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.
CAR MAINTENANCE
234
Alloy rim painting involv-
ing temperatures exceed-
ing 150 °C should be
avoided since wheel mechanical
characteristics could be impaired. Do not cross switch the
tyres, moving them from
the right of the car to the
left and vice versa.Excessive low pressure
causes overheating of the
tyre with the possibility of
serious damage to it.Remember that car road
holding also depends on
correct tyre inflation pres-
sure.
RUBBER HOSES
As far as the brake system and fuel sup-
ply rubber hoses are concerned, carefully fol-
low the Scheduled Maintenance Pro-
gramme. Indeed, ozone, high temperatures
and the prolonged lack of fluid in the sys-
tem may cause hardening and cracking of
the hoses, with possible leaks. Careful con-
trol is therefore necessary.
IMPORTANT NOTES
– Where possible, avoid sudden braking,
tyre squealing starts, violent bumps against
kerbs, potholes or obstacles of various kinds.
Prolonged driving on rough roads may dam-
age the tyres;
– Routinely check the tyres for cuts on the
sides, swellings or uneven tread wear. If nec-
essary contact Alfa Romeo Authorised Ser-
vices;
– Avoid overloading the car when travel-
ling: this may cause serious damage to the
wheels and tyres;
– If a tyre is punctured, stop immediate-
ly and change it to avoid damage to the tyre
itself, the rim, suspensions and steering sys-
tem;
– Tyres age even if they are not used
much. Cracks in the tread rubber are a sign
of aging. In any case, if the tyres have been
on the car for over 6 years, they should be
checked by specialised personnel, to see if
they can still be used. Also remember to
check the compact spare wheel;
– In case of replacement, always fit new
tyres, avoiding those of dubious origin;
CAR MAINTENANCE
235
SPRAY NOZZLES (fig. 18)
If the jet of fluid is inadequate, firstly check
that there is fluid in the reservoir: see
“Checking levels” in this chapter.
Then check that the nozzle holes are not
clogged, if necessary use a needle.
If necessary, direct the jet of fluid work-
ing on the adjustment screw.
fig. 17
A0A0728b
Changing the windscreen
wiper blade (fig. 17)
How to remove the blade
Proceed as follows:
– raise the windscreen wiper arm (A);
– turn the blade (B) 90° around the pin
(C) set at wiper arm end;
– remove the blade from pin (C).
How to refit the blade
Proceed as follows:
– fit pin (C) into the hole set in the mid-
dle of the blade (B);
– refit the wiper arm with the blade on
the windscreen.
Driving with worn wiper
blades is a serious hazard,
because visibility is re-
duced in bad weather.WINDSCREEN/REAR
SCREEN WIPERS
BLADES
Periodically clean the rubber part using spe-
cial products; TUTELA PROFESSIONAL
SC 35is recommended.
If the rubber blades are bent or worn they
should be replaced. In any case they should
be changed once a year.
A few simple notions can reduce the pos-
sibility of damage to the blades:
– If the temperature falls below zero make
sure that ice has not frozen the rubber
against the glass. If necessary, thaw using
an antifreeze product.
– Remove any snow from the glass: in ad-
dition to protecting the blades, this prevents
effort on the motor and overheating.
– Do not operate the windscreen and
rearscreen wipers on dry glass.
fig. 18
A0A0696b
