The engine
consumes oxygen and pro-
duces carbon monoxide which
is a highly toxic and lethal gas.
WARNING
When the engine is
switched off never leave
the electronic key into the
ignition device to prevent point-
less current absorption from
draining the batter.
ENGINE STARTING
The car is fitted with an electronic engine
immobilising system. If the engine fails
to start, see paragraph “Alfa Romeo
CODE system” in section “Dashboard
and controls”.
IMPORTANTTampering with the ig-
nition device can cause unrequired steer-
ing lock.
IMPORTANT Always fit the electron-
ic key completely into the ignition device
to the stop limit.
IMPORTANT Never take the elec-
tronic key out of the ignition device while
the car is moving unless you have to car-
ry out an emergency removal (see para-
graph “Removing the electronic key from
the ignition device in an emergency”),
this ensures that the steering column lock
is deactivated while the car is moving
(e.g.: towing the car).

139
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒pull up the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever neutral;
❒fit the electronic key into the ignition
device to stop limit;
❒press the clutch (or brake) pedal
down to the floor without pressing the
accelerator;
❒press button START/STOP and re-
lease it as soon as the engine starts.
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
DIESEL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒pull up the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever neutral;
❒fit the electronic key into the ignition
device to stop limit. The warning
light
mon the instrument panel
will turn on;
❒wait for the warning light mto turn
off. The hotter the engine is, the quick-
er this will happen;
❒press the clutch (or brake) down to
the floor without pressing the accel-
erator;
❒press button START/STOPas soon
as warning light
mgoes out. If you
wait too long you will lose the bene-
fit of the work done by the glow plugs.
Release the button as soon as the en-
gine starts.WARNINGS
If at start-up the engine turns off, restart
it by pressing the clutch or brake pedal
and then press button START/STOP.
If after a few attempts the engine does
not start, do not insist but contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services.
With car started the electronic key is
locked into the ignition device and it can
be removed only after switching the en-
gine off. With car running and key locked
into the ignition device, forced key re-
moval could damage the ignition device.

Start-up failures
The system can recognise start-up fail-
ures.
In the event of failure, the electronic key
can be removed from the ignition device to
enable the driver to carry out the follow-
ing operations:
❒turn the instrument panel off by
pressing button START/STOPor
removing the electronic key from the
ignition device;
❒start the engine again by pressing the
clutch/brake pedal and button
START/STOP.
IMPORTANT With engine raced while
the car is running, due to safety reasons
it is not possible to remove the electronic
key from the ignition device. To remove
it, press buttonSTART/STOPwith
brake pedal (or clutch pedal) released and
car stopped. Start-up failures, if any, are indicated by
the turning on of the warning light
Yon
the instrument panel (on certain versions
a dedicated message is displayed). In this
case contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Ser-
vices.
If the engine will not start after pressing
buttonSTART/STOPrepeat the start-
up procedure by pressing the other pedal
(clutch or brake).
140
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
HOW TO WARM UP THE
ENGINE AFTER IT HAS JUST
STARTED (petrol and diesel
engines)
Proceed as follows:
❒Drive off slowly, letting the engine
turn at medium revs. Do not accel-
erate abruptly;
❒Do not drive at full performance for
the initial kilometres. Wait until the
coolant temperature gauge starts
moving.

141
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
STOPPING THE ENGINE
With car stopped press button
START/STOP. When the engine is off
it will be possible to remove the electronic
key from the ignition device.
In an emergency and
also for safety rea-
sons, it is possible to kill the
engine while the car is running
by pressing repeatedly (three
times in 2 seconds) or keeping
pressed the START/STOP but-
ton for a few seconds. In this
case the power steering is no
longer available.
WARNING
IMPORTANTTurning the car off will
deactivate the electronic safety systems
and turn off the external lights.
IMPORTANTKilling the engine while
the car is running, due to safety reasons,
it will not be possible to take the elec-
tronic key out of the ignition device. To
remove it, turn the instrument panel on
and off by pressing button
START/STOPwith brake pedal (or
clutch pedal) released and car stopped. A quick burst on the ac-
celerator before turning
off the engine serves
absolutely no practical purpose,
it wastes fuel and is damaging
especially to turbocharged en-
gines.
IMPORTANTAfter a taxing drive, you
should allow the engine to “catch its
breath” before turning it off by letting it
idle to allow the temperature in the en-
gine compartment to fall.

142
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
❒fit the metal insert B-fig. 1of the
electronic key into the slot A;
❒remove the electronic key from the
ignition device.
IMPORTANTOnly fit the metal insert
B-fig.1of the electronic key into slot A.
REMOVING THE
ELECTRONIC KEY FROM THE
IGNITION DEVICE IN AN
EMERGENCY
In the event of a failure at engine switch-
ing off system or at electronic key un-
locking system proceed as follows:
❒press the unlocking button to remove
the metal insert (see paragraph
“Electronic key” in section “Dash-
board and controls”);
A0F0043mfig. 1
IMPORTANTIf emergency removal
is carried out with the engine running,
the engine and the instrument panel will
be turned off and the steering lock will
not be engaged; always stop the car be-
fore emergency removal.

143
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
To release the handbrake proceed as fol-
lows:
❒Slightly lift the handbrake Aand
press release button B;
❒Keep button Bpressed and lower
the lever. Warning light
xon the
instrument panel will turn off.
Press the brake pedal when carrying out
this operation to prevent the car from
moving accidentally.
HANDBRAKE
The handbrake lever A-fig. 2 is locat-
ed between the two front seats. Pull the
handbrake lever Aupwards, until the
car cannot be moved.
With electronic key fitted into the igni-
tion device, the instrument panel warn-
ing light
xwill come on.
IMPORTANT The car shall stop after
a few clicks of the handbrake lever. If
this is not the case, contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services to have the hand-
brake adjusted.
A0F0030mfig. 2
PARKING THE CAR
Proceed as follows:
❒Stop the engine and engage the
handbrake;
❒Engage a gear (on a slope, engage
first gear if the car is faced uphill or
reverse if it is faced downhill) and
leave the wheels steered.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a stone
if the car is parked on a steep slope. Do
not leave the electronic key in the igni-
tion switch to prevent draining the bat-
tery.
Never leave children un-
attended in the car. Al-
ways remove the electronic key
when leaving the car and take
it out with you.
WARNING