light Alfa Romeo 8C 2007 Owner handbook (in English)

114
5
MAR
STARTING THE
ENGINE
CAUTION
Hold the brake pedal depressed
when starting the engine.
CAUTION
It is dangerous to operate the
engine in an enclosed space. The engine
consumes oxygen and discharges
carbon dioxide, carbon monoxide and
other toxic gases.
WARNING: Before start-up, switch off the
electrical devices with a high power consumption
(air-conditioning and heating system, heated
rear window, headlights, etc.).
WARNING: Do not start the engine if the fuel
level in the tank is low.
1) Make sure that the parking brake is applied
and that the doors are closed.
2) Hold the brake pedal depressed when
starting the engine.
3) Do not depress the accelerator pedal.
4) Set the gear to neutral by pulling both
paddles UP and DOWN towards the
steering wheel and check that the gear
display indicates N not fl ashing.
5) Turn the ignition key to MAR.
6) press button START button and release it as
soon as the engine starts.
Do not hold the START button for a long time.If the engine does not start, turn the key back to
position STOP and wait for the gear display to go
off before retrying.
The engine can also be started with a gear
engaged; turning the key to position MAR, with
the brake pedal depressed, press the START
button. The system allows the clutch to open and
the gearshift to engage neutral gear; then the
starter motor receives clearance for start-up. This
procedure usually requires one second. At very
low temperatures, the procedure could take a
slightly longer time.
If the gearbox is instead in the N position,
starting is immediate.
If the engine does not start after turning the key
to position STOP, wait for the gear display to go
off and then repeat the entire procedure.

115
5
USING THE VEHICLE
STARTING-OFF WHEN
THE ENGINE IS COLD
Start-off slowly, avoiding sudden accelerations
and run the engine at low-medium speeds. High-
performance driving should be avoided until the
water temperature reaches
65–70 °C.EMERGENCY STARTING
WITH AUXILIARY
BATTERY
If the battery is flat, the engine can be started
using another battery having the same or slightly
higher capacity than the flat one.
Proceed as follows:
1) Connect the positive terminals (+) of the
two batteries with a cable specifi cally
designed for this purpose.
2) Connect the negative terminals (-) of the
two batteries with a cable specifi cally
designed for this purpose.
WARNING: The battery is housed in a metal box,
therefore, be extremely careful not to let the
battery charger clips come into contact with it.3) Start the engine.
4) When the engine starts, remove the cables
in reverse order.
If the engine does not start after a number
of attempts, do not continue indefinitely but
consult an Authorised Service Centre of the
Manufacturer’s Network.
CAUTION
Do not carry out this procedure
if you have no experience of it:
incorrect manoeuvres may cause high
levels of electrical discharge and may
even lead to the battery explosion.
CAUTION
You are also advised not to
approach the battery with open flames
or lit cigarettes and not to cause
sparks: risk of explosion and fire!

117
5
E
CD
F
H
G
USING THE VEHICLE
D - “Automatic gearshift” button E - “Low grip” mode button F - SPORT mode button ”
The display shows the gear engaged (1, 2, 3, 4,
5, 6, R or N) in area
G.
In the event of a failure or if the oil level in the
gearbox is low, the symbol
illuminates in
area
H. When the “automatic gearshift” function
is active, the gear displayed is replaced with the
letter “D”.
When “SPORT” and “low grip” modes are
active, the letters “S” and “W”, illuminate in
area G.SYSTEM ACTIVATION
Turning the key to position MAR the display and
the failure symbol
illuminate and will go off
after a few seconds if no faults are found.
The gear engaged will remain highlighted in area
G on the display.WARNING: When the driver’s door is opened,
you may hear a humming coming from the
gearbox assembly; this is due to ignition
preparation stages. The failure warning light
may also flash briefly (10 sec.) and then
turns off. The system completes the “ignition”
stage and is then correctly activated. Avoid
entering any commands in the system during
this stage.
CAUTION
If the symbol continues
flashing without turning off, start the
system again after switching it off.
If the malfunction persists, contact
an Authorised Service Centre of the
Manufacturer’s Network to have the
necessary checks performed.

118
5
If the symbol
remains on, there is a system
failure. This condition is also indicated by a beep
when the key is turned to position MAR.
WARNING: Contact an Authorised Service
Centre of the Manufacturer’s Network to have
the malfunction corrected.
OPERATION WITH THE
ENGINE OFF
After completing the “system start-up” stage,
the gear currently engaged will appear on the
display:
- N (Neutral)
- R (Reverse)
- D(1
st).
If the indication flashes (may also occur with N)
it means that the gear is not properly engaged or
is disengaged; therefore, request neutral (N) and
then the desired gear.CAUTION
If a horizontal dash appears on
the display, there is a system failure.
When the engine is off, 1st gear, reverse (R) and
neutral (N) can be engaged. Keeping the brake
pedal pressed during the request, you must
proceed as follows:
- N (Neutral): pull both paddles found behind
the steering wheel.
- R (Reverse): press button
C.
- Engaging 1
st gear: pull the UP paddle
towards the steering wheel.
CAUTION
To engage reverse gear, hold
the button C down until the letter R is
displayed.
WARNING: Immediately release the paddles
UP, DOWN and the button R after the gearshift
request. A prolonged manoeuvre may cause
the failure warning light
and the buzzer
to activate. Do not operate the system with the
engine off, to prevent discharging the battery.
Avoid useless gearshifting with the engine off, to
prevent overheating of the pump.

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5
OTHER SYSTEM
FUNCTIONS
“Low-grip” WET mode
This mode can be used on particularly slippery
road surfaces (e.g., snow, ice) and it is
activated/deactivated by pressing button
E.
This will light up the letter “W” on the instrument
panel display.
While driving, the system ignores any
gearshifting which would cause RPM adjustment
above 2800 RPM.
“Low-grip” mode has priority over the other
functions (“automatic gearshift” and “SPORT”)
and it assists the VDC system.It is always a good rule to deactivate the other
operating modes (“automatic gearshift” and
“SPORT”) before you select “low-grip” mode.
“Automatic gearshift” mode AUTO
It is activated/deactivated by pressing the
button
D; the gear displayed is replaced with the
letter “D” and the system will automatically shift
the gears UP and DOWN according to the vehicle
speed, the engine RPM and the torque/power
requested by the driver.
WARNING: The “automatic gearshift” mode has
priority over “SPORT” mode. Therefore, if you
press the AUTO button, D the system will operate
in “automatic gearshift” mode.You can go back to NORMAL mode (or SPORT
mode, if this was active) by holding the button
D
pressed down until the word AUTO goes off.When the vehicle is stationary, requesting N 1
st
or R will not cause the system to switch from
“Automatic gearshift” to “Normal” mode.
It is always a good rule to deactivate the other
operating modes before you select “Automatic
gearshift” mode.
“No auto exit” strategy
In AUTO mode you can always request
a gearshift using the paddles, which will
temporarily set the system to “manual” mode.
This is shown on the display by the word “AUTO”
that flashes for 5 seconds and then illuminates
permanently, thus confirming that the system
has returned to AUTO mode. A further gearshift
request will restart the 5-second timer.
E
D

123
5
F
USING THE VEHICLE
“SPORT” mode
It is activated by pressing button
F; the letter “S”
will illuminate on the display.
To return to “NORMAL” mode from “SPORT”
mode, press the button again.
As “SPORT” mode has lower priority over “low-
grip” and “automatic gearshift” modes, if these
are already active when you activate “SPORT”
mode, the system will ignore the command even
though the relative warning light switches on.
CAUTION
“SPORT” mode is characterised
by faster gearshifts than in
“NORMAL” mode and engine power
reduction through the ASR system is
kept to a minimum.
Fast gearshifting however always depends on
the accelerator pedal travel and on the engine
RPM, as in “NORMAL” mode.
DOWNshifts with the accelerator pedal released,
will have a braking effect approaching the
skidding of the driving wheels on dry asphalt.
Under racing-style driving conditions with
gearshifts at high engine RPM, double-clutching
when up-shifting is performed automatically.
CAUTION
It is advisable not to use
“SPORT” mode on roads with low or
medium “grip” conditions (e.g. ice,
snow, or wet roads) as the driving
wheels could skid during gearshifts.
Therefore, excessive use of the vehicle
in “SPORT” mode is advisable only on
racetracks.
If you use a racing-style driving when starting-off
or gearshifting with SPORT mode active, you
might feel the driving wheels begin to slip even
on dry roads.
It is a good rule to deactivate the other operating
modes (“low-grip” and “automatic gearshift”)
before you select “SPORT” mode.

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5
WARNING: In the event that the control lever
assembly is malfunctioning, in addition to
activating the buzzer and the failure warning
light
, the system enables “automatic
gearshift” mode and any gearshift command,
including the request for N and R, will be
ignored.
WARNING: If the malfunction persists,
contact an Authorised Service Centre of the
Manufacturer’s Network as soon as possible to
have the malfunction corrected.
PUSH START
In the case of malfunctioning of the starter
system, you can push-start the vehicle
proceeding as follows
- perform the “system start-up” stage
- request UP while the vehicle is picking up
speed with the gearbox in N.WARNING: This procedure should not be used
unless there is an emergency situation!
USING THE
BRAKESTo allow the brake pads and discs to run in
properly, avoid sudden braking during the first
300 km.
The ABS is a component of the braking system
that provides two basic advantages:
- It avoids locking of the wheels and thus
skidding during emergency braking,
especially under low grip conditions.
- It makes it possible to brake and steer at
the same time in order to avoid unexpected
obstacles or to direct the vehicle where
desired when braking: this is in keeping
with the physical limits of the tyre side grip. In order to fully exploit the ABS:
- You will note a light vibration of the brake
pedal during emergency braking or braking
under low grip conditions: This indicates
that the ABS is operating. Do not release
the pedal but continue to press it to give
continuity to the braking action.
- The ABS prevents the wheels from locking,
but it does not increase the physical grip
limits between the tyres and the road.
So, even with vehicles equipped with
ABS, always ensure that you keep to a
safe distance from the vehicle in front and
reduce your speed when entering a bend.

125
5
USING THE VEHICLE
USING THE
ENGINEBREAKING-IN
The latest methods of production provide high
precision in the construction and coupling of
components. However, the moving parts do
undergo a settling process, basically in the first
hours of vehicle operation.
ENGINE AND
TRANSMISSION
Avoid exceeding 5000 RPM for the first 1000
km.
After starting the vehicle, do not exceed 4000
RPM until the engine has warmed up sufficiently
(water temperature: 65, 70 °C).
Do not let the engine run at a constantly high
RPM for a prolonged time.WHILE DRIVING
Never travel with the Rev. Counter indicator
approaching the peak RPM - not even downhill.
When the revolution counter indicator is
approaching the peak RPM, drive carefully to
avoid exceeding this limit.
WARNING: In normal conditions all the red
warning lights on the instrument panel and on
the display must be off. When they illuminate,
they indicate a problem in the relative system.Ensure proper operation of the various devices by
checking the relative control gauges.
WARNING: Continuing to drive when a red
warning light is on could cause serious damage
to the vehicle and affect performance.
CAUTION
Never turn the engine off
while driving downhill as the vacuum
decrease prevents the servo brake
from functioning correctly. After a few
braking attempts, the system will
become almost completely inefficient.
The power steering will also loose its
efficiency in these condition.

126
5
Engine control system (EOBD)
The EOBD (European On Board Diagnosis)
system fitted on the vehicle is compliant with the
2003/76B/EC Directive (EURO 4).
This system continuously monitors the
components of the vehicle related to emissions;
it also indicates, when the warning light

illuminates on the instrument panel, that the
components in question are in poor condition.
The objective is the following:
- monitor the system effi ciency
- indicate when a problem causes an
increase in emissions exceeding the limits
established by European regulations
- indicate the need for replacement of worn
components.In addition, the system includes a diagnostics
connector that can be interfaced with suitable
instruments. This makes it possible to read the
error codes stored in the control unit, together
with a set of specific parameters for engine
operation diagnostics.
WARNING: If when turning the ignition key
to MARthe warning light
does not
illuminate or if it illuminates while driving,
contact an Authorised Service Centre of the
Manufacturer’s Network as soon as possible.
WARNING: After correcting the malfunction, the
entire system must be tested by the personnel
of an Authorised Service Centre of the
Manufacturer’s Network that must perform
tests on the bench and, if necessary, the road
test the vehicle: this might require travelling long
distances.
CONSTANT SPEED
REGULATOR (CRUISE CONTROL)GENERAL
The Cruise Control function allows the driver
to maintain the desired vehicle speed constant
without pressing the accelerator pedal. This
reduces driver fatigue on highways, especially
long trips, as the set speed is automatically
maintained.WARNING: The device can only be activated at
speeds exceeding 30 km/h and it deactivates
automatically when the brake pedal is
depressed.

128
5
RESTORING THE SPEED
STORED IN THE MEMORY
If the device has been deactivated after braking,
the speed saved previously can be restored as
follows:
- gradually accelerate until you reach a speed
close to that stored;
- engage the gear selected when the speed
was stored (4
th, 5th or 6
th gear);
- press button
C (RCL).INCREASING THE SPEED
STORED IN THE MEMORY
The speed stored in the memory can be
increased in two ways:
- Depressing the accelerator pedal and then
storing the new speed reached (holding the
dial
B turned for more than three seconds)
or
- momentarily turning the dial
B to (+): each
impulse transmitted by the dial will cause
a slight increase in speed (about 1 Km/h),
whereas a constant pressure on the same
dial will cause a continuous increase in
speed. When the dial
B is released, the new
speed will automatically be stored.REDUCING THE SPEED
STORED IN THE MEMORY
The speed stored in the memory can be reduced
in two ways:
- Deactivating the device by depressing the
brake pedal and then storing the new speed
(turning the dial
B to (+) for at least three
seconds).
or
- Holding the dial turned
B to (–) until
reaching the new speed, which will
automatically be stored.