service Alfa Romeo MiTo 2009 Owner handbook (in English)

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR121
1Should one or more wheels be fitted without sen-
sors, the display will show a warning message and
the system will no longer be available until 4
wheels fitted with sensors are fitted.
The T.P.M.S.system is not able to detect sudden tyre
inflation pressure losses (for example when a tyre
explodes). In this case stop the car, braking with
care and avoiding sharp steering actions.
Replacing the normal tyres with winter tyres and
vice versa requires the inspection of the T.P.M.S.
system, which should only be carried out by an Al-
fa Romeo Authorised Service.
The T.P.M.S. system requires the use of specific equip-
ment. Contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised Service to
find out which accessories are compatible with the
system (wheels, hub caps etc.). The use of other accessories
may affect the normal operation of the system.
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 121

122GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
When a tyre is removed, it is advisable to replace
the rubber gasket for the valve. Contact an Alfa
Romeo Authorised Service. Tyre and wheel fit-
ting/removal operations require specific precautions; to
avoid damaging or fitting the sensors incorrectly, tyre and
wheel fitting/removal operations should only be carried
out by specialists. Contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised Ser-
vice Provider.
Strong radio frequency disturbance can compro-
mise the correct operation of the T.P.M.S. system.
The driver is warned of this condition via a mes-
sage on the display. The warning message will go off au-
tomatically as soon as the radio-frequency noise ceases to
disturb the system.Tyre inflation pressure can vary according to out-
door temperature. The T.P.M.S. system may tem-
porarily indicate insufficient pressure. In this case
check the tyre inflation pressure with the tyres cold and,
if necessary top up the inflation pressure.
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 122

GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR123
1
–
NO
NO
YES
YES
YESYES
YES
YES
NO
NO
NOContact an Alfa Romeo
Authorised Service
Repair damaged
wheel
Contact an Alfa Romeo
Authorised Service
–
–
–
(*) Given as an alternative in the Owner Handbook and available in Lineaccessori Alfa Romeo.
(**) Not cross switched (tyres must stay on the same side).
In order to use the system properly, refer to the following table when you have to change wheels/tyres:
Operation Presence of sensor Indication fault Operation
Alfa Romeo Authorised
Service
–
Wheel change
with small spare wheel
Wheel change
with winter tyres
Wheel change
with winter tyres
Wheel change
with others of different size (*)
Wheel cross switching
(front/rear) (**)
001-126 Alfa MiTo GB 13-11-2008 10:08 Pagina 123

SAFETY129
2
IMPORTANT The backrest is correctly secured when the “red band”
B-fig. 3 on the backrest lowering levers A disappears. This red band
indicates that the backrest is not secured.
IMPORTANT After putting the seats back in their travel position,
restore the seat belt position to make them ready for use.S.B.R. SYSTEM
(Seat Belt Reminder)
This system comprises of a buzzer, which in conjunction with the
the driver and front passenger if their seat belts have not been
fastened.
On some versions there is also a panel (provided as an alterna-
tive to the warning lights on the instrument panel) located above
the rear-view mirror fig. 4, which warns the back seat passengers
via acoustic and visual signals if their seat belts have not been
fastened.
Contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised Service Provider to deactivate
this system permanently. The S.B.R. system can only be reactivated
via the display Set Up Menu (see chapter “1”).
Make sure the backrest is properly secured on both
sides (red bands B-fig. 3 not visible) to prevent it
from moving forward in the event of sharp brak-
ing, which may cause injuries to passengers.
fig. 4A0J0210m
AB
fig. 3A0J0182m
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SAFETY131
2
PRETENSIONERS
The vehicle is equipped with front seat belt pretensioners, which
draw back the seat belts by several centimetres in the event of a
strong frontal impact. This guarantees the perfect adherence of the
seat belts to the occupant’s bodies before the retention action be-
gins.
The activation of the pretensioners can be detected from the re-
traction of the belt towards the reel.
The vehicle also features a second pretensioning device (fitted near
the kick plate): The activation of this device is indicated by the
shortening of the metal cable.
A small amount of smoke may be produced during the activation
of the pretensioners. This smoke is in no way toxic and does not
indicate an outbreak of fire.
IMPORTANT To obtain the highest degree of protection from the ac-
tion of the pretensioning device, wear the seat belt, keeping it close
to the chest and pelvis.
The pretensioner does not require any maintenance or greasing:
anything that modifies its original condition invalidates its efficiency.
If, due to unusual natural events (floods, sea storms, etc.), the de-
vice has been affected by water and mud, it must be replaced.
The pretensioner can only be used once.
Once it has activated contact an Alfa Romeo
Authorised Service Provider to have it replaced.
The expiry date of the device is shown on the label in the
glove compartment: Contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised
Service Provider when the time comes to replace the de-
vice.
Operations which lead to shocks, vibrations or lo-
calised heating (over 100
°C for a maximum of 6
hours) in the area around the pretensioners may
damage or trigger them. These devices are not affected
by vibrations caused by irregularities of the road surface
or low obstacles such as kerbs, etc. Contact an Alfa Romeo
Authorised Service Provider for any assistance.
LOAD LIMITERS
To increase passenger’s safety, the front seat belt reels contain a
load limiter which allows controlled sag in such a way as to dose
the force acting on the chest and shoulders during the belt restraining
action in case of front crash.
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SAFETY133
2
SEAT BELT MAINTENANCE
❍Always use the seat belts with the belt taut and never twist-
ed; make sure that it is free to run without impediments;
❍Replace the belt after a serious accident even if it does not
appear damaged. Always replace the belt if the pretensioners
were deployed.
❍To clean the seat belts, hand wash with water and neutral soap,
rinse and leave to dry in the shade. Do not use strong deter-
gents, bleach, paints or any other substance which could dam-
age the belt fibres.
❍Keep the reels dry: correct operation may only be ensured if
the reels are dry;
❍Replace the seat belt when it shows significant wear or cuts.
Under no circumstances should the seat belt and
pretensioner components be removed or tampered
with. All interventions must be performed by qual-
ified and authorised personnel only. Contact an Alfa
Romeo Authorised Service Provider.
If the belt has been subjected to heavy stress, for
example after an accident, it should be changed
completely together with the anchors, anchor fas-
tening screws and the pretensioners. In fact, even if the
belt has no visible defects, it could have lost its resilience.
fig. 7A0J0096m
Each seat belt may only be used by a single person: Do not carry
children on your lap with one seat belt protecting both (fig. 7). In
general, do not place any objects between the passenger and the
belt.
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146SAFETY
A small amount of dust will be released when the airbags are de-
ployed: this is in no way toxic and does not indicate an outbreak
of fire. It may however irritate the eyes and skin: wash with mild
soap and water in the event of exposure.
Airbag checking, repair and replacement must only be carried out
by an Alfa Romeo Authorised Services.
If the vehicle is to be scrapped, contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised
Services to have the air bags deactivated.
Pretensioners and airbags are deployed according to different log-
ics on the basis of the type of collision. Non-deployment of one of
the devices does not necessarily indicate a system malfunction.Do not hook rigid objects to the clothes hangers or
support handles.
Do not rest your head, arms or elbows on the door,
windows or on the window bag area to avoid in-
juries during inflation.
Never lean your head, arms or elbows out of the
window.
IMPORTANT NOTES
Do not wash the seats with water or pressurised steam (wash by
hand or at automatic seat washing stations).
The front and /or side air bags may activate in the event of sharp
knocks to the underbody of the vehicle (e.g. impact with steps,
pavements, potholes or road bumps etc.).
If the ¬warning light does not turn on or if it
stays on when travelling (together with the mes-
sage on the multifunctional display, where pro-
vided) when turning the key to MAR, there could be a fail-
ure in the restraint systems. If this is the case, the airbags
or pretensioners do not trigger in the event of an impact
or, in a small number of cases, they may trigger acciden-
tally. Do not drive the vehicle and contact a Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services to have the system checked immedi-
ately.
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SAFETY147
2
The expiry dates of the pyrotechnic charge and spi-
ral contact are shown in the plate installed inside
the glove compartment. Refer to an Alfa Romeo
Authorised Services when it’s time to replace them.
Do not travel with objects on your lap, in front of
your chest, or between your lips (e.g. pipes, pen-
cils, etc.) In the event of a crash with airbag acti-
vation, you may be seriously injured.
If someone tries to steal or damage your car, and
in the event of floods, have the air bag system
checked by an Alfa Romeo Authorised Services.
With the ignition key inserted and turned to MAR,
even if the engine is off, the air bags can activate
also with the car at a standstill, if it is hit by an-
other vehicle. For this reason, children must never sit on
the front seat, even if the car is not moving. Please re-
member that if the key is inserted and turned to the STOP
position, no safety device (airbag or pretensioner) acti-
vates following a collision. Non-deployment in such cas-
es must not be considered a sign of malfunction.
When the ignition key is turned to MAR, the “
warning light turns on (front airbag on passenger’s
side enabled) and blinks for a few seconds as a re-
minder that the passenger airbag will activate in the event
of a collision. Then it turns off.
The front airbags deploy in the event of more se-
vere collisions than those required for deploying
the pretensioners. For collisions in the range be-
tween the two thresholds, it is normal for only the pre-
tensioners to be activated.
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150STARTING UP AND DRIVING
STARTING THE ENGINE
STARTING PROCEDURE FOR PETROL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❍engage the handbrake and place the gearbox in neutral;
❍press the clutch pedal down to the floor without touching the
accelerator;
❍turn the ignition key to AVV and let it go the moment the en-
gine starts.
IMPORTANT NOTES
❍If the engine does not start on the first attempt, turn the igni-
tion key to STOP before repeating the operation.
❍If, when the ignition key is on MAR, the Ywarning light (or
symbol in the display) remains lit together with the
Uwarn-
ing light, turn the key to STOP and then back to MAR; if the
warning light remains on, try using the other keys provided
with the car. If you are still unable to start the engine carry
out the emergency starting procedure (see “Emergency Start-
up” in chapter 4) and contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised Ser-
vice Provider.
❍Never leave the ignition key on MAR when the engine is off.
PROCEDURE FOR DIESEL VERSIONS
Proceed as follows:
❍engage the handbrake and place the gearbox in neutral;
❍turn the ignition key to MAR: the mandYwarning lights
(or symbol in the display) will come on;
❍wait for the warning light (or symbol in the display) to go
out;
❍press the clutch pedal down to the floor without touching the
accelerator;
❍turn the ignition key to AVV as soon as the mwarning light
goes out. Waiting too long will waste the work done by the
glow plugs. Release the key as soon as the engine starts.
If warning light mblinks for 60 seconds after
starting or during prolonged cranking, this indi-
cates a fault in the glow plug pre-heating system.
Use the car normally if the engine starts and contact an
Alfa Romeo Authorised Services provider as soon as pos-
sible.
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152STARTING UP AND DRIVING
EMERGENCY START
If the Ywarning light in the instrument panel remains on con-
stantly, contact an Alfa Romeo Authorised Service Provider.
STOPPING THE ENGINE
Turn the ignition key to STOP while the engine is idling.
IMPORTANT After a taxing drive, before turning the engine off you
should allow it to idle to allow the temperature in the engine com-
partment to fall.
PARKING
Switch off the engine and pull up the handbrake. Engage a gear
(1stif the car is facing uphill or reverse if it is facing downhill) and
leave the wheels steered to one side.
If the car is parked on a steep slope block the wheels with a wedge
or stone. Always remove the ignition key when leaving the vehi-
cle.
HANDBRAKE fig. 1
To engage the handbrake pull lever A upwards until the vehicle is
secured. To disengage slightly raise lever A, press and hold down
button B and lower the lever.
A quick burst on the accelerator before turning off
the engine serves absolutely no practical purpose,
it wastes fuel and is damaging, especially to tur-
bocharged engines.
fig. 1A0J0110m
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