high beam Alfa Romeo 156 2007 Owner handbook (in English)

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
136
DASHBOARD LIGHTING
ADJUSTMENT
(fig. 118)
When the outside lights are on, the dash-
board lighting is adjusted by pressing button
(A).
Each press of the button (A) cyclically se-
lects one of the three lighting levels pro-
vided: low-medium-high.
FRONT FOGLIGHTS
(fig. 117)
(where required)
These come on when button (A) is
pressed and when the external lights are al-
ready on.
The warning light
5
will light up on the
instrument panel.
By turning the ignition key to STOP, the
fog lights are turned off automatically and
do not come on the next time the engine
is started without pressing button (A).
Press the button (A) again to switch the
front foglights off.
WARNINGThe front foglights should be
used in compliance with the local traffic
laws.
REAR FOG GUARDS
(fig. 117)
These are turned on, with the dipped beam
headlamps or fog lights on, by pressing but-
ton (B).
At the same time, warning light
4
on the
instrument cluster lights up.
By turning the ignition key to STOP, the
fog guards are automatically turned off and
they do not come on the next time the en-
gine is started unless button (B) is pressed.
Press button (B) to turn them off.
WARNINGAlways use the rear fog
guards in accordance with local regulations
in force.
fig. 117
A0B0740m
fig. 118
A0B0326m

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
177
DIPPED BEAM HEADLIGHT
AIMING FOR LEFT-HAND/
RIGHT-HAND DRIVING(only for versions with gas
discharge headlights)
As regards cars equipped with gas dis-
charge headlights (xenon lamps)(optional
for versions/markets where applicable) with
very great lighting power, when passing
from a country with right-hand driving to one
with left-hand driving, or vice versa, it is nec-
essary to modify the orientation of the
dipped beam headlights, to optimize the il-
lumination of the road edge and avoid daz-
zling the vehicles coming from the opposite
direction.
To have this operation
carried out, contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Ser-
vices.
When you go back to your
country of origin, remem-
ber to have the dipped beam head-
light orientation modified again.
WARNING
In the event of a failure, though being un-
able to rely on the antilock effect, there is
absolutely no adverse effect on vehicle brak-
ing performance in terms of braking capac-
ity.
If you have never used a car with ABS be-
fore, you are advised to learn how to use
it with a few preliminary trials on a slippery
surface, naturally under safety conditions
and fully adhering to the Highway Code of
the country concerned. You are also advised
to carefully read the following information.
The advantage of the ABS compared with
the conventional system is that it makes it
possible to maintain maximum vehicle han-
dling performance also in the case of hard
braking under grip limit conditions, avoiding
wheel lock.
Do not however expect the braking dis-
tance always to be reduced with the ABS
system: for example, on soft surfaces such
as gravel or fresh snow on slippery surfaces,
the distance might increase.
ABSThe car is fitted with an ABS system which
prevents wheel lock when braking, better
exploits wheel grip and keeps the vehicle
controllable within the limits of the available
grip also during emergency braking.
The driver can feel that the ABS is opera-
tional by a light pulsing of the brake pedal,
accompanied by noise.
This should not interpreted as malfunc-
tioning of the brakes, but it is the signal to
the driver that the ABS system is working:
it is the warning that the car is travelling at
the limit of grip an that, therefore, it is nec-
essary to adapt the speed to the type of road
on which you are travelling.
The ABS system is an additional part of the
basic braking system; in the event of a fault
it is disabled, leaving the braking system
in the same conditions as a car without ABS.

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
193
– Do not drive for long periods without a
break. During breaks get out of the vehicle
and move around a bit to shake off the
drowsiness.
– Make sure the air in the passenger com-
partment is changed constantly.
– Never coast the vehicle downhill with
the engine switched off as this eliminates
the engine braking and power steering ef-
fect thus requiring a greater effort on the
pedal and steering wheel.
NIGHT DRIVINGHere are some suggestions for night dri-
ving.
– Drive with particular care: night driving
involves a greater degree of concentration.
– Reduce speed, especially on unlit roads.
– At the first signs of drowsiness stop the
car: continuing the journey is dangerous for
yourself and others. Continue driving only
after sufficient rest.
– Maintain a greater distance from the ve-
hicle in front than in the day: it is more dif-
ficult to judge the speed of the vehicle when
only the lights can be seen.
– Ensure that the headlights are correctly
aligned: if they are too low, visibility is re-
duced and eyesight is tired. If they are too
high they may cause disturbance to other
road users.
– Use the main beams only outside built-
up areas and only when you are certain that
other drivers are not disturbed by their use.
– When meeting vehicles coming in the
opposite direction, switch off the main
beams and drive with the dipped-beam
headlights on.
– Keep headlights and lights clean.
– Outside built-up areas take care of ani-
mal crossings.
Always fasten the front
and rear seat belts includ-
ing those of any child’s seat. Trav-
elling without seat belts increases
the risks of serious injury or even
death in the event of an accident.
WARNING
Take care when fitting ad-
ditional spoilers, alloy
wheels and wheel caps: they might
reduce ventilation of the brakes,
thus their efficiency, during abrupt
and repeated braking, or long
downhill slopes.
WARNING
Never drive with objects
on the floor in front of the
driver’s seat: they might get stuck
under the pedals making it impos-
sible to accelerate or brake.
WARNING
Make sure any mats are
appropriate in size: even a
slight inconvenience to the braking
system may require a higher pedal
stroke than normal.
WARNING
Water, ice and salt on the
roads may deposit on the
brake discs, reducing the effec-
tiveness of the brakes the first
time they are used.
WARNING

CORRECT USE OF THE CAR
194
DRIVING IN THE RAINRain and wet roads can be dangerous.
If the road is wet, the traction between
wheel and asphalt is greatly reduced, thus
increasing the stopping distance and de-
creasing road holding.
Here are few suggestions in the case of
rain:
– Reduce speed and keep further back
from the vehicle in front.
– If it is raining particularly heavily, visi-
bility is also reduced. In these cases, switch
on the dipped headlights even if it is still day-
light so you can be seen more easily.
– Do not drive through puddles at speed
and hold on tightly to the wheel if you do: a
puddle taken at high speed might cause you
to lose control of the car (“aquaplaning”).
– Position the ventilation controls for
demisting (see chapter “Getting to know
your car”), to prevent visibility from wors-
ening.
– Routinely check the conditions of the
windscreen wiper blades.
DRIVING IN THE FOG– If fog is very thick, avoid travelling
where possible. If travelling with mist,
ground fog or the possibility of fog banks:
– Drive at moderate speed.
– Also in the day turn on the dipped-beam
headlights, rear fog guards and front fog
lights. Do not use the main beam headlights.
WARNINGOn stretches of road with
good visibility, switch off your rear foglights;
the brightness of these lights could annoy
the people travelling in the cars behind.
– Remember that fog also involves wet
asphalt, thus greater difficulty in all types of
manoeuvres and longer stopping distances.
– Keep well away from the vehicle in
front.
– Where possible avoid sudden changes
in speed.
– Possibly avoid overtaking other vehicles.
– If the vehicle is forced to stop (faults,
impossibility to continue due to poor visi-
bility, etc.), firstly try to pull off the road.
Then turn on the hazard warning lights and,
if possible the dipped beam headlights. Ry-
thmically sound the horn if you note another
car coming.
MOUNTAIN DRIVING– When driving downhill, use the engine
braking by engaging a low gear, to prevent
the brakes from overheating.
– Never coast downhill with the engine off
or in neutral and especially not with the ig-
nition key removed.
– Drive at moderate speed and avoid “cut-
ting” corners.
– Remember that overtaking up hill is
slower and therefore requires a greater
length of clear road. If you are being over-
taken on a hill, move over to enable the
other vehicle to pass in safety.

IN AN EMERGENCY
219
BULBS High beamLow beamFront sidelightFoglight (where required)Front direction indicatorSide direction indicatorRear direction indicatorStop/side lightAdditional stop lightReversing lightRear fog guardNumber plate lightFront roof lightBoot lightRear roof lightCourtesy light (where required)Glovebox light
FIGURE 20
D
D
B
D
B
A
B
B
B
A
B
B
A
C
C
C
CPOWER
55W
55W
6W
55W
21W
5W
21W
21W/5W
3.2
21W
21W
5W
10W
10W
5W
5W
5W
TYPEH1
H7
H6W
H1
PY21W
W5W
P21W
P21/5W
3.2W
P21W
P21W
W5W
C10W
C10W
C5W
C5W
C5W

IN AN EMERGENCY
222
The Xenon lamp must be
handled touching only the
metallic part. If the trans-
parent bulb is touched with the fin-
gers, rub it with a clean cloth
moistened with methylated spir-
its and allow to dry before refit-
ting the bulb.
WARNINGOnce the operation has been
completed, turn dipped beam headlamps on
and check that the headlight parabola
moves when positioning the light itself. If
not, re-engage the lamp.– Turn ring (A-fig. 26) counter-clock-
wise and remove it.
– Remove the Xenon lamp (B-fig. 26).
– Fit the new bulb by placing it so that the
notch matches the groove on its housing.
– Refit the protective cover correctly
(A-fig. 23).Main beam headlamps
To replace the bulb proceed as follows:
– Turn the protective cover counter-clock-
wise (C-fig. 23) in order to reach the high-
beam headlight bulb (A-fig. 24).
– Remove connector (A-fig. 27) and re-
move the bulb operating the clips (B) as
shown in the figure.
– Fit the new bulb.
– Refit the protective cover correctly (C-
fig. 23).
fig. 26
A0B0352m
fig. 27
A0B0350m
fig. 28
A0B0354m