2015 Alfa Romeo MiTo Owner's Manual

SAFETY
SEAT BELTS
USING THE SEAT BELTS
Wear the belt keeping the torso straight and rested against the
backrest. To fasten the belts, hold the tongue A fig. 89 and insert it into
the buckle B, until you hear it click into place.
On removal, if the belt jams, let it rewind for a short stretch, then pull it
out again without jerking.
To release the belt, press button C. Guide the belt while it is rewinding
to prevent it from twisting.
Never press button C fig. 89 when travelling.
The rear seat is fitted with inertia seat belts with three anchor points
and a reel. Fasten the rear seat belts as shown in fig. 90.
Remember that in the event of an accident, the rear
seat passengers not wearing seat belts are exposed to
a very serious risk and also represent a serious
danger for the front seat occupants.
IMPORTANT The backrest is correctly secured when the red band B fig.
91 on backrest folding handle A disappears. This red band indicates
that the backrest is not secured.
IMPORTANT When putting the rear seat back in its normal position,
make sure that the seat belts are positioned so that they are ready
to use.
fig. 89A0J0101fig. 90A0J0102
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Make sure that the backrest is correctly secured on
both sides (red bands B fig. 91 not visible) to prevent it
from moving forward in the event of sharp braking,
causing injuries to occupants.SBR SYSTEM (Seat Belt
Reminder)
It consists of an acoustic warning which, switching on thewarning
lights in the trim located on the internal rear view mirror (see fig.
92), warns passengers in the front and rear seats that the seat belt is
not fastened.
Contact Alfa Romeo Authorised Workshops to deactivate the SBR
system for a long period.
The SBR system can be reactivated at any time through the Setup Menu
only (see "Menu Items" in "Knowing your car" section).
The warning lights may be red or green and operate as follows:
❒1 = front left seat (driver status for left-hand drive versions);
❒2 = rear left seat (passenger);
❒3 = rear centre seat (passenger);
❒4 = rear right seat (passenger);
❒5 = front right seat (passenger status for left-hand drive versions).
fig. 91A0J0182fig. 92A0J0308
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NOTE On versions equipped with sports front seats, the passenger side
seat belt fastened indication (warning light 1 for RHD versions or
warning light 5 for LHD versions) will never be displayed.
FRONT SEATS (warning light no. 1 =
driver and no. 5 = passenger)
Driver
If the driver is the only occupant and their seat belt is not fastened,
when 20 km/h is exceeded or when travelling at a speed between 10
and 20 km/h for longer than 5 seconds, an acoustic signal cycle
will be started for the front seats (continuous acoustic signal for
6 seconds followed by a 90 second beep). The warning light will flash.
The warning lights will stay on constantly at the end of the cycle until
the engine is stopped. The acoustic signal will be interrupted
immediately when the driver’s seat belt is fastened and the warning
light will turn green.
The reminder cycle (acoustic and visual) will be repeated as described
above and the red warning light will flash if the seat belt is unfastened
again while travelling.
Passenger
A similar situation applies to the front passenger, with the difference
that the warning light turns green and the indication is also interrupted
when the passenger leaves the car.
If both front seat belts are unfastened a few seconds apart while the
car is travelling, the acoustic signal will refer to the most recent event
and the two warning lights will proceed with the visual indication
independently.
REAR SEATS (warning light no. 2, no.
3 and no. 4)
For the rear seats, the reminder cycle is only activated when any seat
belt is unfastened (flashing red).
In this condition, the warning light for the seat belt which has been
unfastened will flash (red) for approximately 30 seconds. An acoustic
signal is also emitted.
The visual indication (flashing red) will start and stop independently for
each warning light if several seat belts are unfastened. The warning
light will become green when the relevant seat belt is fastened again.
The rear seat warning lights will switch off, regardless of the state
of the belt (red or green) approximately 30 seconds after the last
signal.
IMPORTANT
The warning lights are all off if all seat belts (front and rear) are
already fastened when the ignition key is turned to MAR.
All warning lights switch on when at least one belt changes from
fastened to unfastened or vice versa.
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PRETENSIONERS
The car is equipped with front seat belt pretensioners, which draw
back the seat belts by several centimetres in the event of a violent
frontal impact. This guarantees the perfect adherence of the seat belts
to the occupants’ bodies before the restraining action begins.
It is evident that the pretensioners have been activated when the belt
withdraws towards the reel.
The car is also equipped with a second pretensioner (in the kick plate
area). Its activation is signalled by the shortening of the metal cable.
A slight discharge of smoke may be produced during the activation of
the pretensioner. This is not harmful and does not indicate the start
of a fire.
IMPORTANT To obtain the highest degree of protection from the action
of the pretensioner, wear the seat belt tight to the chest and pelvis.
The pretensioner does not require any maintenance or lubrication: any
changes to its original conditions will invalidate its efficiency. If, due
to unusual natural events (floods, sea storms, etc.), the device has been
affected by water and/or mud, contact Alfa Romeo Authorised
Services to have it replaced.
The pretensioner may be used only once. Once it has
been activated, contact Alfa Romeo Authorised Services
to have it replaced.
Operations which lead to impacts, vibrations or localised
heating (over 100°C for a maximum of six hours) in the
area around the pretensioner may damage or deploy it.
Contact Alfa Romeo Authorised Services should intervention be
necessary on these components.
LOAD LIMITERS
To increase protection, the front seat belt reels contain a load limiter
which controls the force acting on the chest and shoulders during
the belt restraining action in the event of a head-on collision.
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 fasten the
seat belts before starting off.
Seat belts must also be worn by pregnant women: the risk of injury in
the event of an accident is reduced for them and the unborn child if
they are wearing a seat belt.
Pregnant women must position the lower part of the belt very low
down so that it passes over the pelvis and under the abdomen fig. 93.
The belt must not be twisted. The upper part must pass over the
shoulder and cross the chest diagonally. The lower part must adhere to
the pelvis fig. 94, not to the abdomen of the occupant. Never use
devices (clips, clamps, etc.) to hold the seat belt away from your body.
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For maximum protection, keep the backrest upright,
lean back into it and make sure the seat belt fits
closely across your chest and pelvis. Always fasten the
seat belts for both the front and rear seats! Travelling without
wearing seat belts will increase the risk of serious injury and
even death in the event of an accident.Each seat belt must be used by only one person. Never travel with a
child sitting on a passenger’s lap and a single belt to protect them both
fig. 95. In general, do not place any objects between the person and
belt.
Removing or otherwise tampering with safety belt and
pretensioner components is strictly prohibited. Any
operations on these components must be performed by
qualified and authorised technicians. Always contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services.
If the belt has been subjected to high levels of stress,
for example after an accident, it should be changed
completely together with the attachments, attachment
fixing screws and the pretensioner. In fact, even if the belt has no
visible defects, it may have lost its resilience.
fig. 93A0J0401
fig. 94A0J0095fig. 95A0J0096
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SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
❒Always use the seat belt well stretched and never twisted; make sure
that it is free to run without obstructions;
❒replace the belt after an accident of a certain severity even if it does
not appear to be damaged. Always replace the belt if the
pretensioners were deployed;
❒hand wash the seat belts with water and neutral soap, rinse and
leave to dry in the shade. Never use strong detergents, bleach,
paints or any other substance which could damage the belt fibres;
❒prevent the retractors from getting wet: their correct operation is only
guaranteed if water does not get inside;
❒replace the seat belt when there is wear or cuts.
CARRYING CHILDREN SAFELY
For optimal protection in the event of an impact, all occupants must be
seated and wearing adequate restraint systems, including newborn
and other children!
This prescription is compulsory in all EC countries according to EC
Directive 2003/20/EC.
Compared with an adult, a child's head is larger and heavier in
proportion to his/her body and the child's muscular and bone
structures are not fully developed. Therefore, correct restraint systems
other than adult seat belts are necessary to reduce as much as possible
the risk of injuries in case of accident, braking or sudden manoeuvre.
Children must be seated safely and comfortably. As far as the
characteristics of the child restraint systems used allow, you are
advised to keep children in rear facing restraint systems for as long as
possible (at least until 3–4 years old), since this is the most protected
position in the event of an impact.
The choice of the most suitable child restraint device depends on the
weight of the child; there are various types of child restraint systems
and you are advised always to choose the one that is most suitable for
the child.
When over 1.50 m in height, from the point of view of restraint
systems, children are considered as adults and wear seat belts
normally.
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In Europe the characteristics of children restraint systems are ruled by
the regulation ECE-R44, dividing them into five weight groups:
Group Weight groups
Group0 upto10kg
Group 0+ up to 13 kg
Group 1 9-18 kg
Group 2 15-25 kg
Group 3 22-36 kg
All restraint devices must bear the type-approval data along with the
control mark on a label firmly secured to the child seat which must
never be removed.
Lineaccessori Alfa Romeo includes child restraint systems for each
weight group. These devices are recommended having been
specifically tested for Alfa Romeo cars.
SEVERE DANGER. When an active passenger airbag is fitted,
DO NOT install rear facing child restraint systems on the
front seat. Deployment of the airbag in an accident could
cause fatal injuries to the baby regardless of the severity of
the impact. It is advisable to always carry children in a
child restraint system on the rear seat, which is the most protected
position in the event of a collision.
On the sun visor there is a label with suitable symbols
remembering that it is compulsory to deactivate the
airbag if a rear facing child restraint system is fitted.
Always comply with the instructions on the passenger's side sun
visor (see the "Front airbag" paragraph).
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FITTING “UNIVERSAL” CHILD
SEAT (with seat belts)
GROUP 0 and 0+
The diagram is indicative and for assembly purposes
only. Fit the child seat according to the instructions,
which must be included.
Infants up to 13 kg must be carried with a child seat facing backwards
of a type as shown in fig. 96 which, supporting the head, does not
induce stress on the neck in the event of sudden decelerations.
The child seat is secured by the car seat belts, as shown in fig. 96 and
it must restrain the child in turn with its own belts.
GROUP 1
The diagram is indicative and for assembly purposes
only. Fit the child seat according to the instructions,
which must be included.
Children of weight from 9 to 18 kg may be carried in child seats
facing forwards fig. 97.
Child seats with Isofix attachments are available,
which allow them to be secured to the seat safely
without using the car seat belts.
fig. 96A0J0097fig. 97A0J0371
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