Alfa Romeo MiTo 2010 Owner handbook (in English)

The catalytic converter and particulate filter (DPF)
reach very high temperatures during operation.
Do not park on grass, dry leaves, pine needles or
other flammable material: fire risk.
130GETTING TO KNOW YOUR CAR
Closing
1) Fit the cap (complete with key) and turn it clockwise until it
clicks once or more.
2) Turn the key clockwise and extract it, then close the flap.
The hermetic seal may cause a slight increase in pressure in the
tank. A suction noise when you release the cap is therefore entirely
normal.
PROTECTING THE ENVIRONMENT
The devices for limiting petrol engine emissions are: catalytic con-
verter, Lambda sensors and anti-evaporation system.
The devices for curtailing diesel engine emissions are the follow-
ing: oxidising catalytic converter, exhaust gas recirculation system
(E.G.R.) and particulate filter (DPF).
DIESEL PARTICULATE FILTER (DPF)
(for versions/markets, where provided)
This is a mechanical filter, fitted in the exhaust system, which al-
most completely eliminates carbon particle emissions.
Keep naked flames or lighted cigarettes away from
the fuel filler hole as there is a danger of fire. Do
not bend too close to the hole either so as not to
breathe in harmful vapours.
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SAFETY131
2
Seat belts.................................................................... 132
S.B.R. system............................................................... 133
Pretensioners............................................................... 135
Carrying children safely ................................................. 138
Fitting “Universal” child seat .......................................... 139
“Isofix” child restraint assembly setup .............................. 143
Front Airbags ............................................................... 146
Side Air bags (Side bag - Window bag) ............................ 149
“Alcohol Test” Kit ......................................................... 152
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132SAFETY
SEAT BELTS
USING THE SEAT BELTS
Wear the belt keeping the chest straight and rested against the back-
rest. To fasten the seat belts, hold tongue A-fig. 1 and insert it into
buckle B, until the locking click is heard.
If the seatbelt jams when pulling it out, let it rewind for a short
stretch and then pull it out again without jerking.
To unfasten the seat belts, press button C. Guide the seat belt
with your hand while it is rewinding, to prevent it from twisting.
fig. 1A0J0101mfig. 2A0J0102m
Never press button C-fig. 1 when travelling.
The rear seat is fitted with inertia seat belts with three anchor points
and reel. Fasten the rear seat belts as shown in fig. 2.
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SAFETY133
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 front and back seat
passengers through 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. 4A0J0339mfig. 3A0J0182m
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134SAFETY
The warning lights can be red and green and they operate as fol-
lows (fig. 4):
❍1=front left seat (driver's condition for left-hand drive versions)
❍2=rear left seat (passenger)
❍3=rear centre seat (passenger)
❍4=rear right seat (passenger)
❍5=front right seat (passenger's condition for left-hand drive
versions)
Front seats (warning light no. 1 = driver and
no. 5 = passenger)
Driver
If the driver is the only occupant and his seat belt is unfastened,
when 20 km/h is exceeded or when travelling at a speed from 10
to 20 km/h for longer than 5 seconds, an acoustic reminder se-
quence will be started for front seats, consisting of a tone for 6 sec-
onds followed by a 90 second beep. The warning light will blink.
The warning lights will stay on fixed at the end of the cycle until
the engine is stopped. The acoustic reminder will be interrupted im-
mediately when the driver's seat belt is fastened and the warning
light will turn green. The reminder cycle (acoustic and visual) will
be repeated as described above and the red warning light will flash
if the seat belt is unfastened again while travelling.
Passenger
A similar situation arises for the front passenger, except that the
warning lights becomes green and the signal also stops when the
passenger leaves the car. In the event that both front seat belts are
unfastened with the vehicle in motion, a few seconds apart, the
acoustic signal refers to the most recent event, while both warning
lights display a visual signal independently of one another.
Rear seats (warning light no. 2, no. 3 and no. 4)
For rear seats, the reminder cycle is run only when any seat belt
is unfastened (red flashing warning light). In this condition, the
warning light referred to the seat belt which has been unfastened
will become red and blink for approximately 30 seconds. There is
also an acoustic signal.
The visual indication (red flashing) will start and stop independently
for each warning light if several seat belts are unfastened. The warn-
ing light will become green when the relevant seat belt is fas-
tened again.
After about 30 seconds from the last reminder, the warning lights
for rear seats will switch off, independently of the belt conditions
(red or green).
IMPORTANT NOTES
The warning lights are all off if all seat belts (front and rear) are
already fastened when the ignition key is turned on MAR.
All warning lights will light up when at least one belt goes from fas-
tened to unfastened or vice versa.
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SAFETY135
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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136SAFETY
The seat belt must not be twisted. The upper part must cross the
shoulder and the chest diagonally. The lower part must adhere to
the hips (fig. 6), not to the abdomen. Do not use devices (clips,
etc.) to hold the seat belt away from your body.GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS FOR USING THE
SEAT BELTS
Respect and ensure that all the other occupants of the car respect
the local laws in force regarding the use of seat belts. Always fas-
ten the seat belts before starting off.
Seat belts must also be used by pregnant women: risk will be sig-
nificantly reduced for both the expectant mother and the child in
the event of an accident.
Pregnant women must position the lower part of the belt very
low down so that it passes under the abdomen fig. 5.
For maximum safety, keep the back of your seat
upright, lean back into it and make sure the seat
belt fits closely across your chest and hips. Always
fasten the seat belts on both the front and the rear seats.
Travelling without seat belts fastened increases the risk
of serious injuries or even death in the event of a crash.
fig. 6A0J0095mfig. 5A0J0094m
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SAFETY137
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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138SAFETY
CARRYING CHILDREN SAFELY
For optimal protection in the event of a crash, all passengers must
be seated and wear adequate restraint systems. This is even more
important for children. This prescription is compulsory in all EC coun-
tries according to EC Directive 2003/20/EC. Compared with adults,
their head is proportionally larger and heavier than the rest of the
body, while the muscles and bone structure are not completely
developed. For this reason, they require restraint systems which
are different from those used by adults to protect them in the event
of an accident.
The results of research on the best child restraint systems are con-
tained in the European Standard EEC-R44. This Standard enforces
the use of restraint systems classified in five groups:
Group 0 up to 10 kg in weight
Group 0+ up to 13 kg in weight
Group 1 9-18 kg in weight
Group 2 15-25 kg in weight
Group 3 22-36 kg in weight
All restraint devices must bear the certification data, together with
the control brand, on a solidly fixed label which must absolutely
never be removed.
When over 1.50 m in height, from the point of view of restraint
systems, children are considered as adults and have to wear the
standard seat belts.
Lineaccessori Alfa Romeo includes child seats for each weight group.
These devices are recommended, having been specifically designed
for Alfa Romeo cars.
Do not arrange child seats facing backwards if the
front airbag on the passenger’s side is enabled. De-
ployment of the airbag in an accident could cause
fatal injuries to the baby regardless of the severity of the
collision. It is advisable to carry children in dedicated child
seats on the rear seat, which is the most protected posi-
tion in the event of an accident.
Should it be absolutely necessary to carry a child
on the front seat in a cradle seat facing away from
the direction of travel, the passenger’s front air bag
and Side Bag should be deactivated by using the
Set-Up Menu. Deactivation can be verified by
checking the
“warning light in the instrument panel.
Move the passenger’s seat as far back as possible to avoid
contact between the child seat and the dashboard.
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SAFETY139
2
FITTING “UNIVERSAL”
CHILD SEAT (with seat belts)
GROUP 0 and 0+ fig. 8
Children weighing up to 13 kg must be carried in cradle seats fac-
ing backwards, which by supporting the head, do not induce stress
on the neck in the event of sharp deceleration. The cradle is re-
strained by the car seat belts, as shown in the diagram and in
turn it must restrain the child with its own belts.
fig. 8A0J0097mfig. 9A0J0098m
The diagrams are indicative and provided for as-
sembly purposes only. Refer to the instructions sup-
plied with the child seat during assembly.
GROUP 1 fig. 9
Children from 9 kg to 18 kg in weight can be carried facing for-
wards if the child seat is fitted with a front cushion. Some types
of child seat have a front cushion through which the vehicle seat
belt restrains the child and the seat together.
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