171
SAFETY
DEVICES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
BOOT OPEN
On certain versions message
and symbol
R(red) are
displayed to indicate that boot is
open.
BONNET OPEN
(for versions/markets,
where provided)
On certain versions message and sym-
bol
S(red) are displayed to indicate
that bonnet is open.
INJECTION SYSTEM
FAILURE (diesel
versions - amber)
EOBD SYSTEM
FAILURE
(petrol versions -
amber)
(for versions/markets,
where provided)
Injection system failure
Fitting the key into the ignition device
the warning light turns on, but it should
go off when the engine has started.
The warning light stays on or it turns on
when travelling to indicate a malfunc-
tion in the injection/exhaust system
with possible lack of performance, poor
driveability and high consumption.
In these conditions it is possible to con-
tinue driving without however requiring
heavy effort or high speed from the en-
gine. In any case, contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services as soon as possible.EOBD system failure
(for versions/markets,
where provided)
Under normal conditions, fitting the elec-
tronic key into the ignition device, the
warning light turns on, but it should go
off when the engine has started. This in-
dicates proper operation of the warn-
ing light.
If the warning light stays on or turns on
when travelling:
– glowing steadily (on certain ver-
sions together with the message on the
display): means a fault in the sup-
ply/ignition system which could cause
high emissions at the exhaust, possible
lack of performance, poor handling and
high consumption levels. In these con-
ditions it is possible to continue driving
without however requiring heavy effort
or high speed from the engine. Pro-
longed use of the car with the warning
light on may cause damages. Contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized Services as soon
as possible.
The warning light goes off if the fault
disappears, but it is however stored by
the system.
INCOMPLETE DOOR
LOCKING (red)
The warning light (where pro-
vided) (or symbol on the display) turns
on when one or more doors, the boot or
the bonnet (where provided) are not
properly shut.
U´
S
R
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35 70 105 140 175
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SERVICE SCHEDULE
Thousands of km
Check tyre conditions/wear and adjust pressure if required
Check light system operation (headlights, direction indicators, hazard lights,
boot lights, passenger compartment lights, glovebox lights, warning lights, etc.)
Check windscreen wiper/washer operation,adjust nozzles if required
Check windscreen/rear window blade position/wear
Check front disk brake pad conditions and wear and wear indicator operation
Check rear disk brake pad conditions and wear
Sight inspect the conditions of: body external parts, underbody protection,
pipes and hoses (exhaust - fuel - brakes), rubber parts
(boots, sleeves, bushes, etc.)
Check cleanness of locks, bonnet and boot and lever cleanness
and lubrication
Check and top up, if required, fluid levels (brakes/hydraulic clutch,
power steering, windscreen washer, battery, engine coolant, etc.)
Check and adjust handbrake lever stroke
Sight inspect accessory drive belt conditions (except 1.8 140 HP version)
Sight inspect accessory drive belt conditions (1.8 140 HP version)
Sight inspect timing belt conditions (1.8 140 HP version)
CAR
MAINTENANCE
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
INDEX
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IN AN
EMERGENCY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
SAFETY
DEVICES
225
223-248 Alfa 159 GB 3-12-2009 14:11 Pagina 225
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
PETRONAS LUBRICANTSprod-
ucts, designed and produced specifical-
ly for Alfa Romeo cars (see table “Ca-
pacities” in section “Technical specifi-
cations”).
CAR
MAINTENANCE
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
INDEX
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IN AN
EMERGENCY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
SAFETY
DEVICES
227
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USEFUL ADVICE FOR
LENGTHENING THE LIFE
OF YOUR BATTERY
To avoid draining your battery and
lengthen its life, observe the following
indications:
❒ when you park the car, ensure the
doors, tailgate and bonnet are closed
properly;
❒ the ceiling lights must be off. The car
is however provided with an auto-
matic system for switching off inter-
nal lights;
❒do not keep accessories (e.g.: sound
system, hazard lights, etc.) switched
on for a long time when the engine
is not running;
❒before performing any operation on
the electrical system, disconnect the
battery negative terminal cable;
❒battery terminals shall always be per-
fectly tightened.IMPORTANTA battery which is kept
at a charge of less than 50% for any
length of time will be damaged by sul-
phation leading to a reduction in crank-
ing power.
Moreover, this might lead to a higher
risk of the battery electrolyte freezing
(this may even occur at –10°C). If the
car is inactive for a long period of time,
refer to “Car inactivity”, in section “Cor-
rect use of the car”.
If after buying the car, you want to in-
stall electric accessories which require
permanent electric supply (alarm, etc.)
contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services
whose qualified personnel, in addition
to suggesting the most suitable devices
available at Lineaccessori Alfa Romeo,
will evaluate the overall electric ab-
sorption, checking whether the car’s
electric system is capable of withstand-
ing the load required, or whether it
should be integrated with a more pow-
erful battery.In fact, since these devices continue ab-
sorbing energy even when the ignition
key is off, they gradually run down the
battery.
The total intake of these systems (fac-
tory and after-market) must be less than
0.6 mA x Ah (of the battery) as shown
in the following table:
Battery
60 Ah
70 Ah
90 AhMaximum admitted
stand-by intake
36 mA
42 mA
54 mA
CAR
MAINTENANCE
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
INDEX
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IN AN
EMERGENCY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
SAFETY
DEVICES
239
223-248 Alfa 159 GB 3-12-2009 14:11 Pagina 239
245
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CAR
MAINTENANCE
245
ADVICE FOR PRESERVING
THE BODYWORK
Paint
Paintwork does not only serve an
aestethic purpose, but also protects the
underlying sheet metal.
In the case of deep scrapes or scores,
you are advised to have the necessary
touching up carried out immediately to
avoid the formation of rust. Use only
original paint products for touching up
(see “Bodywork paint identification
plate” in section “Technical specifica-
tion”).
Normal paint maintenance consists in
washing at intervals depending on the
conditions and environment of use. For
example, in highly polluted areas, or if
the roads are sprayed with salt, it is wise
to wash the car more frequently.Exterior plastic parts must be cleaned in
the same way as the rest of the car.
Where possible, do not park under trees;
the resinous substance many species re-
lease give the paint a dull appearance
and increase the possibility of triggering
rust processes.
IMPORTANTBird droppings must be
washed off immediately and thorough-
ly as the acid they contain is particular-
ly aggressive. To wash the car correctly proceed as fol-
lows:❒remove the aerial from the roof to
prevent damage to it if the car is
washed in an automatic system;
❒wash the body using a low pressure
jet of water;
❒wipe a sponge with a slightly soapy
solution over the bodywork, fre-
quently rinsing with the sponge;
❒rinse well with water and dry with a
jet of air or a chamois leather.
When drying, take particular care with
the less visible parts like door surrounds,
bonnet and around the headlights where
water may stagnate. The car should not
be taken to a closed area immediately,
but left in the open so that residual wa-
ter can evaporate.
Do not wash the car after it has been left
in the sun or with the bonnet hot: this
may alter the shine of the paintwork.
Detergents cause water
pollution. Therefore the
car should be washed
in areas equipped for collecting
and purifying the liquid used in
the washing process.
To keep intact the aes-
thetic properties of the
paintwork do not use
abrasive and/or polish products
for cleaning the car bodywork.
223-248 Alfa 159 GB 3-12-2009 14:11 Pagina 245
319
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
INDEX
– useful advice for
lengthening the life ............. 239
Bodywork (cleaning) ................ 244
Bonnet ................................... 105
Boot ...............................101-277
– light replacement ................ 208
Brakes ................................... 256
Bulb (replacement) .................. 196
– general instructions ............. 196
– types of bulbs .................... 197
Capacities .............................. 266
Car inactivity ........................... 164
Car maintenance................ 223
– periodical checks ................ 227
– use of the car under heavy
conditions .......................... 227
– service Schedule ................. 225
– scheduled service ................ 224
Carrying children safely ............. 135
– child restraint systems ......... 138
– passenger’s seat compliance . 138
– presetting for mounting the
“Universal Isofix” child restraint
system .......................140-285Ceiling lights
– front ................................. 78
– rear .................................. 80
Checking fluid levels ................. 228
Child lock device ...................... 97
Cigar lighter ............................ 85
Climate control system .............. 53
– automatic two-/three-zone .. 58
– manual ............................. 55
CO
2emissions ......................... 270
CODE card .............................. 12
Containing running costs ........... 157
Controls ................................. 81
Correct use of the car........ 149
Courtesy mirror light
– bulb replacement ................ 206
Cruise Control .......................... 76
Dashboard and controls.... 6
Dashboard buttons ................... 72
Dimensions ............................. 261
Dipped beam headlights
– bulb replacement ................ 201
– control .............................. 70 ABS system ............................ 108
Accessories purchased
by the owner ........................ 116
Additional heater ..................... 69
Air bags ...........................141-145
Air/pollen filter ........................ 237
Air vents ................................. 54
Alarm ..................................... 17
Alfa Romeo CODE system .......... 10
Alfa 159 Sportwagon....... 275
Armrest
– central .............................. 82
– rear ........................... 83-84
Ashtray .................................. 87
ASR system ............................ 112
At the filling station .................. 125
Automatic headlight sensor ........ 71
Automatic two/three-zone
climate control system ............ 58
Battery
– checking the charge ............ 237
– jump starting ..................... 182
– recharging ......................... 219
– replacing ........................... 238
I I
N N
D D
E E
X X
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fig. 1
1.Adjustable swivel side air vents -2.Front side window demisting/defrosting vents -3. Passenger’s air bag - 4.Fuel lev-
el gauge/engine coolant temperature gauge/engine oil temperature gauge (petrol versions) or turbocharger pressure
gauge (diesel versions) - 5.Adjustable swivel centre air vents - 6. Upper central vent - 7.External lights control lever -
8. Driver’s air bag and horn - 9.Instrument panel - 10. Windscreen wiper control lever - 11.Front side window demist-
ing/defrosting vents - 12.Adjustable swivel side air vents - 13. Switches for external lights, trip meter reset and headlamp
aiming device. - 14.Dashboard fusebox lid - 15.Bonnet opening lever - 16. Sound system controls on the steering wheel
(where provided) - 17.Driver’s knees air bag - 18.Cruise Control lever (where provided) - 19.Ignition device - 20.En-
gine START/STOP button - 21. Heating/ventilation/climate controls - 22. Sound system (where provided) - 23. Glove
box - 24. Passenger’s knees air bag (where provided)
DASHBOARD
323
RIGHT HAND DRIVE VERSION
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