steering Alfa Romeo 4C 2015 Owner handbook (in English)

HEADLIGHTS
LIGHT BEAM DIRECTION
The correct orientation of the headlights
is important for the driver's comfort
and safety as well as for all other road
users. This is also covered by a specific
rule of the highway code.
The headlights must be correctly
directed to ensure the best visibility
conditions for all drivers. Contact a
dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership to
have the headlights checked and
adjusted.
ADJUSTING THE
HEADLIGHTS ABROAD
The dipped beam headlights are
aligned to comply with the regulations
of the country of purchase. When in
countries where you drive on the other
side of the road, you need to alter
the beam direction in order not
to dazzle the vehicles travelling in the
opposite direction, proceeding as
follows:
❒open the protective flap A fig. 44 on
the inner wheel arch; it can be
located by steering the wheel
completely;❒introducing the hand in the opening
cleared by the flap, find out the
pressure-fit protective cap B fig. 45
and remove it;
❒in the luggage compartment find the
supplied screwdriver and insert it in
the operating hole;
❒rotate the screw as shown in fig. 45
until you hear the lock click;
❒refit the protective cap B.
The procedure must be carried out on
both headlights.
In the right-hand drive versions the
operating hole for the above procedure
is located in the opposite side than
the one shown in fig. 45.
For versions with Bi-LED headlights (for
versions/markets, where provided) to
avoid dazzling the drivers on the other
side of the road, you need to cover
areas of the headlight according to the
Highway Code of the country you are
travelling in. Adjust both headlights
according to fig. 46.
44A0L0142
45 - Left-hand drive versionsA0L0141
41

.
ESC (Electronic
Stability Control)
SYSTEM
IN BRIEF
The ESC system improves the
directional control and stability of the
vehicle 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 car.
26) 27) 28) 29) 30)
The ESC system uses sensors installed
on the car to determine the trajectory
that the driver intends to follow and
compares it with the car’s effective
trajectory. When the real trajectory
deviates from the desired trajectory, the
ESC system intervenes to counter the
car’s understeer or oversteer.
❒Oversteer: occurs when the vehicle 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
The ESC system also includes the
following systems:
❒ABS
❒EBD
❒CBC
❒DTC
❒ASR
❒HILL HOLDER
❒HBA
❒“ELECTRONIC Q2” (“E-Q2”)
❒"PRE-FILL" (RAB - Ready Alert
Brake)
SYSTEM ACTIVATION
The ESC system activates automatically
when the engine is started and can
only be deactivated by selecting "Race"
mode. For more details, refer to the
"Alfa DNA system" paragraph in this
chapter.
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42
GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR

WARNING
46) The presence of the TPMS does
not permit the driver to neglect
regular checks of the tyre
pressure, including for the spare
wheel.
47) Tyre pressure must be checked
with tyres rested and cold. Should
it become necessary for whatever
reason to check pressure with
warm tyres, do not reduce
pressure even though it is higher
than the prescribed value. Repeat
the check when the tyres are
cold.
48) Should one or more wheels be
fitted without sensors, the system
will no longer be available and,
in addition to the TPMS warning
light flashing for less than one
minute before becoming constant,
a warning message will be shown
on the display, until 4 wheels
with sensors are fitted again.49) The TPMS cannot warn of
sudden decreases in tyre pressure
(for example when a tyre bursts).
In this case, stop the car, braking
with caution and avoiding abrupt
steering.
50) Replacing standard tyres with
winter tyres (and vice versa)
requires TPMS adjustment that
must only be performed by a
dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership.
51) Changes in outside temperature
may cause tyre pressures to vary.
The TPMS system may
temporarily indicate insufficient
pressure. In this case, check the
tyre pressure when cold and, if
necessary, restore the inflation
values.
52) When a tyre is removed, it is
advisable to replace the rubber
valve seal as well: contact a
dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership.
Tyre and/or rim fitting/removal
operations require specific
precautions; to avoid damaging or
fitting the sensors incorrectly,
tyre and/or rim fitting/removal
operations should only be carried
out by specialised staff. Contact
a dedicated Alfa Romeo
Dealership.53) Strong radio-frequency
interference could inhibit the
regular operation of the TPMS.
This condition will be indicated by
a message on the display. The
message will disappear
automatically as soon as the
radio-frequency interference
ceases to affect the system.
54) The tyre repair kit (Fix&Go)
provided with the car (for
versions/markets, where
provided) is compatible with the
TPMS sensors; using sealants not
equivalent with that in the original
kit may adversely affect its
operation. If sealants not
equivalent with the original one
are used, it is recommended to
have the TPMS sensors checked
by a qualified repair centre.
57

Warning lights on
panelWhat it means What to do
amberTPMSIMPORTANT Do not continue driving with one or
more flat tyres as handling may be
compromised. Stop the car, avoiding sharp
braking and steering. Repair immediately using
the dedicated kit (see "Repairing a wheel"
paragraph in the "In an emergency" chapter)
and contact the dedicated Alfa Romeo
Dealership as soon as possible.
TPMS failure
The warning light switches on when a fault is
detected in the TPMS.
Should one or more wheels be fitted without
sensors, the display will show a warning message
until initial conditions are restored.In this case, contact the dedicated Alfa Romeo
Dealership as soon as possible.
Low tyre pressure - See manual
The warning light switches on, together with a
dedicated message on the display, to indicate that
the tyre pressure is lower than the recommended
value and/or that slow pressure loss is occurring. In
these circumstances, optimal tyre duration and fuel
consumption may not be guaranteed.
Should two or more tyres be in the condition
mentioned above, the display will show the
indications corresponding to each tyre in
sequence.In any situation in which the message on the
display is "See manual", it is ESSENTIAL to refer
to the contents of the "Wheel" paragraph in the
"Technical data" chapter, strictly complying with
the indications that you find there.
78
KNOWING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL

Main safety rules to be
followed when carrying
children
❒Follow the instructions supplied with
the child restraint system itself, which
the manufacturer must provide.
Keep the instructions in the car along
with the other documents and this
handbook. Do not use child restraint
systems without instructions;
❒always check that the seat belt is well
fastened by pulling on it;
❒only one child is to be strapped into
each restraint system; never carry
two children using one child restraint
system;
❒always check that seat belts do not
rest on the child’s neck;
❒while travelling, do not let the child sit
incorrectly or release the belts;
❒never carry children on your lap, even
newborns. No-one could restrain
them in the event of an accident;
❒in the event of an accident, replace
the child restraint system with a
new one.FRONT AIRBAGS
DRIVER AND
PASSENGER FRONT
AIRBAGS
The car features multistage front
airbags (“Smart bag system”) for driver
and passenger.
The front driver/passenger airbags are
designed to protect occupants in the
event of frontal impacts of medium-high
severity, by placing the bag between
the occupant and the steering wheel or
dashboard.
Therefore, non-activation of the front
airbags in other types of collisions (side
collisions, rear shunts, rollovers, etc.)
does not indicate a system malfunction.
Airbags are not a replacement of but
complementary to the seat belts, which
you are recommended to always wear.
In the event of impact, those not
wearing a seat belt are projected
forwards and may come into contact
with the bag which is still inflating. The
protection offered by the bag is
compromised in these circumstances.
72)
Front airbags may not activate in the
following situations:❒frontal impacts against highly
deformable objects not involving the
front surface of the car (e.g. wing
collision against guard rail);
❒jamming of the car underneath other
vehicles or protective barriers (e.g.
underneath a truck or a guard rail); in
this case, the bags would offer no
additional protection with respect to
the seat belt and their deployment
would be inappropriate. In these
cases, non-deployment does not
indicate a system malfunction.
Driver front airbag
This is located in a dedicated
compartment in the centre of the
steering wheel fig. 71.
73)
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99

Passenger front airbag
This is located in a dedicated
compartment in the dashboard fig. 72.
74)
GENERAL WARNINGS
The front airbags may activate in the
event of sharp impacts to the
underbody of the car (e.g. impact with
steps, pavements, potholes or road
bumps, etc.).
When the airbag deploys it emits a
small amount of dust: the dust is
harmless and does not indicate the
beginning of a fire. The dust may irritate
the skin and eyes however: in this
case, wash with neutral soap
and water.
Airbag checking, repair and
replacement must be carried out at a
dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership.If the car is scrapped, have the airbag
system deactivated at a dedicated
Alfa Romeo Dealership.
Pretensioners and airbags are deployed
according to different logics on the
basis of the type of collision. Failure to
deploy of one of the devices does
not necessarily indicate a system
malfunction.
77) 78) 79) 80) 81) 82) 83)
WARNING
72) Do not apply stickers or other
objects to the steering wheel or
the passenger side airbag cover.
Do not place objects on the
passenger side of the dashboard
because these could interfere
with the correct opening of the
passenger airbag and cause injury
to occupants.
73) Always drive keeping your hands
on the steering wheel rim so that
the airbag can inflate freely if
necessary. Do not drive with your
body bent forward. Keep the
backrest in straight position,
resting correctly your back on it.74) Instructions to deactivate the
passenger's front airbag can be
found in the "Menu Options"
paragraph of the "Knowing the
instrument panel" chapter. Please
note that under these conditions
the airbag will NOT deploy in case
of need (accident).
75) Do not rest your head, arms or
elbows on the door to prevent
injury during airbag deployment.
76) Never lean your head, arms and
elbows out of the window.
77) If the
warning light does not
switch on when the key is turned
to MAR-ON, or stays on while
driving (on some versions
together with a message on the
display) there may be a fault in the
restraint systems. In this case,
airbags or pretensioners may not
be activated in the case of an
accident or (in a lesser number of
cases) they may be activated
incorrectly. Before proceeding,
contact a dedicated Alfa Romeo
Dealership to have the system
checked immediately.
78) Do not travel carrying objects on
your lap, in front of your chest or
between your lips (pipe, pencils,
etc.): they could cause severe
injury if the airbag is deployed.
72A0L0056
100
SAFETY

88) The car must be locked after a
few clicks of the parking brake: if
this is not so, contact the
dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership
to have it adjusted. Always park
the vehicle safely as indicated by
the Highway Code and as
described above.USING THE
TRANSMISSION
The 4C features the TCT 6-speed twin
dry clutch transmission with steering
wheel controls. This is an advanced
technical solution which combines the
control of a manual gearbox, the
immediacy of a sequential system and
the convenience of being able to select
an automatic selection programme
without the slowdown of a conventional
automatic transmission.
With the key removed from the ignition,
the system will not implement any
action when the buttons on the
transmission control panel on the
central tunnel fig. 74 are pressed,
irrespective of the pressure applied to
the brake pedal. Therefore, the
transmission will remain in the condition
that it was in when the engine was
switched off.With car stationary and key at MAR-ON
(ignition-operated electrical services
activated), the screen displays the gear
engaged and the active operating
mode (automatic =AUTOor manual =
no display).
OPERATING MODES
The transmission can operate in two
operating modes (except when the
"Race" mode is selected):
❒the first manual type (MANUAL), in
which the driver decides directly
when to change gear;
❒the second completely automatic
(AUTO), in which the system decides
when to change gear.
When the "Race" mode is selected, the
only allowed operating mode is
MANUAL.
Manual operation
(MANUAL)
In this operating mode, the driver is
responsible for choosing the best gear
to engage, depending on the car
operating conditions.
Use the “+” steering wheel stalk to
engage a higher gear, or the “–” stalk to
engage a lower gear (see the following
paragraph, "Steering wheel stalks").
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106
STARTING AND DRIVING

LEVERS ON THE
STEERING WHEEL
These enable sequential gear shifting
fig. 77.
– steering wheel stalk "+(pulling stalk
towards driver, see fig. 78): engage
higher gear;
– steering wheel stalk "–(pulling stalk
towards driver, see fig. 78): engage
lower gear.The engagement of a lower (or higher)
gear is only permitted if the engine
rpm allow it.
STARTING THE CAR
To start the engine press the brake
pedal: the system engages neutral (N)
automatically.
After the starting procedure, 1st gear
(1) or reverse (R) can be engaged.
Irrespective of the mode selected
(AUTO/MANUAL), to engage 1st gear
or reverse (R), it is necessary to press
the brake pedal and press the1button
on the transmission control panel (or
the "+" steering wheel stalk) to engage
1st gear or theRbutton to engage
reverse.
When 1st gear is engaged, the system
sets itself toAUTOmode.
Neutral (N) can be engaged again by
pressing theNbutton with the brake
pedal pressed.
When the1,NorRbuttons are
pressed (or "+" steering wheel stalk is
operated) without pressing the brake
pedal, no gear change request is
implemented by the system.
IMPORTANT Reverse cannot be
engaged by pressing the "-" stalk on
the steering wheel.Important information
If starting is requested with a
transmission failure (see "Warning lights
and messages" paragraph), carry out
the “Delayed start-up” procedure: when
the key is turned to AVV for at least 7
seconds with brake pedal pressed, the
engine will be started. The system will
remain in “recovery” condition.
If the engine does not start, contact a
dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership.
When the driver's door is opened, the
system activates the hydraulic
components so that they are prepared
for the subsequent engine starting.
MOVING THE CAR
The car can set off both in 1st gear and
reverse (R).
Notes (concerning car
start-up)
The gears can only be engaged by
pressing the brake pedal. If the brake
pedal is not depressed, the display will
show a dedicated message.
It is not possible to set off in a higher
gear than 1st: if this is attempted,
the display shows a dedicated
message.
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108
STARTING AND DRIVING

When setting off on a medium-steep
incline, it is advisable to engage the
handbrake.
Engaging 1st gear
Proceed as follows:
❒press the brake pedal;
❒press the1button on the
transmission control panel;
❒release the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal.
Engaging reverse (R)
Reverse (R) can only be engaged with
car stationary and brake pedal pressed.
Proceed as follows:
❒press the brake pedal (car completely
stationary);
❒press the R button on the
transmission control panel;
❒release the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal. When reverse
is engaged, the system emits an
acoustic signal (for versions/markets,
where provided).
If the brake pedal is not depressed (and
the car is stationary), the display will
show a dedicated message and the
system will automatically engage
neutral (N).IMPORTANT With the car running, the
request is accepted and executed if the
car speed drops below 3 km/h within
3 seconds from the request: if the
request is not executed, the system will
maintain the gear engaged or, if the
speed of the car drops below 10 km/h,
will put the transmission in neutral (N)
and the manoeuvre will have to be
repeated.
ENGAGING NEUTRAL (N)
With car stationary and ignition key at
MAR-ON (irrespective of the condition
of the engine), neutral (N) can only
be engaged with the brake pedal
pressed.
If the car is in motion, neutral (N) can
always be engaged, irrespective of the
pressure applied to the brake and
accelerator pedals.
The display will show the letterN
together with the active operating
mode.
With car in motion, to engage a gear
from the neutral (N) position, press the
1button on the transmission control
panel (it is not necessary to press
the brake pedal): the transmission will
immediately engage the correct gear
according to the car’s speed.With car stationary and ignition key at
MAR-ON (irrespective of the condition
of the engine), 1st gear can only be
engaged with the brake pedal pressed.
LAUNCH CONTROL
The "Launch Control" strategy permits
high-performance starting.
This strategy can be activated with
vehicle at a standstill, "Race" mode
selected and 1st gear engaged.
The sequence of operations to perform
is as follows:
❒press the brake pedal and hold it
down;
❒press the accelerator pedal and hold
it down;
❒press the "–" stalk behind the
steering wheel;
When the brake pedal is released, the
car will start with maximum
acceleration. Keeping the accelerator
pressed, the system will automatically
upshift once the best engine speed has
been achieved for shifting gears.
89)
To abandon the strategy, simply
interrupt the above sequence
of operations or release the accelerator
pedal.
109

WARNING
101) The space-saver wheel (for
versions/markets, where
provided) is specific to your car,
do not use it on other models,
or use the space-saver wheel of
other models on your car. The
space-saver wheel must only be
used in the event of emergency. It
must only be used for the
distance necessary to reach a
service point and the car speed
must not exceed 80 km/h. The
space-saver wheel has an orange
label that summarises the main
cautions for use and limitations.
Never remove or cover the label.
The following information is
provided in four languages on the
label: "Important! For temporary
use only! 80 km/h max! Replace
with a standard wheel as soon as
possible. Never cover this
indication."102) Use your hazard lights, warning
triangle, etc to show that your car
is stationary. Passengers should
get out of the car and wait for the
wheel to be changed away from
the traffic. In the event of a wheel
change on a slope or on
unsurfaced roads, chock the
wheels.
103) Car handling is modified with
the space-saver wheel fitted.
Avoid violent acceleration and
braking, abrupt steering and fast
cornering. The overall duration
of the space-saver wheel is of
about 3000 km, after which the
relevant tyre must be replaced
with another one of the same
type. Never install a standard tyre
on a rim that is designed for use
with a space-saver wheel. Have
the wheel repaired and refitted as
soon as possible. Using two or
more space-saver wheels at the
same time is forbidden. Do not
grease the stud bolt threads
before you fit them, because they
could suddenly come loose.104) Use the jack only to replace
wheels on the car with which it
is supplied or on other cars of the
same model. Never use the jack
for other purposes, such as lifting
other car models. Never use it
for repair operations under the
car. Incorrectly positioning the
jack may cause the car to fall. Do
not use the jack for loads higher
than those shown on the label.
105) The space-saver wheel cannot
be fitted with snow chains.
IMPORTANT
14) Contact a dedicated Alfa Romeo
Dealership as soon as possible to
have the correct tightening of
the wheel stud bolts checked.
125