2014 Alfa Romeo MiTo ignition

STOPPING THE ENGINETurn the ignition key to STOP while the engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a demanding drive, before turning the engine off
you should allow it to idle to allow the temperature in the engine
compartment to decrease.
A quick burst on the accelerator before stopping the engine
serves absolutely no practical purpose. It wastes fuel and
is especially damaging to turbocharged engines.
PARKINGSwitch off the engine and pull up the handbrake. Engage a gear (1
stif
the car is facing uphill or reverse if it is facing downhill) and leave
the wheels steered to one side.
If the car is parked on a steep slope block the wheels with a wedge or
stone. Always remove the ignition key when leaving the car.
Never leave children unattended in the car. Always
remove the key from the ignition when leaving the car
and take it with you.
HANDBRAKETo engage the handbrake pull lever A fig. 109 upwards until the car is
secured. To release the handbrake, raise lever A slightly, hold down
button B and lower the lever.
fig. 109
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SNOW CHAINSThe use of snow chains should be in compliance with local regulations.
The snow chains may be applied only onto the front wheel tyres (drive
wheels).
Check the tension of the snow chains after the first few metres have
been driven.
Use reduced size snow chains: on all versions, for 195/55 R16" and
205/55 R16" size tyres use low-clearance snow chains with a
maximum projection beyond the tyre profile of 9 mm.
IMPORTANT The space-saver wheel cannot be fitted with snow chains.
If a front (drive) wheel is punctured and snow chains must be used,
you must remove a normal wheel from the rear and replace this one
with the space-saver wheel. In this way, with two normal drive wheels,
it is possible to use snow chains.
Keep your speed down when snow chains are fitted; do not
exceed 50 km/h. Avoid potholes, steps and pavements
and avoid driving long distances on roads not covered with
snow to avoid damaging the car and the roadbed.
STORING THE CARIf the car is to be left inactive for longer than a month, the following
precautions should be noted:
❒park the vehicle in a dry, covered and, if possible, ventilated area;
engage a gear and check that the handbrake is not engaged;
❒disconnect the negative battery terminal and check the battery
charge. Repeat this check once every three months during storage;
❒if you have not disconnected the battery, check the battery charge
every thirty days;
❒clean and protect the painted parts using protective wax;
❒clean and protect the shiny metal parts using special compounds
available commercially;
❒sprinkle talcum powder on the windscreen and rear window wiper
rubber blades and lift them off the glass;
❒slightly open the windows;
❒cover the car with a cloth or perforated plastic sheet. Do not use
compact plastic sheets which do not allow humidity to evaporate
from the surface of the car.
❒inflate tyres to +0.5 bar above the standard specified pressure and
check it at intervals;
❒do not drain the engine cooling system.
IMPORTANT After turning the ignition key to STOP, wait at least 1
minute before disconnecting the battery power supply.
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IN AN EMERGENCY
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 your nearest Alfa Romeo Authorized Services.STARTING THE ENGINEIf the
warning light on the instrument panel remains on constantly,
contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services immediately.
JUMP STARTINGIf 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.
Proceed as follows to start the vehicle:
❒connect the positive terminals (+ sign near the terminal) of the two
batteries with a jump lead fig. 113;❒with a second cable, connect the negative terminal(–)ofthe
auxiliary battery to an earthing point
on the engine or the
gearbox of the car to be started;
❒start the engine; afterwards, follow the sequence above in reverse
order to remove the cables.
For versions with Start&Stop system, to carry out the jump starting
procedure, refer to the paragraph “Start&Stop system” in the “Getting
to know your car” section.
Contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services if you cannot start the engine
after several attempts.
IMPORTANT Never connect the negative terminals of the two batteries
directly! If the auxiliary battery is installed on another car, prevent
accidental contact between metallic parts of the two cars.
Never use a fast battery-charger to start the engine as this
could damage the electronic systems of your car,
particularly the ignition and fuel supply control units.
fig. 113
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REPLACING FUSESGENERAL INFORMATIONFuses protect the electrical system: they intervene (blow) in the event of
a failure or improper intervention on the system.
When a device does not work, check the condition of its protective
fuse: the conductor element A fig. 149 must be intact.
If it is not, replace the blown fuse with another with the same
amperage (same colour).
B = undamaged fuse.
C = fuse with damaged filament.
Contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services should the
fuse blow again.Never replace a fuse with metal wires or anything else.
Never replace a fuse with another with a higher amp
rating; DANGER OF FIRE.If a general protection fuse (MAXI-FUSE, MEGA-FUSE,
MIDI-FUSE) blows, contact Alfa Romeo Authorized
Services.Remove the key from the ignition switch and switch off
all loads before replacing a fuse.Contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services if a safety
system (air bags, brakes), engine system (engine,
gearbox) or steering system general protection fuse
blows.
fig. 149
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BATTERY RECHARGINGIMPORTANT The battery recharging procedure is given as information
only. Contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services to carry out this
operation.
IMPORTANT After turning the ignition key to STOP, wait at least 1
minute before disconnecting the battery power supply.
We recommend recharging the battery slowly for approximately 24
hours at low amperage. Charging for a longer time may damage the
battery.VERSIONS WITHOUT Start&Stop
SYSTEM(for versions/markets, where provided)
Charge the battery as follows:
❒disconnect the negative battery terminal;
❒connect the charger cables to the battery terminals, observing the
polarity;
❒turn on the battery charger;
❒when it is recharged, turn the charger off before disconnecting it
from the battery;
❒reconnect the negative battery terminal.
VERSIONS WITH Start&Stop SYSTEMCharge the battery as follows:
❒disconnect the connector A fig. 156 (pressing the button B) from the
sensor C monitoring the battery conditions, on the negative pole D
of the battery;
❒connect the positive cable (+) of the battery charger to the battery
positive pole (+);
❒connect the negative cable (—) of the battery charger to the post D
of the battery negative pole (—);
❒turn on the battery charger;
❒when it is recharged, turn the charger off before disconnecting it
from the battery;
❒reconnect the connector A to the sensor C of the battery.
fig. 156
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RAISING THE CARIf you need to lift the car contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services, who
will be equipped with a workshop lift.
IMPORTANT Be careful when positioning the arm of the lift for versions
with side skirts.
TOWING THE CARThe tow ring provided with the car is housed in the tool box in the
boot.ATTACHING THE TOW HOOKRelease the plug A by pressing the lower part, take the tow hook B
from its housing in the tool support and tighten it securely on the front
threaded pin (fig. 157) or on the rear threaded pin (fig. 158).
Before beginning to tow, turn the ignition key to MAR
and then to STOP, without extracting it The steering
column will automatically lock when the key is
removed and the wheels cannot be steered.
fig. 157
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Replacing the wiper bladesProceed as follows:
❒raise the wiper arm, press tab A fig. 165 of the attachment spring
and remove the blade from the arm;
❒fit the new blade by inserting the tab into the special slot in the arm.
Make sure that it is properly locked into place;
❒lower the windscreen wiper arm on the windscreen.
Do not operate the windscreen wiper with the blades lifted
from the windscreen.
Lifting the wiper bladesWhen the wiper blades have to be lifted from the windscreen (i.e. in
the event of snow), proceed as follows:
❒turn the ignition key to the MAR position;❒operate the lever to the right of the steering wheel to activate a
windscreen wiper stroke (see paragraph "Window washing" in
chapter "Getting to know your car");
❒turn the ignition key to the STOP position when the driver's side
wiper blade reaches the windscreen side pillar and lift the
windscreen wiper to the rest position;
❒bring the wiper blades back into contact with the windscreen before
activating the windscreen wiper.
Replacing the rear window wiper
bladeProceed as follows:
❒raise cover A fig. 166, undo nut B and remove arm C;
❒correctly position the new arm, fully tighten nut B then lower cover
A.
fig. 165
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fig. 166
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IMPORTANT
Avoid parking under trees; the resin dropped by trees makes the
paintwork go opaque and increases the possibility of corrosion.
Bird droppings must be washed off immediately and thoroughly as the
acid they contain is particularly aggressive.
Windows
Use specific detergents and clean cloths to prevent scratching or
altering the transparency.
IMPORTANT Wipe the inside surface of the rear window gently with a
cloth in the direction of the filaments to avoid damaging the heating
device.
Front headlights
Use a soft, damp cloth soaked in water and detergent for washing
cars.
IMPORTANT Never use aromatic substances (e.g. petrol) or ketenes
(e.g. acetone) for cleaning the plastic lenses of the front headlights.
IMPORTANT When cleaning the car with a pressure washer, keep the
water jet at least 20 cm away from the headlights.
Engine compartment
At the end of every winter, wash the engine compartment thoroughly,
taking care not to aim the jet of water directly at the electronic control
units or at the windscreen wiper motors. Have this operation
performed at a specialised workshop.
IMPORTANT The washing should take place with the engine cold and
the ignition key in the STOP position. After washing, make sure that the
various protective devices (e.g. rubber caps and guards) have not
been removed or damaged.
INTERIORSPeriodically check for water puddles under the mats that could cause
the panels to rust.
Never use flammable products, such as petrol ether or
rectified petrol to clean the inside of the car. The
electrostatic charges which are generated by rubbing
during the cleaning operation may cause a fire.Do not keep aerosol cans in the car: they might
explode. Aerosol cans must not be exposed to a
temperature exceeding 50°C. When the car is exposed
to sunlight, the internal temperature can greatly exceed this
value.
SEATS AND FABRIC PARTSRemove dust with a soft brush or a vacuum cleaner. It is advisable to
use a moist brush on velvet upholstery. Rub the seats with a sponge
soaked in a solution of neutral detergent and water.
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