Alfa Romeo MiTo 2009 Owner handbook (in English)

100GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT INITIALISATION
IMPORTANT If the battery is disconnected or the protection fuse
blows, the luggage compartment opening/closing mechanism must
be reinitialised as follows:
❍close all the doors and the luggage compartment;
❍press button Áon the remote control;
❍press button Ëon the remote control.
CLOSING
Pull tab A-fig. 61 and lower the tailgate by pressing near the lock
until a click is heard.
IMPORTANT Before closing the luggage compartment make sure
that you have the keys. The luggage compartment is locked au-
tomatically.
fig. 61A0J0079m
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 100

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR101
1
EXPANDING THE LUGGAGE COMPARTMENT
Removing the parcel shelf
Proceed as follows:
❍free the ends of the two links A-fig. 62 supporting the parcel
shelf B, releasing eyelets C from pins D;
❍free pins A-fig. 63 on the outside of the shelf from housings B
in the side mounts, then remove the parcel shelf.
❍after removal, the parcel shelf can be loaded sideways into the
luggage compartment or placed between the front seat back-
rests and the folded-back rear seats (with the luggage com-
partment completely expanded).
Folding back the seats
Proceed as follows:
❍raise the head restraints to the maximum height, press both
buttons A-fig. 64 to the side of the two supports, then remove
the head restraints by sliding them upwards;
❍move the seat belts to the side, making sure that they are
correctly extended and not twisted;
fig. 62A0J0080mfig. 63A0J0081m
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 101

102GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
Repositioning the rear seat
Move the seat belts making sure that they are correctly extended
with no coils.
Lift up the backrests and push them back until a click is heard for
both mechanisms. Make sure that red strip on levers A-fig. 65. is
no longer visible; if it is, this indicates that the backrest has not
engaged.
Reposition the head restraints into their housings.
❍raise backrest levers A-fig. 65 and fold the required cushion for-
ward (when lever A is raised this is indicated by a red strip).
fig. 64A0J0083mfig. 65A0J0082m
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 102

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR103
1BONNET
OPENING THE BONNET
Proceed as follows:
❍pull lever A-fig. 66 in the direction indicated by the arrow;
❍pull lever B in the direction indicated by the arrow;
❍raise the bonnet and simultaneously free support rod C-fig.
67 from its clip and insert the end into housing D.
IMPORTANT Before lifting up the bonnet make sure that the wind-
screen wipers are in the rest position and not operational.
fig. 66A0J0085m
CLOSING THE BONNET
❍hold the bonnet up with one hand and with the other remove
rod C-fig. 67 from housing D and fit it back into its catch;
fig. 67A0J0086m
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 103

104GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
❍lower the bonnet to about 20 centimetres above the engine
compartment and then let it drop. Make sure that the bonnet
is closed correctly and not just in the safety position by trying
to lift it. If it is not perfectly closed, open the bonnet and re-
peat the procedure. Do not simply press it.
IMPORTANT Always check that the bonnet is closed properly to avoid
its opening while the car is travelling.ROOF RACK/SKI RACK
To fit the roof rack/ski rack, raise the special tabs A-fig. 68 using
the screwdriver provided to access attachment housings B.
The bonnet must always be perfectly closed while
travelling for safety reasons. Make sure that the
bonnet is perfectly closed and that the lock is en-
gaged. If when driving you realise that the bonnet is not
properly closed, stop immediately and close the bonnet
correctly.
Carry out these operations with the vehicle at a
standstill.
If the support rod is incorrectly positioned this may
cause the bonnet to fall down without warning.
fig. 68A0J0059m
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 104

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR105
1
After having travelled several kilometres check that
the attachment retaining bolts are still securely fas-
tened.
Distribute the load uniformly and when driving
take into consideration the increased sensitivity
to transverse air currents.
Always obey local legislation regarding maximum
load size.
Never exceed the maximum permitted load.
The Lineaccessori Alfa Romeo includes a dedicated roof rack/ski
rack for this vehicle.HEADLIGHTS
ADJUSTING THE LIGHT BEAM
The correct orientation of the headlights is important for the dri-
ver’s comfort and safety as well as for all other road users. It is al-
so a specific rule of the highway code.
The headlights must be correctly directed to ensure the best visi-
bility conditions for all drivers. To check and, if necessary, adjust
the alignment contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised Service.
HEADLIGHT ALIGNMENT CORRECTOR fig. 69
This device works with the key at MAR and the dipped beam head-
lights on.
fig. 69A0J0026m
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 105

106GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
Adjusting headlamp alignment
Press buttons Òandto carry out the alignment (fig. 69). The
instrument panel display provides a visual indication of the posi-
tions during the adjustment operation.
Position 0 – one or two passengers in the front seats.
Position 1 – 4 passengers.
Position 2 – 4 passengers + load in the luggage compartment.
Position 3 – driver + maximum permitted load in the luggage com-
partment.
IMPORTANT Check beam orientation every time the load carried
changes.
IMPORTANT If the vehicle is equipped with Bi-xenon headlights,
headlight alignment is carried out automatically and therefore but-
tons
Òandare not present.
FRONT FOG LIGHTS ALIGNMENT
(where provided)
To check and, if necessary, adjust the alignment contact an Alfa
Romeo Authorised Service.
HEADLIGHT ALIGNMENT ADJUSTMENT
ABROAD
The dipped beam headlights are aligned to comply with the regu-
lations of the country of purchase. When driving in countries with
a different driving direction, to avoid blinding the drivers travelling
in the opposite direction, it is necessary to cover the areas of the
beam according to the provisions of the Highway Code of the coun-
try you are driving in.
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 106

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR107
1ABS SYSTEM
The car is fitted with an ABS braking system, which prevents the
wheels from locking when braking, makes the most of road grip
and gives the best control when performing emergency braking un-
der difficult road conditions.
The system is completed by EBD (Electronic Braking Force Distrib-
ution), which distributes the braking action between front and rear
wheels.
IMPORTANT To achieve maximum efficiency of the braking system,
a settlement period of about 500 km is required: During this time,
avoid sudden, repeated and prolonged braking.
SYSTEM INTERVENTION
Intervention of the ABS is detected by a slight pulsing of the brake
pedal accompanied by noise: such an event indicates that you need
to adjust your speed to the type of road on which you are travel-
ling.
When the ABS intervenes it means that you are ap-
proaching the grip limit between tyres and road:
slow down to adjust the speed according to avail-
able grip.
The ABS optimally exploits grip between tyre and
road, but it cannot improve grip; you should there-
fore take every care not to take unnecessary risks
when driving on slippery surfaces.
When the ABS cuts in, and you feel the brake ped-
al pulsating, do not remove your foot, but keep it
pressed; by doing so you will stop in the shortest
amount of space possible in the current road conditions.
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 107

108GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
VDC SYSTEM
(Vehicle Dynamics Control)
This is an electronic system that controls car stability in the event
of tyre grip loss.
The VDC system also includes the following systems:
❍Hill Holder
❍ASR
❍Brake Assist
❍MSR
❍CBC
❍“ELECTRONIC Q2” (“E-Q2”)
❍DST
SYSTEM INTERVENTION
This is indicated by the áwarning light flashing in the instru-
ment panel: this indicates that the vehicle is in critical stability
and tyre grip conditions.
SYSTEM ACTIVATION
The VDC system switches on automatically each time the engine
is started and cannot be switched off.
HILL HOLDER SYSTEM
This system is an integral part of the VDC system and it is provided
to facilitate starting on slopes.
It is activated automatically in the following instances:
❍uphill: car at a standstill on a road with a gradient higher than
5%, engine running, clutch and brake pedal pressed, gearbox
to neutral or engaged gear other than reverse;
❍downhill: car at a standstill on a road with a gradient higher
than 5%, engine running, clutch and brake pedal pressed and
reverse gear engaged.
At take-off the VDC system control unit will keep brake force on
the wheels until reaching the torque suitable for starting, or in
any case for 1 second in order to move easily from the brake ped-
al to the accelerator pedal.
If the vehicle has not departed after this time, the system will de-
activate automatically by gradually releasing the brake force. A
sound may be heard during this stage: this indicates that the ve-
hicle is about to move off.
IMPORTANT the Hill Holder system should not be used as a hand-
brake. Do not leave the vehicle without having engaged the hand-
brake, switched off the engine and engaged a gear.
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 108

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR109
1
ASR SYSTEM (AntiSlip Regulation)
This is an integral part of the VDC system. It automatically cuts in
in the event of one or both drive wheels slipping, loss of grip on
wet roads (aquaplaning) and acceleration on slippery, snowy or icy
roads etc.
According to slipping conditions, two different control systems are
activated:
❍if slipping involves both drive wheels, the ASR function inter-
venes by reducing the power transmitted by the engine;
❍if the slipping involves only one drive wheel, the ASR system
intervenes by automatically braking the wheel that is slipping.
If the spare wheel is in use the ASR system does
not work. in this case the
áwarning light will come
on in the instrument panel.
In order for the ESP and ASR systems to operate
correctly, it is essential that the tyres are of the
same brand and type on all wheels, in perfect con-
dition and, above all, of the specified type, brand and size.
If the spare wheel is used, the VDC system keeps
operating. Be aware however that the spare wheel,
being smaller than the original wheel, provides less
grip.
The performance of the VDC and ASR systems
should not encourage the driver to take unneces-
sary risks. Your driving style should always take
road conditions, visibility and traffic into account. The dri-
ver is ultimately responsible for road safety.
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 109