clutch Alfa Romeo 147 2005 Owner handbook (in English)

2
VERY IMPORTANT!
STARTING THE ENGINE
Engines with mechanical transmission:make sure the handbrake is pulled; put the gear lever into neutral; press the
clutch pedal down to the floor without touching the accelerator, then turn the ignition key to AV Vand release it as soon as
the engine starts.
Engines with Selespeed transmission:keep the brake pedal fully depressed; turn the ignition key to AV Vand re-
lease it as soon as the engine has started; the transmission sets to neutral automatically (the display shows position N).
FUEL CAPACITY
Ronly use unleaded petrol with no less than 95 R.O.N.
PARKING ON FLAMMABLE MATERIAL
While working, the catalyst develops a very high temperature. Do not park the car over grass, dry leaves, pine needles or
any other inflammable materials: risk of fire.
K

RESPECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
The vehicle is fitted with a system that allows continuous diagnosis of the components correlated with emissions to ensure bet-
ter respect for the environment.
U

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
47
The device is disengaged automatically in
any one of the following cases:
– pressing the brake pedal;
– pressing the clutch pedal;
– if the ASR or VDC, MSR system cuts in.
CONTROLS(fig. 65)
Cruise Control is controlled by the
ON/OFFknurled ring (A), by the +/–
ring (B) and by the RESbutton (C).
Ring (A) has two positions:
–OFFin this position the device is deac-
tivated;
–ONis the normal operating position of
the device. When the knurled ring (A) is
in this position, the warning light
Üon the
instrument cluster turns on.Ring (B) serves for memorising and main-
taining the car speed or for increasing or low-
ering the speed memorised.
Turn the ring (B) to (+) to memorise the
speed reached or increase the speed mem-
orised.
Turn the ring (B) to (–) to lower the speed
memorised.
Each time the ring is actuated (B) the speed
increases or lowers by about 1.5 km/h.
Keeping the ring turned the speed changes
continuously. The new speed reached will
be maintained automatically.
TheRESbutton (C) resets the memorised
speed.
IMPORTANTTurning the ignition key to
STOPor the ring (A) to OFF, the speed
memorised is cleared and the system is
switched off.
CRUISE CONTROL
GENERAL
The speed regulator (CRUISE CON-
TROL), with electronic control, makes it
possible to drive the car at the required
speed without pressing the accelerator ped-
al. This reduces driving fatigue during long
journeys because the speed memorised is
automatically maintained.
IMPORTANTThe device can only be en-
gaged at speeds above 30 km/h.
fig. 65
A0A0077m
Cruise control must be ac-
tivated only when the
route and traffic allow a constant
speed for a sufficiently long dis-
tance completely safely.
WARNING

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
48
TO MEMORISE THE SPEED
Move the ring (A) to ONand take the car
to the required speed normally. Turn the ring
(B) to (+) for at least three seconds, then
release it. The car speed is memorised and
it is therefore possible to release the accel-
erator pedal.
The car will continue to travel at the mem-
orised constant speed until one of the fol-
lowing conditions takes place:
– pressing the brake pedal;
– pressing the clutch pedal;
– if the ASR or VDC system cuts in.
IMPORTANTIn the case of need (when
overtaking for instance) acceleration is pos-
sible simply pressing the accelerator pedal;
later, releasing the accelerator pedal, the car
will return to the speed memorised previ-
ously.
TO RESET
THE MEMORISED SPEED
If the device has been disengaged for ex-
ample pressing the brake or clutch pedal,
the memorised speed can be reset as fol-
lows:
– accelerate gradually until reaching a
speed approaching the one memorised;
– engage the gear selected at the time of
speed memorising (4th, 5th or 6th speed);
– press the RESbutton (C).
TO INCREASE
THE MEMORISED SPEED
The speed memorised can be increased
in two ways:
1) pressing the accelerator and then mem-
orising the new speed reached (turning the
ring (B) for more than three seconds);
or
2) momentaneously turning the ring (B) to
(+): each pulse of the ring will correspond to
a slight increase in speed (about 1.5 km/h)
while pressing continuously will correspond
to a continuous speed increase. Releasing the
ring (B) the new speed will be memorised
automatically.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
109
To release the hand brake:
– slightly lift the lever (A) and press the
release button (B);
– keeping the button pressed lower the
lever, the warning light
xon the instru-
ment cluster will go out.
To prevent the car from moving acciden-
tally, keep the brake pedal pressed when
engaging the hand brake.
IMPORTANTThe hand brake lever (A)
is fitted with a safety device which prevents
the brake from being released when, with
the lever pulled, button (B) is pressed.
Therefore, to release the brake, in addition
to pressing button (B) it is also necessary
to pull lever (A) further upwards to release
the safety device, then lower the lever com-
pletely.
IMPORTANTOn certain versions a
buzzer sounds to alert the driver if the car
is moved with the hand brake engaged.
GEARSHIFT LEVER (fig. 95)
The position of the single gears is shown
by the pictogram on the gearshift lever
knob.
When shifting gear, always fully depress
the clutch pedal. Before engaging reverse
gear (R) wait for the car to be stationary.
For versions fitted with six speed gearbox,
to engage reverse gear (R), raise the ring
under the grip (with the fingers of the same
hand holding the lever).
After engaging reverse gear, release the
ring. It is not necessary to raise the ring on
the lever when shifting from reverse to an-
other gear.
fig. 95
A0A0410m
To change gear smoothly,
the clutch pedal must be
fully depressed. Therefore, there
should be no obstacles on the floor
under the pedal unit: make sure
that any mats are well laid and do
not interfere with the pedals.
WARNING
IMPORTANTReverse gear may only be
engaged with the car completely at a stand-
still. With the engine running, before en-
gaging reverse gear it is necessary to wait
for at least 3 seconds with the clutch pedal
fully depressed to prevent clashing and the
possibility of damaging the gears.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
110
SELESPEED
TRANSMISSION
The car may be fitted with a mechanical
transmission with electronic control called
“Selespeed”.
The Selespeed considerably simplifies use
of the car, reducing the fatigue of city dri-
ving or when frequent gearshifting is re-
quired, at the same time offering brilliant
performance.
IMPORTANTTo be able to use the Se-
lespeed correctly, this chapter should be read
in full to understand the correct, permissible
operations to be carried out right from the
start.This device comprises a conventional me-
chanical gearbox to which an electronical-
ly-operated electrohydraulic device has been
added which automatically controls the
clutch and gear engagement.
The clutch pedal has been eliminated and
the vehicle moves off using only the accel-
erator pedal.
Gearshifting takes place through the con-
trol lever (A-fig. 96) which is of the float-
ing type with a “single central stable posi-
tion”.
Using the lever it is possible to request an
increase/decrease of the gear ratio engaged
and/or reverse gear engagement (R) or
neutral (N).There are also two stalks on the steering
wheel spokes (fig. 97) through which, on-
ly with the car on the move (with speed
above 2 km/h), it is possible to shift gear
up or down.
The gearbox can work in two operating
modes:
– the first is semiautomatic (MANUAL),
in which the driver directly requests gearshift-
ing through the lever on the centre console
or pressing the buttons at the steering
wheel;
– the second is automatic, called CITY,
in which the system decides directly when
to shift gear (mode selectable with the spe-
cific button A-fig. 98).
fig. 97
A0A0098m
fig. 98
A0A0096m
fig. 96
A0A0097m

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
112fig. 103
A0A0103m
fig. 101
A0A0101m
fig. 102
A0A0102m
OPERATION WITH
ENGINE OFF
IMPORTANTBefore using the gearshift
control lever, always check the gear en-
gaged on the display (N,1,2,3,4,5,6,
R).
With the vehicle stopped and the brake
pedal pressed, requests to change gear are
acceptedonlythrough the control lever on
the centre console.
To request gearshifting, in addition to keep-
ing the brake pedal pressed:
– to shift upwards (+) (fig. 101) push
the lever “forwards” (if the car is in first gear
it shifts to second, if in second it shifts to
third and so on up to fifth). If the system
is in neutral (N) or reverse (R) moving the
lever forwards causes the engagement of
first gear (1).– to shift downwards (–) (fig. 101)
push the lever backwards (if the car is in
fifth gear it shifts to fourth, if in fourth it
shifts to third and so on down to first gear).
To allow setting the transmission to neu-
tral (N), starting from the condition with
the vehicle stationary and brake pedal
pressed, move the gearshift lever to the right
(fig. 102). The neutral control (N) is ac-
cepted with car speed below 60 km/h.
From any gear (N,1,2,3,4,5,6) and
with the car practically stationary, it is pos-
sible to request the engagement of reverse
gear pushing the lever to the right and then
backwards (fig. 103). If the car is moving,
the request is not accepted. Wait for the car
to stop and then request gear engagement
again.IMPORTANTOnce a gear has been
changed it is necessary to immediately re-
lease the gearshift control lever after mak-
ing the request. A manoeuvre prolonged
(over 10 seconds) causes the system
switches automatically to CITY.
IMPORTANTWhen parking the vehicle
on a sloping road and engaging a gear to
keep it braked, always check that the re-
configurable multifunction display shows the
new gear engaged and wait for one or two
seconds before releasing the brake pedal to
allow complete engagement of the clutch.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
114
MOVING THE CAR
With the engine on and the car stationary,
the gears that can be engaged for moving
off are only first (1), second (2) and/or
reverse (R).
To shift gears, keep the brake pedal
pressed and use only the lever on the cen-
tre console since the stalks on the steering
wheel can be only operated if the car speed
exceeds 10 km/h.IMPORTANTReverse gear (R) can be
engaged from any of the following other ra-
tios: neutral (N), first (1) or second (2).
If the car is moving, the request is not ac-
cepted, it is necessary to wait for the car
to stop completely and request the en-
gagement of reverse again (R).
The driver is informed of the reverse gear
engaged condition by the reconfigurable
multifunction display on the instrument clus-
ter and by the intermittent sound of a
buzzer.
IMPORTANTIf when shifting from re-
verse (R)➞first (1) or neutral (N)➞first
(1) sticking occurs on first gear, the system
automatically engages second gear (2).
This is not to be considered as a fault as it
is part of the operating logic. For the same
reason, in the case of sticking on reverse
gear, the system partially closes the clutch
to allowgear engagement; in this case the
engagement of reverse gear (R) will not be
as smooth as usual.Moving off of the car is obtained:
1) releasing the brake pedal;
2) gradually pressing the accelerator pedal.
The more the accelerator is pressed the
higher the pickup torque.
When the ASR system is off (through the
relevant ASR OFF button) max pickup is ob-
tained (“sprint" starting)
It is absolutely necessary
to turn off the engine and
then turn off the Selespeed system
keeping the brake pedal pressed:
ONLY release the pedal when the
reconfigurable multifunction display
on the cluster has gone out.
WARNING
After a request to shift
gear with the car station-
ary, before pressing the accelera-
tor pedal to make the car move,
the driver must always check the
display to see that the gear en-
gaged is the one required.
WARNING

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
115
WARNINGS
– With the car stopped and a gear en-
gaged always keep the brake pedal pressed
until deciding to move off;
– during prolonged halts with the engine
running it is advisable to keep the gearbox in
neutral;
– when the car is parked facing uphill, do
not use the moving off manoeuvre to keep
the car still; use the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal only when deciding to
move off;
– use second gear onlywhen more con-
trol is needed for moving off manoeuvres at
low speed;
– if, in reverse gear, first gear is engaged
or vice versa, shift gear only when the car
is stopped completely and with the brake
pedal pressed.
Though highly unadvisable, if when trav-
elling downhill for some unexpected reason
the car is set to neutral (N), when the en-
gagement of a gear is requested the system
automatically engages the best gear in re-
lation to the speed of the car to allow the
correct transmission of torque to the wheels.When travelling downhill with a gear en-
gaged and the accelerator released (if the
vehicle is moving), beyond a pre-established
speed, the system engages the clutch au-
tomatically to give the car adequate engine
braking.
For safety reasons the Selespeed system
activates the buzzer when:
– clutch overheating occurs while the ve-
hicle is being started; in this case it is nec-
essary to “force” starting avoiding hesita-
tion or, if the car is on a slope, release the
accelerator and use the brake pedalto stop
the car;
– the car moves in the opposite direction
to the gear engaged, (e.g.: it moves for-
wards with reverse gear engaged; in this sit-
uation it is necessary to stop the car and en-
gage the correct gear, keeping the brake
pedal pressed.
Still due to safety reasons, with the car sta-
tionary, the engine running and gear (1),
(2) or (R) engaged, the system activates
the buzzer and automatically shifts to neu-
tral (N) when:
– no action is made on the accelerator
and/or brake pedals for at least 3 minutes;
– the brake is pressed for over 10 minutes;
– the driver’s door is opened and the ac-
celerator and brake are not touched for at
least 1 second.
STOPPING THE CAR
To stop the car, simply release the accel-
erator pedal and, if necessary press the
brake pedal.
Regardless of the gear engaged and the
operating mode activated (MANUALor
CITY) the system automatically disengages
the clutch and shifts to a lower gear.
If deciding to move off again without hav-
ing stopped the car completely, the most
suitable ratio will be available for acceler-
ating again.
Stopping the car the system automatical-
ly engages first gear (1).

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
117
In the “MANUAL” operating mode there
are certain automatic/security devices which
simplify driving:
– when slowing down the clutch is opened
and the transmission ratio is automatically
reduced to be ready for picking up again;
otherwise, when the car is stopped, the
gearbox will automatically be in firstgear
(1);
– requests to change gear that would take
the engine to above maximum speed or be-
low minimum speed are not accepted;
– if jamming occurs during gear engage-
ment, the system firstly tries to engage the
gear required again and, if it is still not pos-
sible, it automatically engages the imme-
diately higher one to avoid leaving the car
inneutral.
IMPORTANTIt is advisable to wait for
the end of a gear shifting operation before
requesting another one, to avoid multiple
requests in rapid succession.AUTOMATIC OPERATION (CITY)
The automatic operating mode CITYis se-
lected pressing button (A-fig. 106) at the
base of the gearshift lever.
In addition to the gear, the reconfigurable
multifunction display shows the word CITY
(fig. 99).
The system decides directly when gearshift-
ing according to the engine running speed
and the driving style.
Releasing the accelerator pedal quickly, the
system does not engage a higher gear in or-
der to maintain an adequate level of engine
brake.
FAILURE WARNING
Failures of the Selespeed gearbox are shown
by the
twarning light (fig. 100) con-
nected with the associated failure message,
both shown on the display.
When the system is turned on (turning the
ignition key to MAR), the warning light
should turn on glowing steadily for about
4 seconds and then turn off.If the warning light stays on it means that
a fault to the gearbox has been detected; at
the same time a buzzer sounds intermit-
tently for 4 seconds to attract the driver's
attention.
In the case of a fault to the gearshift con-
trol lever, the system automatically engages
the automatic operating mode CITYto
make it possible to reach the nearest Alfa
Romeo Authorised Service to have the fault
eliminated.
In the case of a fault to other gearbox com-
ponents, the system only allows the en-
gagement of certain gears: first gear (1),
second gear (2) and reverse (R).
If warning light tand
the message appear on the
display, contact Alfa Romeo Au-
thorised Services as soon as pos-
sible to have the fault eliminated.
WARNING

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
118
BUZZER WARNINGS
The buzzer is activated when:
– reverse gear is engaged (R);
– the car is parked with the gearbox in
neutral (N); signal that can be noted turn-
ing the ignition key to STOP;
– clutch overheating occurs when moving
off;
– the car moves in the opposite direction
to the gear engaged (e.g.: the car moves
downwards with reverse gear engaged);
– in the event of gearbox failure;
– the system has shifted automatically
to neutral (N) when:
•an attempt is made to start the engine
with a gear engaged and the brake ped-
al is not pressed completely;
•no action is made on the accelerator
and/or brake pedal for at least 3 min-
utes;
•the brake is pressed for over 10 min-
utes;
•the driver’s door is opened and no ac-
tion is made on the accelerator and
brake for at least 1 second;
•a gearbox failure has been detected.
PARKING THE CAR
To park the car safely it is absolutely
necessaryto engage first gear (1) or re-
verse (R) and also the hand brake if the
road is on a slope.
Turning off the engine with the car on an
uphill slope and a gear engaged, it is ab-
solutely necessaryto wait for the re-
configurable multifunction display showing
the gear engaged to go off before releasing
the brake pedal, so that the clutch is com-
pletely inserted.
If the gearbox is in neutral (N) and want-
ing to engage a parking gear, the system
should be activated and with the foot on the
brake pedal it is necessary to engage 1st
gear (1) or (R).
TOWING THE CAR
IMPORTANTFor towing the car follow
local regulations. Make sure that the gear-
box is in neutral (N) (checking that the car
moves if pushed) and tow as for a car with
normal mechanical gearbox following the in-
structions given in the chapter “In an emer-
gency”.
Should it be impossible to set to neutral,
do not tow the vehicle but contact Alfa
Romeo Authorised Services.
While towing the car do
not start the engine.
WARNING
In the event of a gearbox
fault to any component,
contact Alfa Romeo Authorised
Services as soon as possible to
have the system checked over.
WARNING