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CONTENTS
FRONT AIRBAGS
The car is provided with multistage front air bags (“Smart bag”)
for driver and passenger.
“SMART BAG” SYSTEM
(MULTISTAGE FRONT AIR BAGS)
The front driver/passenger air bags are designed to protect occu-
pants in the event of head-on crashes of medium-high severity,
by placing the bag between the occupant and the steering wheel
or dashboard.
The air bag do not replace, but rather complement the use of seat
belts, which should always be worn. In the event of an impact,
someone not wearing a seat belt could move forward and come
into contact with a bag which is still in the opening phase. The pro-
tection offered by the bag is reduced in such a case.
Front air bags may not be activated in the following situations:
❍front collisions against highly deformable objects not affect-
ing the front surface of the car (e.g. bumper collision against
guard rail, etc.);
❍car penetration under other vehicles or protective barriers (e.g.
trucks or guard rails);
in these instances they could not provide any additional protec-
tion compared with seat belts, so their deployment would not be
useful. In these cases, non-deployment of the airbag does not nec-
essarily indicate a system malfunction.
FRONT AIR BAG ON DRIVER’S SIDE fig. 106
This is located in a dedicated compartment in the centre of the steer-
ing wheel.
Do not apply stickers or other objects to the steer-
ing wheel, passenger side air bag cover or upper
side upholstery. Do not place objects on the pas-
senger side dashboard because these could interfere with
the correct opening of the air bag and cause severe injury
to occupants.
fig. 106A0K0080m
Always drive with your hands on the steering wheel
rim so that the air bag can inflate freely if need-
ed. Do not drive with your body bent forward.
Keep your back straight against the backrest.
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FRONT AIRBAG ON PASSENGER’S SIDE
fig. 107
This is located in a dedicated compartment in the dashboard.
fig. 107A0K0135m
Do not arrange cradle child seats facing backwards
if the front air bag on the passenger’s side is en-
abled. Deployment of the air bag in an accident
could cause fatal injuries to the baby regardless of
the severity of the collision. Always deactivate the
passenger’s air bag when placing a child seat on the front
seat. Also, the passenger seat should be as far back as
possible to avoid contact between the child seat and the
dashboard. Although this is not mandatory by law, the air
bag should be immediately reactivated when children are
no longer carried to ensure better protection for adults.
To deactivate the air bags see “Knowing your
car” chapter, “Menu Items” paragraph.
Deactivating the passenger front air bag and
side bag
Deactivate the passenger front air bag and chest protection side
bags when carrying a chid on the front seat. With the air bags de-
activated, the
“warning light is lit in the instrument panel.
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WARNINGS
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
impacts to the underbody of the car (e.g. impact with steps, pave-
ments, potholes or road bumps etc.).
A small amount of dust will be released when the airbags are de-
ployed. This is not harmful and does not indicate a fire. Dust may
irritate your skin and eyes: in this case, wash with mild soap and
water.
All operations on air bags (inspections, repairs and replacement)
must be carried out by Alfa Romeo Authorized Services.
If the car is to be scrapped, contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Ser-
vices to have the air bags deactivated.
Pretensioners and airbags are deployed according to different log-
ics on the basis of the type of collision. Failure to deploy of one
or more of these devices does not therefore indicate a system fault.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.
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If the warning light ¬does not turn on when the key
is turned to MAR, or if it stays on when travelling (to-
gether with the message on the display on some ver-
sions), there could be a failure in the restraint systems. If
this is the case, the air bags or pretensioners may not be de-
ployed in the event of an accident or, less likely, they may
be deployed accidentally. Do not drive the car and contact
a Alfa Romeo Authorised Service Provider to have the sys-
tem checked immediately.
The expiry dates of the pyrotechnic charge and
clock contact are shown in the plate installed in-
side the glove compartment. Go to an Alfa Romeo
Authorised Service Provider when the time to have them
replaced approaches.
Do not travel with objects on your lap, in front of
your chest, or between your lips (e.g. pipes, pen-
cils, etc.): you may be seriously injured in the event
of a crash with air bag deployment.
If someone tries to steal or damage your car, and
in the event of floods, have the air bag system
checked by an Alfa Romeo Authorised Service
Provider.
With the ignition key inserted and turned to MAR,
the air bags can be deployed also with the car at
a standstill, if it is hit by another vehicle even if the
engine is off. For this reason, children must never sit on
the front seat, even if the car is not moving. Remember
that no safety device (airbag or pretensioner) will be de-
ployed in a crash if the key is inserted and turned to the
STOP position. Failure to deploy in such cases must not
be considered a sign of malfunction.
When the ignition key is turned to MAR, the “
warning light turns on (front airbag on passenger’s
side enabled) and will blinks for a few seconds as
a reminder that the passenger airbag will be deployed
in the event of a crash and then go off.
The front air bags are deployed in the event of
more severe collisions than those required for de-
ploying the pretensioners.
For collisions in the range between the two thresholds, it
is normal for only the pretensioners to be activated.
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CONTENTS
CONTENTS
Automatic dual zone
climate system ...................... 65
Battery
– replacement ....................... 214
– tips for extending battery life 214
Bodywork
– bodywork codes.................. 227
– cleaning ........................... 221
Bodywork versions ................... 227
Bonnet .................................. 106
Boot ..................................... 101
– boot volume ...................... 236
– expanding the boot ............ 103
– securing your load .............. 105
Boot light
– bulb replacement ................ 183
Brake Assist system.................. 112
Brake lights
– bulb replacement ................ 179
ABS ..................................... 109
AFS (adaptivelights) ............... 86
Air bags
– Front air bags .................... 146
– Front passenger side airbag
deactivation ....................... 147
– Side air bags ..................... 148
Air filter/pollen filter/diesel filter 214
Air vents .......................... 57-58
Alarm..................................... 47
“Alfa DNA” system................... 113
Alfa Romeo CODE system .......... 40
AQS (Air Quality System function) 70
Arm rest
– front ................................. 88
– rear .................................. 89
Ashtray ................................. 91
ASR system ............................ 111Brakes
– Brake Assist ...................... 112
– handbrake ......................... 153
– specifications ..................... 231
Bulbs (replacement) ................ 174
– bulb types ................... 175-176
– general information ............ 174
Capacities .............................. 127
– capacities table ............ 240-241
– fuel tank cap ..................... 128
Car radio set-up ...................... 122
Car radio........................... 247-280
Carrying children safely ............ 138
– “Isofix” child seat set-up ..... 143
– child seats ......................... 139
CBC system ............................ 112
Ceiling lights
– boot light .......................... 84
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