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

213
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
USE OF THE CAR
UNDER HEAVY
CONDITIONS
Should prevailing use of the car be un-
der one of the following specially heavy
conditions:
❒trailer or caravan towing;
❒dusty roads;
❒short distances (less than 7-8 km)
and repeated with external temper-
atures below zero;
❒frequently idling engines or long dis-
tance low speed driving (e.g.: door-
to-door deliveries) or in case of a long
term inactivity;
❒urban routes;
carry out checks more frequently than
required on Service Schedule:
❒check front disk brake pad conditions
and wear;
❒check cleanness of bonnet and boot
locks and lever cleanness and lubri-
cation;
❒sight inspect the conditions of: en-
gine, gearbox, transmission, pipes
and hoses (exhaust - fuel - brakes),
rubber parts (boots, sleeves, bushes,
etc.);
❒check battery charge and fluid level
(electrolyte);
❒visual check on various drive belt con-
ditions;
❒change engine oil and oil filter, if re-
quired;
❒check and replace pollen filter, if re-
quired;
❒check and replace air cleaner, if re-
quired.
PERIODICAL CHECKS
Every 1,000 km or before long jour-
neys, check and top up if required:
❒engine coolant fluid level;
❒brake fluid level;
❒windscreen washer fluid level;
❒tyre pressure and conditions.
❒check light system operation (head-
lights, direction indicators, hazard
lights, etc.);
❒check windscreen wiper/washer op-
eration and windscreen/rear window
blade position/wear;
Every 3,000 km check and top up if re-
quired: engine oil level.
You are recommended to use FL Sele-
nia products, designed and produced
specifically for Alfa Romeo cars (see
table “Capacities” in section “Techni-
cal specifications”).

225
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
USEFUL ADVICE FOR
LENGTHENING THE LIFE OF
YOUR BATTERY
To avoid draining your battery and
lengthen its life, observe the following
indications:
❒when you park the car, ensure the
doors, tailgate and bonnet are closed
properly;
❒the ceiling lights must be off. The car
is however provided with an auto-
matic system for switching off inter-
nal lights;
❒do not keep accessories (e.g.: sound
system, hazard lights, etc.) switched
on for a long time when the engine
is not running;
❒before performing any operation on
the electrical system, disconnect the
battery negative terminal cable;
❒battery terminals shall always be
perfectly tightened.
IMPORTANTA battery which is kept
at a charge of less than 50% (optical in-
dicator with dark colour without green
area in the middle) for any length of
time will be damaged by sulphation
leading to a reduction in cranking pow-
er.
Moreover, this might lead to a higher
risk of the battery electrolyte freezing
(this may even occur at –10°C). If the
car is inactive for a long period of time,
refer to “Car inactivity”, in section “Cor-
rect use of the car”. If after buying the car, you want to in-
stall electric accessories which require
permanent electric supply (alarm, etc.)
contact Alfa Romeo Authorized Services
whose qualified personnel, in addition
to suggesting the most suitable devices
available at Lineaccessori Alfa Romeo,
will evaluate the overall electric ab-
sorption, checking whether the car’s
electric system is capable of withstand-
ing the load required, or whether it
should be integrated with a more pow-
erful battery. In fact, since these devices
continue absorbing energy even when
the ignition key is off, they gradually run
down the battery.
The total intake of these systems (factory and after-market) must be less than 0.6 mA x Ah (of the battery) as shown in
the following table:
Battery Maximum admitted stand-by intake
50 Ah 30 mA
60 Ah 36 mA
70 Ah 42 mA
90 Ah 54 mA

231
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
INDEX
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
To wash the car correctly proceed as fol-
lows:
❒remove the aerial from the roof to
prevent damage to it if the car is
washed in an automatic system;
❒wash the body using a low pressure
jet of water;
❒wipe a sponge with a slightly soapy
solution over the bodywork, fre-
quently rinsing with the sponge;
❒rinse well with water and dry with
a jet of air or a chamois leather.
When drying, take particular care with
the less visible parts like door surrounds,
bonnet and around the headlights where
water may stagnate. The car should not
be taken to a closed area immediately,
but left in the open so that residual wa-
ter can evaporate.
Do not wash the car after it has been left
in the sun or with the bonnet hot: this
may alter the shine of the paintwork.
ADVICE FOR PRESERVING
THE BODYWORK
Paint
Paintwork does not only serve an aes-
thetic purpose, but also protects the un-
derlying sheet metal.
In the case of deep scrapes or scores,
you are advised to have the necessary
touching up carried out immediately to
avoid the formation of rust. Use only
original paint products for touching up
(see “Bodywork paint identification
plate” in section “Technical specifica-
tion”).
Normal paint maintenance consists in
washing at intervals depending on the
conditions and environment of use. For
example, in highly polluted areas, or if
the roads are sprayed with salt, it is wise
to wash the car more frequently.
Detergents cause water
pollution. Therefore the
car should be washed
in areas equipped for collecting
and purifying the liquid used in
the washing process.
Exterior plastic parts must be cleaned in
the same way as the rest of the car.
Where possible, do not park under trees;
the resinous substance many species re-
lease give the paint a dull appearance
and increase the possibility of triggering
rust processes.
IMPORTANTBird droppings must be
washed off immediately and thorough-
ly as the acid they contain is particular-
ly aggressive.

259
SAFETY
DEVICES
WARNING
LIGHTS AND
MESSAGES
IN AN
EMERGENCY
CAR
MAINTENANCE
TECHNICAL
SPECIFICATIONS
CORRECT USE
OF THE CAR
DASHBOARD
AND
CONTROLS
INDEX
– replacing ............................ 224
– useful advice for
lengthening the life ............. 225
Bodywork (cleaning) ................ 230
Bonnet ................................... 96
Boot ....................................... 90
– light replacement ................ 192
Brakes .................................... 241
Brake lights ............................. 188
Bulb (replacement) .................. 182
– general instructions ............. 182
– types of bulbs ..................... 183
Capacities ...................... 112-250
Car inactivity ............................ 152
Car maintenance................. 209
– periodical checks ................. 213
– service Schedule ................. 211
– scheduled service ................ 210
– use of the car under heavy
conditions . ......................... 213
Carrying children safely ............. 121– child restraint systems ......... 124
– passenger’s seat compliance . 124
– presetting for mounting
the “Universal Isofix”
child restraint system ........... 126
Ceiling lights ............................ 75
Checking fluid levels ................. 214
Cigar lighter ............................. 82
Climate control system .............. 49
– automatic two-zone ............. 54
– manual .............................. 51
CO
2emissions ......................... 254
CODE card ............................... 11
Containing running costs ........... 145
Controls .................................. 77
Correct use of the car........ 137
Courtesy mirror light
– bulb replacement ................ 191
Cruise Control .......................... 72
Dashboard .............................. 8
Dashboard and controls.... 6 ABS system ............................ 99
Accessories purchased
by the owner ......................... 106
Additional heater ...................... 64
Air/pollen filter . ....................... 222
Air vents ................................. 50
Alarm ..................................... 17
Alfa Romeo CODE system .......... 9
Armrest
– central ............................... 80
– rear .................................. 81
Ashtray ................................... 82
ASR system ............................. 102
At the filling station .......... 112-250
Automatic headlight sensor ........ 66
Automatic two zone
climate control system ............ 54
Battery
– checking the charge ............ 223
– jump starting ...................... 170
– recharging .......................... 204
I I
N N
D D
E E
X X

DASHBOARD
A0F0188mfig. 1
1.Adjustable and swivel side air vents - 2.Front side window demisting/defrosting vents - 3.Passenger’s air bag -
4.Fuel level gauge/engine coolant temperature gauge/engine oil temperature gauge (petrol versions) or turbocharger pres-
sure gauge (diesel versions) - 5.Adjustable swivel centre air vents - 6.Upper central vent - 7.External lights control lever -
8.Driver’s air bag and horn - 9.Instrument panel - 10.Windscreen wiper control lever - 11.Front side window demist-
ing/defrosting vents - 12.Adjustable swivel side air vents - 13.Switches for external lights, trip meter reset and headlamp
aiming device - 14.Dashboard fusebox lid - 15.Bonnet opening lever - 16.Sound system controls on the steering wheel
(where provided) - 17.Driver’s knees air bag - 18.Cruise Control lever (where provided) - 19.Ignition device - 20.En-
gineSTART/STOPbutton - 21.Heating/ventilation/climate controls - 22.Sound system (where provided) -
23.Glove box - 24.Passenger’s knees air bag (where provided)
263
RIGHT HAND DRIVE VERSION