Alfa Romeo Brera/Spider 2008 Owner handbook (in English)

130
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
On cars fitted with front passenger’s air bag deactivation
(front air bag, knees air bag (where provided) and side
on seat), these air bags shall be deactivated when plac-
ing the child’s seat on the front passenger’s seat. More-
over, 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. Even if not compulsory by law,
you are recommended to reactivate the air bag immediately as
soon as the child transport is no longer necessary.
A0F0078mfig. 15
With passenger’s air bag active, never place child’s seats
with the cradle facing backwards since the air bag acti-
vation could cause to the child serious injuries, even mortal.
WARNING
WARNINGPASSENGER’S FRONT
AIR BAG
It consists of an instant-inflating cush-
ion contained into a special recess in the
dashboardfig. 15, this cushion has a
volume bigger than that of the driver.

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SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CARMANUAL DEACTIVATION (where provided) OF
PASSENGER’S FRONT AIR BAG , KNEES AIR BAG
(whereprovided) AND PASSENGER’S FRONT SIDE BAG DRIVER’S AND
PASSENGER’S KNEES AIR
BAG (where provided)
Knees air bag consists of an instant-in-
flating cushion housed into a special
compartment provided for the purpose
under the steering wheel for the driver
fig. 16and into the lower part of the
dashboard for the passenger fig. 17,
to give further protection in the event of
frontal crash.
A0F0092mfig. 17A0F0079mfig. 16
Should it be absolutely necessary to car-
ry a child on the front seat, the pas-
senger’s front air bag, knees air bag
(where provided) and the side bag can
be deactivated. Deactivation/activation
shall be performed (with key removed
from ignition device) using the key
switch set on the right side of dashboard
fig. 18. You can reach the switch on-
ly if the door is opened. When the door
is open, the metal insert of the key can
be inserted and removed in both posi-
tions.IMPORTANTOperate the switch on-
ly when the engine is not running and
the ignition key is removed.
The key-operated switch has two posi-
tions:
❒passenger’s front air bag, knees air
bag (where provided) and side bag
activated (position ONP): warn-
ing light Fon front ceiling light
panel off; it is absolutely prohibited
to carry a child on the front seat;
A0F0062mfig. 18

132
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
❒passenger’s front air bag, knees air
bag (where provided) and side bag
deactivated (positionOFFF):
warning light Fon front ceiling
light panel on; it is possible to carry
a child protected by special restraint
systems on the front seat.
The warning light Fon front ceiling
light panel stays on permanently until
the passenger’s air bags are reactivat-
ed.
Passenger’s air bags deactivation will
not inhibit the operation of the Window
Bag.SIDE AIR BAGS
(Side bag -
Window bag)
The car is fitted with front side bags for
driver and passenger for protecting the
chest and window bags for protecting front
and rear occupant’s head.
Side bags protect car occupants from
side crashes of medium-high severity, by
placing the cushion between the occu-
pant and the internal parts of the side
structure of the car.
Non-activation of side bags in other
types of collisions (front collisions, rear
shunts, roll-overs, etc...) is not a system
malfunction.In case of side crash, an electronic con-
trol unit, when required triggers the in-
flation of the cushion. The cushion im-
mediately inflates, placing itself as a pro-
tection, between the occupant’s body
and the structure that could cause in-
juries. Immediately after, the cushion de-
flates.
Side air bags are not a replacement of
but complementary to the belts, which
you are recommended to always wear,
as specified by law in Europe and most
non-European countries.

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SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CARSIDE WINDOW BAGS -
HEAD PROTECTION
They are “curtain” cushions located be-
hind the side coverings of the roof fig.
20and covered by proper finishing.
Window bags have been designed for
protecting the head of front and rear oc-
cupants in the event of side crash,
thanks to the wide cushion inflation sur-
face.
In minor side crashes (for which the re-
straining action of the seat belts is suf-
ficient), the air bags are not deployed.Also in this case it is of vital importance
to wear the seat belts since in case of
side crash they guarantee proper posi-
tioning of the occupant and prevent the
occupants to be pitched out of the car in
case of violent crashes.
IMPOTANTIn the event of side crash,
you can obtain the best protection by
the system keeping a correct position on
the seat, allowing thus a correct window
bag unfolding.
IMPORTANTThe front air bags
and/or side bags may be deployed if
the car is subject to heavy knocks or
accidents involving the underbody area,
such as for example violent shocks,
against steps, kerbs or low obstacles,
falling of the car in big holes or sags in
the road.
FRONT SIDE BAGS - CHEST
AND PELVIS ZONE
PROTECTION
They are composed by two types of in-
stant inflation cushions and are housed
in the back rest of the front seats fig.
19. The task of the side air bags is to
increase protection of the occupants’
chest and pelvis zone in the event of a
side crash of medium-high severity.
A0F0093mfig. 19
A0F0185mfig. 20

134
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
IMPORTANTWhen the airbag in-
flates it emits a small amount of dusts.
These dusts are harmless and is not the
beginning of a fire; then the unfold cush-
ion surface and the car interiors can be
covered by a dusty remains: this dust
can irritate skin and eyes. In case of con-
tact, wash yourself using neutral soap
and water.
Expiration dates of pyrotechnic charge
and coil contact are indicated on the la-
bel located on the door. As this date ap-
proaches, contact Alfa Romeo Autho-
rized Services to have the devices re-
placed.
IMPORTANTShould an accident oc-
cur in which any of the safety devices is
activated, take the car to Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services to have the devices
activated replaced and to have the sys-
tem checked.All control, repair and replacement op-
erations concerning the air bags must
only be carried out c/o Alfa Romeo Au-
thorized Services.
If you are having the car scrapped, have
the air bag system deactivated at Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services first. If the
car changes ownership, the new own-
er must be informed of the method of
use of air bags and the above warnings
and also be given this “Owner’s Manu-
al”.
IMPORTANTThe triggering of pre-
tensioners, front air bags and side bags
is decided in a differentiated manner ac-
cording to the type of impact. The fail-
ure to deploy one or more of them does
not mean that the system is not work-
ing properly.
Never rest head, arms
and elbows on the
door, on the windows and in
the window bag unfolding
area to prevent possible in-
juries during the inflation
phase.
WARNING
Never lean head, arms
and elbows out of the
window.
WARNING

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SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
GENERAL WARNINGS
If when fitting the key
into the ignition device,
the warning light
¬does not
turn on or if it stays on when
travelling (on certain versions
together with the message on
the display) there could be a
failure in safety systems; in
this event air bags or preten-
sioners could not trigger in
case of impact or, in a minor
number of cases, they could
trigger accidentally. Contact
Alfa Romeo Authorized Ser-
vices immediately to have the
system checked.
WARNING
Do not cover the back-
rest of front seats with
trims or covers that are not
suitable to be used with side
bags.
WARNING
Never travel with ob-
jects on your lap, in
front of your chest or with a
pipe, pencil, etc. between your
lips; injury may result in the
event of the air bag being trig-
gered.
WARNING
Always keep your
hands on the steering
wheel rim when driving, so
that if the air bag is triggered,
it can inflate without meeting
any obstacles which could
cause serious harm to you. Do
not drive with the body bent
forwards, keep the seat back
rest in the erect position and
lean your back well against it.
WARNING
If the car has been
stolen or an attempt to
steal it has been made, if it
has been subjected to vandals
or floods, have the air bag
system checked by Alfa Romeo
Authorized Services.
WARNING
Remember that with
the key fitted into the
ignition device and engine off,
the air bags may be triggered
on a stationary car if it is
bumped by another moving
car. Therefore, never seat chil-
dren on the front seat even
when the car is stationary. On
the other hand remember that
if the key is not fitted into the
ignition device, no safety sys-
tem (air bags or pretension-
ers) is triggered in the event
of an impact; in this case, fail-
ure to come into action cannot
be considered as a sign that
the system is not working
properly.
WARNING

136
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
The front air bag is trig-
gered for shocks
greater in magnitude than the
pretensioners. For impacts be-
tween these two thresholds,
it is therefore normal that on-
ly the pretensioners are trig-
gered.
WARNING
Do not hook rigid ob-
jects to the coat hooks
and to the support handles.
WARNING
The air bag does not
substitute the seat
belts, but only increases their
effectiveness. Moreover, since
the front air bags do not come
into operation in the event of
front impact at low speed, side
collisions, bumps from behind
or overturning, in these cir-
cumstances the occupants
would only be protected by
the seat belts which must
therefore always be fastened.
WARNING
Never wash seat back-
rests with pressurised
water or steam (by hand or at
automatic seat washing sta-
tions).
WARNING
When the key is fitted
into the ignition device,
the warning light
F(with pas-
senger’s front air bags deacti-
vation switch at ON) turns on
and flashes for few seconds to
remind that passenger’s front
air bag, knees air bag and side
bag will be deployed in a crash,
after which it should go off.
WARNING

137
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
C C
O O
R R
R R
E E
C C
T T
U U
S S
E E
O O
F F
T T
H H
E E
C C
A A
R R
ENGINE STARTING .............................................. 138
PARKING ........................................................... 143
USING THE GEARBOX ......................................... 144
CONTAINING RUNNING COSTS ............................ 145
TOWING TRAILERS.............................................. 147
SNOW TYRES .................................................... 150
SNOW CHAINS .................................................. 151
CAR INACTIVITY ................................................ 152

138
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
We recommend that
during the initial period
you do not drive to full
car performance (e.g.: excessive
acceleration, long journeys at
top speed, sharp braking, etc.).
Running the engine in
confined areas is ex-
tremely dangerous. The engine
consumes oxygen and pro-
duces carbon monoxide which
is a highly toxic and lethal gas.
WARNING
When the engine is
switched off never leave
the electronic key into the
ignition device to prevent point-
less current absorption from
draining the batter.
ENGINE STARTING
The car is fitted with an electronic engine
immobilising system. If the engine fails
to start, see paragraph “Alfa Romeo
CODE system” in section “Dashboard
and controls”.
IMPORTANTTampering with the ig-
nition device can cause unrequired steer-
ing lock.
IMPORTANT Always fit the electron-
ic key completely into the ignition device
to the stop limit.
IMPORTANT Never take the elec-
tronic key out of the ignition device while
the car is moving unless you have to car-
ry out an emergency removal (see para-
graph “Removing the electronic key from
the ignition device in an emergency”),
this ensures that the steering column lock
is deactivated while the car is moving
(e.g.: towing the car).

139
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒pull up the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever neutral;
❒fit the electronic key into the ignition
device to stop limit;
❒press the clutch (or brake) pedal
down to the floor without pressing the
accelerator;
❒press button START/STOP and re-
lease it as soon as the engine starts.
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR
DIESEL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❒pull up the handbrake;
❒put the gear lever neutral;
❒fit the electronic key into the ignition
device to stop limit. The warning
light
mon the instrument panel
will turn on;
❒wait for the warning light mto turn
off. The hotter the engine is, the quick-
er this will happen;
❒press the clutch (or brake) down to
the floor without pressing the accel-
erator;
❒press button START/STOPas soon
as warning light
mgoes out. If you
wait too long you will lose the bene-
fit of the work done by the glow plugs.
Release the button as soon as the en-
gine starts.WARNINGS
If at start-up the engine turns off, restart
it by pressing the clutch or brake pedal
and then press button START/STOP.
If after a few attempts the engine does
not start, do not insist but contact Alfa
Romeo Authorized Services.
With car started the electronic key is
locked into the ignition device and it can
be removed only after switching the en-
gine off. With car running and key locked
into the ignition device, forced key re-
moval could damage the ignition device.