VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
234
CHARGING THE BATTERY
IMPORTANTThe battery charging pro-
cedure is described only for information pur-
poses. This operation should be carried out
by Alfa Romeo Authorised Services.
Charging should be slow at a low amp rat-
ing for 24 hours. Charging for a longer time
may damage the battery.
Charge the battery as follows:
– Disconnect the battery negative termi-
nal (–).
– Connect the charger cables to the bat-
tery terminals ensuring that the bias is cor-
rect.
– Turn on the charger.
CHECKING THE CHARGE
The battery charge may be checked satis-
factorily using the indicator, and acting ac-
cording to the colour the indicator shows.
Refer to the table below or to the label
(fig. 10) on the battery itself.
Brilliantwhite colour
Dark colour without green
area in the centre
Dark colour with green area in the centreTop up the electrolyte
Low charge level
Sufficient electrolyte
level and chargeContact Authorised Alfa Romeo
Services
Charge the battery
(you are advised to contact
Alfa Romeo Authorised Services)
No action
– After charging, turn off the charger be-
fore disconnecting it from the battery.
– Re-connect the battery negative termi-
nal (–).
IMPORTANTIf the battery is kept with
a charge of below 50% it is damaged by sul-
phation, its starting capability is reduced and
it is also more subject to the possibility of
freezing (this may occur already at -10 °C).
In the event of prolonged inactivity, refer
to the paragraph “Vehicle inactivity”, in the
chapter “Correct use of the car”.
Never attempt to charge a
frozen battery: it must
firstly be thawed, otherwise it
may burst. If freezing has occurred,
the battery should be checked be-
fore charging by specialised per-
sonnel, to make sure that the in-
ternal elements are not damaged
and that the body is not cracked,
with the risk of leaking poisonous
and corrosive acid.
WARNING
Working with a low fluid
level may damage the bat-
tery irreversibly, even causing it to
burst.
WARNING
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
235
You are also reminded that services with
high current absorption switched on by the
user, such as for example: baby bottle warm-
ers, vacuum cleaner, mobile phone, mini
fridge, etc., quicken the battery draining
processif they are turned on with
the engine offor running at idle speed.
IMPORTANT When installing addition-
al systems on the vehicle, bear in mind that
improper branches on connections of the ve-
hicle wiring are dangerous, particularly if
safety devices are involved.
Battery
60 Ah
70 AhMaximum permissible
loadless absorption
36 mA
42 mA
The maximum absorption of all the ac-
cessories (standard and fitted afterwards)
should be 0.6 mA x Ah (of the battery), as
shown in the following table:CHANGING THE BATTERY
When changing the battery it should be re-
placed with another original one with the
same characteristics. If it is replaced by a
battery with different characteristics, the
maintenance intervals given in the Sched-
uled Maintenance Programme in this chap-
ter are no longer valid and for maintenance
it will be necessary to follow the battery
Manufacturer’s instructions.
USEFUL HINTS TO EXTEND
THE LIFE OF YOUR BATTERY
To avoid rapidly draining the battery and
ensure that it continues to work correctly,
the following should be noted:
– The terminals must always be firmly
tightened.
– Within reason, avoid using electrical de-
vices for a long time when the engine is
switched off (radio, hazard warning lights,
parking lights, etc.).– When the vehicle is parked in a garage,
ensure that the doors, bonnet, boot and in-
ner lids are closed properly so that the lights
do not stay on permanently.
– Before carrying out any work on the
electric system, disconnect the negative ca-
ble from the battery.
– If after buying the car, you wish to in-
stall electric accessories which require a per-
manent electric supply (alarm, voice feature,
radionavigator with satellite antitheft func-
tion etc.) or accessories that burden the elec-
tric system, contact Alfa Romeo Authorised
services whose qualified personnel, in ad-
dition to suggesting the most suitable de-
vices belonging to Lineaccessori Alfa Romeo,
will evaluate the overall electric absorption,
checking whether the vehicle’s electric sys-
tem is capable of withstanding the load re-
quired, or whether it should be integrated
with a more powerful battery. In fact, as
some of these devices continue absorbing
energy even when the ignition key is off (car
stationary, engine off), they gradually drain
the battery.
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
237
Incorrect pressure causes abnormal tyre
wear (fig. 11):
A- Normal pressure: tread evenly worn.
B- Low pressure: tread particularly worn
at the edges.
C- High pressure: tread particularly worn
in the centre.
Tyres should be changed when the tread
thickness is reduced to 1.6 mm. In any case
follow local regulations.
fig. 11
A0A0225m
IMPORTANT
Where possible, avoid suddent braking,
tyre squealing starts, etc.
Particularly avoid violent bumps against
kerbs, potholes or obstacles of various kinds.
Prolonged driving on rough roads may dam-
age the tyres. Routinely check the tyres for
cuts on the sides, swellings or uneven tread
wear. If necessary contact Alfa Romeo Au-
thorised Services.
Avoid overloading the vehicle when trav-
elling: this may cause serious damage to the
wheels and tyres.
If a tyre is punctured, stop immediately
and change it to avoid damage to the tyre
itself, the rim, suspensions and steering sys-
tem. Tyres age even if they are not used
much. Cracks in the tread rubber are a sign
of aging. In any case, if the tyres have been
on the vehicle for over 6 years, they should
be checked by specialised personnel, to see
if they can still be used.In the case of replacement, always fit new
tyres, avoiding those of dubious origin.
The
Alfa 147 GTAuses Tubeless
tyres. Never use an inner tube with these
tyres.
If a tyre is changed, also change the infla-
tion valve.
To allow even wear between the front and
rear tyres it is advisable to change over every
10-15 thousand kilometres, keeping them
on the same side of the car so as not to re-
verse the direction of rotation (fig. 12).
fig. 12
A0A0459m
Excessively low pressure
causes overheating of the
tyre with the possibility of serious
damage to it.
WARNING
VEHICLE MAINTENANCE
240
HEADLIGHT WASHERS
Regularly check that the spray jets are in-
tact and clean (fig. 17).
If it is necessary to direct the jet, contact
an Alfa Romeo Authorised Service.
BODYWORK
PROTECTION FROM
ATMOSPHERIC AGENTS
The main causes of corrosion are:
– atmospheric pollution
– salty air and humidity (coastal areas, or
hot humid climates)
– seasonal environment conditions.
Not to be underestimated is also the abra-
sive action of wind-borne atmospheric dust
and sand and mud and gravel raised by oth-
er vehicles.
On your
Alfa 147 GTA, Alfa Romeo
has implemented the best manufacturing
technologies to effectively protect the body-
work against corrosion.
These include:
– Painting products and systems which
give the vehicle particular resistance to cor-
rosion and abrasion.
– Use of galvanised (or pretreated) steel
sheets, with high resistance to corrosion.
– Spraying the underbody, engine com-
partment, wheel arches and other parts with
highly protective wax products.
fig. 17
A0A0425m
– Spraying of plastic parts, with a protec-
tive function, in the more exposed points:
underdoor, inner wheel arch linings, etc.
– Use of “open” boxed sections to pre-
vent condensation and pockets of moisture
from triggering rust inside.
VEHICLE EXTERIOR AND
UNDERBODY WARRANTY
TheAlfa 147 GTAis guaranteed
against perf oration due to rust of any orig-
inal element of the structure or body. For the
general terms of this warranty, refer to the
Warranty Booklet.
TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS
247
SPARK PLUGS
Clean, intact spark plugs are determinant
with regard to engine efficiency and for re-
ducing the emission of pollutants.Spark plugs should be re-
placed at the intervals
specified in the Scheduled
maintenance programme. Only use
spark plugs of the specified type:
if the thermal capacity is inade-
quate or if the envisaged life is not
guaranteed inconveniences may en-
sue.
BRAKES
Service brakes: – front
– rear
Parking brake
If examined by an expert eye, the ap-
pearance of a spark plug is a sound clue
for locating a fault, even if not involving the
ignition system. Therefore if you are expe-
riencing any engine problems, it is impor-
tant to have the spark plugs checked by Al-
fa Romeo Authorized Services.
STEERING
Type
Turning radius (between pavements)
3.2 V6 24V - 3.2 V6 24V Selespeed
Disk self-ventilated
Disk
3.2 V6 24V 3.2 V6 24V Selespeed
Rack and pinion.
Hydraulic power steering with fluid reservoir in engine compartment
12.1 m 12.1 m Wheel anti-look system (ABS) with electronic braking distribution.
Servo-brake. Electronic control with brake pad wear sensors. Gaskets of ecological type.
Controlled by hand lever operating rear brakes.
RIGHT HAND DRIVE VERSION
264
Driver’s side (fig. 8)
The driver’s door panel contains the but-
tons that control the following windows,
with the ignition key at MAR:
A- left window
B- right window.
Press the button to lower the window. Pull
to raise it.
IMPORTANTThe driver’s power window
is fitted with the “continuous automatic op-
eration” device for both lowering and raising
the window. A brief press on the upper or
lower part of the button will cause it to move
and continue automatically: the window
stops in the required position by pressing ei-
ther the upper or lower part of the button
again.
fig. 8
A0A0309m
WING MIRROR
ADJUSTMENT
Electric adjustment (fig. 7)
– use the switch (A) to select the mirror
required (right or left);
– pressing the button (B), in one of the
four directions, move the mirror selected pre-
viously;
– Position the switch (A) in the interme-
diate locking position.
IMPORTANTAdjustment is possible on-
ly with the ignition key at MAR.
fig. 7
A0A0308m
POWER WINDOWS
For some versions, the power windows are
fitted with a safety system with crush-pre-
vention seals. The electronic control unit that
operates the system is capable of detect-
ing the presence of an obstacle during the
window closing motion through the special
seals. Should this occur, the system stops
the movement of the window and reverses
it immediately.
IMPORTANTIf the crush-prevention
function is operated for 3 times in 1 minute,
the system automatically sets to the recov-
ery mode (self-protection). To reset the cor-
rect system operating logic, use the control
button. The window will rise in predefined
steps until closing completely. The logic is re-
set and if there are no faults, the window
winder automatically resumes normal oper-
ation; if not, contact Alfa Romeo Authorised
Services.
With the ignition key at STOPor removed,
the power windows remain activated for
about 3 minutes and are deactivated im-
mediately the moment a door is opened.
RIGHT HAND DRIVE VERSION
273
IN THE EVENT OF A BLOWN FUSE
Never replace a fuse with
metal wires or anything
else. Always use an intact
fuse of the same colour.
Access is gained to the control box on the
dashboard by slackening the two retainers
(A-fig. 27) and removing the protective
trim (B).
fig. 27
A0A0482m
Never replace a fuse with
another with a higher amp
rating, DANGER OF FIRE.
WARNING
If a general fuse (MAXI-
FUSE or MEGA-FUSE) cuts
in, do not attempt any repair and
contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised
Service.
WARNING
If a fuse blows again, con-
tact an Alfa Romeo Autho-
rised Service.
WARNING
Before replacing a fuse,
make sure the ignition key
has been removed and that all the
other services are switched off
and/or disengaged.
WARNING
SSERVICE
AFTER SALESASSISTENZA TECNICA - INGEGNERIA ASSISTENZIALE
Viale Alfa Romeo 20020 Arese (MI) - Italia
Fiat Auto S.p.A.
Publication no. 60431320 - 6
thEdition - 01/2005All rights reserved. Reproduction, even in part is prohibited without written permission
from Fiat Auto S.p.A.
TYRES INFLATION PRESSURE COLD
ENGINE OIL REPLACEMENT
Do not discard used oil in the environment.
REFFUELLING
Only use unleaded petrol with over 95 R.O.N. (Specification EN228)
3.2 V6 24V 3.2 V6 24V Selespeed
Fuel tank capacity litres 63 63
Reserve litres 7 7
3.2 V6 24V 3.2 V6 24V Selespeed
Oil sump and filter litres 5.90 5.90
(•) Unchainable tyres.
(▼) Size certified and admitted only for YOKOHAMA.
(*)IMPORTANTChainable tyres; see paragraph "Snow chains" in section "Correct use of the car".
Increase the specified pressure by +0.3 bar if the tyre is warm.With the tyre hot the inflating pressure should be +0.3 bar compared with the specified rating. Recheck pressure value with cold tyres.
With winter tyres the inflation pressure should be +0.2 bar compared with the specified rating.
Tyres
215/45 ZR17“ 87W (*)
front rear
2.5 2.3
2.8 2.6
Tyres
215/45 R17“ 87W (*)
front rear
2.5 2.3
2.8 2.6
Tyres235/35 R18“ 90Y (•) (▼)
front rear
2.5 2.3
2.8 2.6
Tyres
225/45 ZR17“ 91Y (•)
front rear
2.5 2.3
2.8 2.6
Reduced load
bar(2 occupants)
Full load bar