LEVERS ON THE
STEERING WHEEL
These enable sequential gear shifting
fig. 77.
– steering wheel stalk "+(pulling stalk
towards driver, see fig. 78): engage
higher gear;
– steering wheel stalk "– (pulling stalk
towards driver, see fig. 78): engage
lower gear. The engagement of a lower (or higher)
gear is only permitted if the engine
rpm allow it.
STARTING THE CAR
To start the engine press the brake
pedal: the system engages neutral (N)
automatically.
After the starting procedure, 1st gear
(1) or reverse (R) can be engaged.
Irrespective of the mode selected
(AUTO/MANUAL), to engage 1st gear
or reverse (R), it is necessary to press
the brake pedal and press the
1button
on the transmission control panel (or
the "+" steering wheel stalk) to engage
1st gear or the Rbutton to engage
reverse.
When 1st gear is engaged, the system
sets itself to AUTOmode.
Neutral (N) can be engaged again by
pressing the Nbutton with the brake
pedal pressed.
When the 1,Nor Rbuttons are
pressed (or "+" steering wheel stalk is
operated) without pressing the brake
pedal, no gear change request is
implemented by the system.
IMPORTANT Reverse cannot be
engaged by pressing the "-" stalk on
the steering wheel. Important information
If starting is requested with a
transmission failure (see "Warning lights
and messages" paragraph), carry out
the “Delayed start-up” procedure: when
the key is turned to AVV for at least 7
seconds with brake pedal pressed, the
engine will be started. The system will
remain in “recovery” condition.
If the engine does not start, contact a
dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership.
When the driver's door is opened, the
system activates the hydraulic
components so that they are prepared
for the subsequent engine starting.
MOVING THE CAR
The car can set off both in 1st gear and
reverse (R).
Notes (concerning car
start-up)
The gears can only be engaged by
pressing the brake pedal. If the brake
pedal is not depressed, the display will
show a dedicated message.
It is not possible to set off in a higher
gear than 1st: if this is attempted,
the display shows a dedicated
message.77
A0L0071
78
A0L0072
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When setting off on a medium-steep
incline, it is advisable to engage the
handbrake.
Engaging 1st gear
Proceed as follows:
❒press the brake pedal;
❒ press the 1button on the
transmission control panel;
❒ release the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal.
Engaging reverse (R)
Reverse (R) can only be engaged with
car stationary and brake pedal pressed.
Proceed as follows:
❒ press the brake pedal (car completely
stationary);
❒ press the R button on the
transmission control panel;
❒ release the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal. When reverse
is engaged, the system emits an
acoustic signal (for versions/markets,
where provided).
If the brake pedal is not depressed (and
the car is stationary), the display will
show a dedicated message and the
system will automatically engage
neutral (N). IMPORTANT With the car running, the
request is accepted and executed if the
car speed drops below 3 km/h within
3 seconds from the request: if the
request is not executed, the system will
maintain the gear engaged or, if the
speed of the car drops below 10 km/h,
will put the transmission in neutral (N)
and the manoeuvre will have to be
repeated.
ENGAGING NEUTRAL (N)
With car stationary and ignition key at
MAR-ON (irrespective of the condition
of the engine), neutral (N) can only
be engaged with the brake pedal
pressed.
If the car is in motion, neutral (N) can
always be engaged, irrespective of the
pressure applied to the brake and
accelerator pedals.
The display will show the letter
N
together with the active operating
mode.
With car in motion, to engage a gear
from the neutral (N) position, press the
1 button on the transmission control
panel (it is not necessary to press
the brake pedal): the transmission will
immediately engage the correct gear
according to the car’s speed. With car stationary and ignition key at
MAR-ON (irrespective of the condition
of the engine), 1st gear can only be
engaged with the brake pedal pressed.
LAUNCH CONTROL
The "Launch Control" strategy permits
high-performance starting.
This strategy can be activated with
vehicle at a standstill, Dynamic or Race
mode selected and 1st gear engaged.
The sequence of operations to perform
is as follows:
❒
press the brake pedal and hold it
down;
❒ press the accelerator pedal and hold
it down;
❒ press the "–" stalk behind the
steering wheel;
When the brake pedal is released, the
car will start with maximum
acceleration.
89)
To abandon the strategy, simply
interrupt the above sequence
of operations or release the accelerator
pedal.
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DISPLAYED
INFORMATION
When the key is turned to MAR-ON,
after about 1 second, the display
shows the transmission in neutral
indication (N). When driving, the display
shows the gear engaged and the active
mode (AUTOorMANUAL). The
indications on the display have the
following meanings:
N = neutral;
1 = first gear;
2 = second gear
3 = third gear;
4 = fourth gear;
5 = fifth gear;
6 = sixth gear;
R = reverse.
The car always starts in neutral. When
1st gear is requested, the system
forces the selection of AUTOmode.
IMPORTANT If 10 seconds elapse with
the ignition key in the MAR-ON
position and the display does not show
the gear engaged, turn the key to the
STOP position, wait for the display
to switch off and then repeat the
procedure. If the fault persists, contact
a dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership. ACOUSTIC SIGNAL
For safety reasons, an acoustic signal is
emitted when the car is parked with
the transmission in neutral (N) (the
signal can be heard when the ignition
key is turned to
STOP).
With the car stationary, the engine
started and (1st) gear or (R) engaged,
the system activates the acoustic signal
and automatically places the
transmission in neutral (N) when:
❒ the accelerator and/or brake pedal
are not operated for at least 3
minutes;
❒ the brake pedal is pressed for longer
than 10 minutes;
❒ the driver's door is opened and the
accelerator pedal or the brake pedal
are not operated for at least one
and a half seconds;
❒ a fault has been detected in the
transmission.
PARKING THE CAR
When parking and leaving the car,
proceed as follows:
❒ engage a gear (1st gear if facing
uphill or reverse if facing downhill)
and leave the wheels turned;
❒ stop the engine and engage the
handbrake. Block the wheels with a wedge or a
stone if the car is parked on a steep
slope.
Wait until the indication of the gear
engaged disappears on the display
before releasing the brake pedal.
IMPORTANT:
NEVERleave the car with
the transmission in neutral.
GENERAL WARNINGS
❒ With car stationary and gear
engaged, always keep the brake
pedal pressed until you decide to set
off, then release the brake and
accelerate gradually.
❒ During prolonged stops with the
engine running, it is advisable to keep
the transmission in neutral (N).
❒ In order to safeguard the efficiency of
the clutch, do not use the accelerator
to keep the car stationary (e.g. when
stopped on an incline). The clutch
could overheat and be damaged: use
the brake pedal or the handbrake
and only operate the accelerator
pedal when you decide to set off.
❒ If, with reverse gear (R) engaged, you
have to engage 1st gear or vice
versa, only do this when the car is
completely stationary and with the
brake pedal pressed.
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❒If it is necessary to proceed downhill
with transmission in neutral (N) for
unexpected reasons, bearing in mind
that this practice is highly inadvisable,
remember that when gear
engagement is requested, the
system will automatically engage the
best gear to permit the correct
transmission of drive torque to the
wheels, according to the speed
of the car.
❒ When necessary, it is possible to
engage 1st gear, reverse (R) or
neutral (N) with the engine off, the
key at MAR-ON and the brake
pressed. In this case, change gear
leaving at least 5 seconds between
one gear change and the next, in
order to safeguard the operation of
the hydraulic system, and the pump
in particular.
❒ For uphill departures, it is advisable
to accelerate gradually but fully
immediately after releasing the
handbrake or the brake pedal; this
allows the engine to temporarily
increase the number of revs and
tackle the steepest gradients with
more torque at the wheels.
SAVING FUELAlfa Romeo has designed and built the
vehicle using technologies, materials
and devices able to reduce negative
environmental impact. Here are some
suggestions to further contribute to
environmental protection.
GENERAL
CONSIDERATIONS
Car maintenance
Have checks and adjustments carried
out in accordance with the “Scheduled
Servicing Plan”.
Tyres
Check the tyre pressures at least once
every four weeks: if the pressure is
too low, consumption levels increase as
resistance to rolling is higher.
Climate control system
The use of the climate control system
leads to higher fuel consumption. If the
temperature outside permits, try to
use ventilation only.
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WARNING
89) The Launch control function is
only available in the Dynamic or
Race mode. Regardless of what is
explicitly indicated in the
description of these modes, the
ESC and ASR systems are
deactivated during operation of
the Launch Control function. This
means that vehicle dynamic
control is always the responsibility
of the driver. Therefore pay the
utmost attention when using the
Launch Control. Take into account
traffic and road surface conditions
and during manoeuvres make
sure there is enough room in the
area concerned.