Alfa Romeo 159 2008 Owner handbook (in English)

129
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
S S
A A
F F
E E
T T
Y Y
D D
E E
V V
I I
C C
E E
S S
SEAT BELTS ....................................................... 130
S.B.R. SYSTEM ................................................. 131
PRETENSIONERS ................................................ 132
CARRYING CHILDREN SAFELY ............................... 135
PRESETTING FOR MOUNTING THE
“UNIVERSAL ISOFIX”CHILD RESTRAINT SYSTEM..... 140
FRONT AIR BAGS................................................ 142
SIDE AIR BAGS (Side bag - Window bag) ............. 146

130
WARNING
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OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
Never press button C
when travelling.
Through the reel, the belt automatically
adapts to the body of the passenger
wearing it, allowing freedom of move-
ment.When the car is parked on a steep slope
the reel mechanism may block; this is
normal. The reel mechanism prevents
the webbing coming out when it is jerked
or if the car brakes sharply, in a collision
or when cornering at high speed.
The rear seat is fitted with inertial seat
belts with three anchor points and reel
for side and central seats.
Rear seat belts shall be worn as shown
in the figure fig. 2. To unfasten the seat belts, press button
C. Guide the seat belt with your hand
while it is rewinding, to prevent it from
twisting.
SEAT BELTS
USING THE SEAT BELTS
The belt should be worn keeping the
chest straight and rested against the seat
back.
To fasten seat belts, take the tongue A-
fig. 1and insert it into the buckle B,
until hearing the locking click.
At removal, if it jams, let it rewind for
a short stretch, then pull it out again
without jerking.
WARNING
A0E0083mfig. 1A0E0055mfig. 2

131
WARNING
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EMERGENCY
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TECHNICAL
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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
S.B.R. SYSTEM
(Seat Belt Reminder)
The car is fitted with the S.B.R. system
(Seat Belt Reminder), consisting of a
buzzer which, together with the turning
on of warning light
<, warns the driver
and the front passenger to fasten the
seat belt. The buzzer can be muted tem-
porarily by the following procedure:
❒fasten the front seat belts;
❒fit the electronic key into the ignition de-
vice;
❒wait for over 20 seconds but less than
1 minute and then unfasten one of the
front seat belts.
This procedure will stand valid till next en-
gine switching off.
For permanent deactivation, contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services. The S.B.R.
system can only be reset through the set-
up menu (see paragraph “Reconfigurable
multifunction display“ in section “Dash-
board and controls”). IMPORTANT On certain versions, cor-
rect backrest fastening is guaranteed
when the “red band” A-fig. 3aside
leversBis no longer visible. The “red
band” actually indicates that the back-
rest is not properly secured.
IMPORTANTAfter putting the seats
back to their travelling position, restore
the seat belt position to make them
ready for use.
A0E0085mfig. 3
Make sure the backrest
is properly secured at
both sides (red band A-fig. 3
not visible) to prevent it moves
forward in the event of sharp
braking causing injuries to pas-
sengers.
WARNING
Remember that in the
event of a violent colli-
sion, back seat passengers not
wearing seat belts also repre-
sent a serious danger for the
front seat passengers.
WARNING

132
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
Anything that modifies its original con-
ditions invalidates its efficiency. Anything
that modifies its original conditions in-
validates its efficiency. If due to unusu-
al natural events (floods, seas storm,
etc.) the device has been affected by
water and mud, it must necessarily be
replaced.PRETENSIONERS
To increase the efficiency of the seat
belts, the car is fitted with front preten-
sioners. These devices, in the event of
a violent crash, rewind the seat belts a
few centimetres. In this way they en-
sure that the seat belt adheres perfect-
ly to the wearer before the restraining
action begins.
Front pretensioners activation is indi-
cated by buckle withdrawal downwards.
IMPORTANTTo obtain the highest
degree of protection from the action of
the pretensioning device, wear the seat
belt keeping it firmly close to the chest
and pelvis.
Front seat pretensioners activate only
if front seat belts are properly fitted in-
to buckles.
A small amount of smoke may be pro-
duced. This smoke is in no way toxic and
presents no fire hazard.
The pretensioner can
only be used once. Af-
ter a collision that has trig-
gered it, have it replaced at Al-
fa Romeo Authorized Services.
Pretensioner validity is indi-
cated on the label inside the
glovebox. Pretensioners should
be replaced at Alfa Romeo Au-
thorized Services as this date
approaches.
WARNING
Operations which lead
to knocks, vibrations or
localised heating (over
100°C for a maximum of 6
hours) in the area around the
pretensioners may cause dam-
age or trigger them. These de-
vices are not affected by vibra-
tions caused by irregularities of
the road surface or low obsta-
cles such as kerbs, etc. Contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized Services
for any assistance.
LOAD LIMITERS
To increase passenger’s safety, the front
seat belt reels contain a load limiter
which allows controlled sag in such a
way as to dose the force acting on the
chest and shoulders during the belt re-
straining action in case of front crash.

133
WARNING
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TECHNICAL
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CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
IMPORTANT The belt should not be
twisted. The upper part should pass over
the shoulder and cross the chest diago-
nally. The lower part should adhere to
the pelvis fig. 5and not the abdomen
of the passenger. Do not use any objects
(pegs, stoppers, etc.) to keep the belts
away from the body.GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
FOR USING
THE SEAT BELTS
The driver must comply with (and have
the vehicle occupants follow) all the lo-
cal legal regulations concerning the use
of seat belts.
Always fasten the seat belts before start-
ing.
Seat belts are also to be worn by ex-
pectant mothers: the risk of injury in the
case of accident is greatly reduced for
them and the unborn child if they are
wearing a seat belt. Of course they must
position the lower part of the belt very
low down so that it passes under the ab-
domenfig. 4.
A0E0104mfig. 4A0E0103mfig. 5
For maximum protec-
tion keep the back of
your seat upright, lean back in-
to it and make sure the seat
belt fits closely across your
chest and hips. Make sure that
the seat belts of the front and
rear passengers are fastened
at all times! You increase the
risk of serious injury or death
in a collision if you travel with
the belts unfastened.
WARNING

134
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
HOW TO KEEP THE SEAT
BELTS ALWAYS IN
EFFICIENT CONDITIONS
❒Always use the belt with the tape taut
and never twisted; make sure that
it is free to run without impediments;
❒after a serious accident, replace the
belt being worn at that time, even if
it does not appear damaged. Always
replace the seat belts if pretensioners
have been activated;
❒to clean the belts, wash by hand with
neutral soap, rinse and leave to dry
in the shade. Never use strong de-
tergents, bleach or dyes or other
chemical substance that might weak-
en the fibres;
❒prevent the reels from getting wet:
their correct operation is only guar-
anteed if water does not get inside;
❒replace the seat belt when showing
significant wear or cut signs. IMPORTANT Never travel with a child
sitting on the passenger’s lap with a sin-
gle belt to protect them bothfig. 6. Do
not fasten other objects to the body.
A0E0105mfig. 6
Under no circumstances
should the components
of the seat belts and preten-
sioners be tampered with or
removed. Any operation
should be carried out by qual-
ified and authorised personnel.
Always contact Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services.
WARNING
If the belt has been
subjected to heavy
stress, for example after an
accident, it should be changed
completely together with the
anchors, anchor fastening
screws and the pretensioners.
In fact, even if the belt has no
visible defects, it could have
lost its resilience.
WARNING

135
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
The results of research on the best child
restraint systems are contained in the
European Standard ECE-R44. This Stan-
dard enforces the use of restraint sys-
tems classified in five groups:
Group 0 - 0-10 kg in weight
Group 0+ - 0-13 kg in weight
Group 1 9-18 kg in weight
Group 2 15-25 kg in weight
Group 3 22-36 kg in weight
As it may be noted, the groups overlap
partly and in fact, in commerce it is pos-
sible to find devices that cover more
than one weight group.
All restraint devices must bear the cer-
tification data, together with the control
brand, on a solidly fixed label which
must absolutely never be removed.
Over 1.50 m in height, from the point
of view of restraint systems, children are
considered as adults and wear the seat
belts normally.Lineaccessori Alfa Romeo offers seats for
each weight group, which are the rec-
ommended choice, as they have been
designed and experimented specifical-
ly for Alfa Romeo cars.CARRYING
CHILDREN SAFELY
For optimal protection in the event of
a crash, all passengers must be seated
and wearing adequate restraint systems.
This is even more important for children.
This prescription is compulsory in all EC
countries according to EC Directive
2003/20/EC.
Compared with adults, a child’s head is
proportionately larger and heavier than
the rest of the body, while muscles and
bone structure are not completely de-
veloped. Therefore, in order to restraint
them correctly in the event of a crash,
different systems are needed than adult
seat belts.
With passenger’s air
bag active, never place
child’s seats with the cradle
facing backwards since the air
bag activation could cause to
the child serious injuries, even
mortal, regardless of the seri-
ousness of the crash that trig-
gered it. You are advised to
carry children always with
proper restraint systems on
the rear seats, as this is the
most protected position in the
case of a crash.
WARNING

136
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
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INDEX
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
GROUP 0 and 0+
Babies up to 13 kg must be carried fac-
ing backwards fig. 7on a cradle seat,
which, supporting the head, does not in-
duce stress on the neck in the event of
sharp deceleration.
The cradle is restrained by the car seat
belts and in turn it must restrain the child
with its own belts.
SERIOUS DANGER If it
is absolutely necessary
to carry a child on the
front passenger seat
with the cradle child’s
seat facing backwards, the
front passenger’s air bags
(front air bag, knees air bag,
where provided, and side bag
on seat), must be deactivated
using the key switch. In this
case it is absolutely necessary
to check the warning light
F
on the front ceiling light pan-
el (see paragraph “Passen-
ger’s front air bag”) to make
sure that deactivation has ac-
tually taken place. Moreover,
the front passenger’s seat
shall be adjusted in the most
backward position to prevent
any contact between the
child’s seat and the dashboard.
WARNING
A0E0106mfig. 7
The figure is only an ex-
ample for mounting. At-
tain to the instructions for fas-
tening which must be enclosed
with the specific child restrain-
ing system you are using.
WARNING
A0E0106mfig. 8
GROUP 1
Starting from 9 kg to 18 kg in weight,
children may be carried facing forwards,
with seat fitted with front cushion fig.
8, through which the car seat belt re-
strains both child and seat.

137
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AND
CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
GROUP 2
Starting from 15 kg to 25 kg in weight,
children may be restrained directly by
the car belts. The only function of the
seat is to position the child correctly in
relation to the belts, so that the diago-
nal part adheres to the chest and not
to the neck and that the horizontal part
clings to the child’s pelvis and not the
abdomenfig. 9.
GROUP 3
For children from 22 kg to 36 kg the
size of the child’s chest no longer re-
quires a support to space the child’s back
from the seat back.Fig. 10shows
proper child seat positioning on the rear
seat.
Children taller than 1.50 m can wear
seat belts like adults.
Seats exist which are
suitable for covering
weight groups 0 and 1 with a
rear connection to the car belts
and their own belts to restrain
the child. Due to their size, they
can be dangerous if installed in-
correctly fastened to the car
belts with a cushion. Carefully
follow the instructions for in-
stallation provided with the
seat.
WARNING
A0E0108mfig. 9A0E0109mfig. 10
The illustrations are in-
dicative only for as-
sembly. Assemble the seat ac-
cording to the compulsory in-
structions provided with it.
WARNING

138
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
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CORRECT USE
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DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
SAFETY
DEVICES
SEAT
Group Range Front Rear
of weight
Seat with Seat with Rear seat side Rear seat central
6 positions 8 positions
Group 0, 0+ up to 13 kg U (*) U (*) U U
Group 1 9-18 kg U (*) U (*) U U
Group 2 15-25 kg U (*) U (*) U U
Group 3 22-36 kg U (*) U (*) U U
Key:
U= suitable for child restraint systems of the “Universal” category, according to European Standard EEC-R44 for the specified “Groups”.
(*) = on cars not fitted with passenger’s seat adjustable in height, the seat back shall be positioned perfectly upright. On cars fitted with
passenger’s seat adjustable in height, the seat shall be raised as much as possible.
PASSENGER SEAT COMPLIANCE WITH REGULATIONS ON CHILD’S SEAT USE
Your car complies with the new European Directive 2000/3/EC regulating child’s seat assembling on the different car seats
according to the following tables:
Front and rear seat (fixed and double seat)