2008 Alfa Romeo GT towing

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
120
PARKING THE CAR
To park the car safely it is absolutely nec-
essary to engage first gear (1) or reverse
(R) and also the handbrake if the road is
on a slope.
Turning the engine off with the car facing
uphill and a gear engaged, it is absolutely
necessary to wait for the gear display to go
off before releasing the brake pedal, so that
the clutch is fully disengaged.
If the gearbox is in neutral (N) and want-
ing to engage a parking gear, the system
should be activated and with the foot on the
brake pedal it is necessary to engage (1)
or (R).
TOWING THE CAR
IMPORTANTFor towing the car, adhere
to local regulations. Make sure that the gear-
box is in neutral (N) (checking that the car
moves when pushed) and proceed as for
towing a normal car with mechanical gear-
box following the instructions given in sec-
tion “In an emergency”.
If setting to neutral is not possible, do not
tow the car and contact Alfa Romeo Autho-
rized Services.
While towing the car do
not start the engine.
BUZZER WARNINGS
The buzzer is activated when:
– reverse gear is engaged (R);
– the car is parked with the gearbox in
neutral (N); signal that can be noted turn-
ing the ignition key to STOP;
– clutch overheating occurs when moving
off;
– the system has shifted automatically
to neutral (N) when:
there is no action on the accelerator
and/or brake pedal for at least 3 minutes;
or the brake is pressed for over 10 min-
utes;
or the driver’s door is opened and no ac-
tion is made on the accelerator and brake
for at least 1.5 seconds;
or detection of a gearbox fault;
– gearbox fault.

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
174
TOWING TRAILERS
IMPORTANT NOTES
For towing caravans or trailers the car must
be fitted with a certified tow hook and an
adequate electric system. Installation should
be carried out by specialised personnel who
release a special document for circulation on
the road.
Install any specific and/or additional
rearview mirrors as specified by law. Re-
member that when towing a trailer, steep
hills are harder to climb, the braking spaces
increase and overtaking takes longer de-
pending on the overall weight.
Engage a lower gear when driving down-
hill, rather than constantly using the brake.
The weight the trailer exerts on the car tow
hook reduces by the same amount the ac-
tual car loading capacity.To make sure the maximum towable
weight is not exceeded (given in the log
book) account should be taken of the fully
laden trailer, including accessories and per-
sonal belongings.
Drive within the specific speed limit in
every country for car trailers. In any case the
maximum speed should never exceed 100
km/h.
INSTALLING
THE TOW HOOK
The towing device should be fastened to
the body by specialised personnel according
to the following instructions and any addi-
tional and/or integrative information sup-
plied by the Manufacturer of the device it-
self.
The towing device must meet current reg-
ulations with reference to Directive
94/20/CEE and subsequent amendments.
For any version the towing device used
must match the towable weight of the car
on which it is to be installed.
For the electric connection a unified con-
nector should be used which is generally
placed on a special bracket normally fas-
tened to the towing device itself. The ABS system with
which the car may be fitted
does not control the trailer
braking system. Particular care is
therefore necessary on slippery
surfaces.
Under no circumstances
should the car brake sys-
tem be altered to control
the trailer brake. The trailer brak-
ing system must be fully indepen-
dent of the car’s hydraulic system.

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
175
For the electrical connection a 7 or 13 pole
12VDC connection must be used (CU-
NA/UNI and ISO/DIN standards) following
any reference instructions given by the car
Manufacturer and/or towing device Manu-
facturer.
Any electric brake should be supplied directly
by the battery through a cable with a cross-
section of no less than 2.5 mm
2. In addition
to the electrical branches, the car electric sys-
tem can only be connected to the supply ca-
ble for an electric brake and to the cable for
an internal light, though not above 15W.
INSTALLATION LAYOUT
(fig. 1)
The tow hook structure must be fas-
tened in the points shown by the sym-
bol
Øusing 4 M8 screws and 7 M10
screws.
The inner plate (2) should have a
minimum thickness of 6 mm.
The inner plate (3) should have a
minimum thickness of 4 mm.
The inner plate (4) should have a
minimum thickness of 5 mm.
The fastening points (1) should be fit-
ted with 25 mm x 6 mm spacers.After fitting, the fasten-
ing screw holes shall be
sealed to prevent exhaust
gas inlet.
IMPORTANTIt is compulsory to fasten
a label (plainly visible) of suitable size and
material with the following wording:
MAX LOAD ON BALL 60 kg.

IN AN EMERGENCY
213
IF THE CAR IS TO BE TOWED
The tow ring supplied with the car is
housed in the tool box under the boot mat.
To install the tow ring, proceed as follows:
– Take the tow ring from the tool box.
– Remove the cover (A) snap-fitted on
the front (fig. 55) or rear (fig. 56)
bumper. To do this, using the flat-bladed
screwdriver provided, protect the tip with a
soft cloth to avoid damaging the car.– Firmly screw the ring in its housing.
fig. 55 - front
A0A0650b
fig. 56 - rear
A0A0670b
Before tightening the ring
carefully clean the thread-
ed housing. Before begin-
ning to tow the car, make sure that
the ring is firmly tightened in its
threaded housing.
Before starting to tow,
turn the ignition key to
MAR and back to STOP,
again without removing it. Re-
moving the key automatically en-
gages the steering lock resulting in
the impossibility to steer the
wheels. When towing remember
that without the help of the engine
brake and power steering greater
effort is required on the pedal and
steering wheel. Do not use flexible
cables for towing and avoid jerks.
During towing operations make
sure that fastening the joint to the
car does not damage the compo-
nents in contact with it. When tow-
ing the car, it is compulsory to fol-
low specific traffic regulations con-
cerning both the towing device and
behaviour on the road.

IN AN EMERGENCY
214
Take care when position-
ing the arms of the lift or
workshop lift to avoid dam-
aging the side strips.
USING AN ARM LIFT OR
WORKSHOP LIFT
The car must only be lifted laterally posi-
tioning the ends of the arms or the workshop
lift in the areas illustrated, approx. 40 cm from
the profile of the wheelhouse (fig. 57).These points are identified by symbol
▼
on the bottom of the sidemember.
The car may fall if the jack
is not positioned correctly.
Never use the jack for
higher capacities than the one stat-
ed on the label.
IMPORTANTFor versions with Sele-
speed transmission, make sure that the
gears are in neutral (N) (checking that the
car moves if pushed) and then proceed as
for towing a normal car with mechanical
transmission, following the instructions giv-
en previously.
Should it be impossible to set the gears to
neutral, do not tow the car and contact Al-
fa Romeo Authorised Services.Do not start the engine
when towing the car.
IF THE CAR IS TO BE LIFTED
fig. 57
A0A0672b

CAR MAINTENANCE
220
IMPORTANT
Engine oil
Should prevailing use of the car be under
one of the following specially heavy condi-
tions:
– trailer or caravan towing
– dusty roads
– short distances (less than 7-8 km) re-
peated and with external temperatures be-
low zero
– frequently idling engines or long distance
low speed driving or in case of a long term
inactivity
replace engine oil more frequently than re-
quired on the Scheduled Maintenance Pro-
gramme.IMPORTANT
Diesel filter
The variety of the degree of purity of the
fuel oil in commerce may make it necessary
to change the fuel oil filter more frequently
than stated in the Scheduled Maintenance
Programme. If the engine is “sobbing” it
is a sign that the filter needs changing.IMPORTANT
Air cleaner
Using the car on dusty roads change the
air cleaner more frequently than specified in
the Schedule Maintenance Programme.
For any doubts concerning the intervals be-
tween the engine oil and air cleaner re-
placement in relation to how the car is used,
contact Alfa Romeo Authorised Services.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
251
Kerb weight
(with fuel oil and fluids,
spare wheel, tools
and accessories) kg
Payload (*) including
driver kg
Max permissible
weights (**):
– front axle kg
– rear axle kg
– total kg
Towable weights:
– braked trailer kg
– trailer without brake kg
Maximum load on ball
(braked trailer) kg
WEIGHTS
(*) With special equipment (trailer towing device, etc.) the loadless weight increases, thereby reducing the payload, with regard to the maximum permissi-
ble loads.
(**) Loads not to be exceeded. It is the driver’s responsibility to place goods in the boot and/or on the loading surface in accordance with the maximum
permissible loads.
JTD16V
1320
520
990
980
1885
1300
400
60
3.2V6
1410
520
1040
980
1930
1400
400
60
2.0 JTS
1320
520
980
980
1840
1300
400
60
1.8 T. SPARK
1290
520
980
980
1810
1300
400
60

ALPHABETICAL INDEX
263
- rear centre lap belt .................. 27
- use of belts ............................ 26
Seats
- front ..................................... 16
- rear ...................................... 19
Selespeed gearbox ...................... 110
Sidelights
- changing front bulbs ................ 197
- changing rear bulbs ................. 199
- switching on .......................... 45
Snow chains ............................... 177
Speedometer .............................. 56
Steering lock .............................. 15
Steering system .......................... 245
Steering wheel ........................... 22
Sun visors .................................. 126
Suspensions ............................... 245
Symbols .................................... 5-6
Technical specifications........ 240
Towing the car ............................ 213
Towing trailers ............................ 174
Transmission ............................... 243
Tyres
- correct reading ....................... 246 - Fix&Go automatic ................... 186
- inflating pressure .................... 249
- replacement ........................... 181
- snow chains ........................... 177
- types of tyres and rims ............ 247
- winter ................................... 177
VDC system ............................. 136
Vehicle inactivity ......................... 178
Warning lights and messages ..... 72
Weights ..................................... 251
Wheel geometry ......................... 246
Wheels and tyres ................... 233-246
Windscreen washer
- intelligent washing function ...... 47
- operation ............................... 47
- spray jets .............................. 235
Windscreen wiper
- blade replacement .................. 235
- operation ............................... 47
- rain sensor ............................. 48
- spray jets .............................. 235