clutch Alfa Romeo GT 2006 Owner handbook (in English)

2
VERY IMPORTANT!
FUEL CAPACITY
Petrol engines:only use unleaded petrol with no less than 95 R.O.N.
JTD engines:only use Diesel fuel for motor vehicles that meet European Specification EN590.
STARTING THE ENGINE
Petrol engines with mechanical transmission:make sure that the handbrake is engaged; set the gearshift lever
to neutral, fully depress the clutch without pressing the accelerator, then turn the ignition key to AV Vand release it as soon
as the engine has started.
Petrol engine with Selespeed transmission:keep the brake pedal fully depressed, turn the ignition key to AV V
and release it as soon as the engine has started; the transmission sets to neutral automatically (the display shows position
N).
JTD engines:turn the ignition key to MARand wait for the
Yandmwarning lights to go off; turn the ignition
key to AV Vand release it as soon as the engine has started.
PARKING ON FLAMMABLE MATERIAL
While working, the catalyst develops a very high temperature. Do not park the car over grass, dry leaves, pine needles or
any other inflammable materials: risk of fire.
K


GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
49
Headlamp washers (fig. 65)
These come into operation when the
windscreen washer is turned on with the
dipped/main beam headlights on.
IMPORTANTOn certain versions
when the headlamp washer is operating,
the climate control system automatically
engages inside air re-circulation, to pre-
vent the smell of liquid detergent from
entering the passenger compartment.CRUISE CONTROL
GENERAL
The speed regulator (CRUISE CON-
TROL), with electronic control, makes it
possible to drive the car at the required
speed without pressing the accelerator
pedal. This reduces driving fatigue during
long journeys because the speed memo-
rised is automatically maintained.
IMPORTANTThe device can only be
engaged at speeds between 30 and 190
km/h.
fig. 65
A0A0704bCruise Control must be ac-
tivated only when the
route and traffic allow a
constant speed for a sufficiently
long distance completely safely.
The device is disengaged automatically
in any of the following cases:
– pressing the brake pedal;
– pressing the clutch pedal;
– if the ASR, MSR or VDC system cuts in;
– with Selespeed transmission if a gear
is changed;
– inadvertently moving the Selespeed
gear control lever to N.
CONTROLS(fig. 66)
Cruise Control is controlled by the
ON/OFFknurled ring (A), by the +/–
ring(B) and by the RESbutton (C).
Ring (A) has two positions:
–OFFin this position the device is
deactivated;
fig. 66
A0A0077b

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
50
TO MEMORISE THE SPEED
Move the ring (A) to ONand take the
car to the required speed normally. Turn
the ring (B) to (+) for at least three sec-
onds, then release it. The car speed is
memorised and it is therefore possible to
release the accelerator pedal.
The car will continue to travel at the
memorised constant speed until one of
the following conditions takes place:
– pressing the brake pedal;
– pressing the clutch pedal;
– if the ASR, MSR or VDC system cuts
in;
– with Selespeed transmission if a gear
is changed;
– inadvertent movement of the
Selespeed gear control lever to position
N.
IMPORTANTIn the case of need
(when overtaking for instance) accelera-
tion is possible simply pressing the accel-
erator pedal; later, releasing the accelera-
tor pedal, the car will return to the speed
memorised previously.
TO RESET THE
MEMORISED SPEED
If the device has been disengaged for
example pressing the brake or clutch
pedal, the memorised speed can be reset
as follows:
– accelerate gradually until reaching a
speed approaching the one memorised;
– engage the gear selected at the time
of speed memorising (4th, 5th or 6th
speed);
– press the RESbutton (C).
TO INCREASE THE
MEMORISED SPEED
The speed memorised can be increased
in two ways:
1) pressing the accelerator and then
memorising the new speed reached (turn-
ing the ring to (B) for more than three sec-
onds);
or
2) momentaneously turning the ring (B)
to (+): each pulse of the ring will corre-
spond to a slight increase in speed (about
1.5 km/h) while pressing continuously
will correspond to a continuous speed
increase. Releasing the ring (B) the new
speed will be memorised automatically. –ONis the normal operating position
of the device. When the ring (A) is in this
position, the warning light
Üon the
instrument cluster turns on.
Ring (B) serves for memorising and
maintaining the car sped or for increasing
or lowering the speed memorised.
Turn the ring (B) to (+) to memorise
the speed reached or increase the speed
memorised.
Turn the ring (B) to (–) to lower the
speed memorised.
Each time the ring is actuated (B) the
speed increases or lowers by about 1.5
km/h.
Keeping the ring turned the speed
changes continuously. The new speed
reached will be maintained automatically.
TheRESbutton (C) resets the memo-
rised speed.
IMPORTANTTurning the ignition key
toSTOPor the ring (A) to OFF, the
speed memorised is cleared and the sys-
tem is switched off.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
127
To release the hand brake:
– slightly lift the lever (A) and press the
release button (B);
– keeping the button pressed lower the
lever, the warning light
xon the instru-
ment cluster will go out.
To prevent the car from moving acciden-
tally, keep the brake pedal pressed when
engaging the hand brake.
IMPORTANTThe hand brake lever (A)
is fitted with a safety device which prevents
the brake from being released when, with
the lever pulled, button (B) is pressed.
Therefore, to release the brake, in addition
to pressing button (B), it is also necessary
to pull lever (A) further upwards to release
the safety device, then lower the lever com-
pletely.
IMPORTANTOn certain versions a
buzzer sounds to alert the driver if the car
is moved with the hand brake engaged.
GEARSHIFT LEVER (fig. 118)
The position of the single gears is shown
by the pictogram on the gearshift lever
knob.
When shifting gear, always fully depress
the clutch pedal. Before engaging reverse
gear (R) wait for the car to be stationary.
Certain versions are fitted with 6-gear gear-
box.
IMPORTANTReverse gear may only be
engaged with the car completely at a stand-
still. With the engine running, before en-
gaging reverse gear it is necessary to wait
for at least 3 seconds with the clutch pedal
fully depressed to prevent clashing and the
possibility of damaging the gears. The wheels should be
locked after a few clicks of
the hand brake. If it does
not occur contact Alfa Romeo Au-
thorised Services to have the hand
brake adjusted.To change gear smoothly,
the clutch pedal must be
fully depressed. Therefore,
there should be no obstacles on the
floor under the pedal unit: make
sure that any mats are well laid
and do not interfere with the ped-
als.
fig. 118
A0A0684b

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
128
The gearbox can work in two operating
modes:
– the first is semiautomatic(then called
MANUAL), in which the driver directly re-
quests gearshifting through the lever on the
centre console or pressing the buttons at the
steering wheel;
– the second is automatic, calledCITY
(mode selectable with the specific button
B-fig. 119, the CITYsign appears on the
displayfig. 121), in which the system de-
cides directly when to shift gear.SELESPEED
TRANSMISSION
(on request for versions/markets
where applicable)
IMPORTANTTo be able to use the Se-
lespeed correctly, this chapter should be read
in full to understand the correct, permissible
operations to be carried out right from the
start.
This device comprises a conventional me-
chanical gearbox to which an electronical-
ly-operated electro-hydraulic device has been
added which automatically controls the
clutch and gear engagement.
The clutch pedal has been eliminated and
the vehicle moves off using only the accel-
erator pedal.Gearshifting takes place through the con-
trol lever (A-fig. 119) which is of the
floating type with a “single central stable
position”. Using the lever it is possible to re-
quest an increase/decrease of the gear ra-
tio engaged and/or reverse gear engage-
ment (R) or neutral (N).
There are also two buttons on the steering
wheel spokes (fig. 120) through which,
only with the car on the move (with speed
above 0.5 km/h), it is possible to shift gear
up or down.
fig. 119
A0A0697b
fig. 120
A0A0669b

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
130
IMPORTANTOnce a gear has been
changed it is necessary to immediately re-
lease the gearshift control lever after mak-
ing the request. A manoeuvre prolonged
(over 10 seconds) makes the system au-
tomatically switch to CITYmode; every-
thing stops releasing the gearshift lever.
IMPORTANTWhen parking the vehicle
on a sloping road and engaging a gear to
keep it braked, always check that the dis-
play shows the new gear engaged and wait
for one or two seconds before releasing the
brake pedal to allow complete engagement
of the clutch .
fig. 125
A0A0700b
OPERATION WITH ENGINE OFF
IMPORTANTBefore using the gearshift
control lever, always check the gear en-
gaged on the display (N, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5,
R).
With the engine off and the vehicle sta-
tionary it is possible to engage all the gears.
With the vehicle stopped and the brake
pedal pressed, requests to change gear are
accepted only through the control lever on
the centre console.
To request gearshifting, in addition to keep-
ing the brake pedal pressed:
– to shift upwards (+) (fig. 123) push
the lever “forwards” (if the car is in first gear
it shifts to second, if in second it shifts to third
and so on up to fifth). If the system is in neu-tral (N) or reverse (R) moving the lever for-
wards causes the engagement of first gear
(1).
– to shift downwards (–) (fig. 123)
push the lever backwards (if the car is in
fifth gear it shifts to fourth, if in fourth it
shifts to third and so on down to first gear).
To allow setting the transmission to neu-
tral (N), starting from the condition with
the vehicle stationary and brake pedal
pressed, move the gearshift lever to the right
(fig. 124).
From any gear (N, 1, 2, 3, 4, 5) and
with the vehicle stationary, it is possible to
request the engagement of reverse gear
pushing the lever to the right and then back-
wards (fig. 125). If the car is moving, the
request is not accepted. Wait for the car to
stop and then request gear engagement
again.
fig. 123
A0A0698b
fig. 124
A0A0699b

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
132
This should not be considered a failure be-
cause it is part of the operating logic. For
the same reason, if sticking occurs on re-
verse gear, the system controls partial clutch
closing so that the gear can be engaged;
in this case the engagement of reverse gear
(R) will not be as smooth as usual.
Moving off the car is obtained:
1) releasing the brake pedal;
2) gradually pressing the accelerator pedal.
The more the accelerator is pressed the
higher the pickup torque.
After a request to shift
gear with the car station-
ary, before pressing the ac-
celerator pedal to make the car
move, the driver must always
check the display to see that the
gear engaged is the one required.MOVING OFF THE CAR
With the engine on and the car stationary,
the gears that can be engaged for moving
off are only first (1), second (2) or reverse
(R).
To engage them, keep the brake pedal de-
pressed and operate only the control lever
on the central console, as the steering wheel
levers make it possible to engage the gears
only at speed over 0.5 km/h.
IMPORTANTReverse gear (R) can be
engaged from any of the following other ra-
tios: neutral (N), first (1) or second (2).
If the car is moving, the request is not ac-
cepted, it is necessary to wait for the car
to stop completely and request the en-
gagement of reverse again (R).
The driver is informed of the reverse gear
engaged condition by the display and by the
intermittent sound of a buzzer.
IMPORTANTIf when shifting from re-
verse (R)/first (1) or neutral (N)/first (1)
sticking occurs on first gear, the system au-
tomatically engages second gear (2).IMPORTANTS
– With the car stopped and a gear en-
gaged always keep the brake pedal pressed
until deciding to move off;
– during prolonged halts with the engine
running it is advisable to keep the gearbox
in neutral;
– when the car is parked facing uphill, do
not use the moving off manoeuvre to keep
the car still; use the brake pedal and press
the accelerator pedal only when deciding to
move off;
– use second gear only when more con-
trol is needed for moving off manoeuvres at
low speed;
– if, in reverse gear, first gear is engaged
or vice versa, shift gear only when the car
is stopped completely and with the brake
pedal pressed.
Though highly unadvisable, if when trav-
elling downhill for some unexpected reason
the car is set to neutral (N), when the en-
gagement of a gear is requested the system
automatically engages the best gear in re-
lation to the speed of the car to allow the
correct transmission of torque to the wheels.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
133
OPERATION
The gearbox can work in two operating
modes:
– the first is semiautomatic (MANUAL),
in which the driver directly decides when to
shift gear; this mode is based on two logics:
1) normal: comfortable driving;
2) sports (mode selectable with button B-
fig. 126): sports driving.
The sports mode can be selected by press-
ing the specific button SPORT(B-fig.
126) on the gearbox lever knob; when this
mode is selected, the SPORTsign appears
on the display.
– the second is completely automatic
(CITY), in which the system decides di-
rectly when to shift gear according to the
type of driving.
TheCITYmode can be selected by press-
ing the specific button CITYon the gearbox
lever knob; when this mode is selected, the
CITY sign appears on the display. When travelling downhill with a gear en-
gaged and the accelerator released (if the
vehicle is moving), beyond a pre-established
speed, the system engages the clutch au-
tomatically to give the car adequate engine
braking.
For safety reasons the Selespeed system
activates the buzzer when:
– clutch overheating occurs while the ve-
hicle is being started; in this case it is nec-
essary to “force” starting avoiding hesita-
tion or, if the car is on a slope, release the
accelerator and use the brake pedal to stop
the car;
– the car moves in the opposite direction
to the gear engaged, (e.g.: it moves for-
wards with reverse gear engaged); in this
situation it is necessary to stop the car and
engage the correct gear, keeping the brake
pedal pressed.
Still due to safety reasons, with the car sta-
tionary, the engine running and gear (1),
(2) or (R) engaged, the system activates
the buzzer and automatically shifts to neu-
tral (N) when:
– no action is made on the accelerator
and/or brake pedals for at least 3 minutes;
– the brake is pressed for over 10 min-
utes;– the driver’s door is opened and the ac-
celerator and brake are not touched for at
least 1 second.
STOPPING THE CAR
To stop the car, simply release the accel-
erator pedal and, if necessary, press the
brake pedal.
Regardless of the gear engaged and the
operating mode activated (MANUALor
CITY) the system automatically disengages
the clutch and shifts to a lower gear.
If deciding to move off again without hav-
ing stopped the car completely, the most
suitable ratio will be available for accelera-
tor again.
Stopping the car the system automatical-
ly engages first gear (1).

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
135
With the accelerator pedal pressed to over
60% of its stroke and an engine speed
above 5000 rpm, gearshifting becomes
quicker. In the MANUALoperating mode
there are certain automatic/security devices
which simplify driving:
– At slowing down the clutch is disen-
gaged and the automatic reduction of the
gearbox ratio is carried out to be ready for
the possible gear recovery; on the contrary,
when the vehicle stops the gearbox will au-
tomatically engage the first gear (1);
– requests to change gear that would take
the engine to above maximum speed or be-
low minimum speed are not accepted;AUTOMATIC OPERATION (CITY)
The automatic operating mode CITYis se-
lected pressing button (A-fig. 128), at
the base of the gearshift lever or activating
the Cruise Control system (where fitted).
In addition to the gear, the display shows
the word CITY.
The system decides directly when gearshift-
ing according to the engine running speed
and the driving style.
Releasing the accelerator pedal quickly, the
system does not engage a higher gear in or-
der to maintain an adequate level of engine
brake.
fig. 128
A0A0701b
– if jamming occurs during gear engage-
ment, the system firstly tries to engage the
gear required again and, if it is still not pos-
sible, it automatically engages the imme-
diately higher one to avoid leaving the car
in neutral.
IMPORTANTIt is advisable to wait for
the end of a gear shifting operation before
requesting another one, to avoid multiple
requests in rapid succession.

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
137
PARKING THE CAR
To park the car safely it is absolutely nec-
essary to engage first gear (1) or reverse
(R) and also the handbrake if the road is
on a slope.
Turning off the engine with the car on an
uphill slope and a gear engaged, it is ab-
solutely necessary to wait for the display
showing the gear engaged to go off before
releasing the brake pedal, so that the clutch
is completely closed.
If the gearbox is in neutral (N) and want-
ing to engage a parking gear, the system
should be activated and with the foot on the
brake pedal it is necessary to engage (1)
or (R).
TOWING THE CAR
IMPORTANTFor towing the car follow
local regulations. Make sure that the gear-
box is in neutral (N) (checking that the car
moves if pushed) and tow as for a car with
normal mechanical gearbox following the
instructions given in the chapter “In an emer-
gency”.
Should it be impossible to set to neutral,
do not tow the vehicle; contact Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services.
While towing the car do
not start the engine.
BUZZER WARNINGS
The buzzer is activated when:
– reverse gear is engaged (R);
– the car is parked with the gearbox in
neutral (N); signal that can be noted turn-
ing the ignition key to STOP;
– clutch overheating occurs when moving
off;
– the car moves in the opposite direction
to the gear engaged (e.g.: the car moves
downwards with reverse gear engaged);
– the system has shifted automatically
to neutral (N) when:
no action is made on the accelerator
and/or brake pedal for at least 3 minutes;
or the brake is pressed for over 10 min-
utes;
or the driver’s door is opened and no ac-
tion is made on the accelerator and brake
for at least 1 second;
or a gearbox failure has been detected.
– In the event of gearbox failure.