142
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
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.
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.
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”);
❒fit the metal insert B-fig. 1of the
electronic key into the slot A;
❒remove the electronic key from the
ignition device.
A0F0043mfig. 1
IMPORTANTOnly fit the metal insert
B-fig.1of the electronic key into slot A.
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.
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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
143
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
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147
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Engage a low 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 actual 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
personal belongings.
Do not exceed the speed limits of the
country you are driving in. In any case
do not exceed 100 km/h.TOWING TRAILERS
IMPORTANT NOTES
For towing caravans or trailers the car
must be fitted with a certified tow hook
and an adequate electric system. In-
stallation should be carried out by spe-
cialised personnel who release a special
document for circulation on the road.
Install any specific and/or additional
rear-view mirrors as specified by law.
Remember that when towing a trailer,
steep hills are harder to climb, the brak-
ing spaces increase and overtaking takes
longer depending on the overall weight.
The ABS system with
which the car may be
fitted does not control the
trailer braking system. Drive
with extreme care on slippery
roadbeds.
WARNING
Under no circumstances
should the car brake
system be altered to control
the trailer brake. The trailer
braking system must be fully
independent of the car hy-
draulic system.
WARNING
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150
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
CAR INACTIVITY
If the car is to be left inactive for longer
than a month, the following precautions
should be noted:
❒park the car in covered, dry and if
possible well-ventilated premises;
❒engage a gear;
❒check that the handbrake is not en-
gaged;
❒disconnect battery negative terminal
and check the battery charge. This
check is to be repeated every three
months when the car is left inactive.
Recharge if the optical indicator
(where provided) shows a dark
colour without the central green area
(see paragraph “Battery” in section
“Car maintenance”);
❒clean and protect the painted parts
using protective wax;
❒clean and protect the shiny metal
parts using special compounds read-
ily available;
❒sprinkle talcum powder on the rub-
ber windscreen and rear window
wiper blades and lift them off the
glass;
❒slightly open the windows;
❒cover the car with a cloth or perfo-
rated plastic sheet. Do not use sheets
of non-perforated plastic as they do
not allow moisture on the car body
to evaporate;
❒inflate tyres to +0.5 bar above the
normal specified pressure and check
it at intervals;
❒if you don’t disconnect the battery
from the electric system, check its
charge every month and recharge it
if the optical indicator shows a dark
colour without the central green
area;
❒do not drain the engine cooling sys-
tem.
IMPORTANTIf the car is fitted with
alarm system, switch off the alarm with
the remote control.
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151
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
W W
A A
R R
N N
I I
N N
G G
L L
I I
G G
H H
T T
S S
A A
N N
D D
M M
E E
S S
S S
A A
G G
E E E
S S
LOW BRAKE FLUID/HANDBRAKE ON .................... 153
BRAKE PAD WEAR ............................................. 153
SEAT BELTS NOT FASTENED................................. 153
AIR BAG FAILURE............................................... 154
PASSANGER’S FRONT AIR BAGS DEACTIVATED ........ 155
ENGINE COOLANT HIGH TEMPERATURE ................. 155
ENGINE OIL HIGH TEMPERATURE.......................... 156
LOW ENGINE OIL PRESSURE/ EXHAUST OIL .......... 156
LOW BATTERY CHARGE....................................... 157
INCOMPLETE DOOR LOCKING.............................. 157
BONNET OPEN.................................................. 157
BOOT OPEN..................................................... 157
INJECTION SYSTEM FAILURE/
EOBD SYSTEM FAILURE...................................... 157
CAR PROTECTION SYSTEM FAILURE/
STEERING LOCK INHIBITION................................ 159
ALARM FAILURE/BREAK-IN ATTEMPT/
ELECTRONIC KEY NOT RECOGNIZED...................... 159
POSSIBLE PRESENCE OF ICE ON THE ROAD ........... 160
PRE-HEATING GLOW PLUGS/
PRE-HEATING GLOW PLUG FAILURE....................... 160
WATER IN DIESEL FUEL FILTER ............................. 161
INERTIAL FUEL CUT-OFF SWITCHED ON ................ 161
ABS SYSTEM FAILURE ........................................ 162
EBD SYSTEM FAILURE ........................................ 162
VDC SYSTEM ................................................... 162HILL HOLDER FAILURE ....................................... 163
ASR SYSTEM (WHEEL ANTISKID SYSTEM) ............ 163
EXTERNAL LIGHTS FAILURE ................................. 164
BRAKE LIGHTS FAILURE ...................................... 164
REAR FOGLIGHTS.............................................. 164
FRONT FOG LIGHTS........................................... 164
SIDE/TAILLIGHTS/FOLLOW ME HOME.................. 164
DIPPED BEAM HEADLIGHTS................................. 164
MAIN BEAM HEADLIGHTS................................... 165
LEFT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR ........................ 165
RIGHT-HAND DIRECTION INDICATOR ...................... 165
LIGHT SENSOR FAILURE....................................... 165
RAIN SENSOR FAILURE........................................ 165
PARKING SENSORS FAILURE................................ 165
FUEL RESERVE - LIMITED CRUISING RANGE............ 165
CRUISE CONTROL ............................................. 166
DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER CLOGGED .................. 166
ANTIPINCH SYSTEM FAILURE............................... 166
WINDSCREEN WASHER FLUID LOW LEVEL ............. 166
SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED...................................... 166
T.P.M.S. SYSTEM FAILURE................................... 167
CHECK TYRE PRESSURE...................................... 167
LOW INFLATION PRESSURE................................. 167
TYRE PRESSURE UNSUITABLE FOR SPEED ............ 168
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SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
SEAT BELTS NOT
FASTENED (red)
With car stationary, the warn-
ing light turns on glowing steadily in the
following cases:
❒driver’s seat belt not fastened;
❒passenger’s seat belt not fastened,
heavy objects placed on the passen-
ger’s seat;
❒when unfastening driver’s or passen-
ger’s seat belt.
For the same reasons, with the car mov-
ing, the warning light will turn on flash-
ing and the warning buzzer will sound for
a while.
The warning light will then stay on glow-
ing steadily.
BRAKE PAD WEAR
(amber)
The display will show message
+ symbol when front brake pads are
worn; in this case have them changed
as soon as possible.
IMPORTANTSince the car is fitted
with wear sensors for the front brake
pads, when changing them, check also
the rear brake pads.
d
ling, check that the handbrake
is not engaged. If the warning
light stays on with handbrake
disengaged, stop the car im-
mediately and contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services.
WARNINGLOW BRAKE FLUID
(red)
HANDBRAKE ON
(red)
Fitting the key into the ignition device
the warning light turns on, but it should
go off after few seconds.
Low brake fluid level
The warning light turns on (with a ded-
icated message on the display) when
the level of the brake fluid in the reser-
voir falls below the minimum level, due
to possible leak in the circuit.
Handbrake on
The warning light turns on when the
handbrake is on.
x
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SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
EXTERNAL LIGHTS
FAILURE (amber)
The display will show message
+ symbol when one of the following
lights is failing:
– sidelights
– direction indicators
– rear fog guards
– number plate lights.
The failure referring to these lights could
be: one or more blown bulbs, a blown
protection fuse or an electric connection
cut-off.
W
BRAKE LIGHTS
FAILURE
(amber)
The display will show message + sym-
bol when a failure at brake lights (stop)
is detected.
The failure could be due to: blown bulb,
blown protection fuse or electric connec-
tion cut-off.
T
REAR FOG LIGHTS
(amber)
The warning light turns on
when the rear fog lights are turned on.
FRONT FOG LIGHTS
(green)
The warning light turns on
when the front fog lights are turned on.
4
5
SIDE/TAILLIGHTS
(green)
FOLLOW ME HOME
(green)
Sidelights
The warning light turns on when
side/taillights are turned on.
Follow me home
The warning light comes on (together with
the message on the display) when the
Follow me home device is activated (see
paragraph “Follow me home” in section
“Dashboard and controls”).
3
2
DIPPED BEAM
HEADLIGHTS
(green)
The warning light turns on when the
dipped beams are turned on.
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SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IF A TYRE
IS PUNCTURED
The car is equipped with the “Quick tyre
repair kit Fix&Go automatic“. Opera-
tions required to change a wheel are de-
scribed in the following section.
As an alternative to the “Kit Fix & Go
automatic”, the car can be provided (up-
on request) with space-saver spare
wheel: wheel changing and correct use
of the jack call for some precautions as
listed below.
BUMP STARTING
Never bump start the engine (by push-
ing, towing, or coasting downhill) as this
could cause fuel to flow into the catalytic
exhaust system and damage it beyond
repair.
Remember that the
brake booster and the
power steering system are not
operating until the engine is
started, a greater effort will
therefore be required to press
the brake pedal or turn the
steering wheel.
WARNING
Alert other drivers that
the car is stationary in
compliance with local regula-
tions: hazard warning lights,
warning triangle etc. Any pas-
sengers on board should leave
the car, especially if it is heav-
ily laden. Passengers should
stay away from oncoming
traffic while the wheel is be-
ing changed on. If the wheel is
being changed on a steep or
badly surfaced road, place the
wedges or other suitable ma-
terial under the wheel to stop
the car. Never start the engine
when the car is jacked up. If
you were towing a trailer, un-
couple the trailer before jack-
ing the car.
WARNING
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