2009 Alfa Romeo 8C parking 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.

121
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.

136
5
OTHER ADVICE
- Do not warm up the engine when the
vehicle is stationary: in these conditions
the engine heats up much more slowly and
increases fuel consumption and emissions.
It is much better to move off slowly,
avoiding high engine RPM.
- As soon as traffi c conditions and the route
permit it, use a higher gear.
- Avoid depressing the accelerator repeatedly
during stops at traffi c lights or before
turning off the engine.
- Keep your speed as regular as possible,
avoiding unnecessary brake applications
and accelerations, which cause fuel wastage
and strongly increase exhaust emissions.
- Turn the engine off if the vehicle remains
stationary for a long time. - Check the tyre pressure regularly: if the
pressure is too low, fuel consumption
increases and the tyres are damaged.
- Do not transport unnecessary objects in
the luggage compartment. The weight
of the vehicle affects fuel consumption
considerably.
- Use the electrical devices only as long as
necessary. The power required increases
fuel consumption.
PARKINGPull the electric parking brake, straighten the
wheels and turn off the engine.
Never leave the ignition key in position MAR.
Always remove the key when getting out of the
vehicle.
CAUTION
Never leave children
unattended in the vehicle.
CAUTION
Do not park the vehicle on
paper, grass, dry leaves or other
flammable materials. They could catch
fire if they come into contact with hot
parts of the exhaust system.
CAUTION
Do not leave the engine running
with the vehicle unattended.

137
5
A
USING THE VEHICLE
ELECTRIC PARKING
BRAKE
The vehicle is equipped with an automatic
parking brake EPB (Electric Parking Brake).
It is automatically engaged when the engine
is turned off and it is disengaged when, with
the engine running, the accelerator pedal is
depressed.
When the electric parking brake is engaged and
the key is turned to STOP, the warning light

illuminates on the instrument panel.During engagement and disengagement, the
warning light
flashes until the maximum
engagement force and full release have been
reached.
In the above conditions, the automatic activation
function can be deactivated/activated by
pressing the button A on the dashboard.
CAUTION
During engagement or
disengagement of the electric parking
brake, always hold the brake pedal
depressed.

138
5
B
Engagement
The electric parking brake is automatically
applied when the engine is turned off and the
vehicle is stationary.
It can only be disengaged when the engine is
restarted.
When the key is removed or set to STOP it
cannot be disengaged.
The electric parking brake can also be manually
engaged when the vehicle is moving or the key is
turned to MAR by pulling up the lever
B.
If the engine was turned off with the automatic
engagement device deactivated, you can
reactivated it simply by pulling lever B.
CAUTION
Always check that the vehicle is
actually locked before leaving it.
CAUTION
When the EPB button is
activated while driving, the vehicle
slows down with strong deceleration
(Dynamic Braking). It is therefore
advisable to use this function only
in case of an emergency. The vehicle
stability is in any case ensured by the
VDC system, which is always active.
Disengagement
The parking brake automatically disengages
when the accelerator pedal is depressed.
The electric parking brake can also be manually
disengaged when the vehicle is moving or the
key is in position MAR by manually pulling up
lever
B and simultaneously depressing the brake
pedal.
WARNING: In certain conditions it is however
advisable to manually disengage the electric
parking brake and brake the starting manoeuvre
slightly using the service brake. This is advisable
when there are obstacles very close to the
vehicle in the direction in which you intend to
move.

139
5
A
USING THE VEHICLE
Malfunction indication
In the event of electric parking brake system
failures, the warning light
! on the display
will come on.
Depending on the message displayed, it signals
the following failures of the EPB system:
- Parking brake failure
If the message warning you to go to the
nearest Authorised Service Centre of the
Manufacturer’s Network is displayed,
drive slowly and remember that the electric
parking brake device is not functioning.
- Excessive temperature. If after leaving the engine off (key turned
to STOP) for about 15 minutes without
using the parking brake, the warning
light illuminates again when the engine
is started, slowly drive to an Authorised
Service Centre of the Manufacturer’s
Network. If the brake failure is accompanied by the
message “Mechanical release only”, the
manual emergency deactivation procedure
must be performed to release the parking
brake.
Deactivating the PARK OFF automatic
operation
To deactivate manual operation of the electric
parking brake, with the engine on, press the
button
A on the dashboard. The words PARK OFF
will appear on the display for 5 seconds and then
the page that was active previously will reappear.
To reactivate automatic operation, press the
button A again, the words PARK ON appear on
the display for 5 seconds.
WARNING: In certain conditions, when the
battery voltage is low, the electric parking brake
activation/deactivation system may temporarily
be deactivated for safety reasons. Therefore,
typically during engine starting when the battery
voltage drops, the message PARK OFF may
temporarily appear on the display indicating that
automatic operation is temporarily disabled.
WARNING: In the case of performance
starting, check that the electric parking brake is
disengaged.

140
5
D
- Parking brake system overhaul
The EPB system requires maintenance,
therefore contact an Authorised Service
Centre of the Manufacturer’s Network to
have the system corrected.
CAUTION
In the event of an electric
parking brake failure, contact an
Authorised Service Centre of the
Manufacturer’s Network as soon as
possible.
Emergency disengagement
In the event that the electric parking brake locks
with a total system failure, you need to manually
release the parking brake using the special tool
provided in the toolkit.
Proceed as follows:
- Move the left-hand seat fully forward and
fully tilt the backrest.
- Using a screwdriver remove the cover
D by
prising on its left-hand side.- Insert the special tool in the just uncovered
pipe.
- Turn the handle clockwise until it is
released.
- Remove the tool from the pipe and refi t the
cover.
CAUTION
After each manual emergency
release, the electric parking brake
system will be inefficient until its
operation is corrected by an Authorised
Service Centre of the Manufacturer’s
Network.