Page 128 of 250
SAFETY127
2
Seat belts.................................................................... 128
S.B.R. system............................................................... 129
Pretensioners............................................................... 131
Carrying children safely................................................. 134
Fitting “Universal” child seat .......................................... 135
“Isofix” child restraint assembly setup .............................. 139
Front Airbags ............................................................... 142
Side Air bags (Side bag - Window bag) ............................ 145
“Alcohol Test” Kit ......................................................... 148
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Page 146 of 250

SAFETY145
2
SIDE AIRBAGS
(SIDE BAG - WINDOW BAG)
The car is fitted with front side bags for driver and passenger for
protecting the chest, and window bags for protecting front and rear
passengers’ heads.
FRONT SIDE BAGS fig. 18
These are comprised of two types of bag located in the front back
rests, which protect the chest area of passengers in the event of
a side impact of medium-high severity.
HEAD PROTECTION SIDE AIR BAGS
(WINDOW BAGS) fig. 19
These are comprised of two “curtain” bags located behind the side
cover of the roof and protected by dedicated covers. They protect
the heads of the front passengers in the event of a side impact.
The airbags are not deployed in the event of side impact of low
severity (for which the restraining action of the seat belts is suffi-
cient). It is therefore always necessary to wear seat belts.
In the event of a side impact, the system provides best protection
if the passenger sits on the seat in a correct position, thus allow-
ing correct window bag deployment.
fig. 18A0J0103mfig. 19A0J0051m
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146SAFETY
A small amount of dust will be released when the airbags are de-
ployed: this is in no way toxic and does not indicate an outbreak
of fire. It may however irritate the eyes and skin: wash with mild
soap and water in the event of exposure.
Airbag checking, repair and replacement must only be carried out
by an Alfa Romeo Authorised Services.
If the vehicle is to be scrapped, contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised
Services to have the air bags deactivated.
Pretensioners and airbags are deployed according to different log-
ics on the basis of the type of collision. Non-deployment of one of
the devices does not necessarily indicate a system malfunction.Do not hook rigid objects to the clothes hangers or
support handles.
Do not rest your head, arms or elbows on the door,
windows or on the window bag area to avoid in-
juries during inflation.
Never lean your head, arms or elbows out of the
window.
IMPORTANT NOTES
Do not wash the seats with water or pressurised steam (wash by
hand or at automatic seat washing stations).
The front and /or side air bags may activate in the event of sharp
knocks to the underbody of the vehicle (e.g. impact with steps,
pavements, potholes or road bumps etc.).
If the ¬warning light does not turn on or if it
stays on when travelling (together with the mes-
sage on the multifunctional display, where pro-
vided) when turning the key to MAR, there could be a fail-
ure in the restraint systems. If this is the case, the airbags
or pretensioners do not trigger in the event of an impact
or, in a small number of cases, they may trigger acciden-
tally. Do not drive the vehicle and contact a Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services to have the system checked immedi-
ately.
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Page 159 of 250

158STARTING UP AND DRIVING
SNOW CHAINS
The use of snow chains should be in compliance with local regu-
lations. The snow chains may be applied only to the front wheel
tyres (drive wheels).
Check the tension of the chains after the first few metres have been
driven.
Use reduced bulk snow chains: for 195/55 R16” and 205/45
R17” tyres. Use reduced bulk snow chains with a maximum pro-
trusion from the tyres of 9 mm.
IMPORTANT The spare wheel cannot be fitted with snow chains.
If a front (drive) wheel is punctured and snow chains must be used,
you must remove a normal wheel from the rear and replace this
one with the small spare wheel. In this way, with two normal dri-
ve wheels, it is possible to use snow chains.
CAR INACTIVITY
If the car is to be left inactive for longer than a month, the following
precautions should be noted:
❍park the vehicle in a dry, covered and, if possible, ventilated
area; engage a gear and check that the handbrake is not en-
gaged;
❍disconnect the negative battery terminal and check battery
charge. Repeat this check once every three months during stor-
age;
❍clean and protect painted areas using protective wax;
❍clean and protect the shiny metal areas using special com-
mercially-available products;
❍sprinkle talcum powder on the rubber windscreen and rear win-
dow wiper blades and lift them off the glass;
❍slightly open the windows;
❍cover the car with a fabric or perforated plastic sheet. Do not
use compact plastic sheets which do not allow humidity to evap-
orate from the surface of the car.
❍inflate tyres to a pressure of +0.5 bar above the normal spec-
ified pressure and check the pressure at regular intervals;
❍if you have not disconnected the battery, check the battery
charge every thirty days;
❍do not drain the engine cooling system.
Keep your speed down when snow chains are fit-
ted. Do not exceed 50 km/h. Avoid potholes, steps
and pavements and also avoid driving long dis-
tances on roads not covered with snow to prevent dam-
aging the car and the roadbed.
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Page 191 of 250
190IN AN EMERGENCY
F23
F24
F31
F36
F37
F38
F43
F47
F4820
5
5
10
5
15
20
20
2041
41
43
43
43
43
43
43
43
CONSUMERS FUSE AMPERE FIGURE
Braking system control unit (control unit and solenoid unit)
Electric steering control unit
(power supply + Key),
Brake system control unit (power supply + Key),
Yaw sensor on tunnel
INT/A key exhaust relay coils
on engine fuse box
Radio, Blue&Me
TMcontrol unit, Climate control unit,
Alarm control unit, Volume sensing system control unit,
EOBD external diagnostic socket,
Tyre pressure detection control unit
Instrument panel, Brake light switch,
Gas discharge headlights management system
Door lock motor on door,
Safe Lock motor on doors,
Tailgate unlocking motor
Windscreen / rearscreen washer pump
Electric window motor complete with
control unit (driver-side door)
Electric window motor complete with
control unit (passenger-side door)
159-196 Alfa MiTo GB 12-11-2008 15:46 Pagina 190
Page 215 of 250
214CARE AND MAINTENANCE
WINDSCREEN/REARSCREEN WIPERS
Avoid changing over the tyres from the right side
of the vehicle to the left side and vice versa.
Do not repaint alloy wheel rims at temperatures
higher than 150°C. The mechanical characteristics
of the wheels might be disrupted.
Driving with worn wiper blades is a serious haz-
ard, because visibility is reduced in bad weather.
BLADES
We recommend replacing the blades once a year.
A few simple precautions can reduce the possibility of damage to
the blades:
❍make sure that the rubber part does not stick to the windscreen
at sub-zero temperatures. Use an antifreeze product to release
it if required;
❍remove any snow from the window;
❍activate the windscreen/rearscreen wiper on a dry window.
If the pressure is too low the tyre will get over-
heated, with the risk of serious damage to the tyre.
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Page 217 of 250
216CARE AND MAINTENANCE
If the jet of fluid is inadequate, firstly check that there is fluid in the
reservoir: see “Checking fluid levels” in this chapter).
Then check that the nozzle holes are not clogged, if necessary us-
ing a needle.
Rearscreen washer fig. 9
The nozzle holder is located above the rear window. Rear win-
dow washer jets are fixed.
HEADLIGHT WASHERS (where provided)
fig. 10
These are located within the front bumper. They are activated when
the dipped beam and/or main beam headlights are on and the
windscreen washer is activated.
Check the correct operation and cleanliness of nozzles at regular
intervals.
fig. 9A0J0055mfig. 10A0J0029m
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218CARE AND MAINTENANCE
IMPORTANT NOTES
Avoid parking under trees; the resin dropped by trees makes the
paintwork go opaque, increasing the possibility of corrosion.
Bird droppings must be washed off immediately and thoroughly as
the acid they contain is particularly aggressive.
Windows
Use specific detergents and clean cloths to prevent scratching.
Front headlights
Use a soft, damp cloth soaked in water and detergent for wash-
ing cars
IMPORTANT Do not use solvents: this may cause the lens to be-
come opaque.
IMPORTANT When cleaning the car with a pressure washer, keep
the water jet at least 2 cm away from the headlights.
Engine compartment
At the end of the winter the engine compartment should be care-
fully washed, without directing the jet against electronic control
units. Have this operation performed at a specialised workshop.
IMPORTANT Perform this operation on a cold engine and with the
key removed from the ignition.
Detergents cause water pollution. The car should
be washed in areas equipped for collecting and pu-
rifying the liquid used in the washing process.
When drying take care to dry the least exposed parts where the
water could collect most easily. Do not wash the car after it has
been parked in the sun or when the engine is bonnet is hot: this
could take the shine off the paint.
Exterior plastic parts must be cleaned in the same way as the rest
of the car.
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