engine Alfa Romeo 8C 2010 Owner handbook (in English)

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5
A
B
WARNING: Do not use a battery-charger for
emergency starting under any circumstances:
you could damage the electronic systems,
particularly the control units that manage the
ignition and fuel supply functions.
CAUTION
Remember that when the
engine is not started, the power
braking and power steering systems
are not activated and so the effort
required on the brake pedal and
steering wheel is much greater.
TURNING OFF THE
ENGINE
With the engine idling, rotate the ignition key to
the STOP position.
A burst on the accelerator pedal before turning
off the engine has no purpose and increases fuel
consumption.
Q-SELECT
GEARBOXThe “Q-Select gearbox” is controlled with
the paddles on the steering wheel for gear
engagement and with the buttons on the centre
console for reverse gear engagement and
activation of the “automatic gearshift” and “low
grip” functions.
The “Q-Select gearbox” controls are the
following:A - Lower gear engagement paddle DOWNB - Upper gear engagement paddle UPC - Reverse gear engagement button

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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
USING THE VEHICLE
DRIVING THE VEHICLE
With the engine running, the vehicle stationary
and the brake pedal pressed, release the brake
and depress the accelerator to start off.
With the engine on and the vehicle stationary,
you can shift directly from 1
st gear to R (reverse
gear), by pressing the button C, and from reverse
gear to 1
st gear by pulling the paddle
B UP
towards the steering wheel.
WARNING: Reverse gear engagement is
accompanied by a safety acoustic signal, which
sounds intermittently for the entire reversing
manoeuvre. When shifting from reverse to 1
st gear, if the
system automatically engages 2nd gear, it
indicates that jamming has occurred with 1
st
gear. Therefore, this is not a failure, as it falls
within the logic of the system operation.
For the same reason, the system automatically
engages neutral (N) in case of jamming
when shifting from 1
st gear to reverse. During
prolonged stops with the engine running, it is
advisable to keep the gearshift in neutral (N).Hill Holder Strategy
The Hill Holder system helps the driver when
starting-off on an uphill slope. It activates only
following a vehicle stop when the brake pedal
is released, keeping the vehicle stationary for a
moment, so as to allow the driver to move from
the brake to the accelerator pedal.
The system is capable of varying its activation
time depending on the road slope. This time
ranges from a minimum (0.06 seconds)
on downhill stretches and a maximum (1.2
seconds) on uphill stretches, so that the driver
will not perceive the vehicle as “braking”
downhill.
The function that measures the gradient is active
only at speeds over 8 km/h, therefore gradient
changes at lower speeds will not be detected.
Example: if you are driving uphill and you make
a manoeuvre to change your driving direction,
the system will not detect a gradient change,
and its maximum activation time will remain 1.2
seconds.
WARNING: If, on downhill slopes, you let the
vehicle move in neutral (N), when you request
a gearshift UP, the gear engaged will depend on
the current speed of the vehicle. For safety reasons, the system activates the
warning buzzer and automatically engages
neutral (N) when, with the vehicle stationary,
the engine running and a gear engaged:
- the brake pedal or the accelerator are not
depressed for over 1 minute
- the brake pedal is depressed for more than
10 minutes
- the door is opened without depressing the
brake pedal or the accelerator
- the engine compartment lid is opened.WARNING: The warning buzzer is activated
even if the clutch overheats during the “pickup”
manoeuvre. In these cases, you must start off
immediately or release the accelerator pedal and
depress the brake pedal.

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In any event, it is best to:
- Shift gears without releasing the accelerator
pedal if it is pressed.
- If a DOWNshift is requested in order to
start overtaking where rapid acceleration is
required, depress the accelerator pedal just
before moving the lever.
- Wait until gearshifting has been completed
before requesting another one, avoiding
multiple requests in rapid sequence.
DOWNSHIFT FOR
ENGINE UNDERREVVING
The system “automatically” shifts gear at an
engine speed of approximately 1200 RPM.
A DOWNshift request will be ignored if a
gearshift is already in progress due to engine
underrevving. Important
- With the vehicle stationary and a gear
engaged, keep the brake pedal depressed
until starting-off.
- Engage the reverse gear only when the
vehicle is at a full stop and with the brake
pedal pressed.
- When the VDC system is turned off, the
antiskid system is deactivated.UPSHIFTING (UP)
Use the right-hand
B UPpaddle without releasing
the accelerator pedal.
An UPshift request will not be accepted if
engagement of the requested gear would force
the engine to run at low speeds (underrevving)
or if an upshift is already in progress due to
overrevving.
Gearshifting time depends on the accelerator
pedal travel and on the engine RPM: the closer
the pedal is to the end of travel and the greater is
the engine RPM, the faster will be the gearshift.In any event, it is best to:
- Shift gears without releasing the accelerator
pedal if it is depressed.
- Wait until one gearshift is completed before
requesting the next one, thereby avoiding a
rapid sequence of multiple requests.
UPSHIFT FOR ENGINE
OVERREVVING
The system “automatically” engages a higher
gear if, with the accelerator pedal depressed, the
engine approaches the “runaway speed rate”
(overrevving). This condition does not occur with
the system in the “SPORT” mode.
DOWNSHIFTING
(DOWN)
Use the left-hand
A DOWN paddle without
releasing the accelerator pedal.
A DOWNshift request will not be accepted if
the requested gear would force the engine to
overrev, or if a DOWNshift is already in progress
due to underrevving

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USING THE VEHICLE
REQUESTING
NEUTRAL (N)
If necessary, neutral (N) can be requested at any
speed.
If you then operate the UP paddle, the system
will engage a gear suited to the vehicle speed.
STOPPING THE VEHICLE
When the vehicle stops, the system
automatically engages 1
st gear (unless N has
already bee requested).
With the vehicle stationary and the engine
running, hold the brake pedal depressed until
you are ready to start off again. TURNING OFF
THE ENGINE AND
DEACTIVATING THE
SYSTEM
The engine can only be turned off with the
gearbox in 1
st, or reverse gear R.
If the gear is in neutral and the key is turned
from MAR to position STOP, the display remains
on for a few seconds showing the letter (N)
flashing and activating the acoustic signal.
For safety reasons, to avoid undesired and
sudden vehicle movements:
CAUTION
Never leave the vehicle with
the gear in neutral (N), but engage
1
st or reverse gear and check that the
parking brake has been engaged. Do
not leave the vehicle with the engine
running.CAUTION
Do not remove the key when
the vehicle is moving! The system (and
thus the display) would remain active
but malfunctioning, until the vehicle
stops; in addition, the steering wheel
would lock automatically at the first
turn of the wheel.
In this case, the failure symbol
will
illuminate and, before starting-off again, the
system must be turned off and the “system start-
up” phase repeated.
In any event, it is best to:
- Turn off the engine and the system holding
the brake pedal depressed.
- Do not request a gearshift while the system
is turning off.

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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

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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
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.

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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.

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5
USING THE VEHICLE
RESETTING THE SPEED
STORED IN THE MEMORY
The speed stored in the memory is automatically
zero-reset:
- by turning the engine off
or
- by setting the switch
A to OFF.
CAUTION
When driving with Cruise
Control activated, do not shift to
neutral. It is advisable to activate
Cruise Control only when traffic and
road conditions permit safe use of
this device, that is: on straight and
dry roads, expressways or highways,
smooth-flowing traffic and smooth
asphalt. Do not activate the device in
the city or in heavy traffic.CAUTION
Cruise Control can only be
activated at speeds exceeding 30
km/h.
CAUTION
The device can only be turned
on in 4
th 5th or 6
th gear, depending on
the vehicle speed.
CAUTION
When driving downhill with
the device active, the vehicle may
pick up speed slightly exceeding the
speed stored in the memory due to the
change in engine load.
CAUTION
If the device malfunctions or
fails to operate, set the switch A to
OFF and contact an Authorised Service
Centre of the Manufacturer’s Network
after checking that the protection fuse
has not blown.CAUTION
Switch A can be left on the ON
position at all times, without damaging
the device. In any case, it is advisable
to deactivate the device when it is
not in use. Move switch A to the OFF
position to prevent speeds from being
unintentionally stored.