2012 Alfa Romeo MiTo emergency towing

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.

IN AN EMERGENCY163
4
In an emergency we recommend that you call the freephone number found in the Warranty Booklet.
You can also consult www.alfaromeo.com to find Alfa Romeo Authorised Services your nearest
Starting the engine ..................................................................... 164
Replacing a wheel ....................................................................... 165
“Fix&Go Automatic” Kit ............................................................... 173
Changing a bulb .......................................................................... 178
Replacing exterior bulbs................................................................ 180
Replacing an interior bulb.............................................................. 184
Replacing fuses ........................................................................... 187
Recharging the battery ................................................................. 196
Lifting the car ............................................................................. 199
Towing the car ............................................................................ 199

164IN AN EMERGENCY
STARTING THE ENGINE
If theYwarning light in the instrument panel remains on con-
stantly, contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised Service Provider imme-
diately.
STARTING WITH AN AUXILIARY BATTERY
If the battery is flat, the engine may be started using an auxiliary
battery with the same capacity or a little higher than the flat one.
For engine starting follow the procedure below, fig. 1:
❍connect the positive terminals (+ sign near the terminal) of the
two batteries with a jump lead;
❍with a second lead, connect the negative terminal – of the aux-
iliary battery to an earth point
Eon the engine or the gear-
box of the car to be started;
❍start the engine; when engine has started, remove the cables
by reversing the sequence described for connection.If after several attempts the engine will not start, contact an Alfa
Romeo Authorised Service Provider.
IMPORTANT Never connect the negative terminals of the two bat-
teries directly! If the auxiliary battery is installed on another car,
prevent accidental contact between metallic parts of the two cars.
BUMP STARTING
Never start the engine by pushing, towing or driving downhill.
fig. 1A0J0111m

IN AN EMERGENCY199
4
LIFTING THE CAR
If you need to lift the car contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised Services,
which will be equipped with a workshop lift.
TOWING THE CAR
The tow ring provided with the car is housed in the tool box in
the luggage compartment.
ATTACHING THE TOW HOOK
Release cap A, remove tow ring B from its housing in the tool box and
tighten it fully on to the front (fig. 48) or rear (fig. 49) threaded pin.
Before beginning the tow, turn the ignition key to
MAR and then to STOP, without extracting it When
the key is removed, the steering wheel lock auto-
matically activates. making it impossible to turn the wheels.
fig. 48A0J0038mfig. 49A0J0039m

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.