2016 Alfa Romeo 4C Spider Owner's Manual

▫Tire Types .......................... .221
▫ Run Flat Tires — If Equipped .............223
▫ Spare Tires — If Equipped ...............223
▫ Tire Spinning ....................... .226
▫ Tread Wear Indicators ..................226
▫ Life Of Tire ........................ .227
▫ Replacement Tires .....................228
 TIRE CHAINS (TRACTION DEVICES) .......229
 TIRE ROTATION RECOMMENDATIONS .....230
 TIRE PRESSURE MONITORING SYSTEM
(TPMS) ............................. .231
▫ Base System ........................ .233
▫ General Information ...................236 
FUEL REQUIREMENTS — 1750 Turbo .......236
▫ Reformulated Gasoline .................237
▫ Gasoline/Oxygenate Blends ..............237
▫ E-85 Usage In Non-Flex Fuel Vehicles .......238
▫ MMT In Gasoline .....................238
▫ Materials Added To Fuel ................238
▫ Fuel System Cautions ...................239
▫ Carbon Monoxide Warnings .............240
 ADDING FUEL/SMART FUEL .............241
 TRAILER TOWING .....................244
 RECREATIONAL TOWING (BEHIND
MOTORHOME, ETC.) ...................244
▫ Towing This Vehicle Behind Another Vehicle . .244
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 175

STARTING PROCEDURES
Before starting your vehicle, adjust your seat, adjust both
inside and outside mirrors, and fasten your seat belts.
WARNING!
•Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle.
• Allowing children to be in a vehicle unattended is
dangerous for a number of reasons. A child or
others could be seriously or fatally injured. Chil-
dren should be warned not to touch the parking
brake, brake pedal or the transmission gear selec-
tor.
• Do not leave the Key Fob in or near the vehicle (or
in a location accessible to children). A child could
operate power windows, other controls, or move
the vehicle.
Automatic Transmission
To start the engine, press the brake pedal. The system
engages NEUTRAL (N) automatically.
After the starting procedure, FIRST (1st) gear or RE-
VERSE (R) can be engaged.
Irrespective of the mode selected (AUTO/MANUAL), to
engage FIRST (1st) gear or REVERSE (R), it is necessary
to press the brake pedal and push the 1 button on the
transmission control panel (or the +steering wheel
stalk) to engage FIRST (1st) gear or the R button to
engage REVERSE (R).
When FIRST (1st) gear is engaged, the system sets itself to
AUTO mode.
NEUTRAL (N) can be engaged again by pushing the N
button with the brake pedal pressed.
176 STARTING AND OPERATING

When the 1, N or R buttons are pushed (or+steering
wheel stalk is operated) without pressing the brake
pedal, no gear change request is implemented by the
system.
NOTE: REVERSE (R) cannot be engaged by pushing the
- stalk on the steering wheel.
Normal Starting
NOTE: Normal starting of either a cold or a warm
engine is obtained without pumping or pressing the
accelerator pedal.
Turn the ignition switch to the AVV/ACC (START)
position and release it when the engine starts. If the
engine fails to start within 10 seconds, turn the ignition
switch to the STOP (OFF/LOCK) position, wait 10 to 15
seconds, then repeat the “Normal Starting” procedure.
Cold Weather Operation
Your engine is designed to operate at temperatures as
low as 0°F (-18°C).
CAUTION!
Use of the recommended SAE 5W-40 Synthetic oil
and adhering to the prescribed oil change intervals is
important to prevent engine damage and ensure
satisfactory starting in cold conditions.
If Engine Fails To Start
WARNING!
Never pour fuel or other flammable liquids into the
throttle body air inlet opening in an attempt to start
the vehicle. This could result in a flash fire causing
serious personal injury.
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STARTING AND OPERATING 177

CAUTION!
•Do not attempt to push or tow your vehicle to get it
started. Vehicles equipped with a Alfa Twin Clutch
Transmission cannot be started this way. Unburned
fuel could enter the catalytic converter and once the
engine has started, ignite and damage the converter
and vehicle.
• To prevent damage to the starter, do not continu-
ously crank the engine for more than 15 seconds at
a time. Wait 10 to 15 seconds before trying again.
After Starting
The idle speed is controlled automatically and it will
decrease as the engine warms up.
Turbo Charger “Cool Down”
This vehicle is equipped with an after-run pump to cool
the turbocharger after the engine is shut off. Depending on the type of driving and the amount of cargo, the pump
will run for up to five minutes after the engine has been
shut off to circulate coolant through the turbocharger.
Although the pump is rubber-mounted for quiet opera-
tion, it is normal to hear it running during this time.
SIX-SPEED ALFA TWIN CLUTCH TRANSMISSION
WARNING!
•
It is dangerous to shift out of NEUTRAL if the
engine speed is higher than idle speed. If your foot
is not firmly pressing the brake pedal, the vehicle
could accelerate quickly forward or in reverse. You
could lose control of the vehicle and hit someone or
something. Only shift into gear when the engine is
idling normally and your foot is firmly pressing
the brake pedal.
(Continued)
178 STARTING AND OPERATING

WARNING!(Continued)
•Unintended movement of a vehicle could injure
those in or near the vehicle. As with all vehicles,
you should never exit a vehicle while the engine is
running.
• Before exiting a vehicle, always shift the vehicle
into FIRST gear or REVERSE, apply the parking
brake, turn the vehicle OFF, remove the key fob
from the ignition and lock your vehicle.
• Never leave children alone in a vehicle, or with
access to an unlocked vehicle. Allowing children to
be in a vehicle unattended is dangerous for a
number of reasons. A child or others could be
seriously or fatally injured. Children should be
warned not to touch the parking brake, brake pedal
or the transmission gear selector.
(Continued)
WARNING! (Continued)
•Do not leave the ignition key in or near the vehicle
(or in a location accessible to children). A child
could operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
Using The Transmission
This vehicle is equipped with a Six-Speed Alfa Twin
Clutch transmission with steering wheel mounted shift
paddles.
When the ignition is in the OFF position, the transmission
controls (shift paddles on the steering wheel, and gear
selector buttons on the center console) are disabled.
When the key is turned to the ON position, the current
transmission gear will be displayed in the instrument
cluster, along with the AUTOindicator. This indicates
the transmission is in Automatic mode.5
STARTING AND OPERATING 179

Operating Modes
The transmission has two normal operating modes (ex-
cept when the “Race” mode is selected on the DNA
switch):
•MANUAL mode: The driver must shift gears manu-
ally (using the steering wheel mounted shift paddles). •
Automatic (AUTO) mode: The system shifts between
all forward gears automatically.
When the “Race” mode is selected via the DNA selector,
the only allowed transmission operating mode is
MANUAL.
MANUAL Mode
In this operating mode, the driver is responsible for
choosing the best gear to engage, depending on the
vehicles operating conditions. The current gear is dis-
played in the instrument cluster.
To activate/deactivate MANUAL mode, push the A/M
button on the center console when the transmission is in
any forward gear.
Use the “+” shift paddle to engage a higher gear, or the
“–” paddle to engage a lower gear.
Transmission Gear Selector
180 STARTING AND OPERATING

If a requested gear shift is not allowed (typically, because
it would cause engine overspeed or lugging), an acoustic
signal will sound and the transmission will remain in the
existing gear.
The transmission will automatically downshift during
closed-throttle decelerations, to prevent engine lugging.
When coming to a stop, the transmission will automati-
cally select FIRST (1st) gear. The driver must manually
upshift the transmission (by tapping the + shift paddle)
as the vehicle accelerates.
NOTE:To provide better comfort, the transmission will
up-shift to the next available gear if the engine speed
limit is reached. This feature is only available in NATU-
RAL and ALL WEATHER Modes. AUTO Mode
In AUTO mode the transmission shifts gears automati-
cally depending on vehicle speed, engine RPM, and
accelerator pedal position.
AUTO is the default operating mode at startup. When in
AUTO mode,
AUTOappears in the instrument cluster,
adjacent to the current gear display.
To toggle between AUTO and MANUAL modes, push
the A/M button on the center console.
Accelerating From A Stop
FIRST (1st) and REVERSE (R) can only be engaged (at a
stop) by pushing “1” or “R” when the brake pedal is
pressed.
To drive, press the brake pedal, and select 1 (1st) or R
(REVERSE) by pushing “1” or “R” using the transmission
5
STARTING AND OPERATING 181

gear selector buttons on the center console. Then release
the brake pedal and smoothly press the accelerator pedal.
NOTE:
•The vehicle will not “creep” when the brake pedal is
released, and may in fact roll down on an incline.
Leaving from a stop, the accelerator pedal must be
pressed to transmit driving torque to the wheels.
• When starting on a fairly steep incline, it may be
helpful to engage the parking brake.
• The vehicle can only be launched (from a stop) in
FIRST (1st) or REVERSE (R). SECOND (2nd) gear (or
higher) cannot be engaged when the vehicle is station-
ary.
• If the brake pedal is not depressed (and the vehicle is
stationary for a period of time), the transmission will
automatically engage NEUTRAL (N). •
FIRST (1st) and REVERSE (R) gears can only be
engaged at vehicle speeds below 2 mph (3 km/h). At
speeds below 6 mph (10 km/h), attempts to shift from
1st to R (or R to 1st) will only be allowed if the vehicle
speed drops below the 2 mph (3 km/h) threshold
within three seconds of the request; otherwise, the
transmission will shift to NEUTRAL (N). The driver
should then repeat the request for 1st or R once the
vehicle has come to a stop.
Shift Paddles
In MANUAL mode, the steering wheel mounted shift
paddles (labeled + and -) control the transmission shift-
ing.
Tapping the (+) paddle will upshift the transmission to
the next higher gear, while tapping the (-) paddle will
downshift to the next lower gear. The current gear is
182 STARTING AND OPERATING