Page 229 of 331

227
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CAR
MAINTENANCE
USE OF THE CAR
UNDER HEAVY
CONDITIONS
Should prevailing use of the car be un-
der one of the following specially heavy
conditions:
❒ trailer or caravan towing;
❒ dusty roads;
❒ short distances (less than 7-8 km)
and repeated with external temper-
atures below zero;
❒ frequently idling engines or long dis-
tance low speed driving (e.g.: door-
to-door deliveries) or in case of a long
term inactivity;
❒ urban routes;
carry out checks more frequently than
required on Service Schedule:
❒ check front disk brake pad conditions
and wear;
❒ check cleanness of bonnet and boot
locks and lever cleanness and lubri-
cation;
❒ sight inspect the conditions of: en-
gine, gearbox, transmission, pipes
and hoses (exhaust - fuel - brakes),
rubber parts (boots, sleeves, bushes,
etc.);
❒ check battery charge and fluid level
(electrolyte);
❒ visual check on various drive belt con-
ditions;
❒ change engine oil and oil filter, if re-
quired;
❒ check and replace pollen filter, if re-
quired;
❒ check and replace air cleaner, if re-
quired.
PERIODICAL CHECKS
Every 1,000 km or before long jour-
neys, check and top up if required:
❒engine coolant fluid level;
❒brake fluid level;
❒windscreen washer fluid level;
❒ tyre pressure and conditions.
❒ check light system operation (head-
lights, direction indicators, hazard
lights, etc.);
❒ check windscreen wiper/washer op-
eration and windscreen/rear window
blade position/wear;
Every 3,000 km check and top up if re-
quired: engine oil level.
You are recommended to use FL Se-
leniaproducts, designed and produced
specifically for Alfa Romeo cars (see
table “Capacities” in section “Techni-
cal specifications”).
223-248 Alfa 159 GB 4-06-2008 9:44 Pagina 227
Page 250 of 331

Upholstery of your car
has been designed to
withstand wear deriv-
ing from common use of the car.
You are however recommended
to avoid strong and/or contin-
uous scratching with clothing
accessories such as metallic
buckles, studs, Velcro fasten-
ings and the like, since these
items cause circumscribed stress
of the cover fabric that could
lead to yarn breaking, and dam-
age the cover as a consequence.
248
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CAR
MAINTENANCE
INTERIOR PLASTIC PARTS
Clean plastic parts with a cloth moist-
ened with water and non-abrasive neu-
tral detergent. To remove grease or hard
stains, use appropriate products de-
signed to preserve the appearance of
components.
IMPORTANTNever use spirit or pe-
troleum to clean the instrument panel
or other plastic parts.
Never use flammable
products like oil ether
or rectified petrol for cleaning
car interiors. Electrostatic dis-
charges generated by rubbing
during cleaning operations
could cause fire.
WARNING
Do not keep aerosol
cans in the car: they
might explode. Aerosol cans
must never be exposed to a
temperature above 50°C. The
temperature inside the car ex-
posed to the sun may go well
beyond that figure.
WARNING
STEERING WHEEL/
GEAR LEVER KNOB WITH
GENUINE LEATHER
COVERING
(optional for versions/
markets where applicable)
These components shall only be cleaned
with water and neutral soap. Never use
spirit or alcohol-based products.
Before using special products for clean-
ing interiors, read carefully label in-
structions and indications to make sure
they are free from spirit and/or alcohol-
based substances.
If when cleaning the windscreen with
special glass products, some drops fall
on the leather covering of the steering
wheel/gear lever knob remove them
immediately and then clean with wa-
ter and neutral soap.
IMPORTANTTake the utmost care
when engaging the steering lock to pre-
vent scratching the leather covering.
223-248 Alfa 159 GB 4-06-2008 9:44 Pagina 248
Page 269 of 331

FLUIDS AND LUBRICANTS
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS AND THEIR SPECIFICATIONS
Use Fluid and lubricant specifications Original fluids Change
for correct car operation and lubricants
Lubricants for
petrol engines
Lubricants for
diesel engines
Synthetic-based oil, grade SAE 5W-40,
FIAT 9.55535-H2qualification.
Synthetic-based oil, grade SAE 5W-40,
FIAT 9.55535-N2qualification.SELENIA StAR
Contractual Technical
Reference N° F216.D05
SELENIA WR
Contractual Technical
Reference N° F515.D06According to Service
Schedule
According to Service
Schedule
For diesel engines, in emergency cases where genuine products are not available, lubricants with min. performance ACEA C2 are accepted. If this is the
case, the best engine performance is not guaranteed. We however recommend replacing the lubricant with those recommended by Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services.
Use of products with low-quality properties than ACEA A3 and ACEA B4 could cause damages to the engine that are not covered by the warranty.
For very cold climate conditions, ask to contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services for the appropriate Seleniaproduct to use.
267
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
TECHNICALSPECIFICATIONS
249-270 Alfa 159 GB 4-06-2008 9:44 Pagina 267