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

Warning lights on
panelWhat it means What to do
amberELECTRONIC STABILITY CONTROL (ESC)
SYSTEM
When the ignition key is turned to MAR-ON, the
warning light switches on, but should switch off
as soon as the engine is started.
Intervention by the system is indicated by the
flashing of the warning light: it indicates that the
car is in critical stability and grip conditions.
If the warning light does not switch off, or if it
stays on with the engine running, ESC system
malfunction has been detected.Contact the dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership as
soon as possible to have the problem diagnosed
and resolved.
Hill Holder failure
The warning light switches on together with the
digital warning light and corresponding
message on the display to indicate Hill Holder
system failure.In this case, contact the dedicated Alfa Romeo
Dealership as soon as possible.
amberASR FUNCTION DEACTIVATED WARNING
LIGHT
When the ignition key is turned to MAR-ON, the
warning light switches on, but should switch off
as soon as the engine is started.
The
warning light switches on when the ASR
function of the electronic stability control (ESC)
system is deactivated (by selecting "Race" mode).
When the ASR function is reactivated, the
warning light switches off.
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Warning lights on
displayWhat it means What to do
amberEXTERIOR LIGHTS FAULT
The symbol and corresponding message appear
on the display if a fault is detected in one of the
following lights:
❒daytime running lights (DRL)
❒side lights
❒dipped headlights
❒direction indicators
❒rear fog lights
❒reversing lights
❒number plate lights.
The fault relating to these lights may be caused
by: one or more blown fuses, one or more blown
bulbs or a broken electrical connection.Check, and if necessary replace the fuses
involved, in accordance with the "Fuse
replacement" paragraph in the "In an emergency"
chapter; if this does not resolve the fault, check,
and if necessary replace, the bulbs involved, in
accordance with the "External bulb replacement"
paragraph in the "In an emergency" chapter.
Should this operation also fail to resolve the fault,
contact the dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership, for
a comprehensive check of the electrical system.
amberSERVICE (SCHEDULED SERVICING)
The
digital warning light is automatically
displayed, along with a dedicated message, with
key at MAR-ON, 2,000 km (or equivalent value in
miles) before the following scheduled servicing
interval and is activated again every 200 km (or
equivalent value in miles).Contact a dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership. The
operations in the “Scheduled Servicing Plan” will
be performed and the message will be reset.
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KNOWING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL

Warning lights on
displayWhat it means What to do
GENERAL FAILURE
(for versions/markets, where provided)
The symbol lights up in the display in the
circumstances indicated below.
Engine oil pressure sensor failure
The symbol lights up when the engine oil pressure
sensor is faulty. The display shows the dedicated
message.In these case contact the dedicated Alfa Romeo
Dealership to have the fault fixed as soon as
possible.
"Clutch overheating" message
The
symbol, along with a message on the
display, lights up to indicate clutch overheating.
If the driver continues, the
symbol will switch
off and the
warning light will light up (on some
versions together with a message on the display)
to indicate a transmission failure.If the
symbol lights up along with a message
on the display, reduce gear shifting and/or
change usage conditions, until the normal
operating conditions are restored.
If the
warning light lights up (a message will
appear on the display, on some versions) stop
immediately, operate the handbrake, stop the
engine and wait 5 minutes: after this, normal
transmission operating conditions will be
restored.
Should the transmission failure condition persist,
contact the dedicated Alfa Romeo Dealership
FUEL CUT-OFF
The symbol and the corresponding message are
shown on the display in the following cases:
❒fuel cut-off system intervention: the yellow
symbol lights up;
❒fuel cut-off system failure: the red symbol lights
up.For the fuel cut-off system reactivation procedure,
refer to the "Fuel Cut-Off System" section of the
"Controls" paragraph, in the "Knowing your car"
chapter. If it is still not possible to restore the fuel
supply, contact the dedicated Alfa Romeo
Dealership.
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Warning lights on
displayWhat it means What to do
LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT OPEN
The symbol and the corresponding message are
shown on the display.
POSSIBLE ICE ON ROAD
The symbol and corresponding message appear
on the display when the outside temperature is
below or equal to 3°C.
IMPORTANT In the event of outside temperature
sensor failure, the digits that indicate the value are
replaced by dashes.
BRAKE LIGHTS FAILURE
The symbol and corresponding message appear
on the display if a fault is detected in the brake
lights.The fault may be caused by a blown bulb, a
blown protection fuse or an interruption of the
electrical connection.
PARKING SENSOR FAILURE
The symbol and corresponding message appear
on the display if there is a parking sensor failure.
DISPLAY OF SELECTED DRIVING MODE
(“Alfa DNA” system)
A letter (d, n, or a) corresponding to the active
driving mode (dynamic or race, normal, all
weather) and a dedicated message are shown on
the display.
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KNOWING THE INSTRUMENT PANEL

WARNING
70) The car passenger's seat is not
suitable for carrying rear facing
child restraint systems (Group
0 and 0+). On this car it is
therefore NOT allowed to carry
newborns (weighing up to 9 kg).
FITTING
“UNIVERSAL” CHILD
RESTRAINT SYSTEM
(with seat belts)
Only Group 1, 2 and 3 child restraint
systems, namely forward facing child
restraint systems, can be installed
on the 4C.
This car is NOT compliant for fitting rear
facing child restraint systems on the
passenger's seat.
GROUP 1
Children of weight from 9 to 18 kg may
be carried in forward facing child
restraint systems fig. 69.
71)
GROUP2-3
Children from 15 to 36 kg may use the
car seat belts directly fig. 70.
The child restraint system is used only
to position the child correctly with
respect to the belts so that the diagonal
section crosses the child's chest and
never the neck, and the horizontal part
is snug on the pelvis not the abdomen.
71)
WARNING
71) The figures are indicative and for
assembly purposes only. Fit the
child restraint system according
to the instructions, which must be
included.
69A0L0059
70A0L0064
96
SAFETY

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)
71A0L0055
99

9) When the engine is off, do not
leave the ignition key turned to
MAR-ON to prevent unnecessary
electrical consumption from
draining the battery.
10) A quick burst on the accelerator
before turning off the engine
serves absolutely no practical
purpose; it wastes fuel and is
especially damaging to
turbocharged engines.PARKING
Always remove the ignition key when
leaving the car.
When parking and leaving the car,
proceed as follows:
❒engage a gear (first gear if parked
uphill or reverse if facing downhill)
and leave the wheels turned;
❒stop the engine and engage the
handbrake.
Block the wheels with a wedge or a
stone if the car is parked on a steep
slope.
Wait until the indication of the gear
engaged disappears on the display
before releasing the brake pedal.
87)
IMPORTANT:NEVERleave the car with
the gearbox in neutral.
HANDBRAKE
To engage it, pull lever A fig. 73
upwards until the car is secured. When
the handbrake is engaged and the
ignition key is at MAR-ON, the
warning light will switch on in the
instrument panel.
To release the handbrake, raise lever A
slightly, hold down button B and lower
the lever. The
warning light in the
instrument panel will switch off.Four or five clicks are generally enough
when the car is on level ground, while
ten or eleven may be required if the car
is on a steep slope and laden.
88)
IMPORTANT Carry out these
manoeuvres with the brake pedal
pressed.
WARNING
87) Never leave children unattended
in the car. Always remove the key
from the ignition device when
leaving the car and take it with
you.
73A0L0066
105

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").
74A0L0067
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.
77A0L0071
78A0L0072
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