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
223-248 Alfa 159 GB 3-12-2009 14:11 Pagina 227
BRAKE FLUID fig. 17
Check that the fluid level in the reservoir
is at maximum. Top up with the brake
fluid specified in the table “Fluids and
lubricants” (see section “Technical Spec-
ifications ").
NOTEClean accurately the tank cap A
and the surrounding surface. When
opening the cap take the utmost care to
prevent impurities entering the tank.
When topping up, always use a funnel
with built-in filter with mesh equal to
or lower than 0.12 mm.
A0E0016mfig. 17
Make sure that the high-
ly corrosive brake fluid
does not drip onto the
paintwork. If it does, wash it off
immediately with water.
IMPORTANTFor this operation it is
however recommended to contact Alfa
Romeo Authorised Services.
From time to time, check the instrument
panel warning light
x: pressing on cap
A(with key fitted into the ignition de-
vice) the warning light shall turn on.
IMPORTANTBrake fluid absorbs
moisture. For this reason, if the car is
mainly used in areas with a high degree
of atmospheric humidity, the fluid should
be replaced at more frequent intervals
than specified in the Service schedule.
CAR
MAINTENANCE
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
INDEX
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IN AN
EMERGENCY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
SAFETY
DEVICES
236
Brake fluid is poisonous
and highly corrosive. In
the event of accidental contact,
wash the parts involved im-
mediately with neutral soap
and water, then rinse thor-
oughly. Call the doctor imme-
diately if the fluid is swal-
lowed.
WARNING
Symbol πon the con-
tainer indicates syn-
thetic brake fluid, distinguish-
ing it from the mineral kind.
Using mineral fluids irre-
versibly damages the special
braking system rubber seals.
WARNING
223-248 Alfa 159 GB 3-12-2009 14:11 Pagina 236
REPLACING THE BATTERY
If required, replace the battery with a
genuine spare part having the same
specifications.
If a battery with different specifications
is fitted, the service intervals given in
the Service schedule in this section will
no longer be valid.
Refer therefore to the instructions pro-
vided by the battery manufacturer.
Incorrect fitting of elec-
trical and electronic ac-
cessories can seriously
damage the car. If after buying
the car, you want to install elec-
tric accessories which require per-
manent electric supply (alarm,
free-hand phone kit, etc.) contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized Services
whose qualified personnel, in ad-
dition to suggesting the most
suitable devices, will evaluate the
overall electric absorption, check-
ing whether the car’s electric sys-
tem is capable of withstanding
the load required, or whether it
should be integrated with a more
powerful battery.
If the car is left inactive
for long periods at cold,
remove the battery and store
it in a warm place to prevent
freezing.
WARNING
When working on the
battery or near it, al-
ways wear the proper gog-
gles.
WARNING
Batteries contain sub-
stances that are very
harmful for the environ-
ment. You are advised to have
the battery changed at Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services,
which is properly equipped for
disposing of used batteries re-
specting nature and the law.CAR
MAINTENANCE
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
INDEX
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
IN AN
EMERGENCY
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
SAFETY
DEVICES
238
223-248 Alfa 159 GB 3-12-2009 14:11 Pagina 238
242
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CAR
MAINTENANCE
WINDSCREEN/REAR
SCREEN WIPERS
BLADES
Periodically clean the rubber part using
special products TUTELA PROFES-
SIONAL 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 fall below zero,
make sure that ice has not frozen the
rubber against glass. If necessary,
thaw using an antifreeze product;
❒ remove any snow from the glass: in
addition to protecting the blades, this
prevents effort on the motor and
overheating;
❒do not operate the windscreen wipers
on dry glass.
RUBBER HOSES
As far as the brake system and fuel rub-
ber hoses are concerned, carefully fol-
low the Service schedule in this section.
Indeed ozone, high temperatures and
prolonged lack of fluid in the system
may cause hardening and cracking of
the hoses, with possible leaks. Careful
control is therefore necessary.
Driving with worn
wiper blades is a seri-
ous hazard, because visibility
is reduced in bad weather.
WARNING
223-248 Alfa 159 GB 3-12-2009 14:11 Pagina 242
FLUIDS AND LUBRICANTS
RECOMMENDED PRODUCTS AND THEIR SPECIFICATIONS
Use Fluid and lubricant specifications Original fluids Change
for correct car operation and lubricants
For diesel engines, in emergency cases where genuine products are not available, lubricants with min. performance ACEA B4 and ACEA C2 are
accepted. If this is the case, the best engine performance is not guaranteed. We however recommend replacing the lubricant with those recommended
by Alfa Romeo Authorized Services.
Use of products with low-quality properties than ACEA A3 and ACEA B4 could cause damages to the engine that are not covered by the warranty.
267
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
Lubricants for petrol
engines (1.8 140 HP,
2.2 JTS and 3.2 JTS
versions)
Lubricants
for petrol engines
(1750 TURBO
BENZINA versions)
Lubricants for
diesel engines
(2.4 JTD
Mversions)
Lubricants for diesel
engines (1.9 JTD
M8V,
1.9 JTD
M16V,
2.0 JTD
Mversions)Synthetic-based oil, grade SAE 5W-40,
FIAT 9.55535-H2qualification
Synthetic-based oil, grade SAE 5W-40, ACEA C3.
FIAT 9.55535-S2 qualification.
Synthetic-based oil, grade SAE 5W-40
FIAT 9.55535-N2 qualification.
Synthetic-based oil, grade SAE 5W-30.
FIAT 9.55535-S1 qualification.
SELENIA StAR
Contractual Technical
Reference N° F216.D05
SELENIA StAR P.E.
Contractual Technical
Reference N° F603.D08
SELENIA WR
Contractual Technical
Reference N° F515.D06
SELENIA WR P.E.
Contractual Technical
Reference N° F510.D07
According to
Service Schedule
According to
Service Schedule
According to
Service Schedule
According to
Service Schedule
249-270 Alfa 159 GB 3-12-2009 15:51 Pagina 267
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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