2010 Alfa Romeo Brera/Spider engine

142
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
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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.

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

144
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CARIMPORTANTThe car can only be put
into reverse gear when it has stopped
moving completely. With the engine run-
ning, before engaging the reverse, wait
at least 3 seconds with the clutch ped-
al fully down to prevent damage and
grating of the gears.
A0F0151mfig. 3
To change gears prop-
erly you must push the
clutch pedal fully down. It is
therefore essential that there
is nothing under the pedals:
make sure mats are lying flat
and do not get in the way of
the pedals.
WARNING
Do not drive with your
hand resting on the gear
lever as the force ex-
erted, even if slight, could lead
to premature wear on the gear-
box internal components over
time. The clutch pedal must be
used for gear shift only. Never
drive with the foot resting,
even if slightly, on the clutch
pedal. For versions/markets
where applicable the clutch ped-
al control electronics can inter-
vene interpreting the wrong dri-
ve style as a fault.
USING
THE GEARBOX
The car is fitted with 6-gear manual
gearbox. Gear positions are shown on
the gearshift lever knob.
Always press down the clutch pedal
when shifting gears. To engage the 6
th
gear, move the gearshift lever pressing
slightly rightwards to prevent engaging
the 4
thgear accidentally.
To engage reverse Rfrom neutral, raise
ringA-fig. 3under the knob and at
the same time move the gearshift lever
leftwards and then forward. After en-
gaging reverse release the ring. To shift
from reverse to another gear it is not
necessary to raise the ring.

145
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Climate control
The air conditioner is an additional load
which greatly affects the engine leading
to higher consumption. When the tem-
perature outside the car permits it, use
the air vents where possible.
Spoilers
The use of aerodynamic optional extras
which are not certified for the specific
use on the vehicle, may reduce the aero-
dynamic penetration of the vehicle and
increase consumption. Unnecessary loads
Do not travel with too much luggage
stowed in the boot. The weight of the
car (especially when driving in town)
and its trim greatly affects consumption
and stability.
Roof rack/ski rack
Remove the roof rack or the ski rack
from the roof as soon as they are no
longer used. These accessories lower air
penetration and adversely affect con-
sumption levels. When needing to car-
ry particularly voluminous objects, prefer-
ably use a trailer.
Electric devices
Use electric devices only for the amount
of time needed. Rear heated window,
additional headlights, windscreen wipers
and heater fan need a considerable
amount of energy therefore, increasing
the requirement of current increases fu-
el consumption (up to +25% in the ur-
ban cycle).CONTAINING
RUNNING COSTS
Here are some suggestions which may
help you to keep the running costs of
your car down and lower the amount of
toxic emissions released into the at-
mosphere.
GENERAL CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried out
in accordance with the “Service sched-
ule”.
Tyres
Check the pressure of the tyres routine-
ly at an interval of no more than 4
weeks: if the pressure is too low, con-
sumption levels increase as resistance
to rolling is higher.

146
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
Gear selection
As soon as the conditions of the traffic
and road allow, use a higher gear. Us-
ing a low gear to obtain brilliant perfor-
mance increases consumption. In the
same way improper use of a high gear
increases consumption, emissions an en-
gine wear.
Top speed
Fuel consumption considerably increas-
es with speed. Avoid superfluous brak-
ing and accelerating, which cost in terms
of both fuel and emissions.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently increasing the revs
will greatly affect consumption and emis-
sions: acceleration should be gradual and
should not exceed the maximum torque.CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short journeys and frequent cold starts
do not allow the engine to reach opti-
mum operating temperature. This results
in a significant increase in consumption
levels (from +15 to +30% on the urban
cycle) and emission of harmful sub-
stances.
Traffic and road conditions
Rather high consumption levels are tied
to situations with heavy traffic, for ex-
ample in queues with frequent use of
the lower gears or in cities with many
traffic lights. Also winding mountain
roads and rough road surfaces adverse-
ly affect consumption.
Traffic hold-ups
During prolonged hold-ups (e.g.: level
crossings) the engine should be
switched off.
DRIVING STYLE
Starting
Do not warm the engine with the car
at a standstill or at idle or high speed:
under these conditions the engine
warms up much more slowly, increasing
electrical consumption and emissions. It
is therefore advisable to move off im-
mediately, slowly, avoiding high speeds.
This way the engine will warm faster.
Unnecessary actions
Avoid accelerating when waiting at traf-
fic lights or before switching off the en-
gine. This and also double declutching
is absolutely pointless on modern cars
and also increase consumption and pol-
lution.

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.

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
S S
LOW BRAKE FLUID/HANDBRAKEON .................... 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...................................... 158
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............................... 167
WINDSCREEN WASHER FLUID LOW LEVEL ............. 167
SPEED LIMIT EXCEEDED...................................... 167
T.P.M.S. SYSTEM FAILURE................................... 167
CHECK TYRE PRESSURE...................................... 167
LOW INFLATION PRESSURE................................. 168
TYRE PRESSURE UNSUITABLE FOR SPEED ............ 168

AIR BAG FAILURE
(red)
Fitting the key into the ignition
device the warning light turns on, but
it should go off after few seconds.
The warning light stays on glowing
steadily with the message on the dis-
play to indicate a failure in the air bag
system. The buzzer can be muted temporarily by
the following procedure:❒fasten front seat belts;
❒fit the electronic key into the ignition
device;
❒wait for over 20 seconds but less than
1 minute, then unfasten one of the
front seat belts.
This procedure will be valid until turning
the engine off.
For permanent buzzer deactivation con-
tact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services. The
“seat belt reminder” system can be re-
activated only through the “Setup Menu”
of the display (see paragraph “Recon-
figurable multifunction display“ in section
“Dashboard and controls”).
154
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
¬
If the warning light
¬
does not turn on
when fitting the key into the
ignition device, or if stays on
when travelling (together with
the message on the display),
this could indicate a failure in
safety retaining system; under
this condition air bags or pre-
tensioners could not trigger in
the event of collision or, in a
restricted number of cases,
they could trigger accidental-
ly. Before restarting contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized Ser-
vices.
WARNING
Warning light ¬failure
is indicated by the flash-
ing for more than the normal 4
seconds of the passenger's
front air bag deactivated warn-
ing light
F. In addition, the air
bag system will deactivate au-
tomatically the passenger's
front air bag (front and side
where provided). In this event
warning light
¬could not in-
dicate failure in safety systems.
Before restarting contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services im-
mediately to have the system
checked.
WARNING