SymbolWhat It Means What To Do
ELECTRONIC THROTTLE CONTROL (ETC) WARNING
LIGHTS
This warning light, along with the related message, signals
a failure in the electronic throttle control system (ETC).Contact an authorized dealer as soon as possible.
If a failure is detected, the warning light switches on
while the engine is running.Place the ignition in the off position and the shift
selector in the park position: the warning light should
switch off. If the warning light stays on with engine
running the vehicle can still be driven.
Contact an authorized dealer as soon as possible to
have the failure eliminated.
If the warning light flashes with the engine running,
immediate intervention is required. A loss of
performance, irregular/high idling speed or engine
stopping might take place and the vehicle may need to
be towed.
Contact an authorized dealer as soon as possible to
have the failure eliminated.
LOW ENGINE OIL LEVEL
This warning light appears on the panel when the
engine oil level falls below the minimum recommended
value.
The level must also be checked using the dipstick in the
engine compartment (see chapter "Servicing and
Maintenance.")Contact an authorized dealer to have the system
checked.
ALFA STEERING TORQUE (AST) FAILURE
The switching on of the symbol signals a failure in the
automatic steering correction system.
Contact an authorized dealer to have the system
checked.
ALTERNATOR FAILURE
The switching on of the symbol with engine on
corresponds to an alternator failure.
Contact an authorized dealer as soon as possible.
85
ACTIVE SAFETY
SYSTEMS
The vehicle may be equipped with the
following active safety devices:
Anti-Lock Braking (ABS) System
Drive Train Control (DTC) System
Electronic Stability Control (ESC)
System
Traction Control System (TCS)
Panic Brake Assist (PBA) System
Hill Start Assist (HSA) System
Dynamic Steering Torque (DST)
System
Active Torque Vectoring (ATV)
System
For the operation of the systems, see
the following pages.
Anti-Lock Braking (ABS)
System
An integral part of the braking system,
the ABS prevents one or more wheels
from locking and slipping in all road
surface conditions, regardless of the
intensity of the braking action. The
system ensures that the vehicle can be
controlled even during emergency
braking, allowing the driver to optimize
stopping distances.
The system intervenes during braking
when the wheels are about to lock,
typically in emergency braking or
low-grip conditions where locking may
be more frequent. The system also improves control and
stability of the vehicle when braking on
a surface where the grip of the left and
right wheels varies, such as in a corner.
The Electronic Braking Force
Distribution (EBD) system works with
the ABS, allowing the brake force to be
distributed between the front and rear
wheels.
System Intervention
The ABS equipped on this vehicle is
provided with the "Brake-by-wire"
(Integrated Brake System - IBS)
function. With this system, the
command given by pressing the brake
pedal is not transmitted hydraulically,
but electrically. Therefore, the light
pulsation that is felt on the pedal with
the traditional system is no longer
noticeable.Warning!
The ABS contains sophisticated
electronic equipment that may be
susceptible to interference caused by
improperly installed or high output radio
transmitting equipment. This interference
can cause possible loss of anti-lock braking
capability. Installation of such equipment
should be performed by qualified
professionals.
Pumping of the Anti-Lock Brakes will
diminish their effectiveness and may lead to
a collision. Pumping makes the stopping
distance longer. Just press firmly on your
brake pedal when you need to slow down
or stop.
The ABS cannot prevent the natural
laws of physics from acting on the vehicle,
nor can it increase braking or steering
efficiency beyond that afforded by the
condition of the vehicle brakes and tires or
the traction afforded.
The ABS cannot prevent collisions,
including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, following another vehicle
too closely, or hydroplaning.
The capabilities of an ABS equipped
vehicle must never be exploited in a
reckless or dangerous manner that could
jeopardize the user’s safety or the safety of
others.
Drive Train Control
(DTC) System — If
Equipped
Some models of this vehicle are
equipped with an All-Wheel Drive
system (AWD), which offers an optimal
drive for countless driving conditions
and road surfaces. The system reduces
the slipping of the tires to a minimum,
automatically redistributing the torque
to the front and rear wheels as needed.
To maximize fuel savings, the vehicle
with AWD automatically passes to
rear-wheel drive (RWD) when the road
96
SAFETY
and environmental conditions are such
that they wouldn't cause the tires to
slip. When the road and environmental
conditions require better traction, the
vehicle automatically goes to AWD
mode.
The driving mode, RWD or AWD, is
shown on the instrument cluster
display.
Note:If the system failure symbol
switches on, after starting the engine or
while driving, it means that the AWD
system is not working properly. If the
warning message activates frequently, it
is recommended to carry out the
maintenance operations.
Electronic Stability
Control (ESC) System
The ESC system improves the
directional control and stability of the
car in various driving conditions.
The ESC system corrects the car’s
understeer and oversteer, distributing
the brake force on the appropriate
wheels. The torque supplied by the
engine can also be reduced in order to
maintain control of the vehicle.
The ESC system uses sensors installed
on the car to determine the path that
the driver intends to follow and
compares it with the car’s effective
path. When the real path deviates from
the desired path, the ESC system
intervenes to counter the vehicle’s
understeer or oversteer.
Oversteer occurs when the car is
turning more than it should according
to the angle of the steering wheel.
Understeer occurs when the vehicle
is turning less than it should according
to the angle of the steering wheel.
System Intervention
The intervention of the system is
indicated by the flashing of the ESC
warning light on the instrument panel,
to inform the driver that the vehicle
stability and grip are critical.
Warning!
Electronic Stability Control (ESC) cannot
prevent the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase
the traction afforded by prevailing road
conditions. ESC cannot prevent accidents,
including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, driving on very slippery
surfaces, or hydroplaning. ESC also cannot
prevent accidents resulting from loss of
vehicle control due to inappropriate driver
input for the conditions. Only a safe,
attentive, and skillful driver can prevent
accidents. The capabilities of an ESC
equipped vehicle must never be exploited
in a reckless or dangerous manner which
could jeopardize the user’s safety or the
safety of others.
Vehicle modifications, or failure to
properly maintain your vehicle, may change
the handling characteristics of your vehicle,
and may negatively affect the performance
of the ESC system. Changes to the
steering system, suspension, braking
system, tire type and size or wheel size
may adversely affect ESC performance.
Improperly inflated and unevenly worn tires
may also degrade ESC performance. Any
vehicle modification or poor vehicle
maintenance that reduces the effectiveness
of the ESC system can increase the risk of
loss of vehicle control, vehicle rollover,
personal injury and death.
Traction Control System
(TCS)
The system automatically operates in
the event of slipping, loss of grip on wet
roads (hydroplaning), and acceleration
on one or both drive wheels on roads
that are slippery, snowy, icy, etc.
Depending on the slipping conditions,
two different control systems are
activated:
If the slipping involves both drive
wheels, the system intervenes, reducing
the power transmitted by the engine.
If the slipping only involves one of the
drive wheels, the Brake Limited
Differential (BLD) function is activated,
automatically braking the wheel which
is slipping (the behavior of a self-locking
differential is simulated). This will
increase the engine torque transferred
to the wheel which isn't slipping.
97
System Intervention
The intervention of the system is
indicated by the flashing of the ESC
warning light on the instrument panel,
to inform the driver that the vehicle
stability and grip are critical.
Panic Brake Assist
(PBA) System
The PBA system is designed to improve
the vehicle’s braking capacity during
emergency braking.
The system detects emergency braking
by monitoring the speed and force with
which the brake pedal is pressed, and
consequently applies the optimal brake
pressure. This can reduce the braking
distance: the PBA system therefore
complements the ABS.
Maximum assistance from the PBA
system is obtained by pressing the
brake pedal very quickly. In addition, the
brake pedal should be pressed
continuously during braking, avoiding
intermittent presses, to get the most
out of the system. Do not reduce
pressure on the brake pedal until
braking is no longer necessary.
The PBA system is deactivated when
the brake pedal is released.
Warning!
The Panic Brake Assist (PBA) cannot
prevent the natural laws of physics from
acting on the vehicle, nor can it increase
the traction afforded by prevailing road
conditions. PBA cannot prevent collisions,
including those resulting from excessive
speed in turns, driving on very slippery
surfaces, or hydroplaning. The capabilities
of a PBA-equipped vehicle must never be
exploited in a reckless or dangerous
manner, which could jeopardize the user's
safety or the safety of others.
Hill Start Assist (HSA)
System
This is an integral part of the ESC
system and facilitates starting on
slopes, activating automatically in the
following cases:
Uphill: vehicle stationary on a road
with a gradient higher than 5%, engine
running, brake pressed and
transmission in neutral or gear other
than reverse engaged;
Downhill: vehicle stationary on a road
with a gradient higher than 5%, engine
running, brake pressed and reverse
gear engaged.
When setting off, the ESC system
control unit maintains the braking
pressure on the wheels until the engine
torque necessary for starting is reached, or in any case for a maximum
of two seconds, allowing your right foot
to be moved easily from the brake
pedal to the accelerator.
When two seconds without starting
have elapsed, the system is
automatically deactivated, gradually
releasing the braking pressure. During
this release stage, it is possible to hear
a typical mechanical brake release
noise, indicating the imminent
movement of the car.
Warning!
There may be situations where the Hill
Start Assist (HSA) will not activate and
slight rolling may occur, such as on minor
hills or with a loaded vehicle, or while
pulling a trailer. HSA is not a substitute for
active driving involvement. It is always the
driver’s responsibility to be attentive to
distance to other vehicles, people, and
objects, and most importantly brake
operation to ensure safe operation of the
vehicle under all road conditions. Your
complete attention is always required while
driving to maintain safe control of your
vehicle. Failure to follow these warnings
can result in a collision or serious personal
injury.
98
SAFETY
Dynamic Steering
Torque (DST) System
The DST function uses the integration
of the ESC system with the electric
power steering to increase the safety
level of the whole vehicle.
In critical situations (braking on surfaces
with different grip conditions), the ESC
system controls the steering through
the DST function to implement an
additional torque contribution on the
steering wheel in order to suggest the
most correct maneuver to the driver.
The coordinated action of the brakes
and steering increases the sensation of
safety and control of the vehicle.
Note:
The DST feature is only meant to help
the driver realize the correct course of
action through small torques on the
steering wheel, which means the
effectiveness of the DST feature is
highly dependent on the drivers
sensitivity and overall reaction to the
applied torque. It is very important to
realize that this feature will not steer the
vehicle, meaning the driver is still
responsible for steering the vehicle.
Active Torque Vectoring
(ATV) System
The dynamic drive control is used to
optimize and balance the drive torque
between the wheels of the same axles.
The ATV system improves the grip in
turns, sending more drive torque to the
external wheel.
Given that, in a turn, the external
wheels of the car travel more than the
internal ones and therefore turn faster,
sending a higher thrust to the external
rear wheel allows for the car to be more
stable and to not suffer an "understeer"
condition. Understeer occurs when the
vehicle is turning less than appropriate
for the steering wheel position.
AUXILIARY DRIVING
SYSTEMS
The vehicle can feature the following
auxiliary driving systems:
Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
Forward Collision Warning (FCW)
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
(TPMS)
For the operation of the systems, see
the following pages.
Blind Spot Monitoring
(BSM) System
The Blind Spot Monitoring (BSM)
system uses two radar sensors, located
in the rear bumper (one for each side),
to detect the presence of vehicles
(vehicles, trucks, motorcycles, etc.) in
the rear side blind spots of your vehicle.
GUID-06016S0001EMRear Sensor Location
99
Safe Hold
Safe Hold is a safety function that
automatically engages the electric park
brake in the event of a dangerous
condition for the vehicle.
The electric park brake engages
automatically to prevent vehicle
movement if:
The vehicle speed is below 2 mph
(3 km/h).
A transmission operating mode
different from PARK (P) is activated.
The driver's seat belt is not fastened.
The driver side door is open.
No attempts to apply pressure on the
brake pedal have been detected.
The “Safe Hold” function can be
temporarily disabled by pressing the
switch located on the central console
and the brake pedal at the same time,
with the vehicle stationary and the
driver side door open.
Once disabled, the function will activate
again when the vehicle speed reaches
12 mph (20 km/h) or the ignition is
cycled to STOP and then to ON.
AUTOMATIC
TRANSMISSION
Automatic Transmission
Operation
The vehicle can be equipped with an
electronically controlled 8-speed
automatic transmission where gear
shifting automatically takes place,
depending on the vehicle usage
instantaneous parameters (vehicle
speed, grade, and accelerator pedal
position).
The new transmission is an absolute
innovation, as it can match the
Stop/Start Evo system with the
traditional automatic transmissions with
built-in torque converter. For further
information, refer to the “Stop/Start
Evo” section within this chapter.
Manual gear shifting can still occur
thanks to the "sequential mode"
position for the gear selector.
Warning!
It is dangerous to shift out of PARK or
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.
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 apply the park
brake, shift the transmission into PARK,
and turn the ignition STOP/OFF. When the
ignition is in the STOP/OFF mode, the
transmission is locked in PARK, securing
the vehicle against unwanted movement.
When leaving the vehicle, always make
sure the ignition is in the STOP/OFF mode,
remove the key fob from the vehicle, and
lock the 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.
Do not leave the key fob in or near the
vehicle (or in a location accessible to
children), and do not leave the ignition in
the AVV or ON mode. A child could
operate power windows, other controls, or
move the vehicle.
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STARTING AND OPERATING
Brake/Transmission
Shift Interlock System
This vehicle is equipped with a Brake
Transmission Shift Interlock system
(BTSI) that holds the gear selector in
PARK (P) unless the brakes are applied.
This system prevents you from moving
the gear selector from position PARK
(P) unless the brakes are applied.
To shift the transmission out of PARK
(P), the ignition must be cycled to the
AVV mode (engine running or not) and
the brake pedal must be pressed.
Brake/Transmission Shift Interlock
Disabling
Only if strictly necessary (e.g. pushing
the vehicle, conveyor vehicle washing
systems) inhibit the automatic activation
of PARK (P) mode when stopping the
engine, or proceed as described below:
1. Car at a standstill.
2. NEUTRAL (N) mode activated.
3. Push the ignition button for at least
three seconds.
The automatic park brake engagement
function when the engine is stopped
can also be deactivated on the Connect
system by selecting the following
functions on the main menu: "Settings",
"Driver Assistance" and "Automatic
Parking Brake".
Important Notes
Failure to comply with what is reported
below may damage the transmission:
Shift into PARK (P) mode only with
the vehicle at a standstill.
Select REVERSE (R) mode, or pass
from REVERSE to another mode only
with the vehicle at a standstill and
engine idling.
Do not change between PARK (P),
REVERSE (R), NEUTRAL (N) or DRIVE
(D) modes with engine running at a
speed above idling.
Before activating any transmission
operating mode, fully depress the brake
pedal.
Note: The unexpected movement of
the vehicle can injure the occupants or
people nearby. Do not leave the vehicle
with engine running: before getting out
of the passenger compartment always
engage the electric park brake, select
the PARK (P) mode, stop the engine.
With the ignition device in the STOP
position, the transmission is locked in
the PARK (P) position in order to
prevent accidental vehicle movement. If
equipped with keyless ignition, do not
leave the key fob near the vehicle (or in
a place accessible to children), and do
not leave the ignition on. A child could activate the electric
windows, other controls, or even start
the engine; it is dangerous to select a
mode other than PARK (P) or NEUTRAL
(N) at an engine speed higher than
idling.
If the brake pedal is not fully depressed,
the vehicle could rapidly accelerate.
Only engage the gear with engine at
idling while fully depressing the brake
pedal. If the transmission temperature
exceeds the normal operating limits, the
transmission control unit may change
the gear engagement order and reduce
the drive torque. If the transmission
overheats, the display shows the
symbol. In this case, the
transmission could operate incorrectly
until it cools down.
When using the vehicle with extremely
low external temperatures, the
transmission operation may change
depending on the engine and
transmission temperature, as well as
vehicle speed. Activation of the torque
converter clutch and of the eighth or
ninth gear is inhibited until the
transmission oil is correctly warmed up.
Complete operation of the transmission
will be enabled as soon as the fluid
temperature reaches the predefined
value.
145
Max. Speed
Fuel consumption considerably
increases as speed increases. Maintain
a constant speed, avoiding
unnecessary braking and acceleration,
which cost in terms of both fuel
consumption and emissions.
Acceleration
Accelerating violently severely affects
consumption and emissions:
acceleration should be gradual and
should not exceed the maximum
torque.
Conditions Of Use
Cold Starting
Short trips and frequent cold starts will
not allow the engine to reach optimum
operating temperature. This results in a
significant increase in consumption
levels (from +15 to +30% in city driving)
and emissions.
Traffic And Road Conditions
High fuel consumption is caused by
heavy traffic, for instance when
travelling in traffic with frequent use of
low gears or in cities with many traffic
lights. Winding mountain roads and
rough road surfaces also adversely
affect consumption.
Stops In Traffic
During prolonged stops (e.g. railway
crossings) switch off the engine.
Transporting
Passengers
Warning!
It is extremely dangerous to leave
children in a parked vehicle when the
temperature outside is very high. The heat
inside the passenger compartment may
have serious, or even fatal, consequences.
Never travel in the trunk of the vehicle. In
the event of an accident, anyone inside the
trunk would be at greater risk of serious or
even fatal injury.
Ensure that all the occupants of the
vehicle wear their seat belts correctly and
that any children are positioned correctly
on the dedicated child restraint systems.
Transporting Animals
The intervention of the airbags may be
dangerous for an animal on the front
seat. It is therefore advised to arrange
animals on the rear seat inside
dedicated cages restrained by the
vehicle’s seat belts.
Keep in mind that, in the event of a
sudden braking or an accident, an
inadequately restrained animal may be
projected within the passenger
compartment, risking injury to the
animal itself and the other occupants of
the vehicle.
Exhaust Gas
Exhaust emissions are very dangerous,
and may be lethal. They contain carbon
monoxide, a colorless, odorless gas
which can cause fainting and poisoning
if inhaled.
To avoid inhaling carbon monoxide,
take the following measures:
Do not keep the engine running in
closed spaces.
If, for some reason (e.g. transporting
bulky loads), it is necessary to drive
with the trunk open, close all the
windows and run the climate control fan
at maximum speed. DO NOT activate
air recirculation mode.
Should it be necessary to stay in the
stationary vehicle with engine running,
adjust the ventilation/heating system
and operate the fan in such a way that
outside air will enter the passenger
compartment. Activate the maximum
fan speed.
Maintenance of the exhaust system
provides the best protection against
leaks of carbon monoxide into the
passenger compartment.
Should an unusual noise from the
exhaust system or the presence of
exhaust gas in the passenger
compartment be identified, or if the
underbody or rear section of the vehicle
is damaged, have the entire exhaust
system and bodywork areas checked
to identify any components which are
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STARTING AND OPERATING