2012 Alfa Romeo MiTo ESP

136SAFETY
The seat belt must not be twisted. The upper part must cross the
shoulder and the chest diagonally. The lower part must adhere to
the hips (fig. 6), not to the abdomen. Do not use devices (clips,
etc.) to hold the seat belt away from your body.GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE
SEAT BELTS
Respect and ensure that all the other occupants of the car respect
the local laws in force regarding the use of seat belts. Always fas-
ten the seat belts before starting off.
Seat belts must also be used by pregnant women: risk will be sig-
nificantly reduced for both the expectant mother and the child in
the event of an accident.
Pregnant women must position the lower part of the belt very
low down so that it passes under the abdomen fig. 5.
For maximum safety, keep the back of your seat
upright, lean back into it and make sure the seat
belt fits closely across your chest and hips. Always
fasten the seat belts on both the front and the rear seats.
Travelling without seat belts fastened increases the risk
of serious injuries or even death in the event of a crash.
fig. 6A0J0095mfig. 5A0J0094m

140SAFETY
GROUP 2 fig. 10
Children from 15 to 25 kg can be secured using the car seat belts
directly. The child seat is only needed to position the child correct-
ly with respect to the belts so that the diagonal section crosses
the child’s chest and never the neck and is snug on the hips, not
the abdomen.
GROUP 3 fig. 11
For children between 22 kg and 36 kg, there are boosters allow-
ing the seatbelt to fit correctly. Figure 11 shows proper child seat
positioning on the rear seat.
fig. 10A0J0099mfig. 11A0J0100m
The diagrams are indicative and provided for as-
sembly purposes only. Refer to the instructions sup-
plied with the child seat when fitting.

STARTING UP AND DRIVING155
3
In the initial period of use, it is advisable to avoid
placing the car under excessive stress (for instance
excessive acceleration, extended travel at maxi-
mum speed, sharp braking etc.).
Remember that the servo brake and electric pow-
er steering are not operational until the engine has
been started, therefore more effort than usual is
required on the brake pedal and steering wheel.
Avoid jump starting the engine by pushing, towing
or driving downhill. These manoeuvres may dam-
age the catalytic converter.
When the engine is off, do not leave the key in
the ignition switch turned to MAR to avoid drain-
ing the battery.
HOW TO WARM UP THE ENGINE AFTER IT HAS
JUST STARTED (petrol and diesel engines)
Proceed as follows:
❍drive off slowly, letting the engine turn at medium speed. Do
not accelerate abruptly;
❍do not demand maximum performance for the first few kilo-
metres. Wait until the engine coolant gauge starts moving.
EMERGENCY START
If the Ywarning light in the instrument panel remains on con-
stantly, contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised Service Provider.
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOP while the engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, before turning the engine off you
should allow it to idle to allow the temperature in the engine com-
partment to fall.
A quick burst on the accelerator before turning off
the engine serves absolutely no practical purpose,
it wastes fuel and is damaging, especially to tur-
bocharged engines.

160STARTING UP AND DRIVING
Acceleration
Sudden acceleration has a very negative effect on fuel consump-
tion and emissions: accelerate gradually and do not go over the
maximum torque ratio.
CONDITIONS OF USE
Cold starting
Short distances and frequent cold start-ups will prevent the en-
gine from reaching optimal running temperature. Consequently,
both fuel consumption (from +15 to +30% on an urban cycle )
and emissions will increase.
Traffic and road conditions
Rather high fuel consumption is caused by heavy traffic, for instance
when travelling in a queue with frequent use of low gears or in
cities with many traffic lights. Mountain and rough roads also have
a negative effect on fuel consumption.
Traffic hold-ups
During prolonged hold-ups (level crossings) the engine should be
switched off.
TOWING TRAILERS
IMPORTANT NOTES
The vehicle must be provided with a type-approved tow hook and
adequate electrical system to tow caravans or trailers. Installation
must be carried out by a specialist.
Install any specific and/or additional rear-view mirrors as specified
by law.
Remember that when towing a trailer, steep hills are harder to
climb, braking distances increase and overtaking takes longer de-
pending on the overall weight.
Engage a low gear when driving downhill, rather than constantly
using the brake.
The weight of the trailer reduces the load capacity of the vehicle
by the same amount. Consider the weight of the fully-laden vehi-
cle weight, including accessories and luggage, to make sure you
do not exceed the maximum towable weight (shown on the reg-
istration certificate).
Respect the speed limits specific to each country for vehicles tow-
ing trailers. In any event do not exceed 100 km/h.

178IN AN EMERGENCY
CHANGING A BULB
GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
❍Before changing a bulb check the contacts for oxidation;
❍blown bulbs must be replaced with others of the same type and
power;
❍After replacing a headlight bulb, always check its alignment;
❍When a bulb is not working, check that the corresponding fuse
is intact before replacing it: refer to the “Replacing fuses” para-
graph in this section for the location of fuses.
BULB TYPES fig. 21
The vehicle has the following light bulbs:
A. All glass bulbs: clipped into place. Pull to extract.
B. Bayonet bulbs: to remove this type of bulb from its holder, press
the bulb and turn it anticlockwise.
C. Cylindrical bulbs: release from the contacts to extract.
D. Halogen bulbs: release the fastening clip from the corresponding
seat to remove the bulb.
E. Halogen bulbs: release the fastening clip from the corresponding
seat to remove the bulb.
fig. 21A0J0117m

IN AN EMERGENCY187
4
DOOR LIGHTS
To change the bulb, proceed as follows:
❍open the door and remove the light by pushing on tab A-fig.
38 with a screwdriver;
❍press sideways on protective cover B near the two fastening
pins and replace bulb C;
❍refit the protective cover, locking the two fastening pins;
❍refit the courtesy light by inserting side D first and then press-
ing the other side until hearing the locking click of the clip.
REPLACING FUSES
INTRODUCTION
Fuses protect the electric system: they blow in the event of a fault
in the system. Check the efficiency of the corresponding fuse when
a device does not work: the conducting element A must not be in-
terrupted.
If it is, replace the blown fuse with a new one with the same am-
perage (same colour).
B intact fuse.
C fuse with damaged filament.
fig. 39A0J0048mfig. 38A0J0125m

IN AN EMERGENCY189
4
fig. 41A0J0204m
If you have to wash the engine compartment, take
care not to aim the jet of water directly at the fuse
box or windscreen wiper motors.FUSE LOCATION
Fuses are grouped together in three junction units located in the
engine compartment, dashboard and luggage compartment
Fuse box in engine compartment
This is located next to the battery: to access the fuses undo bolts
A-fig. 40 and remove cover B.
The ID number of the electrical component corresponding to each
fuse can be found on the back of the cover.
After replacing the fuse, make sure you close cover B on the fuse
box.
fig. 40A0J0126m

200IN AN EMERGENCY
The power brakes and the electrical power steer-
ing will not work while the car is being towed. More
effort on the brake pedal and steering wheel will
therefore be required. Do not use wires for towing. Do not
jerk. Be careful not to damage parts in contact with the
car while towing. Respect the specific rules of the Highway
Code when towing the car, specifically in relation to the
towing device and conduct on the road. Do not start the
engine while towing the car. Clean the threaded seat care-
fully before fastening the hook. Make sure that the hook
is fully fastened in the seat before towing the vehicle.The front and rear tow hooks must only be used
for emergency situations on the road. THE vehi-
cle may be towed for short distances when a ded-
icated device is used in compliance with the Highway Code
(rigid bar), in order to move the vehicle on the road in
preparation for towing by a tow truck Tow hooks MUST
NOT be used to tow vehicles off the road or where there
are obstacles and/or for towing operations using cables
or other non-rigid devices. Respecting the above condi-
tions, towing must only take place with two vehicles (one
towing, the other towed) travelling as far as possible in
alignment along the same centreline.