check engine Alfa Romeo 156 2006 Owner handbook (in English)

IN AN EMERGENCY
244
TOWING THE 2.0 JTS
SELESPEED VERSIONWARNINGFor version with Selespeed
gearbox, make sure that it is in neutral (N)
(checking that the car moves when pushed)
and proceed as for towing a normal car with
mechanical gearbox following the instruc-
tions given on the previous page.
Should it be impossible to set to neutral,
do not tow the vehicle; contact Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services.
TOWING THE VERSION WITH
AUTOMATIC GEARBOX
(2.5 V6 24V Q-SYSTEM)WARNINGFor towing the vehicle com-
ply with current local regulations. Also fol-
low the instructions given on the previous
page.
If the car needs to be towed, observe the
following recommendations:
– if possible, put the car on a rescue ve-
hicle;
– if this is not possible, tow the car rais-
ing the driving wheels (front) from the
ground;
– if this, too, is not possible, the car may
only be towed for 50 Km at a speed of
50 km/h.
The gearshift lever should be at position N
for towing.The failure to follow the
above instructions may
cause serious damage to
the automatic gearbox.
Cars with automatic gear-
box may be towed only for
short distances and at a
low speed: if longer towing is nec-
essary, the driving wheels must be
raised to prevent the gearbox from
being pulled into rotation during
towing.
Do not start the engine
when towing the vehicle.
WARNING
Do not start the engine
when the vehicle is being
towed.
WARNING

CAR MAINTENANCE
249
SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE PROGRAMME
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Thousands of km
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Check tyre conditions/wear and adjust pressure if necessary
Check operation of lighting system (headlights, direction indicators, hazard lights,boot lights, passenger compartment lights, glovebox light, warning lights, etc..)Check operation of windscreen wiper/washer system, adjust spray jetsCheck position/wear of windscreen/rearscreen wiper bladesCheck front disk brake pad wear indicatorCheck conditions of rear disk brake pads
Sight check for the conditions of: exterior bodywork, underbody protection,
pipes and hoses (exhaust - fuel - brakes), rubber parts (boots - sleeves - bushes - etc.)Check for bonnet and boot lock cleanness, lever cleanness and lubricationCheck condition of timing drive beltSight check for conditions of Poly-V accessory drive beltCheck/adjust handbrake lever strokeCheck/adjust valve clearance (1.9 JTD 8V versions)Check petrol engine exhaust emissionsCheck engine smoke (diesel versions)Check operation of antievaporation system (petrol engines)

CAR MAINTENANCE
250
20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160 180
Thousand of km
Change fuel filter (diesel versions only)Change air cleaner cartridge (petrol engines)Change air cleaner cartridge (diesel versions only)
Check and if necessary top up fluid levels (brakes, hydraulic clutch, power steering, windscreen wiper, battery, engine coolant, etc..) Check and if necessary top up Selespeed oil level (2.0 JTS version)Replacement of timing drive belt (*) and Poly-V accessory drive beltReplacement of counter-rotating shaft drive belt (only 2.0 JTS)Replacement of spark plugs (T.SPARK 16V, 2.0 JTS and 2.5 V6 24V versions) Check operation of engine control systems (through diagnosis)Check gearbox and differential oil levelCheck automatic gearbox oil level (2.5 V6 24V version)Change engine oil and oil filterChange brake fluid (or every 2 year)Replacement of dust/pollen filter
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(*) Or every 3 years in harsh conditions (cold – hot climates, stop and go city traffic, dusty areas or roads covered with sand and/or salt)
Or every 5 years, regardless of the mileage.

CAR MAINTENANCE
251
ADDITIONAL
OPERATIONSEvery 1000 kmor before long journeys
check and if necessary top up:
– engine coolant level
– brake fluid/hydraulic clutch control flu-
id level
– power steering fluid level
– windscreen washer and headlamp wash-
er fluid level
– tyre pressure and conditions.
Every 3000 kmcheck the level of the
engine oil and top up if necessary.
You are recommended to use products of
the FL Selenia, designed and developed
expressly for Alfa Romeo cars (see the table
“Specifications of fluids and lubricants” in
the “Technical specifications” chapter).
ANNUAL INSPECTION
PROGRAMMEAn annual inspection programme
has been established for cars thet
cover less than 20,000 km (e.g.
10,000 km). It consists of the fol-
lowing:
– Check tyre conditions/wear and adjust
pressure if required (including the compact
spare wheel)
– Check lighting system operation (head-
lights, direction indicators, hazard lights,
boot lights, passenger compartment lights,
glovebox light, warning lights of instrument
panel, etc.)
– Check windscreen and rear-screen
wiper/washer operation, adjust nozzles
– Check windscreen/rear-screen blade po-
sition/wear
– Check condition and wear of the front
brake pad
– Check for bonnet and boot lock clean-
ness, lever cleanness and lubrication– Visually check the following: engine,
gearbox, transmission, piping (exhaust - fu-
el - brakes) rubber components (casings -
sleeves - bushings, etc..), brake and fuel
hoses
– Check battery charge condition
– Visually check the condition of the belts
and various controls
– Check and top up if necessary, the flu-
id levels (coolant, brake fluid, windscreen
washer fluid, battery, etc.)
– Change engine oil
– Replace engine oil filter
– Change pollen filter.

CAR MAINTENANCE
254
fig. fig. fig. 2 - 2.0 JTS version
A0B00436m
fig. 1 - 1.6 T.SPARK, 1.8 T.SPARK versions
A0B00174m
CHECKING FLUID
LEVELS1Engine oil - 2Battery - 3Brake fluid -
4Windscreen washer fluid - 5Engine
coolant fluid - 6Power steering fluid When topping up take
care not to confuse the var-
ious types of fluids: they
are all incompatible with one an-
other and could seriously damage
the car.
Never smoke while work-
ing in the engine compart-
ment; gas and inflammable
vapours may be present, with the
risk of fire.
WARNING

CAR MAINTENANCE
257
ENGINE OIL Fig. 7: T.SPARK versions
Fig. 8: 2.0 JTS version
Fig. 9: 2.5 V6 24V version
Fig. 10: JTD versions
Fig. 11: JTD 16V Multijet version
Fig. 12: JTD 20V Multijet version
The engine oil level should be checked
when the car is standing on a level surface
a few minutes (about 5) after the engine
has been switched off.
Remove the dipstick (A), clean it, put it
back completely, remove it once again and
check that the level is between the MIN
and MAXmarks on the dipstick.
The interval between the MINand MAX
marks corresponds to approximately 1 liter
of oil.If the oil level is near or even below the
MIN, mark, add oil trough the filler neck
(B), until reaching the MAXmark. Never add oil with char-
acteristics (classification,
viscosity) which are differ-
ent from those of the oil already in
the circuit.fig. 7 - T.SPARK versions fig. 8 - 2.0 JTS version
A0B0170m
fig. 9 - 2.5 V6 24V version
A0B0169m
A0B0437m
When the engine is hot,
take care when working
inside the engine compartment to
avoid burns. Remember that when
the engine is hot, the fan may cut
in: danger of injury.
WARNING
Scarves, ties and other
loose clothing might be
pulled by moving parts.
WARNING

CAR MAINTENANCE
258
WARNINGIf a routine check reveals
that the oil level is above the MAXmark,
contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services to
have the correct level restored.
WARNINGAfter adding or changing the
oil, run the engine for a few seconds and
wait a few minutes after stopping it.Used engine oil and filter
contain pollutants. Contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized
Services to have the oil and filter
changed as these are equipped to
dispose of the waste oil and filters
respecting the environment and
laws.fig. 10 - JTD version
A0B0165m
fig. 11 - JTD 16V Multijet version
A0B0559m
fig. 12 - JTD 20V Multijet version Engine oil consumption
Max. engine oil consumption is usually
400 grams every 1000 km.
During the initial period of use the engine
settles, therefore the engine oil consump-
tion can only be considered stabilised after
the first 5000 ÷ 6000 km.
WARNINGEngine oil consumption de-
pends on the way of driving and the condi-
tions of use of the car.
A0B0617m

CAR MAINTENANCE
259
Do not add oil with dif-
ferent characteristics than
those of the oil already in
the system.Used gearbox oil contain
pollutants. Contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services
to have the oil changed as these
are equipped to dispose of the
waste oil respecting the environ-
ment and laws.
SELESPEED GEARBOX
HYDRAULIC SYSTEM OIL(fig. 13)
The oil level of the Selespeed system
should be carried out with the car on a lev-
el surface and with the engine stopped and
cold.
To check the level, proceed as follows:
– turn the ignition key to MAR;
– disconnect the breather tube and re-
move the cap (A) checking that the level
corresponds with the MAXmark on the dip-
stick of the actual cap;
– if the level is below the MAXmark, top
up with oil until reaching the correct level;
– after screwing the cap back on, insert
the breather tube completely on the cap
spout and turn the ignition key to STOP.fig. 13
A0B0162m
When the engine is hot,
take care when working
inside the engine compartment to
avoid burns. Remember that when
the engine is hot, the fan may cut
in: danger of injury.
WARNING

CAR MAINTENANCE
260
Do not add oil with dif-
ferent characteristics than
those of the oil already in
the system.
The oil level should never exceed the
MAXmark on the dipstick on the COLD
side, if the level is checked cold and on the
HOTside if the level is checked with the
gearbox/differential unit hot.
fig. 14
A0B0163m
The level should be between the MINand
MAXmarks of the sector identified by the
word COLD(+40°C).
WARNINGAfter long journeys with the
gearbox/differential unit very hot, the oil
level should be between the MINand
MAXmarks of the sector identified by the
word HOT(+80°C).
Q-SYSTEM AUTOMATIC
GEARBOX OIL LEVEL
(fig. 14)
The oil should be checked with the engine
idling and at operating temperature, the
gearshift lever at position Pand the car on
level ground.
To check the level, proceed as follows:
– remove the dipstick (A);
– clean it with a clean lint free cloth;
– insert the dipstick in its housing pushing
well down to the bottom;
– remove it to check.
If the oil level is near or below the MIN
mark, add TUTELA GI/2oil through the
dipstick housing.
When the engine is very
hot, take care when work-
ing inside the engine compartment
to avoid burns. Remember that
when the engine is hot, the fan may
cut in: danger of injury.
WARNING
Used gearbox oil contain
pollutants. Contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services to
have the oil changed as these are
equipped to dispose of the waste
oil respecting the environment and
laws.
WARNING

CAR MAINTENANCE
261
ENGINE COOLANT LEVEL
Top up only with the same
fluid contained in the cool-
ing circuit. PARAFLU UP
(red) cannot be mixed with
PARAFLU 11 (blue) or with other
fluids. Should this take place, do
not start the engine and contact Al-
fa Romeo Authorized Service.
The level of the coolant in the header tank
(reservoir) should be checked with the en-
gine cold and the car on a level surface and
it should be between the MINand MAX
marks on the tank. If the level is low, loosen
the header tank cap (A) and slowly pour
a mixture of the fluid specified in the ”Flu-
ids and lubricants ” table in section “Tech-
nical Specifications”, through the filler neck
until nearing the MAXmark; have this op-
eration carried out at Alfa Romeo Authorised
Services.
The antifreeze mixture contained in the
cooling circuit guarantees protection down
to –35°C.fig. 16 - 2.5 V6 24V version
A0B0160m
fig. 15 - T.SPARK, 2.0 JTS and JTD versions
A0B0161m
Fig. 15: T.SPARK, 2.0 JTS and diesel ver-
sions
Fig. 16: 2.5 V6 24V versionThe cooling system is
pressurised. If necessary,
replace the cap only with
another genuine one, otherwise
system efficiency could be compro-
mised.
Do not remove he cap
when the engine is hot:
danger of burns.
WARNING