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 the1button 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 thespeed 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 letterN
together with the active operating
mode.
With car in motion, to engage a gear
from the neutral (N) position, press the
1button 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, "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. Keeping the accelerator
pressed, the system will automatically
upshift once the best engine speed has
been achieved for shifting gears.
................................. 0
To abandon the strategy, simply
interrupt the above sequence of
operations or release the accelerator
pedal.
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;
99
5 = fifth gear;
6 = sixth gear;
R = reverse.
The car always starts in neutral. When
1st gear is requested, the system
forces the selection ofAUTOmode.
IMPORTANT If 10 seconds elapse with
the ignition key in theMAR-ON
position and the display does not show
the gear engaged, turn the key to the
STOPposition, 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 toSTOP).
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 WARNINGSWith 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 onlyoperate 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.
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.
100
STARTING AND DRIVING
Traffic and road conditions
Rather high consumption levels are
linked to situations with heavy traffic, for
instance when travelling in queues with
frequent use of the lower gears or in
cities with many traffic lights.
Stops in traffic
During prolonged hold-ups (e.g. level
crossings) the engine should be
switched off.SNOW TYRES
Use snow tyres of the same size as the
normal tyres provided with the car: the
dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership will
be able to advise you on the most
appropriate tyre to use.
Only use these tyres in the event of ice
or snow on the roads. In these
conditions it is recommended to select
the "All Weather" mode of the Alfa DNA
system.
For the type of tyre to be used, inflation
pressures and the specifications of
snow tyres, follow the instructions given
in the "Wheels" paragraph in the
"Technical specifications" chapter.
90)
The performance of these tyres on
low-grip surfaces are reduced
considerably when the tread depth is
below 4 mm. They should be replaced
in this case.
Due to the specific characteristics of
snow tyres, in normal weather
conditions and dry asphalt or on long
motorway journeys, the performance of
these tyres is lower than that of
standard tyres. Their usage should
therefore be restricted in accordance
with their type approval.
IMPORTANT When using snow tyres
with a maximum speed index below the
one that can be reached by the car
(increased by 5%), place a notice in the
passenger compartment, plainly in view,
which states the maximum speedallowed by the snow tyres (as per EC
Directive).
All four tyres should be the same brand
to ensure greater safety when driving
and braking as well as making the car
more responsive. It is inadvisable to
change the rotation direction of tyres.
Refer to the "Raising the car" section in
the "In an emergency" chapter for
further details on how to raise the car
correctly.
WARNING
90)The maximum speed for snow tyres
marked “Q” is 160 km/h, while it is
190 km/h for “T” tyres and 210 km/h for
"H" tyres. The highway code speed limits
must however always be complied with.
102
STARTING AND DRIVING
103)The vehicle's driving characteristics
will be modified with the space-saver wheel
fitted. Avoid violent acceleration and
braking, abrupt steering and fast cornering.
The overall duration of the space-saver
wheel is about 3000 km, after which the
relevant tyre must be replaced with another
one of the same type. Never install a
standard tyre on a rim that is designed for
use with a space-saver wheel. Have the
wheel repaired and refitted as soon as
possible. Using two or more space-saver
wheels at the same time is forbidden. Do
not grease the threads of the stud bolts
before fitting them: they might slip out.
104)The jack is a tool developed and
designed only for changing a wheel, if a
tyre gets punctured or damaged, on the
vehicle with which it is supplied or on other
vehicles of the same model. Any other use,
e.g. to jack up other vehicle models or
different things, is strictly prohibited. Never
use it to carry out maintenance or repairs
under the vehicle or to change
summer/winter wheels and vice versa.
Never position yourself under a jacked
vehicle. If any work under the vehicle is
necessary, contact the Alfa Romeo Service
Network. Incorrectly positioning the jack
may cause the vehicle to fall: use it only in
the positions indicated. Do not use the jack
for loads higher than the one shown on its
label. Never start the engine with vehicle
raised. If the vehicle is raised more than
necessary, everything can become more
unstable, with the risk of the vehicle
dropping violently. Thus, lift the vehicle only
as needed in order to access the spare
tyre.
105)The space-saver wheel cannot be
fitted with snow chains.IMPORTANT
14)Contact a dedicated Alfa Romeo
Dealership as soon as possible to have the
correct tightening of the wheel stud bolts
checked.
15)When turning the jack handle make
sure that it can turn freely without scraping
your hand against the ground. The moving
components of the jack ("worm screw" and
joints) can also cause injuries: avoid
touching them. If you come into contact
with lubricating grease, clean yourself
thoroughly.
CHANGING A BULB
16)
106) 107) 108)
GENERAL
INSTRUCTIONS
Before changing a bulb check the
contacts for oxidation;
replace blown bulbs with others of
the same type and power;
after replacing a headlight bulb,
always check its alignment;
when a light is not working, check
that the corresponding fuse is intact
before changing the bulb. For the
location of fuses, refer to the paragraph
“If a fuse blows” in this chapter.
IMPORTANT When the weather is cold
or damp or after heavy rain or washing,
the surface of headlights or rear lights,
may steam up and/or form drops of
condensation on the inside. This is a
natural phenomenon due to the
difference in temperature and humidity
between the inside and the outside of
the glass which does not indicate a
fault and does not compromise the
normal operation of lighting devices.
The mist disappears quickly when the
lights are turned on, starting from the
centre of the diffuser, extending
progressively towards the edges.
112
IN AN EMERGENCY